Discovering Beyond VidCon: Key Youtube Occasions

Beyond VidCon - A Guide to the Most Important YouTube Events

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

More than Clicks: What Determines YouTube’s View Numbers

How Does YouTube Count Views? It’s Not as Simple as You Think

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Also read: