Summary
- YouTube will change how it counts views on Shorts videos, aligning with the methodology used by Instagram Reels and TikTok
- The new system counts a view when a video starts to play, rather than when it has been watched for a set period of time
- The move may boost view counts, providing more comparable metrics for creators posting across multiple platforms, and offer more insight to attract potential brand partners
- YouTube will maintain both the old metric for engaged views in its analytics dashboard, and use it to assess creator earnings and programme eligibility.
Users will benefit from more realistic view counts, which will better reflect true engagement – even if view volumes statistically increase. This is because the new measure is more in line with how viewers interact with short video content. Additionally, YouTubers will be hopeful that the alignment in how views are measured with TikTok and Instagram Reels will ease any creativity drain from the platform, as creators tired of inferior view counts sought alternative platforms. The success of Shorts will also be boosted as the view count change will make it easier for creators to attain brand partnerships and better understand their reach across multiple channels.