YouTube said on March 30 it will ease eligibility requirements for the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme to 500 or more subscribers to support early creator growth and diversify revenue models.

Creators in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) who have reached 500 or more subscribers can participate in the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme.

Eligible creators can generate revenue by tagging brand products in Shorts, standard videos and live streaming videos. Viewers can watch videos on smartphones or TVs and click products recommended by creators to make purchases.

YouTube Shopping is being used as a key revenue source for creators in the early stages of running their channels.

A running creator with 12,000 subscribers, Boteong Runner Kim Botong (보통러너 김보통), recorded 30,000 product clicks and 6,600 orders in about 3 months after introducing YouTube Shopping in November last year. More than 80 percent of total YouTube revenue came from the shopping affiliate programme as of a point less than 1 year after the channel was launched.

The 10,000-subscriber channel Ddokjubu (똑주부) saw YouTube Shopping revenue rise 800 percent over 5 months after introducing the programme compared with the same period before its adoption. More than 77 percent of total YouTube revenue over the past 3 months is coming from shopping.

YouTube said it expanded support so creators can build sustainable businesses from the early stages of their activity. It said diversifying revenue could help creators strengthen their influence.