What Are Public Watch Hours on YouTube
YouTube has certain criteria for determining which videos are eligible for monetization. One such criteria is public watch hours. What does public watch hours mean on YouTube? It refers to the amount of time that viewers have spent watching your public YouTube videos. It’s calculated based on the actual duration of the videos, not the playback speed or the time skipped by the viewers.
For example, if you watch a 10-minute video at 2x speed, it will count as 10 minutes of public watch hours, not 5 minutes. Likewise, if you watch only 5 minutes of a 10-minute video, it will count as 5 minutes of public watch hours, not 10 minutes.
What Doesn’t Count as Public Watch Hours on YouTube
However, in some cases, public watch hours on YouTube do not count, which is called invalid public watch hours. Some examples include:
- Time is generated by unlisted, private, or deleted videos.
- Time is generated by part of a playlist. (Only the first video in the playlist will be counted as public watch hours.)
- Time is generated by active live streams.
- Time is generated by paid promotion through Google Ads campaigns.
- Time is generated by views of non-monetizable content.
- Time is generated by you viewing your own videos from either the edit or watch pages.
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Why Do Public Watch Hours Matter
Public watch hours are important because they are one of the requirements for joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which allows you to monetize your videos with ads and other features. In terms of public watch hours, you need to have at least 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months for the YPP. It’s to ensure that your channel has a loyal and engaged audience and that your content complies with YouTube’s policies and guidelines.
Once you join the YPP, you can start earning money from your videos by displaying ads from Google AdSense or other sources and accessing other monetization features such as Super Chat, Super Stickers, Channel Memberships, and Merchandise Shelf. However, joining the YPP does not guarantee that you will make money from your videos, as this depends on various factors such as the number of views, the type of ads, the performance of your channel, etc.
How to Get More Public Watch Hours on YouTube
Whereas, increasing your public watch hours can be challenging, especially if you are starting from scratch or own a small channel. Luckily, there are some tips that you can use to boost your public watch hours and grow your audience.
- Create high-quality and engaging content that attracts viewers’ attention.
- Optimize your videos for search by using keywords, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, tags, and playlists that match what your potential viewers are looking for.
- Encourage viewers to watch more of your videos by adding cards, end screens, annotations, and links that suggest related or recommended videos.
- Interact with your viewers by responding to their comments, asking for feedback, inviting them to subscribe and turn on notifications, and more.
- Promote your videos on other platforms such as social media, blogs, websites, podcasts, or email newsletters that can drive traffic to your YouTube channel.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, public watch hours are an important metric for YouTube creators looking to monetize their videos through ads and other features. To join the YPP, you need to have at least 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months. By following these tips, you can increase your public watch hours on YouTube and grow your audience.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Lydia is always interested in new things and has been attracted deeply by writing. Her love for writing makes her become an English editor about multimedia in MiniTool. She’s determined to write articles about photos, audio, video, and other news to offer readers useful suggestions. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, photography, and having fun with friends.