The number of youtube views can give you a sense of the popularity of a video. However, a video view is only one of many metrics to consider when analyzing a YouTube video’s success. YouTube’s Analytics tool provides more in-depth information about how a video is performing, including who is watching it, what time of day, and how they got to the video.
What makes a view count valid?
YouTube deems a view valid when two conditions are met: 1) A user watches the video for at least 30 seconds, and 2) The duration of the watched portion is logical. For example, a viewer might watch multiple videos in a row because they’re working through a series or channel. YouTube’s system takes into account this logic to ensure that the views count for genuine users only.
If you notice that a video’s view count has remained stagnant at 301 views for an extended period of time, don’t worry! YouTube puts a hold on any videos that have reached this point so that they can be screened by their employees to make sure that the views are legitimate.
This is especially important when it comes to live video. While replays of a live video will count as views, YouTube only counts 4-5 replays within 24 hours. This is to prevent people from artificially increasing their video’s view count by refreshing the page and skewing the results. youtube views