If you post or watch videos on YouTube, you’re about to notice a surge in the number of views for each video.
The Google-owned platform announced on Monday that it is changing the way it counts a view. Starting Aug. 24, a view will be counted the moment a video starts playing, from the very first frame, YouTube said in a Community post.
YouTube never officially revealed how it previously counted views. The general understanding was that a user had to watch for at least 30 seconds to add a view to a long-form video. For YouTube Shorts, the company adopted its new first-frame policy last year.
“Historically, we’ve used multiple view counting systems across different formats. However, we’ve heard that creators want to eliminate this metric confusion and accurately understand their true exposure, which is why we’re making this update,” YouTube says.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The new policy will apply to both Shorts and long-form videos across the globe. It’s unclear whether previews that play while hovering over a thumbnail count as a view; we’ve reached out to YouTube to learn more.
Recommended by Our Editors
While the new system boosts numbers for creators, it may not necessarily boost their income. “This change will not impact creators’ earnings or how they become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP),” YouTube said, meaning you’ll still need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months to start making money from long-form videos. For Shorts, the number shifts to 10 million views over the last 90 days.
Starting Jan. 31, 2027, the eligibility threshold for monetization will be raised even further. As announced by YouTube earlier this month, you’ll need 8,000 watch hours from long videos and 20 million views from Shorts to qualify for its Partner Program. To remain part of the program, creators must meet channel activity requirements: 1,000 watch hours in the past 365 days, 1 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, or uploading either at least two long-form videos or five Shorts every 90 days.
About Our Expert
Experience
Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
Leave a Reply