YouTube Watch Time Calculator
See how many watch hours you have left to get paid, and the day you get there at your pace.
In YouTube Studio, under Earn. Only public watch hours count.
Watch hours from Studio Analytics. It sets your pace.
Your goal, in watch hours
Ad money today. You also need 1,000 subscribers.
Watch hours to go
4,000 hours
Type your watch hours above to see what is left
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How many views is that?
Use your average view duration from Studio Analytics.
Minutes and seconds, like 3:30.
Views for 4,000 hours
60,000 views
at 4 minutes a view
1,000 views at this length is about 67 watch hours.
To get paid for ads, YouTube asks for 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. That is 240,000 minutes. Channels that apply from February 1, 2027 need 8,000 hours.
How to Calculate Your YouTube Watch Hours
You need two numbers from YouTube Studio. The calculator does the rest, including the old views that drop off as the 12 months roll.
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Find your watch hours
Open YouTube Studio and press Earn. Note your public watch hours from the last 12 months.
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Find your last 28 days
In Studio Analytics, set the dates to the last 28 days and note your watch time in hours. It sets your pace.
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Type them in
Type both numbers above, and your subscribers if you like. Then pick your goal: 3,000, 4,000 or 8,000 hours.
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Read your answer
You see the hours to go and the day you reach your goal at your pace. It also shows the hours a day to get there sooner.
How to Reach 4,000 Watch Hours on YouTube
Understanding the YouTube Partner Program Requirements
YouTube counts a rolling 12 months, and only public videos. Each level has a watch hour path and a Shorts path. You need one of them, plus the subscribers.
| What it unlocks | Subscribers | Or Shorts views, 90 days | Watch hours, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan funding | 500 | 3 million | 3,000 |
| Ad money today | 1,000 | 10 million | 4,000 |
| Ad money, applying from February 1, 2027 | 1,000 | 20 million | 8,000 |
Fan funding means memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks. It also asks for 3 public uploads in the last 90 days.
7 Strategies to Reach 4,000 Hours Faster
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Make longer videos people finish
A 10-minute video with 40% retention generates 4 minutes of watch time per view. At 500 views, that is 33 hours per video. A 3-minute video with the same retention generates only 10 hours.
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Improve your audience retention
Open with a hook in the first 5 seconds. Change the shot, add graphics or extra footage every 30 to 60 seconds. Lifting retention from 30% to 50% cuts the videos you need by 40%.
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Upload on a schedule
A steady schedule keeps viewers coming back. Use our Title Generator and Tag Generator to optimize each upload.
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Create evergreen content
Videos that answer common questions keep earning watch hours for months. Group them into playlists, and see the total runtime with our Playlist Length Calculator.
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Optimize titles and thumbnails
More clicks mean more views, and more views mean more watch time. Preview your thumbnails with our Thumbnail Previewer before publishing.
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Collaborate with other creators
Cross-promotion introduces your channel to new audiences who already watch YouTube. CollabPals helps you find creators your size to grow together.
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Do not delete old videos
Old videos keep adding watch hours. Deleting one, or making it private, takes its hours off your 12-month total.
How Many Views for 4,000 Watch Hours?
It depends on how long each viewer watches, your average view duration in Studio Analytics. Longer watching means fewer views needed.
Views Needed by Average View Duration
| Watched per view | 3,000 hours | 4,000 hours | 8,000 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 180,000 | 240,000 | 480,000 |
| 2 minutes | 90,000 | 120,000 | 240,000 |
| 3 minutes | 60,000 | 80,000 | 160,000 |
| 4 minutes | 45,000 | 60,000 | 120,000 |
| 5 minutes | 36,000 | 48,000 | 96,000 |
| 8 minutes | 22,500 | 30,000 | 60,000 |
| 10 minutes | 18,000 | 24,000 | 48,000 |
4,000 hours
240,000 minutes. The ad money goal today.
3,000 hours
180,000 minutes. The fan funding goal.
8,000 hours
480,000 minutes. For ad money from February 1, 2027.
Do YouTube Shorts Count Toward 4,000 Hours?
Not from the Shorts feed. YouTube leaves out watch hours from the Shorts feed, so they never reach your 4,000. Shorts have their own path instead: 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days.
Mostly Shorts? Count your views, not your hours. The Monetization Calculator tracks the Shorts path.
What Changes on February 1, 2027
Channels that apply for ad money from that day need 8,000 watch hours, or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days. Channels already in the program keep it.
Fan funding stays at 3,000 hours. YouTube has not said what happens to an application still in review that day, so apply early if you are close.
Sources checked in October 2026: YouTube Help on Partner Program eligibility and on the 2027 change.
For more YouTube growth tools, check out our Engagement Rate Calculator to measure your channel health, the Money Calculator to estimate your future earnings, the Description Generator to optimize your video SEO, the Script Timer to estimate your video length from a script before recording, and the Best Time to Post tool to find the optimal upload time for your niche.
YouTube Watch Time and Monetization FAQ
What creators ask most on the way to getting paid.
How many watch hours do you need for YouTube monetization?
4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, plus 1,000 subscribers, for ad money. Channels that apply from February 1, 2027 need 8,000. Fan funding needs 3,000 hours and 500 subscribers.
How do I check my YouTube watch time hours?
Open YouTube Studio and press Earn. It shows your public watch hours from the last 12 months, the number YouTube counts. Analytics can show more, because it also counts views that do not qualify.
How many minutes is 4,000 watch hours?
240,000 minutes. 3,000 hours is 180,000 minutes, and 8,000 hours is 480,000 minutes.
How many views do you need for 4,000 watch hours?
It depends on how long people watch. At 4 minutes a view, 4,000 hours takes 60,000 views. At 2 minutes it takes 120,000. Type your own average view duration above.
How many watch hours is 1,000 views?
At 4 minutes a view, 1,000 views is about 67 watch hours. At 8 minutes it is about 133. Multiply views by the minutes watched, then divide by 60.
Do YouTube Shorts count toward 4,000 watch hours?
Not from the Shorts feed: YouTube leaves those watch hours out. Shorts have their own path instead: 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days, or 20 million for channels that apply from February 1, 2027.
Is the 4,000-hour requirement a rolling window?
Yes. YouTube counts the last 12 months, so every day the oldest day of views drops off. If your pace slows, your total falls. Add your last 28 days above to see where it heads.
What happens when I reach 4,000 watch hours?
Nothing happens on its own. Once you also have 1,000 subscribers, apply in YouTube Studio under Earn. YouTube then reviews your channel, which usually takes about a month.
Does watch time from deleted or private videos count?
No. Only public videos count. Deleting a video, or making it private or unlisted, takes its watch hours off your total. Think twice before removing an old video that still gets views.
What changes on February 1, 2027?
Channels that apply for ad money from that day need 8,000 watch hours, or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days. Channels already in the program keep it. Fan funding stays at 3,000 hours.
How much does YouTube pay per watch hour?
YouTube does not pay by the watch hour. It pays a share of the ad money your views earn, which changes with your topic and your viewers' country. Our Money Calculator estimates it.
Is this watch time calculator free?
Yes. No sign-up and no limits. It all runs in your browser, so the numbers you type stay on your device.
Is there a YouTube watch time calculator app?
You do not need one. This page works in any phone or computer browser. Bookmark it to check your hours again next month.
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Playlist Length Calculator
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Thumbnail Previewer
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Title Generator
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Grow together
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