The current numbers for YouTube automation, in one place. Saving you the search. Save this. MONETIZATION 1,000 subs plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months, or 10M Shorts views in 90 days. From Feb 1 2027, new applicants need 8,000 hours or 20M Shorts views. Anyone already in YPP keeps their current access. Watch hours and Shorts views count separately. They never combine. RPM BY NICHE Finance and insurance: $15 to $32 True crime: $8 to $13 Gaming: $3 to $6 Shorts: roughly one to six cents per thousand views RETENTION BY LENGTH Under 5 min: 60% and up is strong 6 to 15 min: 45 to 60% Over 15 min: 30 to 40% These are creator benchmarks, not official YouTube figures. The average video loses about half its viewers in the first 30 seconds, and scripts that state a specific payoff before second 15 hold 52% on average versus 44% for ones that don't. CTR BY TRAFFIC SOURCE Search: around 12.5% Suggested: around 9.5% Browse: around 3.5% Channel size matters too. Under 1,000 subs commonly sees 8 to 20%. Over a million sits closer to 1.5 to 4%. FREE TOOLS WORTH TURNING ON Auto dubbing. 27 languages, no waitlist, works on videos you already published. A/B testing for titles and thumbnails. The winner is chosen by watch time per impression, not clicks. Mid-roll ads unlock at exactly 8:00. A 7:59 video gets none. Bookmark it and check your own channel against it.

the urge to start a second channel when the first one has 9 videos and 112 views dont

every faceless channel that lasted has one thing in common a human still reads the script before it goes out

the hard part isnt the first video its the 14th, when the first 13 did nothing thats where it gets decided

"whats the catch" the catch is its boring for 3 months and most people cant handle boring

people will spend $500 on a course and not $6 on a voice plan to actually make the video

if you outsource a video before you've ever made one yourself, you have no idea if what comes back is any good make 5 yourself first. then hire

you dont have a views problem. you have a "nobody wanted that topic" problem youtube cant recommend a video nobody was going to click anyway

a video that gets 2,000 views a month for 3 years beats one that gets 50,000 in a week and dies make the stuff people will still be searching next year

the guy with 12 uploaded videos knows more than the guy with 12 saved niche ideas

monetized isnt the finish line 4,000 hours gets you ads, and ads are the smallest check a channel makes affiliate links and your own product are where it actually gets good