YouTube statistics

[eeler1]

Just looked at an interesting story by the BBC on YouTube/Google.  Here's a url, although it may not be accessible to all;

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250213-youtube-at-20-a-computer-that-drunk-dials-online-videos-reveals-statistics-that-google-doesnt-want-you-to-know?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

Estimates are based on various statistical methods, since YouTube/Google don't share much information.  But, they did report that about 500 hours of content are uploaded every minute of every day. And a total of about 15 billion videos as of 2024.  So we have a lot of viewing to catch up to.

Some other statistics I found interesting, estimated by Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts;

"Only 0.21% of the videos they analysed featured any kind of monetisation, such as a sponsorship or an advertisement in the video itself"

So why do almost all the videos I watch have ads at the start and end and often in the middle?


"The top YouTubers attract audiences in the hundreds of millions, but the researchers estimated the median number of views for a YouTube videos is just 41, and 4% of videos haven't been watched a single time. About 74% of videos have zero comments. Around 89% have no likes. Typical YouTube videos aren't just getting little attention it seems, they're also very short. They assessed that the median YouTube video is only 64 seconds long, and more than a third of videos are less than 33 seconds long."

This made me feel better about my own channel.  At the very least, I have more than 41 relatives who will tune in so as to be on the upper side of the median.

One problem with YT is just keeping up with what's available for a particular interest.  Airgunning, for instance, can take you down a rabbit hole for hours if not days.  And if you have multiple interests, like 3D printing or machine tools or golf or cooking or whatever, you ain't never gonna get caught up.

Anyway, I thought this might be of interest to some here, as many of us have a YT channel and I see YT videos posted throughout various posts.  If this is political, feel free to delete.  Not intended as such.

[splitbeing]

I learned something reading this post, Jon.  Thanks for sharing. The world changed with television and before we could catch up, the internet showed up. Kids grow up with youtube now and I'll probably be dead and gone before we have wrapped our heads around the deeper ripple effects and implications.

I like your interviews. They get to the points I care about calmly and respectfully.

Youtube copyright blues is not only an awesome video, it is also a commentary relevant to this conversation.

[pgritty]

Jon, I spent the money to get YouTube premium so I do not get the commercials at the beginning, middle or end of the videos. I think those commercials are there to make money for YouTube.

Pat

PS I enjoy your channel. 

[anti-squirrel]

Jon, I spent the money to get YouTube premium so I do not get the commercials at the beginning, middle or end of the videos. I think those commercials are there to make money for YouTube.

Pat

PS I enjoy your channel.

Same here. 

We don't own a TV, don't have cable, don't have any "add-on" plans Paramount+ or Disney+ for our phone service.  So we utilize YouTube Premium and Amazon Prime.  Oddly enough, I chose YT Premium for streaming music and Prime for Reading.

[eeler1]

Appreciate the kind words.  One of these days I'll have to put up a 'what's this channel about' video, once I figure it out. 

My daughter keeps telling me to drop other subscriptions and subscribe to Youtube premium.  I think thats all she has, although phones and tablets with internet seem to have taken the place of a TV.

[pgritty]

When I got YouTube Premium I dropped Netflix and saved money and enjoy watching more varied entertainments.
Pat

[splitbeing]

Appreciate the kind words.  One of these days I'll have to put up a 'what's this channel about' video, once I figure it out. 

My daughter keeps telling me to drop other subscriptions and subscribe to Youtube premium.  I think thats all she has, although phones and tablets with internet seem to have taken the place of a TV.

You might join forces with her, Jon.  I bought my wife youtube premium for a year for christmas and the price of a 5 person family subscription wasn't much more than a one person one.  Turns out I got it too along with here siblings when I got it for her (she picked us as her 4 additonal subscriber mates).