YouTube is updating its view counting methodology to start from the first second of playback across all formats (regular videos, Shorts, and Live streams) starting August 24, 2026. This change aims to better reflect creator performance and provide more transparent metrics to brands and partners. Historically, regular videos required ~30 seconds to 1 minute of watch time to register as a view, while Shorts already used instant counting. Legacy metrics remain available in YouTube Analytics and will continue to inform the YouTube Partner Program payouts.