In order to monetise your YouTube channel, you must have 4 thousand hours of Watch Time on your videos. However, When gathering the watch hours, it’s easy to lose sight of some of the key aspects of the procedure, which might lead to mistakes. The most important, and maybe most overlooked, point to mention is that not all types of videos on youtube contribute toward the watch hour requirements of the Youtube Partner Program. The truth is that some video types do not contribute to your progress toward achieving that large and desired objective.
Before you begin earning Watch Time, you need to identify those types of videos which will be most beneficial to you to produce. Make more of those videos that help you gather watch time and make less of those that don’t help you. Below we have mentioned those five types of videos that won’t help you gather watch time.
1. Shorts on Youtube
The relationship between short, vertical films and the Youth Participation Program (YPP) is a difficult matter. However, the fact that YouTube Shorts can not be monetized is fully clear since YouTube declared this in a public statement. This means that watch hours from Shorts doesn’t really count against a creator’s 4,000-hour target. Will this, however, alter in the future? Is there a revenue model designed just for Shorts that is in the works? Only time can tell if this is true. For the time being, understand that Shorts will not assist you in monetizing your channel — at least not immediately.
There is, however, a slight exception to this generalisation. If a Short is seen on the Shorts shelf, which is a display space for quick, vertical videos, it will not count against your YPP watch hours. However, if they are viewed on a conventional watch page that includes YouTube advertisements and a comment box, you can earn qualified Watch Time. But since shorts are really small videos, any watch time gained in this manner will also be very small and won’t help you in any considerable manner.
2. Live Streamed Videos
Live streaming is a fantastic way to boost your Watch Time online. These videos are typically lengthy, and if viewers watch them all the way through, you may add many hours to your overall watch time target.
However, in accordance with YouTube’s policies, live streamed videos that are “not” turned into video-on-demand material will not accrue watch hours under the YPP programme. Because the details surrounding this are hazy, we recommend that you make your live streams available to the public after they have concluded. Do not archive a live broadcast by making it unlisted or private; instead, make it public.
When checked with YouTube to see if this advice made sense for content providers, no direct response was received, however, many authors shared their own personal experiences. They claim to earn Watch Hours both after and during a live stream, which also include video-on-demand watching.
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3. Video Ads.
Have you ever made a video advertisement for YouTube? If you were anticipating that they might assist you in adding to watch hours towards your monetization goal, you will be disappointed. The number of hours spent watching advertisements does not contribute toward YouTube monetization. Even if you have 10,000 hours under your belt, none of them will count toward the 4,000 watch hours you require.
This is reasonable given the fact that advertisements may garner millions of views. If YouTube considers them for YPP approval, it will open a shortcut door to revenue for users who are already on the platform.
4. Videos That You Deleted
When you remove the video from YouTube, the Watch Time associated with that item is deducted from your total watch hours that is counted for monetization. Consider the following scenario: your youtube channel has a total of 3,000 watch hours. If you remove a video that generated 600 of those watch hours, you’ll be left with only 2,500 watch hours. Therefore, before you remove anything, have a look at the number of watch hours that your material has received.
It may be unavoidable to delete a video from time to time. Perhaps you’ve matured as an individual since the video was initially published and now you wish to improve your public image. Alternatively, it’s possible that someone featured in your film without your permission, now wants you to remove it. Whatever the reason, be sure it’s worth it for you to delete a video and lose valuable viewing time in the process.
5. Unlisted And Private Videos
Years back, unlisted and private videos were included in the YPP Watch Time calculation. It changed when YouTube determined in 2019 that only public videos, rather than partially visible content, can collect watch hours. This was the first time this happened.
Since then, in order to accomplish this, you must prioritise public videos above private or unlisted videos. Non-listed videos can only be viewed if a specific number of individuals have access to the URL. This privacy option is beneficial to content providers who have specific goals for their work. They may choose to share recordings to family members and friends or host webinars for a small group of people who are interested.
In terms of monetization, unlisted and private movies are not particularly useful if you’re attempting to grow your audience. Check to see that videos which need to be shared with the public get, in fact, shared with the public. This will assist you in reaching the 4,000-hour mark and applying to the YPP.