YouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earning money

Bad news?

"YouTube announced on Monday that new creators will have to meet higher thresholds to begin earning money from ads and subscriptions.

Creators who want to start earning on the platform will need at least 8,000 qualified watch hours over the past year or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.

Currently, creators need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past year or 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over the past 90 days. ..."

YouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earning money | TechCrunch

New opportunities to earn and changes to the YouTube Partner Program (original news release)

YouTube surpasses Disney, Paramount, WBD in 2025 ad revenue

 Good news! YouTube is now among the largest media companies by revenue!

"... YouTube pulled in $40.4 billion in ad revenue last year, which is more than Disney, NBC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery combined. ...

Last month, parent company Alphabet reported that YouTube’s total revenue in 2025 soared to $60 billion. A big portion of YouTube’s revenue now comes from subscriptions, which include services like YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, and NFL Sunday Ticket. (For context, that’s well above Netflix’s reported $45.2 billion for the full year.) ..."

YouTube surpasses Disney, Paramount, WBD in 2025 ad revenue

Disclaimer:
I am currently blogging from behind the Great Firewall of China.
My Internet service in China is very spotty. Thus, I am not able to blog as usual.

YouTube annoyances

For several weeks or so whenever I watch videos of certain German news channels (like Tichys Einblick or NIUS, YouTube translates the captions of these German language videos into English without my consent.

I know discovered that if I change my YouTube account profile language from English to German it stops automatically translating these video captions. The account profile does not seem to allow for more than one language! Very annoying!

In my Chrome browser language settings it clearly says English and German. I watch all YouTube videos through Chrome browser.

The Deutsche Welle (DW) channel on YouTube is not affected by this. Strange!

Very annoying! 

Here is an example (the original caption of the video is in German, but YouTube translated it into English):

YouTube will reinstate conservative accounts banned for allegedly spreading misinformation

Good news! Google/YouTube admits censorship! Is the tide turning or is the pendulum of politics in democracies swinging in the other direction?

"... Company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” Alphabet’s legal counsel Daniel F. Donovan wrote. “YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse.” ..."

YouTube will reinstate accounts banned for spreading misinformation | TechCrunch

YouTube annoyances

Lately, I noticed that YouTube would translate German video titles into English titles without my consent! And YouTube does it inconsistently! See below for an example from yesterday.

See screenshots below. Tichys Einblick is a German news media outlet that does not publish in English as far as I know.

As you can see below, the first three videos in the top row have English translated titles, but not the older videos. Look at the second video from the left in the top row: The titel under the video is in English, but the title of the video picture is in German.

These were two of my YouTube notifications yesterday. Voila, the Tichys Einblick video is shown with a German title as expected. The Tichys Einblick video corresponds to the second video from the left in the top row in the screenshot above.

YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality

Serious stuff, if confirmed! Without the consent or permission of the YouTuber? 

"... In recent months, YouTube has secretly used artificial intelligence (AI) to tweak people's videos without letting them know or asking permission. Wrinkles in shirts seem more defined. Skin is sharper in some places and smoother in others. Pay close attention to ears, and you may notice them warp. These changes are small, barely visible without a side-by-side comparison. Yet some disturbed YouTubers say it gives their content a subtle and unwelcome AI-generated feeling.

There's a larger trend at play. A growing share of reality is pre-processed by AI before it reaches us. Eventually, the question won't be whether you can tell the difference, but whether it's eroding our ties to the world around us. ..."

YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality "YouTube made AI enhancements to videos without telling users or asking permission. As AI quietly mediates our world, what happens to our shared connection with real life?"

Pretty Urologist Explains: How to Masturbate Safely After 60 – Avoid These 3 Big Mistakes

One of YouTube's latest health advice videos! She recommends don't rush it!

YouTube narrow video format for short videos annoyance

Every day this is an annoyance!

When will YouTube get rid of this stupid idea!

The painter who inspired the work of Turner and Constable National Gallery

Presenting large scale paintings in a narrow video on YouTube format is a really stupid idea!

A newly discovered news channel on YouTube: Straight Arrow News (SAN)

You may want to check out this news channel! Their reports are short and to the point and they cover a wide range! However, it is focused on US news.

According to Reuters (1/19/2021): "Billionaire businessman and founder of TD Ameritrade Joe Ricketts is launching a new national outlet to deliver news “without opinion or bias,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday. ...

The news outlet, called Straight Arrow News, will be based in Omaha, Nebraska, and is expected to launch this year, according to the spokesperson.

“The name speaks to the company’s mission of being a trustworthy source of news and information – a straight arrow that hits the bullseye,” Joe Ricketts said through a spokesperson.

News of the launch comes as President Donald Trump has lost access to key media platforms, prompting speculation that he could launch his own media company or strike a deal or partnership with an existing player. Trump has been without a media platform since Twitter, Facebook and other tech companies banned him following the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riots at the U.S. Capitol. ..."

Straight Arrow News (on YouTube)

Straight Arrow News (website)

Youtube’s Biggest Star Mr Beast Values Company at $5 Billion with Palki Sharma

Recommendable! I don't remember ever to know of Mr. Beast before even though I watch YouTube videos daily.

YouTube surpasses 1B monthly podcast viewers. Really!

A very annoying development on YouTube!

I also have the impression some providers on YouTube have become lazy or miserly by posting more cheap podcasts instead of videos.

YouTube surpasses 1B monthly podcast viewers | TechCrunch

How about Deepfake erectile dysfunction advertisement on YouTube

They say some women fake orgasms, maybe some men fake ED? Just kidding! 😊

Deepfake Mike Tyson Wants You 'Rock Hard' "Deepfakes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Mike Tyson, and Terry Crews are selling erectile dysfunction supplements on YouTube."

Credits: Techcrunch newsletter

When will YouTube finally make the thumbs down votes for videos visible again!!!!

This is so idiotic! So ludicrous! So annoying!

YouTube annoyances

YouTube seems to offer more podcasts lately. However, YouTube does not at all or not clearly indicate that the video is a podcast!

I don't watch YouTube videos to listen to a podcast!!!

Chart of the day

Impressive!

Source

YouTube annoyance: Transcript of every video!

Why does YouTube not provide automatically and instantaneously a full transcript of every videos!

This would be so helpful!!!!

YouTube Viewership Ascends as Cord Cutting Weighs on Traditional TV

Good news! I am a big fan of YouTube too!

"Nearly 10% of the time Americans spent in front of TV screens last month was on YouTube’s flagship smart-TV app, Nielsen data show. The amateur-video hub has morphed into a streaming behemoth with full-length films, series, sports highlights and live events."

YouTube Viewership Ascends as Cord Cutting Weighs on Traditional TV - WSJ

YouTube Annoyances

Less than 12 hours ago, I watched a YouTube video on Myanmar published by the South China Morning Post titled "Three years on: China’s role in Myanmar’s civil war".

Immediately after watching this video, I used this video to blog here about it.

Less than 12 hour later, I had to discover that this YouTube video was removed. Plus, YouTube has erased this video from my YouTube History without any explanation as if I had never watched this video. I did not receive any notification from YouTube etc. This is pretty lousy!

A search for the title on YouTube of this video revealed that similar video was released again on YouTube.

What is YouTube Shorts about?

 Lot's of short skirts!