Does Instant Subscription Strategy Improve User Engagement, In 2024

Does Instant Subscription Strategy Improve User Engagement?

YouTube Sub4Sub: Does It Really Work?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes YouTubers with smaller channels feel like their small subscriber counts are holding them back. There is some truth to this. When you have a higher number of subscribers it is easier to get even more. That is why some users try to use methods like Sub4Sub to improve their numbers.

Sub4Sub, or ‘sub for sub’, is the practice of subscribing to somebody else’s channel in exchange for them subscribing to yours. Whether Sub4Sub works is debatable, but it is fairly popular. YouTubers often send messages to other YouTubers asking if they would like to sub for sub, and there are even off-YouTube sites devoted to connecting YouTubers so they can subscribe to each other. A lot of vloggers do not believe in Sub4Sub, though. This is because they doubt whether subscribers gained this way actually help them get more views on their videos.

This article will explain the pros and cons of Sub4Sub.

Does YouTube Sub4Sub Work

1. Does Sub4Sub Work?

The technical answer is ‘yes’. You can get new subscribers quickly using sub for sub and it is in no way against YouTube’s rules. On the other hand, subscribers gained through sub for sub do not watch or share your videos. Users end up with more subscribers, but their channels do not truly grow.

2. Pros of Sub4Sub

A big part of doing well on YouTube is being engaged in your vlogging community. If a YouTuber with a similar topic to yours approaches you with a Sub4Sub request and you engage them in a conversation it could be the beginning of a great friendship. Beyond subscribing to each other you can share tips, comment on each other’s videos, and maybe even collaborate on a video someday.

Sub4Sub can also help some YouTubers with their confidence. It can be discouraging not to see any growth and being embarrassed over their low subscriber counts can result in vloggers deciding to hide that information. They may feel like their content is being judged badly by people who are not even watching their videos based on how few subscribers they have. Building up a higher number using Sub4Sub may allow some YouTubers to move past these concerns and get back to focusing on making good videos.

3. Cons of Sub4Sub

The reality is that if people are pre-judging your videos based on your stats it is not subscribers they are looking at so much as views. Sub4Sub helps you get subscribers, but in most cases those subscribers will never watch any of your videos. They will also never share them or tell their friends to watch them, the way subscribers gained organically will. So while your subscriber count goes up, your view count stays low.

The situation described in the Pros section, where you talk to each other and comment on each other’s videos, is rare. You are more likely to make friends with other YouTubers after you have already watched each other’s videos or after chatting in a forum. It is worth trying to engage a vlogger with a similar topic to yours if they ask you to sub for sub, but most people who ask will have no intention of interacting with you beyond subscribing to each other. Realistically if you are going to use sub for sub to increase your subscriber count by any significant number you will not have time to have actual conversations with everyone you approach, or to watch their videos.

When you agree to exchange subscriptions with somebody there is also the danger that they will decide to unsubscribe from your channel afterwards. This could happen much later when they realize they do not want to be subscribed to so many people and have forgotten which channels were parts of Sub4Sub agreements. Or it could happen within weeks, days, or even hours of you subscribing to them. There are some dishonest YouTubers who use sub for sub to get subscribers while already planning to unsubscribe to anybody who agrees. Their hope is that the other person will not notice or will not bother unsubscribing from them if they do.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes YouTubers with smaller channels feel like their small subscriber counts are holding them back. There is some truth to this. When you have a higher number of subscribers it is easier to get even more. That is why some users try to use methods like Sub4Sub to improve their numbers.

Sub4Sub, or ‘sub for sub’, is the practice of subscribing to somebody else’s channel in exchange for them subscribing to yours. Whether Sub4Sub works is debatable, but it is fairly popular. YouTubers often send messages to other YouTubers asking if they would like to sub for sub, and there are even off-YouTube sites devoted to connecting YouTubers so they can subscribe to each other. A lot of vloggers do not believe in Sub4Sub, though. This is because they doubt whether subscribers gained this way actually help them get more views on their videos.

This article will explain the pros and cons of Sub4Sub.

Does YouTube Sub4Sub Work

1. Does Sub4Sub Work?

The technical answer is ‘yes’. You can get new subscribers quickly using sub for sub and it is in no way against YouTube’s rules. On the other hand, subscribers gained through sub for sub do not watch or share your videos. Users end up with more subscribers, but their channels do not truly grow.

2. Pros of Sub4Sub

A big part of doing well on YouTube is being engaged in your vlogging community. If a YouTuber with a similar topic to yours approaches you with a Sub4Sub request and you engage them in a conversation it could be the beginning of a great friendship. Beyond subscribing to each other you can share tips, comment on each other’s videos, and maybe even collaborate on a video someday.

Sub4Sub can also help some YouTubers with their confidence. It can be discouraging not to see any growth and being embarrassed over their low subscriber counts can result in vloggers deciding to hide that information. They may feel like their content is being judged badly by people who are not even watching their videos based on how few subscribers they have. Building up a higher number using Sub4Sub may allow some YouTubers to move past these concerns and get back to focusing on making good videos.

3. Cons of Sub4Sub

The reality is that if people are pre-judging your videos based on your stats it is not subscribers they are looking at so much as views. Sub4Sub helps you get subscribers, but in most cases those subscribers will never watch any of your videos. They will also never share them or tell their friends to watch them, the way subscribers gained organically will. So while your subscriber count goes up, your view count stays low.

The situation described in the Pros section, where you talk to each other and comment on each other’s videos, is rare. You are more likely to make friends with other YouTubers after you have already watched each other’s videos or after chatting in a forum. It is worth trying to engage a vlogger with a similar topic to yours if they ask you to sub for sub, but most people who ask will have no intention of interacting with you beyond subscribing to each other. Realistically if you are going to use sub for sub to increase your subscriber count by any significant number you will not have time to have actual conversations with everyone you approach, or to watch their videos.

When you agree to exchange subscriptions with somebody there is also the danger that they will decide to unsubscribe from your channel afterwards. This could happen much later when they realize they do not want to be subscribed to so many people and have forgotten which channels were parts of Sub4Sub agreements. Or it could happen within weeks, days, or even hours of you subscribing to them. There are some dishonest YouTubers who use sub for sub to get subscribers while already planning to unsubscribe to anybody who agrees. Their hope is that the other person will not notice or will not bother unsubscribing from them if they do.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes YouTubers with smaller channels feel like their small subscriber counts are holding them back. There is some truth to this. When you have a higher number of subscribers it is easier to get even more. That is why some users try to use methods like Sub4Sub to improve their numbers.

Sub4Sub, or ‘sub for sub’, is the practice of subscribing to somebody else’s channel in exchange for them subscribing to yours. Whether Sub4Sub works is debatable, but it is fairly popular. YouTubers often send messages to other YouTubers asking if they would like to sub for sub, and there are even off-YouTube sites devoted to connecting YouTubers so they can subscribe to each other. A lot of vloggers do not believe in Sub4Sub, though. This is because they doubt whether subscribers gained this way actually help them get more views on their videos.

This article will explain the pros and cons of Sub4Sub.

Does YouTube Sub4Sub Work

1. Does Sub4Sub Work?

The technical answer is ‘yes’. You can get new subscribers quickly using sub for sub and it is in no way against YouTube’s rules. On the other hand, subscribers gained through sub for sub do not watch or share your videos. Users end up with more subscribers, but their channels do not truly grow.

2. Pros of Sub4Sub

A big part of doing well on YouTube is being engaged in your vlogging community. If a YouTuber with a similar topic to yours approaches you with a Sub4Sub request and you engage them in a conversation it could be the beginning of a great friendship. Beyond subscribing to each other you can share tips, comment on each other’s videos, and maybe even collaborate on a video someday.

Sub4Sub can also help some YouTubers with their confidence. It can be discouraging not to see any growth and being embarrassed over their low subscriber counts can result in vloggers deciding to hide that information. They may feel like their content is being judged badly by people who are not even watching their videos based on how few subscribers they have. Building up a higher number using Sub4Sub may allow some YouTubers to move past these concerns and get back to focusing on making good videos.

3. Cons of Sub4Sub

The reality is that if people are pre-judging your videos based on your stats it is not subscribers they are looking at so much as views. Sub4Sub helps you get subscribers, but in most cases those subscribers will never watch any of your videos. They will also never share them or tell their friends to watch them, the way subscribers gained organically will. So while your subscriber count goes up, your view count stays low.

The situation described in the Pros section, where you talk to each other and comment on each other’s videos, is rare. You are more likely to make friends with other YouTubers after you have already watched each other’s videos or after chatting in a forum. It is worth trying to engage a vlogger with a similar topic to yours if they ask you to sub for sub, but most people who ask will have no intention of interacting with you beyond subscribing to each other. Realistically if you are going to use sub for sub to increase your subscriber count by any significant number you will not have time to have actual conversations with everyone you approach, or to watch their videos.

When you agree to exchange subscriptions with somebody there is also the danger that they will decide to unsubscribe from your channel afterwards. This could happen much later when they realize they do not want to be subscribed to so many people and have forgotten which channels were parts of Sub4Sub agreements. Or it could happen within weeks, days, or even hours of you subscribing to them. There are some dishonest YouTubers who use sub for sub to get subscribers while already planning to unsubscribe to anybody who agrees. Their hope is that the other person will not notice or will not bother unsubscribing from them if they do.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes YouTubers with smaller channels feel like their small subscriber counts are holding them back. There is some truth to this. When you have a higher number of subscribers it is easier to get even more. That is why some users try to use methods like Sub4Sub to improve their numbers.

Sub4Sub, or ‘sub for sub’, is the practice of subscribing to somebody else’s channel in exchange for them subscribing to yours. Whether Sub4Sub works is debatable, but it is fairly popular. YouTubers often send messages to other YouTubers asking if they would like to sub for sub, and there are even off-YouTube sites devoted to connecting YouTubers so they can subscribe to each other. A lot of vloggers do not believe in Sub4Sub, though. This is because they doubt whether subscribers gained this way actually help them get more views on their videos.

This article will explain the pros and cons of Sub4Sub.

Does YouTube Sub4Sub Work

1. Does Sub4Sub Work?

The technical answer is ‘yes’. You can get new subscribers quickly using sub for sub and it is in no way against YouTube’s rules. On the other hand, subscribers gained through sub for sub do not watch or share your videos. Users end up with more subscribers, but their channels do not truly grow.

2. Pros of Sub4Sub

A big part of doing well on YouTube is being engaged in your vlogging community. If a YouTuber with a similar topic to yours approaches you with a Sub4Sub request and you engage them in a conversation it could be the beginning of a great friendship. Beyond subscribing to each other you can share tips, comment on each other’s videos, and maybe even collaborate on a video someday.

Sub4Sub can also help some YouTubers with their confidence. It can be discouraging not to see any growth and being embarrassed over their low subscriber counts can result in vloggers deciding to hide that information. They may feel like their content is being judged badly by people who are not even watching their videos based on how few subscribers they have. Building up a higher number using Sub4Sub may allow some YouTubers to move past these concerns and get back to focusing on making good videos.

3. Cons of Sub4Sub

The reality is that if people are pre-judging your videos based on your stats it is not subscribers they are looking at so much as views. Sub4Sub helps you get subscribers, but in most cases those subscribers will never watch any of your videos. They will also never share them or tell their friends to watch them, the way subscribers gained organically will. So while your subscriber count goes up, your view count stays low.

The situation described in the Pros section, where you talk to each other and comment on each other’s videos, is rare. You are more likely to make friends with other YouTubers after you have already watched each other’s videos or after chatting in a forum. It is worth trying to engage a vlogger with a similar topic to yours if they ask you to sub for sub, but most people who ask will have no intention of interacting with you beyond subscribing to each other. Realistically if you are going to use sub for sub to increase your subscriber count by any significant number you will not have time to have actual conversations with everyone you approach, or to watch their videos.

When you agree to exchange subscriptions with somebody there is also the danger that they will decide to unsubscribe from your channel afterwards. This could happen much later when they realize they do not want to be subscribed to so many people and have forgotten which channels were parts of Sub4Sub agreements. Or it could happen within weeks, days, or even hours of you subscribing to them. There are some dishonest YouTubers who use sub for sub to get subscribers while already planning to unsubscribe to anybody who agrees. Their hope is that the other person will not notice or will not bother unsubscribing from them if they do.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Mastering Online Video Earnings

YouTube Monetization: The New Rules Everyone Hates

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Also read:

• Audio Purging Techniques for Streaming Success
• Crafting Charm in the Click A Thumbnail Hack for YouTube Shorts
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