What is public watch hours on youtube?

Public watch hours on YouTube refer to the total amount of time that all viewers have spent watching a particular video or channel. This metric is important for creators and businesses as it can give insight into the popularity and engagement of content.

YouTube publicly displays the total watch hours of a video or channel as a way to demonstrate its appeal to viewers and advertisers. Creators can track their watch hours in their YouTube Analytics dashboard and use this information to improve their content strategy and grow their audience.

For channels to be eligible for monetization through the YouTube Partner Program, they must have accumulated at least 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months. This requirement, along with having at least 1,000 subscribers, allows creators to start earning revenue through ads on their videos.

In summary, public watch hours on YouTube are a key metric for measuring the popularity and success of a video or channel, and they play a crucial role in the monetization process for creators.