YouTube Shorts will modify its view-counting methodology starting March 31 to better align with industry standards, though monetization remains unchanged.

Under the new system, views will be counted whenever a Short starts playing or replays, eliminating the current minimum watch time requirement. While this change may result in higher view counts, it won't affect YouTube Partner Program (YPP) eligibility or earnings.

YPP eligibility requirements remain:

• 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months, or
• 1,000 subscribers and 10 million valid public Shorts views in 90 days

The current view-counting method will be preserved as "engaged views" and will be accessible in YouTube Analytics' Advanced Mode. For comparing content performance before and after March 31, YouTube recommends using the engaged views metric.

This update addresses creators' requests for better visibility into their content's reach and aligns YouTube Shorts with competitors like Instagram Reels and TikTok, which use similar view-counting methods. The change enables creators to better assess their short-form content performance across platforms, particularly important as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels continue growing amid TikTok's uncertain future in the United States.

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