California (Web Desk) — YouTube has announced a major change to the way video views are counted. Under the new system, a video will be counted as a view as soon as it starts playing. The feature is considered particularly important for users who create long-form videos.
Previously, YouTube introduced the same system for Shorts, while TikTok and Instagram also count a view as soon as a video starts playing.
According to YouTube, the change was introduced after users expressed confusion over the existing view-counting system. Under the new method, the number of views could increase significantly, particularly for videos that viewers watch for a short period.
The company clarified that the previous view count will also remain available, but it will now be called “Engaged Views,” and users will be able to access it through the analytics system. The new change will not affect earnings or eligibility for the YouTube Partner Program. The new system will take effect on August 24.
Meanwhile, YouTube has also tightened the requirements for its Partner Program for earning revenue. Previously, users needed 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of long-form video watch time in one year, but the threshold has now been increased to 8,000 hours.
For earning revenue through Shorts, users will also need 20 million video views within the previous 90 days, compared with 10 million previously. These new requirements will take effect on February 1, 2027, while users already enrolled in the Partner Program will not be affected by the change.