YouTube is cracking down on illegitimate content creators. Aspiring YouTubers now need to reach 10,000 views before they can even think about making money from advertising. This is thanks to new rules being put in place by YouTube to ensure creators and advertisers play nicely together.

YouTube has faced a backlash from advertisers in recent weeks. Some big brands have pulled their advertising over fears their ads were being played before potentially offensive videos. YouTube is changing its policies to solve this issue, introducing new rules for smaller YouTubers.

New YouTube Partner Program Safeguards

Until now everyone has been welcome to join the YouTube Partner Program. If your application was successful you could monetize your videos, taking a share of the revenue. The problem, as YouTube has figured out, is that people were abusing the system, making a mockery of the YPP.

YouTube is now putting new rules in place to safeguard the YouTube Partner Program. These new rules mean that no ads will be placed on videos until that channel reaches 10,000 lifetime views. Giving YouTube ample time to judge whether a channel and its creator are legitimate.

After a channel hits the 10k threshold, the creator can apply to join the YPP. At this point, YouTube will review the channel to ensure it's following the community guidelines and advertiser policies. If so, YouTube will start serving ads on that channel's videos from that moment forth.

Everybody Wins... Except Small YouTubers

If you're a small YouTuber just starting out then this new threshold obviously sucks. However, until you're racking up thousands of views on each video you weren't exactly raking in the cash anyway. Now, you know you've got to produce some quality content before you hit paydirt.

Meanwhile, YouTube gets to weed out illegitimate content creators who will likely disappear rather quickly when they realize there's no money to be made. And advertisers can be more confident that the content creators carrying their ads have been vetted to a certain degree.

Are you a YouTuber? Have you racked up 10k views over the lifetime of your channel? Are you currently enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program? What do you think of the new threshold? Or YouTube's handling of this situation? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Rego Korosi via Flickr