YouTube does not post figures that would let you know how many unique views a video gets. That information is available only to the party that uploaded the video.
YouTube also will not disclose for how many seconds, or nanoseconds, someone must have watched, say, Episode 3 of THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE to count as a view. A YouTube spokesman told The TV Column, "It's based on a system I can't really go into -- we count views in a manner that accurately demonstrates real use of video."
Understanding the unique views and how much a person actually watched will be key statistics as more shows launch and/or move to the web.
Ah yes, Youtube. Unfortunately the mechanisms by which YT determines view count has to be one of the most closely guarded industry secrets (many have asked them about it, and YT remains consistently mum).
ReplyDeleteCertainly its known the YT has some undisclosed formula calculation/controls which try and eliminate such things like the F5 refresh (bot viewing), or repeat viewing by single individuals, to try and extrapolate "real" views, but its closely guarded...and at stake are big bucks for anyone whose figured out its peculiarities so as to falsify and inflate view counts...some claim they there are instances of undercounting/unreliability as well... As YT monetizes, view counts = $, so many have an interest in figuring it out.
Only thing we know for sure, view counts are a hill of beans that only YouTube is privy to totally understanding, and until one day they actually reveal how they determine it...I find myself with a healthy dose of skepticism.