YouTube will implement a change in how public views are counted starting August 24th. As announced by the platform on the Creator Insider channel, a view will be registered immediately when the video starts playing, meaning at the first frame.
YouTube will implement a change in how public views are counted starting August 24th. As announced by the platform on the Creator Insider channel, a view will be registered immediately when the video starts playing, meaning at the first frame.
This new system aims to standardize the count across different types of content, such as traditional videos, podcasts, and live streams, aligning with the method used in YouTube Shorts. It is important to note that this modification does not directly impact the counting model used for monetization purposes, which has also undergone adjustments.
Previously, long-form videos required a minimum viewing period for a public view to be registered. With the update, it is enough for the video to start for the view to be counted, regardless of how long the viewer stays on the screen.
The platform justified this change as a standardization of the metric across various content formats, stating that it is migrating to an 'exposure-based model for viewing across all formats.'
This new rule will apply to content published from August 24th; older materials will not have their views recalculated, but new plays will follow the new procedure.
For creators, the main caveat is that the change in the public metric will not affect payments to channels. YouTube will continue to use the engaged view count in YouTube Studio, which only considers plays where the user watches for a few seconds. This metric will remain the basis for performance analysis and monetization.
This implies that a video may show a higher number of public views without guaranteeing a corresponding increase in revenue. Furthermore, engaged views will remain the official criterion for the YouTube Partner Program regarding Shorts.
In addition to the change in view counting, YouTube recently disclosed new requirements for channels wishing to join the Partner Program. Starting February 1, 2027, the minimum standards will be doubled. To qualify for ad revenue and member subscription distribution, new channels must achieve 8 thousand watch hours in the last 12 months, compared to the current 4 thousand hours. It is necessary to have one thousand subscribers to participate in the program.
In the Shorts segment, the requirement will increase from 10 million to 20 million qualified views within a 90-day period.
YouTube will raise the criteria necessary for new creators to start earning revenue through ads and subscriptions on the platform. Starting February 1st, new participants must meet one of the following requirements: accumulate eight thousand qualified watch hours in the last twelve months or achieve twenty million qualified Shorts views in the last ninety days.
Currently, creators need to prove one thousand subscribers along with four thousand watch hours in the last twelve months, or one thousand subscribers and ten million Shorts views in the last ninety days. It is important to note that this change applies only to newly joining creators and will not affect channels already integrated into the YouTube Partner Program.
Additionally, YouTube announced changes for already monetized channels that receive payments from the Shorts Creators Pool. To remain in this system, these creators must maintain a minimum of ten million Shorts views within a ninety-day cycle.
Channels that fall below this threshold will not be removed from the YouTube Partner Program and may continue generating revenue from longer videos. Revenue related to Shorts will be reinstated once the channel again reaches the ten million view goal in 90 days.
The company justified these new guidelines by stating that they aim to keep pace with YouTube's exponential growth, which currently registers over 200 billion daily Shorts views and more than one billion hours of viewing on televisions daily.
In parallel with the monetization changes, YouTube announced the expansion of the Premium Lite service to all territories where YouTube Premium is available. This option provides an ad-free experience on most videos and allows for content downloads for offline viewing and background playback.
Creators receive a share of the revenue generated by subscriptions, calculated based on watch time and view volume. YouTube details that 55% of the revenue belongs to long-form video creators and 45% to Shorts creators.
The company believes that the expansion of Premium Lite has the potential to increase creators' earnings. According to the company, with the addition of these subscribers, partners can expect higher revenues, since the average earning per partner is higher when the user is a Premium subscriber compared to ad viewing.
The elevation of requirements implies that new creators will need to generate a considerably larger audience volume to enter the platform's monetization system. For those focusing on long-form videos, the jump is from four thousand to eight thousand qualified hours; for Shorts creators, the requirement rises from ten to twenty million qualified views in 90 days.
This change may make it harder for new channels to enter the program, as it requires them to consistently gather notable audiences before gaining access to monetization. However, YouTube protects channels already members of the Partner Program against this new entry requirement. In the Shorts segment, however, current participants must continue to reach ten million views in 90 days to receive the specific revenue for this category.
YouTube is not the only social network reviewing its payment schemes for creators. X, owned by Elon Musk, recently reformed its payment system and adjusted its rules to favor original content. Facebook has also introduced a new monetization program this year, aiming to attract content producers who operate on other platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube.
These movements are part of fierce competition among major social networks for talented individuals capable of mobilizing large audiences. While seeking to attract these producers, platforms are also readjusting the criteria used to distribute profits generated by content published on their services.
