YouTube Is Changing How It Calculates Views for Shorts to Align with TikTok and Instagram

YouTube

Starting March 31st, YouTube will update how it counts views for Shorts. Views will now be recorded as soon as a Short starts playing or replaying—removing the previous minimum watch time requirement. The original Shorts view metric will be rebranded as "Engaged Views," which will still determine eligibility for the YouTube Partner Program and how creators earn.

Why It Matters: This change aligns Shorts' metrics with Instagram and TikTok, making cross-platform comparisons easier for creators. Expect higher view counts moving forward, which will benefit YouTube's push to attract more brands to work with creators on sponsored content. The boost in views makes Shorts more appealing to marketers accustomed to the high numbers seen on TikTok and Reels.

After relatively minimal effort in promoting YouTube as a channel for influencer marketing, the platform is now ramping up quickly to attract the attention of brands and agencies with new features and tools, including integrations for Shorts with third-party influencer marketing platforms and by teaming up with eMarketer for a report. According to eMarketer, more than half of U.S. marketers will work with creators and influencers on YouTube for the first time this year.