Public watch hours on YouTube refer to the total number of hours that videos on your channel have been viewed by people publicly. This includes views from both logged-in and logged-out users on YouTube, as well as embedded views on other websites. We will discuss in detail about What is Public Watch Hours in Youtube.
How to Increase Watch Hours on Youtube
Public watch hours are one of the eligibility requirements for monetizing your channel through youtube ads and other means.
To be eligible for monetization ( youtube partner program ), a channel must have at least 4000 hours of public watch time within the last 12 months and at least 1000 subscribers. This means that if a viewer watches a video on your channel for one hour, that counts as one hour of public watch time for your channel. The more watch time your youtube videos receive, the more likely your channel is to be monetized.
Public watch hours also help YouTube to identify popular Youtube channel and videos and to recommend content to viewers. Additionally, they can be used to measure the performance and engagement of your channel and make decisions about the content you create and share.
Buy YouTube views to ensure that only channels that have a significant number of views and engagement are able to monetize their content.
It’s also important to note that Public watch hours are different from total watch hours which include hours of all views including the one from the channel owner or from the same IP address.
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What counts as watching hours on YouTube?
When a viewer watches a video on your channel, the time they spend watching that video is counted as watch time for your channel. The more watch time your videos receive, the more your channel is considered to be engaging and popular, which can help with monetization and visibility on the platform.
It’s worth noting that only views from public videos are counted toward watch hours on youtube. Videos that are marked as private or unlisted do not contribute to your channel’s watch hours. Additionally, views from YouTube’s “Watch Later” feature, from end screens, and from playlists that include your videos will also be counted towards watch hours.
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Watch Hours Calculation
Watch hours are calculated on a rolling basis, meaning that the watch hours for your channel are determined by the total amount of time that viewers have spent watching your youtube videos in the past 12 months.
For example, if a viewer watches a video on your channel for one hour, that counts as one hour of watch time for your channel. This watch time is then added to your overall watch hours for the past 12 months.
Does youtube live count as Watch Hours?
YouTube Live is a feature that allows you to broadcast live video content to your audience in real-time. While YouTube Live can be a great way to engage with your audience and build your channel’s viewership, it’s important to note that live streams do not count towards your channel’s watch hours in the same way that pre-recorded videos do.
Live Streams not Included in Watch Hour Calculation
The reason for this is that Social Media platforms like YouTube Live streams are not recorded and saved to your channel’s video library, and therefore, they cannot be included in the calculation of your channel’s overall watch hours.
However, the views that you receive during a live stream will be counted towards your channel’s overall view count, and if you’re looking to build your channel’s engagement, it can be a great way to connect with your audience and build your channel’s community.
Additionally, You can also archive your live streams which will then be saved to your channel’s video library and will be counted towards your channel’s watch hours. This can be a great way to extend the reach and engagement of your live stream beyond the time that they are broadcast.
It’s also worth noting that live streams are not eligible for monetization during the stream, but they will be eligible for monetization if they are archived, also the watch hours of live streams also won’t be counted towards the 4000 hours required for monetization.
While YouTube Live streams can be a great way to engage with your audience and build your channel’s viewership, they do not count towards your channel’s watch hours in the same way that pre-recorded videos do.
However, you can still archive the live streams and they will be counted towards your channel’s watch hours. Live streams are also a great way to connect with your audience and build your channel’s community.
Conclusion
In conclusion, watching hours on Youtube channel is a measure of engagement and popularity of your channel, and it’s used by YouTube to determine your eligibility for monetization, to identify popular channels and videos, to recommend content to viewers, and to measure the performance and engagement of your channel.
It’s important to create good quality content and promote it to attract viewers and increase your watch hours, while also following the community guidelines and policies of YouTube.
