When you want to monetize your YouTube channel with AdSense, one of the criteria you have to meet is to reach 4000 Public watch Hours so you can apply for YouTube Partner Program But what are public watch hours on YouTube exactly?
In this YouTube tutorial, we are going to explain everything you have to know about public watch hours on YouTube.
If you prefer to watch a video tutorial on public watch hours on YouTube, check out this tutorial:
What are valid Public Watch Hours on YouTube?
Public Watch Hours on YouTube is the total number of hours people watched public videos on the channel.
To be eligible for YouTube monetization, you have to have more than 4000 valid Public Watch hours in the last 365 days.
Doesn’t count as Public Watch Hours on YouTube
The following video watch hours don’t count into the 4000 public watch hours criteria:
- watch hours of Private YouTube videos
- watch hours of Unlisted YouTube videos
- watch hours of Deleted YouTube videos’
- YouTube Ad campaigns watch hours
- watch hours of Videos played from the ‘Stories and short videos’ shelf
- watch hours of YouTube Livestreams that are unlisted, deleted, or not converted to VOD (video on demand)
Keep in mind that besides the 4000 Public Watch Hours on YouTube, your YouTube channel also has to have at least 1000 subscribers to be able to apply for YPP and monetization.
How To Get More Public Watch Hours On YouTube?
When it comes to getting more valid public watch hours on YouTube, the best pieces of advice are similar to the tips to get more YouTube views:
- publish many videos optimized for YouTube search
- create attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails.
- work on YouTube retention
- and many more.
Check out our blog post on how to get more YouTube views for more details. (Tobepublished)
FAQ – What Are YouTube Public What Hours?
Here are the most frequently asked questions related to YouTube’s public watch hours:
How many Watch Hours do you need to get into YouTube Partner Program?
You need to get 4000 valid public watch hours on your videos in the last 365 days to be able to apply for the YouTube Partner Program and get monetized on YouTube.
However, not every video counts into this 4000 valid public watch hours. For the full list of exceptions, check out the list above.
I have more than 4000 Public Watch Hours, but still can’t apply for the YouTube partner program, why?
Keep in mind that you have to reach 4000 public watch hours in the last 365 days. If you reached 4000 public watch hours but only in more than 363 days, unfortunately, you won’t be able to apply for YouTube Partner Program yet.
Is YouTube Shorts count into the Public Watch Hours?
No, currently watch hours that you gained via YouTube shorts don’t count into the 4000 Public Watch Hours you have to reach before you would be able to start making money with YouTube AdSense.
Are YouTube ads watch hours count into the Public Watch Hours rules?
No, you can’t cheat your way into YouTube monetization by running YouTube ads to gain views and watch hours as YouTube Ads watch hours doesn’t count into the Public Watch Hours requirements. However, you might be able to use ads to get more subscribers
