Last updated on 30th October 2023
The idea of a social media video view sounds simple enough: someone clicks play and you’ve got a view, right? Not necessarily. What counts as a view on YouTube isn’t the same as what counts as a view on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
Here’s a clear explanation of what YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram each considers to be a “view” on their respective sites:
YouTube wants to verify views come from real people, not bots. A view likely isn’t counted until someone has watched for around 30 seconds. View counts may freeze at 301 while YouTube employees check if the views are valid.
Yes, rewatching a YouTube video does count as an additional view, as long as each view is by a real person and meets the 30 second threshold. The view count reflects the total number of times a video has been watched.
No, watching just 3 seconds of a YouTube video does not count as a view. The video has to be watched for around 30 seconds before it is considered a view.
YouTube wants views to come from real people, so it likely discounts or filters out multiple views from the same IP address if they seem suspicious or bot-generated. But valid views from the same IP, such as in a school or office, do seem to be counted.
Not always. The view count is meant to be accurate but YouTube admits it isn’t perfect. The algorithm needs to verify views are from real people and not bots, which takes time, leading to inaccuracies early on. View counts may even freeze while being double-checked.
On Facebook, a view is watching a video for 3 seconds or more, or watching 97% of a shorter video. Facebook tracks views in increments up to 10 seconds but the standard is 3 seconds.
Yes, rewatching a Facebook video does count as an additional view, as long as each viewing meets the 3 second threshold. The view count reflects total times watched.
Yes, Facebook will count multiple views from the same person as long as each view meets the standard 3 second threshold. Facebook is less strict than YouTube in verifying views.
Facebook views are generally considered less accurate than YouTube. Facebook relies more on self-reported numbers and does less verification that each view is from a real person. The numbers may be inflated by some fake views.
On Instagram, a view is watching a video for 3 seconds or more. This metric only applies to videos posted after November 2015. For Stories, a “view” is just an impression.
Yes, rewatching an Instagram video counts as an additional view, assuming each viewing hits the 3 second mark. The total view count reflects the total times a video has been watched.
No, watching a reel within an Instagram Story does not count as a view of that reel. A “view” of a Story is just an impression. Only watching the full reel by itself counts.
No, watching your own reel does not count as a view. Only views by other people count towards the view total. Your own views of your content do not get included in the count.
On TikTok, a view is counted when a video starts playing automatically for at least 1 second. Videos over 3 minutes long require 3 seconds of watching to count as a view. TikTok aims to count only views from real users.
On a TikTok profile, the view count shows the total number of times your videos have started playing automatically for at least 1 second. It includes both original videos and reposted videos.
TikTok measures views by counting the number of times a video starts playing for at least 1 second (3 secs for longer videos). This aims to only count real views by users, not bots or spam. The profile view count totals all views.
TikTok does not have a standard rate per 1,000 views. Payments to creators are based on many factors like follower count, engagement, video production value, and advertising demand. Top creators may earn several cents per 1,000 views.
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