When it comes to growing your YouTube channel and meeting the platform’s monetization criteria, keeping track of your watch hours and subscriber count is crucial. Thankfully, YouTube Studio makes this easy for creators. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to check your monetization hours and subscriber count using YouTube Studio.
1. Accessing YouTube Studio
Firstly, sign in to your YouTube account. Once signed in:
– Click on your profile picture or channel icon located in the top right corner.
– From the dropdown menu, select ‘YouTube Studio.’
2. Overview Dashboard
Upon entering YouTube Studio, you’ll be taken to the Dashboard. Here, at a glance, you can see:
– Your channel’s total number of subscribers.
– A brief summary of your recent video performance.
3. Checking Watch Hours for Monetization
To check your total watch hours:
– On the left sidebar, click on ‘Monetization/Earn.’
– Under the ‘Monetization/Earn’ tab, you’ll find the ‘YPP (YouTube Partner Program) Monetization Progress’ card which shows your watch hours over the past 12 months.
This section is important, especially if you’re aiming to reach the 4,000 watch hour requirement for monetization.
4. Diving Deeper into Analytics
If you wish to see a more detailed breakdown of your watch hours:
– Click on ‘Analytics’ on the left sidebar.
– In the ‘Overview’ tab, navigate to the ‘Watch time (hours)’ metric. Here, you can see your watch hours over various time periods, and even compare them to previous periods.
5. Checking Subscriber Growth
Back in the ‘Analytics’ section:
– Click on the ‘Audience’ tab.
– Here, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of your subscribers, including net subscriber changes over various time frames.
This section is vital if you’re tracking progress toward the 1,000 subscriber requirement for monetization.
Conclusion
YouTube Studio is a powerful tool for content creators to understand their channel’s performance and growth. Regularly checking and understanding your watch hours and subscriber count will not only help you meet YouTube’s monetization criteria but also provide insights into how to better serve your audience.
Remember, while meeting monetization requirements is a milestone, the most important thing is to create content that you’re passionate about and that resonates with your audience. Happy YouTubing!
