Quick answer
There is no official "average" number of YouTube views per video or average channel growth rate: YouTube doesn't publish one, and results vary hugely by niche, channel age, format and upload frequency. The useful benchmark is your own: compare each new video to the median views of your last 10 to 20 uploads, track month-over-month subscriber and view growth in YouTube Studio, and measure Shorts separately from long-form, because Shorts views have been counted differently since March 31, 2025.
YouTube in numbers: the context for brands
YouTube remains the most widely used social platform among US adults: Pew Research Center's 2025 survey found 84% say they use it. Shorts in particular has massive scale. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said at Cannes Lions in June 2025 that Shorts averages over 200 billion daily views. That scale is why "average views" is a misleading target: attention is huge in total but spread across an enormous number of videos.
Insights 1–6: understanding average views and growth
1. Benchmark against your own median, not the internet's average
One viral video distorts an average. The median of your recent uploads shows what a "normal" video does for your channel today.
2. Separate Shorts and long-form
Shorts views are counted each time a Short starts to play or replay, with no minimum watch time, after a change YouTube made on March 31, 2025. Long-form views follow different rules, so mixing them inflates or hides trends.
3. Watch engaged views for Shorts
YouTube still reports "engaged views" in advanced analytics, which reflect people who actually watched. For brands, engaged views and retention say more than raw Shorts views.
4. Measure growth rate as a percentage
Calculate monthly growth as (this month's views − last month's views) ÷ last month's views. Do the same for subscribers. A small channel doubling is very different from a large one adding the same absolute number.
5. Expect uneven growth
YouTube growth is rarely linear. Channels often plateau and then jump when one video finds a new audience. Look at rolling three-month averages instead of reacting to a single week.
6. Compare competitors on rate, not size
For a YouTube competitor analysis, track how often similar channels post, which formats get the most views relative to their subscriber count, and which topics keep repeating in their top videos.
Insights 7–12: how to get more YouTube Shorts views
7. Hook in the first second
Shorts analytics show how many viewers chose to watch versus swiped away. Open with the payoff, a bold claim or movement on screen, not a logo.
8. Use the extra length wisely
Since October 15, 2024, Shorts can be up to three minutes long for square or vertical videos. Longer isn't automatically better: use the time only if retention holds.
9. Design for loops and replays
Because replays count as views, endings that flow back into the beginning, or reveals people want to rewatch, can lift view counts naturally.
10. Post consistently
Regular uploads give the Shorts feed more chances to test your content with new viewers. A sustainable cadence beats bursts followed by silence.
11. Ride trends and remixes
YouTube has added templates and remix tools that let creators build on trending Shorts. Joining a relevant trend early is one of the fastest ways to reach new viewers.
12. Link Shorts to long-form
Use Shorts as trailers: link to a related long video so viewers who like the clip can go deeper and subscribe.
Insights 13–19: YouTube Shorts marketing for brands
13. Creator-led content beats brand-speak
Shorts viewers respond to people, not polished commercials. Creator-led videos showing real use of the product tend to feel native to the feed. Read more on how creator-led UGC can lower CPA on paid social.
14. Know your audience before you brief
Check the audience tab in YouTube Studio for age, gender, geography and devices before writing a brief. Your real audience may differ from your assumed buyer.
15. Write titles and descriptions for search
YouTube is also a search engine. Use the words people type in titles and the first lines of descriptions, add chapters to long videos and keep descriptions accurate.
16. Track engagement rate, not only views
Engagement rate (likes plus comments plus shares, divided by views) shows whether a video resonates. Compare it within your own channel and format, since there's no universal "good" engagement rate on YouTube.
17. Reuse winning organic videos as ads
When an organic Short performs, test it as a YouTube Shorts ad. Proven hooks shorten the creative testing cycle.
18. Test many creatives
Brands that grow on YouTube test volume: different hooks, creators and angles. Follow our video advertising production best practices to keep quality high as you scale.
19. Choose the right categories and niches
Popular YouTube niches include gaming, music, education, beauty, fitness, cooking and tech reviews, but competition is high in each. Pick the niche where your product genuinely helps and where you can publish consistently.
Getting creator content without a production team
If your team can't film enough Shorts in-house, MediaNug's self-service platform NugVerse connects brands with vetted real creators (no AI avatars) for vertical videos, from $650 per video or 16 for $5,200, with a human quality check and one revision round included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average YouTube channel growth rate?
There's no official average. Measure your own monthly growth rate in views and subscribers and compare it to your previous months and to similar channels in your niche.
How do I get more YouTube Shorts views?
Hook viewers in the first second, keep Shorts tight, design endings that encourage replays, post consistently and join relevant trends early.
How are YouTube Shorts views counted?
Since March 31, 2025, a Shorts view counts whenever a Short starts to play or replay. Engaged views, which reflect actual watching, remain available in advanced analytics.
Who uses YouTube in the US?
According to Pew Research Center's 2025 survey, 84% of US adults use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform in the study. Check YouTube Studio for your own channel's demographics.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, "Americans' Social Media Use 2025", Nov 20, 2025 (republished by Benton Institute)
- Tubefilter, "YouTube Shorts averages 200 billion daily views", Jun 18, 2025
- 9to5Google, "YouTube changing how Shorts views are counted", Mar 26, 2025
- YouTube Official Blog, "Tall updates coming to Shorts", Oct 3, 2024
- Buffer, "The Creator's Guide to YouTube Shorts Analytics", Oct 9, 2023
