7 Effective Strategies to Reach 4,000 Hours and Monetize Your Channel

Are you eager to achieve 4,000 watch hours on YouTube and start earning money? Discover these 7 solid strategies that will help you get there. Install Extension If you're familiar with the importance of reaching 4,000 watch hours on YouTube, then you know it's a significant milestone on the path to monetization. While it may not be easy, many creators dedicate a year or more to reach this goal, and the rewards are well worth it. Reaching 4,000 watch hours allows you to monetize your videos through the YouTube Partner Program, essentially earning money even while you sleep. It's a passive way to boost your income!

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Understanding Watch Time on YouTube

But first, let's clarify what watch time is and how it's calculated on YouTube.

Watch time refers to the total duration that individuals spend watching a video. Each YouTube video has its own watch time count, contributing to the overall count for your channel. To qualify for monetization, you must accumulate 4,000 viewing hours within 12 consecutive months. The videos themselves don't have to be published within the past 12 months; as long as viewers have watched them over the previous year, they count towards the watch time requirement.

Ready to grow your YouTube channel? It's FREE to get started Sign Up for FREE Additionally, not all types of videos contribute to watch time. Make sure you accumulate 4,000 public watch hours, as this is the primary qualifier. Remember, don't set your videos to private!

Read more: YouTube Monetization — Which Videos Count Toward 4,000 Hours of Watch Time?

Do You Need 4,000 Hours to Join the YPP?

It's important to note that you don't need 4,000 hours to join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). You can join with just 3,000 hours and monetize your videos through fan funding options instead of ads. These options include Super Chats, Super Thanks, channel memberships, and more. Below are the minimum requirements for joining the YPP, but keep in mind that you'll still need 4,000 hours to earn ad revenue.

Finding Your Channel's Watch Time

So, how many watch hours have you accumulated thus far? Knowing this number is crucial, especially when devising a strategy to retain viewers' attention.

1. Go to YouTube Studio and click on "Earn" in the left navigation bar.
2. On the "Become a Partner" page, scroll down to "How to Join." There, you'll find the total watch time for your channel.

How to Increase Watch Time on YouTube: 7 Powerful Tips

Now that you're aware of your current standing, utilize these powerful tips to boost your watch time on YouTube.

Master the Art of YouTube Storytelling

Effective storytelling is essential for engaging viewers and ultimately increasing your watch hours on YouTube. In each video, aim to captivate viewers' attention, take them on a journey, and create emotional moments that keep them hooked throughout.

To achieve this, focus on mastering three aspects of YouTube storytelling:

• Title and thumbnail: Convince viewers to click by offering a snapshot of the video's content and the experience it provides. For example, notice how the creator's expression in this thumbnail reinforces the title: "Big Mistakes Small YouTubers Still Make."
• Video introduction: Persuade viewers to keep watching by delivering a compelling opening. Study the intros of high-performing YouTube Shorts for inspiration. Intriguing phrases like "They don't want you to know this secret…" or "I never do this, and here's why…" effectively pique curiosity.
• Emotional connectivity: Foster relatability through emotional triggers such as nostalgia, novelty, and scarcity. Connect with your audience on real-world matters.

Increase Engagement with Pattern Interrupters

While a good story may capture viewers' interest, the way you edit that story can significantly boost watch time.

Pattern interrupters are your secret weapon in this regard. They enhance videos by introducing visual or auditory elements that disrupt viewers' thought patterns. For example, if a viewer's thought is "I should leave this video," you want to interrupt that thought.

Examples of pattern interrupters include:

• Shifting camera angles
• Graphics or images
• Changes in music
• Occasional text
• Scene changes
• Sound effects
• Jump cuts
• B-roll footage

Create Evergreen YouTube Videos

To rapidly accumulate watch time, incorporate evergreen content into your video repertoire. Evergreen videos focus on topics that remain popular year-round, ensuring a consistent flow of watch time.

Examples of evergreen topics include "how to change careers," "how to cook brown rice," and "tips for making friends in your 30s." These subjects generate high search volume throughout the year.

If you're struggling to find evergreen video ideas, ask yourself: What do my viewers care about more than anything else? For instance, vidIQ subscribers appreciate growth tips for small channels. One of our videos on this subject has amassed over 78,000 watch hours since its publication six months ago, and the hours continue to increase!

Host YouTube Live Streams

Watch time from live streaming counts towards your 4,000-hour goal. Engage with your audience in real-time and accumulate monetization hours effortlessly!

When we embarked on our live streaming journey, we initially had 50-100 viewers. Now, we consistently attract hundreds of concurrent viewers, resulting in a significant boost in watch time.

Take a look at the watch time from this two-hour live stream, for example:

Give live streaming a chance once you have at least 12 months of content creation experience. By then, you should have 100 or more subscribers who may tune in to watch your streams.

Skip the Basic Outro

While filming a lengthy outro may feel natural, there are better ways to conclude your videos. Most viewers tend to click away when they hear phrases like:

• "...And that's about it!"
• "Those are all of my tips for…"
• "If you liked this video, then…"

Rather than signaling the end of a video, leave before anyone realizes what's happening. By not explicitly announcing the video's conclusion, you'll see an improvement in watch time.

Use End Screens to Retain Viewers

YouTube end screens are interactive outros that appear during the final 5-20 seconds of a video. They allow you to include clickable elements such as website links, a subscribe button, or even promote another YouTube channel. However, if you're aiming to increase watch hours, the best strategy is to guide viewers to watch additional content.

Instead of creating a traditional "outro," deliver your final point and promptly transition to an end screen. This way, you can recommend another video to your viewers!

Maintain Consistent Video Uploads

YouTube's recommendation system plays a crucial role in suggesting the best content to users seeking something to watch. To fulfill its task effectively, YouTube prefers channels that consistently produce videos. If a channel only uploads once a month, the algorithm cannot rely on that channel for quality recommendations.

You don't have to upload daily, but establish an upload schedule that keeps viewers engaged without overwhelming yourself.

The Easiest Way to Track Watch Time

If you're tired of navigating YouTube Studio to monitor your watch time, download vidIQ for FREE and access our real-time stats bar. Along with tracking watch time, it also provides insights into views per hour and subscribers gained.

FAQ: Further Details About YouTube Watch Time

Can I watch my own YouTube videos to increase watch time?

While you can play your own videos, it's not recommended to do so solely for the purpose of boosting watch time. YouTube's Fake Engagement Policy prohibits artificially increasing views, likes, comments, or other metrics. Moreover, YouTube often removes views generated from one's own browser after 48 hours.

Do YouTube Shorts contribute to watch time?

Unfortunately, watch time from Shorts does not count towards the required 4,000 hours for joining the YouTube Partner Program. Those hours must come from regular videos. Alternatively, you can achieve eligibility by gaining 1,000 subscribers and 10 million public Shorts views within 90 days.

Should I purchase YouTube watch time?

Purchasing watch time is not advisable if you want to maintain a healthy channel. Instead, focus on creating high-quality videos that naturally attract viewers. Buying fake engagement could lead to strikes against your channel, account suspension, or channel termination.

Should I make longer videos to increase watch time?

Don't create lengthy videos simply to reach 4,000 hours. Your videos should be long enough to cover the topic effectively. Remember, if viewers become bored and abandon a video, it negatively affects your watch time.

What's an underrated method to increase watch time?

Place emphasis on audience retention. The longer viewers stay engaged with your videos, the more watch time you'll accumulate. Pay attention to metrics such as the number of viewers still watching after the 30-second mark or the average percentage of a video watched. These insights will help you create better content.

Reach Your Watch Time Goals on YouTube

To conclude, here are seven powerful strategies to increase your YouTube watch time:

1. Master the art of YouTube storytelling.
2. Enhance engagement with pattern interrupters.
3. Create evergreen videos.
4. Host live streams.
5. Opt for an alternative video outro.
6. Utilize end screens to retain viewers.
7. Maintain a consistent upload schedule.