Dive Into the Depth of 4K Content: Your Ultimate Guide for YouTube Submission

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Many people have a strong desire to make videos. Whether you make videos for a living or as a pastime, it doesn’t matter. When you make a fantastic film that you’re pleased with, you want to show it off to your friends and family. YouTube, the most popular site for sharing videos on various themes, is one of the most incredible places to start.

YouTube is fantastic for sharing videos, but it can be harsh on artists due to the high bar for content and video quality. If you want to succeed as a YouTuber, you must create videos that are informative and high-resolution. This is critical since your viewers may wish to watch your movies on a computer screen or a 4K smart TV.

If you’ve decided to make videos in 4K resolution, you’ll find information on recommended encoding settings, how to upload a video to YouTube, potential problems, and more below.

In this article

01 What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

02 Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

03 What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

04 Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

The number of pixels on a screen is referred to as resolution. Low resolution indicates fewer pixels and typically less space, whereas high resolution means more pixels and generally greater space and detail. You probably have a poor resolution if you’re using a standard laptop or an old screen.

When watching a video on a larger screen, the resolution significantly impacts your viewing experience. Whether it’s a live stream or an on-demand movie, the correct resolution is crucial to reaching a wider audience, and this is where iPhones and iPads appear to have an advantage. Let’s take a closer look at each of these resolution types and their associated pixel sizes.

1. SD RESOLUTION (STANDARD DEFINITION)

Previously, resolutions were separated into SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) categories. SD was defined as a video with a resolution of less than 720p. However, as television and computer monitor display resolutions improved over time, a video was less likely to be shot in Standard Definition.

The following are the most common standard video resolutions:

• 640 × 360 pixels (or 360p)
• 640 × 480 pixels (or 480p)

2. RESOLUTION: 720P HD (HIGH DEFINITION)

The lowest video resolution is 720p, which is commonly referred to as ‘HD.’ 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) is a resolution recognized for modest web content, even though most videos require at least 1080p. Because most computer monitors are now in HD, the recommended practice for web and streaming is to choose a resolution higher than 720p.

The resolution of HD videos is usually: 1280 x 720 pixels (or 720p)

3. 1080P FULL HD RESOLUTION

1080p resolutions, also known as ‘Full HD,’ have become the industry standard for a clear HD video that doesn’t take up a lot of storage space. It’s also worth noting that this is the standard screen resolution for all smartphones.

The resolution of full HD videos is usually: 1920 x 1080 pixels (or 1080p)

4. 2K RESOLUTION WITH QHD (QUAD HIGH DEFINITION)

Quad HD resolution, or QHD for short, is widely found on high-end smartphones and gaming monitors. The resolution of 1440p is four times that of HD Ready (or 720p HD). Many high-end smartphones have a Quad HD+ resolution (296 x 1440 pixels), which is ideal for 1440p. Another common screen resolution is 2K, which allows for larger displays and reframing without sacrificing quality or image editing.

The resolution of QHD and 2K videos is:

• 2560 x 1440 pixels in QHD (or 1440p)
• 2048 x 1080 pixels in 2K (or 1080p)

5. 4K (OR UHD/ULTRA-HIGH-DEFINITION) RESOLUTION

This sort of resolution, often known as 4Kor UHD (Ultra High Definition), has a pixel size of 3840 x 2160 pixels. It has a similar appearance to 2K, but it provides video artists more room to edit and zoom in. For vivid color, graphics, or dramatic viewing, both 2K and 4K resolutions are available. Unless you wish to tweak colors or trim in closer, there aren’t enough visible distinctions between 2K and 4K. So, it matters when you want to change a certain detail, but it doesn’t matter when someone else is looking at it.

The resolution of 4K videos is: 3840 x 2160 (or 2160p / simply 4K) is a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

YouTube is the second-largest social media site, with approximately 1.9 billion monthly active users. YouTube is where you want to be to access this large audience and promote your brand, with one billion hours of video watched every day on the platform.

However, for your target audience to watch your videos, you must ensure excellent video quality. Poorly shot or edited films may alienate your viewers, especially when there are billions of other videos to choose from on the site.

• 4k is the most satisfactory resolution for uploading to YouTube. Although not every viewer can watch videos in 4k, it ensures that your visitors get the best possible experience.
• Traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs feature four times as many pixels as 4K TVs. Because of the higher pixel density, the picture quality of 4K TVs is more colorful and detailed, even on TV displays of the same size. This distinction is most noticeable on large-screen televisions.
• Even if you recorded in 1080p and upscaled to 4K, you should post in 4K to YouTube for the finest image quality. Recording in 1080p, editing in 1080p, exporting in 4k, and YouTube viewing is sharper in 1080p.
• With 4K, you get stunning visuals with a resolution of 38402160, which is four times that of Full-HD. That’s why visuals appear crisp and lifelike, even on large-screen TVs rather than pixelated. Down-converted 4K to Full-HD photographs have superior quality and resolution than images shot in Full-HD from the start.

What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

The YouTube upload process is not complicated, but it does need several steps. You can finally post your video once it has been prepared and converted to MP4 format.

Follow the steps below to post your video to YouTube:

1. Go to YouTube.com in your browser.

2. Log in to your account and click the “Create” symbol, which looks like a camera with a plus sign, in the right corner of the menu bar.

3. Select “Upload video” from the drop-down menu.

4. Drag and drop your video file into the upload box, or select your file from the “Select File” menu and click “Open.”

5. Make a note of the title and description while YouTube is processing your video.

6. Select a video thumbnail from the options or upload your own and select your “Audience” from the drop-down menu. To manage age restriction settings.

7. Select “More Options” to add searchable keywords to your video, manage subtitles and comments, and more.

8. Select if you want to add promotions to your video by clicking “Next.”

9. Finally, click “Next” and wait for the video to be processed entirely before publishing it.

10. You can also automatically set it to publish at a later date.

Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

The following are five tips for amateur and top newbie YouTubers who want to improve their videos.

1. Cut Your Video Into Clips And Organize It

While it may appear to be the simplest solution to perform an entire video at once, this might make the process tedious or even damage your video if you are interrupted or make a speech error. Smaller video segments are easier to edit and blend into a single, well-formatted video.

2. Youtube Video Export

You can also modify your videos in various formats to your heart’s content before exporting them to YouTube and publishing them. Although uploading and exporting may take some time, the quality of your video will significantly increase, and the time and work you put in will be evident.

3. Change Up Your Shots

Rather than keeping your camera fixed, try varied angles while shooting. This may not work for all of your videos, but it is critical to keep your viewers engaged while they watch them, especially if you want them to stay until the finish and come back for more. Unless you’re talking about anything incredibly essential, sitting and listening to someone talk for more than 10 minutes without the camera moving will quickly become dull or old.

4. Transitions And Effects

When editing a video with numerous parts, the use of effects and transitions can considerably impact the overall quality of the video. Filmora is far more sophisticated than Windows Movie Maker and iMovie on Mac. It also allows you to create a professional-looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, components, transitions, and blending several layers of effects and audio to enhance your YouTube tale.

Wondershare Filmii is one of the greatest choices for Windows for beginners who wish to create video footage with templates automatically. Smart video templates, trendy filters and overlays, fun stickers and motion components, and, most importantly, advanced editing capabilities are all available.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

● This is pretty much everything we’ve gathered to assist you in uploading 4K videos to YouTube. Do not become worried. Your 4K video will be in low resolution when you first publish it. This is due to YouTube’s high-resolution processing requiring time. It could take a few hours for your video to be available in 4K mode.

● The duration, format, frame rate, and resolution of your video all affect the processing time for high-definition videos. If you don’t want your video to be seen unless it has a high-quality option, upload it as unlisted and then publish it once 4K resolution is available.

Try It Free Try It Free

Many people have a strong desire to make videos. Whether you make videos for a living or as a pastime, it doesn’t matter. When you make a fantastic film that you’re pleased with, you want to show it off to your friends and family. YouTube, the most popular site for sharing videos on various themes, is one of the most incredible places to start.

YouTube is fantastic for sharing videos, but it can be harsh on artists due to the high bar for content and video quality. If you want to succeed as a YouTuber, you must create videos that are informative and high-resolution. This is critical since your viewers may wish to watch your movies on a computer screen or a 4K smart TV.

If you’ve decided to make videos in 4K resolution, you’ll find information on recommended encoding settings, how to upload a video to YouTube, potential problems, and more below.

In this article

01 What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

02 Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

03 What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

04 Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

The number of pixels on a screen is referred to as resolution. Low resolution indicates fewer pixels and typically less space, whereas high resolution means more pixels and generally greater space and detail. You probably have a poor resolution if you’re using a standard laptop or an old screen.

When watching a video on a larger screen, the resolution significantly impacts your viewing experience. Whether it’s a live stream or an on-demand movie, the correct resolution is crucial to reaching a wider audience, and this is where iPhones and iPads appear to have an advantage. Let’s take a closer look at each of these resolution types and their associated pixel sizes.

1. SD RESOLUTION (STANDARD DEFINITION)

Previously, resolutions were separated into SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) categories. SD was defined as a video with a resolution of less than 720p. However, as television and computer monitor display resolutions improved over time, a video was less likely to be shot in Standard Definition.

The following are the most common standard video resolutions:

• 640 × 360 pixels (or 360p)
• 640 × 480 pixels (or 480p)

2. RESOLUTION: 720P HD (HIGH DEFINITION)

The lowest video resolution is 720p, which is commonly referred to as ‘HD.’ 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) is a resolution recognized for modest web content, even though most videos require at least 1080p. Because most computer monitors are now in HD, the recommended practice for web and streaming is to choose a resolution higher than 720p.

The resolution of HD videos is usually: 1280 x 720 pixels (or 720p)

3. 1080P FULL HD RESOLUTION

1080p resolutions, also known as ‘Full HD,’ have become the industry standard for a clear HD video that doesn’t take up a lot of storage space. It’s also worth noting that this is the standard screen resolution for all smartphones.

The resolution of full HD videos is usually: 1920 x 1080 pixels (or 1080p)

4. 2K RESOLUTION WITH QHD (QUAD HIGH DEFINITION)

Quad HD resolution, or QHD for short, is widely found on high-end smartphones and gaming monitors. The resolution of 1440p is four times that of HD Ready (or 720p HD). Many high-end smartphones have a Quad HD+ resolution (296 x 1440 pixels), which is ideal for 1440p. Another common screen resolution is 2K, which allows for larger displays and reframing without sacrificing quality or image editing.

The resolution of QHD and 2K videos is:

• 2560 x 1440 pixels in QHD (or 1440p)
• 2048 x 1080 pixels in 2K (or 1080p)

5. 4K (OR UHD/ULTRA-HIGH-DEFINITION) RESOLUTION

This sort of resolution, often known as 4Kor UHD (Ultra High Definition), has a pixel size of 3840 x 2160 pixels. It has a similar appearance to 2K, but it provides video artists more room to edit and zoom in. For vivid color, graphics, or dramatic viewing, both 2K and 4K resolutions are available. Unless you wish to tweak colors or trim in closer, there aren’t enough visible distinctions between 2K and 4K. So, it matters when you want to change a certain detail, but it doesn’t matter when someone else is looking at it.

The resolution of 4K videos is: 3840 x 2160 (or 2160p / simply 4K) is a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

YouTube is the second-largest social media site, with approximately 1.9 billion monthly active users. YouTube is where you want to be to access this large audience and promote your brand, with one billion hours of video watched every day on the platform.

However, for your target audience to watch your videos, you must ensure excellent video quality. Poorly shot or edited films may alienate your viewers, especially when there are billions of other videos to choose from on the site.

• 4k is the most satisfactory resolution for uploading to YouTube. Although not every viewer can watch videos in 4k, it ensures that your visitors get the best possible experience.
• Traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs feature four times as many pixels as 4K TVs. Because of the higher pixel density, the picture quality of 4K TVs is more colorful and detailed, even on TV displays of the same size. This distinction is most noticeable on large-screen televisions.
• Even if you recorded in 1080p and upscaled to 4K, you should post in 4K to YouTube for the finest image quality. Recording in 1080p, editing in 1080p, exporting in 4k, and YouTube viewing is sharper in 1080p.
• With 4K, you get stunning visuals with a resolution of 38402160, which is four times that of Full-HD. That’s why visuals appear crisp and lifelike, even on large-screen TVs rather than pixelated. Down-converted 4K to Full-HD photographs have superior quality and resolution than images shot in Full-HD from the start.

What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

The YouTube upload process is not complicated, but it does need several steps. You can finally post your video once it has been prepared and converted to MP4 format.

Follow the steps below to post your video to YouTube:

1. Go to YouTube.com in your browser.

2. Log in to your account and click the “Create” symbol, which looks like a camera with a plus sign, in the right corner of the menu bar.

3. Select “Upload video” from the drop-down menu.

4. Drag and drop your video file into the upload box, or select your file from the “Select File” menu and click “Open.”

5. Make a note of the title and description while YouTube is processing your video.

6. Select a video thumbnail from the options or upload your own and select your “Audience” from the drop-down menu. To manage age restriction settings.

7. Select “More Options” to add searchable keywords to your video, manage subtitles and comments, and more.

8. Select if you want to add promotions to your video by clicking “Next.”

9. Finally, click “Next” and wait for the video to be processed entirely before publishing it.

10. You can also automatically set it to publish at a later date.

Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

The following are five tips for amateur and top newbie YouTubers who want to improve their videos.

1. Cut Your Video Into Clips And Organize It

While it may appear to be the simplest solution to perform an entire video at once, this might make the process tedious or even damage your video if you are interrupted or make a speech error. Smaller video segments are easier to edit and blend into a single, well-formatted video.

2. Youtube Video Export

You can also modify your videos in various formats to your heart’s content before exporting them to YouTube and publishing them. Although uploading and exporting may take some time, the quality of your video will significantly increase, and the time and work you put in will be evident.

3. Change Up Your Shots

Rather than keeping your camera fixed, try varied angles while shooting. This may not work for all of your videos, but it is critical to keep your viewers engaged while they watch them, especially if you want them to stay until the finish and come back for more. Unless you’re talking about anything incredibly essential, sitting and listening to someone talk for more than 10 minutes without the camera moving will quickly become dull or old.

4. Transitions And Effects

When editing a video with numerous parts, the use of effects and transitions can considerably impact the overall quality of the video. Filmora is far more sophisticated than Windows Movie Maker and iMovie on Mac. It also allows you to create a professional-looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, components, transitions, and blending several layers of effects and audio to enhance your YouTube tale.

Wondershare Filmii is one of the greatest choices for Windows for beginners who wish to create video footage with templates automatically. Smart video templates, trendy filters and overlays, fun stickers and motion components, and, most importantly, advanced editing capabilities are all available.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

● This is pretty much everything we’ve gathered to assist you in uploading 4K videos to YouTube. Do not become worried. Your 4K video will be in low resolution when you first publish it. This is due to YouTube’s high-resolution processing requiring time. It could take a few hours for your video to be available in 4K mode.

● The duration, format, frame rate, and resolution of your video all affect the processing time for high-definition videos. If you don’t want your video to be seen unless it has a high-quality option, upload it as unlisted and then publish it once 4K resolution is available.

Try It Free Try It Free

Many people have a strong desire to make videos. Whether you make videos for a living or as a pastime, it doesn’t matter. When you make a fantastic film that you’re pleased with, you want to show it off to your friends and family. YouTube, the most popular site for sharing videos on various themes, is one of the most incredible places to start.

YouTube is fantastic for sharing videos, but it can be harsh on artists due to the high bar for content and video quality. If you want to succeed as a YouTuber, you must create videos that are informative and high-resolution. This is critical since your viewers may wish to watch your movies on a computer screen or a 4K smart TV.

If you’ve decided to make videos in 4K resolution, you’ll find information on recommended encoding settings, how to upload a video to YouTube, potential problems, and more below.

In this article

01 What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

02 Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

03 What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

04 Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

The number of pixels on a screen is referred to as resolution. Low resolution indicates fewer pixels and typically less space, whereas high resolution means more pixels and generally greater space and detail. You probably have a poor resolution if you’re using a standard laptop or an old screen.

When watching a video on a larger screen, the resolution significantly impacts your viewing experience. Whether it’s a live stream or an on-demand movie, the correct resolution is crucial to reaching a wider audience, and this is where iPhones and iPads appear to have an advantage. Let’s take a closer look at each of these resolution types and their associated pixel sizes.

1. SD RESOLUTION (STANDARD DEFINITION)

Previously, resolutions were separated into SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) categories. SD was defined as a video with a resolution of less than 720p. However, as television and computer monitor display resolutions improved over time, a video was less likely to be shot in Standard Definition.

The following are the most common standard video resolutions:

• 640 × 360 pixels (or 360p)
• 640 × 480 pixels (or 480p)

2. RESOLUTION: 720P HD (HIGH DEFINITION)

The lowest video resolution is 720p, which is commonly referred to as ‘HD.’ 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) is a resolution recognized for modest web content, even though most videos require at least 1080p. Because most computer monitors are now in HD, the recommended practice for web and streaming is to choose a resolution higher than 720p.

The resolution of HD videos is usually: 1280 x 720 pixels (or 720p)

3. 1080P FULL HD RESOLUTION

1080p resolutions, also known as ‘Full HD,’ have become the industry standard for a clear HD video that doesn’t take up a lot of storage space. It’s also worth noting that this is the standard screen resolution for all smartphones.

The resolution of full HD videos is usually: 1920 x 1080 pixels (or 1080p)

4. 2K RESOLUTION WITH QHD (QUAD HIGH DEFINITION)

Quad HD resolution, or QHD for short, is widely found on high-end smartphones and gaming monitors. The resolution of 1440p is four times that of HD Ready (or 720p HD). Many high-end smartphones have a Quad HD+ resolution (296 x 1440 pixels), which is ideal for 1440p. Another common screen resolution is 2K, which allows for larger displays and reframing without sacrificing quality or image editing.

The resolution of QHD and 2K videos is:

• 2560 x 1440 pixels in QHD (or 1440p)
• 2048 x 1080 pixels in 2K (or 1080p)

5. 4K (OR UHD/ULTRA-HIGH-DEFINITION) RESOLUTION

This sort of resolution, often known as 4Kor UHD (Ultra High Definition), has a pixel size of 3840 x 2160 pixels. It has a similar appearance to 2K, but it provides video artists more room to edit and zoom in. For vivid color, graphics, or dramatic viewing, both 2K and 4K resolutions are available. Unless you wish to tweak colors or trim in closer, there aren’t enough visible distinctions between 2K and 4K. So, it matters when you want to change a certain detail, but it doesn’t matter when someone else is looking at it.

The resolution of 4K videos is: 3840 x 2160 (or 2160p / simply 4K) is a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

YouTube is the second-largest social media site, with approximately 1.9 billion monthly active users. YouTube is where you want to be to access this large audience and promote your brand, with one billion hours of video watched every day on the platform.

However, for your target audience to watch your videos, you must ensure excellent video quality. Poorly shot or edited films may alienate your viewers, especially when there are billions of other videos to choose from on the site.

• 4k is the most satisfactory resolution for uploading to YouTube. Although not every viewer can watch videos in 4k, it ensures that your visitors get the best possible experience.
• Traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs feature four times as many pixels as 4K TVs. Because of the higher pixel density, the picture quality of 4K TVs is more colorful and detailed, even on TV displays of the same size. This distinction is most noticeable on large-screen televisions.
• Even if you recorded in 1080p and upscaled to 4K, you should post in 4K to YouTube for the finest image quality. Recording in 1080p, editing in 1080p, exporting in 4k, and YouTube viewing is sharper in 1080p.
• With 4K, you get stunning visuals with a resolution of 38402160, which is four times that of Full-HD. That’s why visuals appear crisp and lifelike, even on large-screen TVs rather than pixelated. Down-converted 4K to Full-HD photographs have superior quality and resolution than images shot in Full-HD from the start.

What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

The YouTube upload process is not complicated, but it does need several steps. You can finally post your video once it has been prepared and converted to MP4 format.

Follow the steps below to post your video to YouTube:

1. Go to YouTube.com in your browser.

2. Log in to your account and click the “Create” symbol, which looks like a camera with a plus sign, in the right corner of the menu bar.

3. Select “Upload video” from the drop-down menu.

4. Drag and drop your video file into the upload box, or select your file from the “Select File” menu and click “Open.”

5. Make a note of the title and description while YouTube is processing your video.

6. Select a video thumbnail from the options or upload your own and select your “Audience” from the drop-down menu. To manage age restriction settings.

7. Select “More Options” to add searchable keywords to your video, manage subtitles and comments, and more.

8. Select if you want to add promotions to your video by clicking “Next.”

9. Finally, click “Next” and wait for the video to be processed entirely before publishing it.

10. You can also automatically set it to publish at a later date.

Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

The following are five tips for amateur and top newbie YouTubers who want to improve their videos.

1. Cut Your Video Into Clips And Organize It

While it may appear to be the simplest solution to perform an entire video at once, this might make the process tedious or even damage your video if you are interrupted or make a speech error. Smaller video segments are easier to edit and blend into a single, well-formatted video.

2. Youtube Video Export

You can also modify your videos in various formats to your heart’s content before exporting them to YouTube and publishing them. Although uploading and exporting may take some time, the quality of your video will significantly increase, and the time and work you put in will be evident.

3. Change Up Your Shots

Rather than keeping your camera fixed, try varied angles while shooting. This may not work for all of your videos, but it is critical to keep your viewers engaged while they watch them, especially if you want them to stay until the finish and come back for more. Unless you’re talking about anything incredibly essential, sitting and listening to someone talk for more than 10 minutes without the camera moving will quickly become dull or old.

4. Transitions And Effects

When editing a video with numerous parts, the use of effects and transitions can considerably impact the overall quality of the video. Filmora is far more sophisticated than Windows Movie Maker and iMovie on Mac. It also allows you to create a professional-looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, components, transitions, and blending several layers of effects and audio to enhance your YouTube tale.

Wondershare Filmii is one of the greatest choices for Windows for beginners who wish to create video footage with templates automatically. Smart video templates, trendy filters and overlays, fun stickers and motion components, and, most importantly, advanced editing capabilities are all available.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

● This is pretty much everything we’ve gathered to assist you in uploading 4K videos to YouTube. Do not become worried. Your 4K video will be in low resolution when you first publish it. This is due to YouTube’s high-resolution processing requiring time. It could take a few hours for your video to be available in 4K mode.

● The duration, format, frame rate, and resolution of your video all affect the processing time for high-definition videos. If you don’t want your video to be seen unless it has a high-quality option, upload it as unlisted and then publish it once 4K resolution is available.

Try It Free Try It Free

Many people have a strong desire to make videos. Whether you make videos for a living or as a pastime, it doesn’t matter. When you make a fantastic film that you’re pleased with, you want to show it off to your friends and family. YouTube, the most popular site for sharing videos on various themes, is one of the most incredible places to start.

YouTube is fantastic for sharing videos, but it can be harsh on artists due to the high bar for content and video quality. If you want to succeed as a YouTuber, you must create videos that are informative and high-resolution. This is critical since your viewers may wish to watch your movies on a computer screen or a 4K smart TV.

If you’ve decided to make videos in 4K resolution, you’ll find information on recommended encoding settings, how to upload a video to YouTube, potential problems, and more below.

In this article

01 What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

02 Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

03 What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

04 Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

What Is The Distinction Between Various Resolutions?

The number of pixels on a screen is referred to as resolution. Low resolution indicates fewer pixels and typically less space, whereas high resolution means more pixels and generally greater space and detail. You probably have a poor resolution if you’re using a standard laptop or an old screen.

When watching a video on a larger screen, the resolution significantly impacts your viewing experience. Whether it’s a live stream or an on-demand movie, the correct resolution is crucial to reaching a wider audience, and this is where iPhones and iPads appear to have an advantage. Let’s take a closer look at each of these resolution types and their associated pixel sizes.

1. SD RESOLUTION (STANDARD DEFINITION)

Previously, resolutions were separated into SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) categories. SD was defined as a video with a resolution of less than 720p. However, as television and computer monitor display resolutions improved over time, a video was less likely to be shot in Standard Definition.

The following are the most common standard video resolutions:

• 640 × 360 pixels (or 360p)
• 640 × 480 pixels (or 480p)

2. RESOLUTION: 720P HD (HIGH DEFINITION)

The lowest video resolution is 720p, which is commonly referred to as ‘HD.’ 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) is a resolution recognized for modest web content, even though most videos require at least 1080p. Because most computer monitors are now in HD, the recommended practice for web and streaming is to choose a resolution higher than 720p.

The resolution of HD videos is usually: 1280 x 720 pixels (or 720p)

3. 1080P FULL HD RESOLUTION

1080p resolutions, also known as ‘Full HD,’ have become the industry standard for a clear HD video that doesn’t take up a lot of storage space. It’s also worth noting that this is the standard screen resolution for all smartphones.

The resolution of full HD videos is usually: 1920 x 1080 pixels (or 1080p)

4. 2K RESOLUTION WITH QHD (QUAD HIGH DEFINITION)

Quad HD resolution, or QHD for short, is widely found on high-end smartphones and gaming monitors. The resolution of 1440p is four times that of HD Ready (or 720p HD). Many high-end smartphones have a Quad HD+ resolution (296 x 1440 pixels), which is ideal for 1440p. Another common screen resolution is 2K, which allows for larger displays and reframing without sacrificing quality or image editing.

The resolution of QHD and 2K videos is:

• 2560 x 1440 pixels in QHD (or 1440p)
• 2048 x 1080 pixels in 2K (or 1080p)

5. 4K (OR UHD/ULTRA-HIGH-DEFINITION) RESOLUTION

This sort of resolution, often known as 4Kor UHD (Ultra High Definition), has a pixel size of 3840 x 2160 pixels. It has a similar appearance to 2K, but it provides video artists more room to edit and zoom in. For vivid color, graphics, or dramatic viewing, both 2K and 4K resolutions are available. Unless you wish to tweak colors or trim in closer, there aren’t enough visible distinctions between 2K and 4K. So, it matters when you want to change a certain detail, but it doesn’t matter when someone else is looking at it.

The resolution of 4K videos is: 3840 x 2160 (or 2160p / simply 4K) is a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Why Would You Want To Upload A 4k Video?

YouTube is the second-largest social media site, with approximately 1.9 billion monthly active users. YouTube is where you want to be to access this large audience and promote your brand, with one billion hours of video watched every day on the platform.

However, for your target audience to watch your videos, you must ensure excellent video quality. Poorly shot or edited films may alienate your viewers, especially when there are billions of other videos to choose from on the site.

• 4k is the most satisfactory resolution for uploading to YouTube. Although not every viewer can watch videos in 4k, it ensures that your visitors get the best possible experience.
• Traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs feature four times as many pixels as 4K TVs. Because of the higher pixel density, the picture quality of 4K TVs is more colorful and detailed, even on TV displays of the same size. This distinction is most noticeable on large-screen televisions.
• Even if you recorded in 1080p and upscaled to 4K, you should post in 4K to YouTube for the finest image quality. Recording in 1080p, editing in 1080p, exporting in 4k, and YouTube viewing is sharper in 1080p.
• With 4K, you get stunning visuals with a resolution of 38402160, which is four times that of Full-HD. That’s why visuals appear crisp and lifelike, even on large-screen TVs rather than pixelated. Down-converted 4K to Full-HD photographs have superior quality and resolution than images shot in Full-HD from the start.

What Is The Best Way To Upload A 4k Video To Youtube?

The YouTube upload process is not complicated, but it does need several steps. You can finally post your video once it has been prepared and converted to MP4 format.

Follow the steps below to post your video to YouTube:

1. Go to YouTube.com in your browser.

2. Log in to your account and click the “Create” symbol, which looks like a camera with a plus sign, in the right corner of the menu bar.

3. Select “Upload video” from the drop-down menu.

4. Drag and drop your video file into the upload box, or select your file from the “Select File” menu and click “Open.”

5. Make a note of the title and description while YouTube is processing your video.

6. Select a video thumbnail from the options or upload your own and select your “Audience” from the drop-down menu. To manage age restriction settings.

7. Select “More Options” to add searchable keywords to your video, manage subtitles and comments, and more.

8. Select if you want to add promotions to your video by clicking “Next.”

9. Finally, click “Next” and wait for the video to be processed entirely before publishing it.

10. You can also automatically set it to publish at a later date.

Tips On How To Make Sure The Video You’re Uploading Is Of High Quality

The following are five tips for amateur and top newbie YouTubers who want to improve their videos.

1. Cut Your Video Into Clips And Organize It

While it may appear to be the simplest solution to perform an entire video at once, this might make the process tedious or even damage your video if you are interrupted or make a speech error. Smaller video segments are easier to edit and blend into a single, well-formatted video.

2. Youtube Video Export

You can also modify your videos in various formats to your heart’s content before exporting them to YouTube and publishing them. Although uploading and exporting may take some time, the quality of your video will significantly increase, and the time and work you put in will be evident.

3. Change Up Your Shots

Rather than keeping your camera fixed, try varied angles while shooting. This may not work for all of your videos, but it is critical to keep your viewers engaged while they watch them, especially if you want them to stay until the finish and come back for more. Unless you’re talking about anything incredibly essential, sitting and listening to someone talk for more than 10 minutes without the camera moving will quickly become dull or old.

4. Transitions And Effects

When editing a video with numerous parts, the use of effects and transitions can considerably impact the overall quality of the video. Filmora is far more sophisticated than Windows Movie Maker and iMovie on Mac. It also allows you to create a professional-looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, components, transitions, and blending several layers of effects and audio to enhance your YouTube tale.

Wondershare Filmii is one of the greatest choices for Windows for beginners who wish to create video footage with templates automatically. Smart video templates, trendy filters and overlays, fun stickers and motion components, and, most importantly, advanced editing capabilities are all available.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Conclusion

● This is pretty much everything we’ve gathered to assist you in uploading 4K videos to YouTube. Do not become worried. Your 4K video will be in low resolution when you first publish it. This is due to YouTube’s high-resolution processing requiring time. It could take a few hours for your video to be available in 4K mode.

● The duration, format, frame rate, and resolution of your video all affect the processing time for high-definition videos. If you don’t want your video to be seen unless it has a high-quality option, upload it as unlisted and then publish it once 4K resolution is available.

Unraveling YouTube’s Viewer Metrics: A Deeper Look

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: