YouTube started counting a public view from the first frame of playback on Monday, covering long-form video, podcasts, and livestreams, which drops the watch-time threshold those formats used to carry and brings them in line with Shorts. Public counts will now climb without anyone watching longer, and YouTube says the point is to give creators a cleaner read on their reach when they pitch brand partners. Pay isn’t affected, because ad revenue and Partner Program eligibility run on engaged views and engaged watch hours, which live in Analytics rather than on the public counter. The bar to reach that revenue is going up separately, and from February 1 new applicants will need 8,000 qualified watch hours a year or 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, double the current thresholds.
