Do you believe there is a sweet spot for vlog length ?

[Drakhen99]

Oh... I thought my numbers were rubbish. I just checked, and my avg. watch % for my channel is 42.6%.

The high is like 67%, but that's my GoPro Hero 9 Unboxing & Setup video. For vlogs, it's closer to 35-40%. I'm really curious to see how some of my upcoming videos do, since they're generally longer, with better audio quality than my previous vlogs. My off-bike stuff tends to do OK.

There's a ton of variables in my channel though, since I do vlogs, product reviews, and how-tos.

-John

 

[Dewey316]

Just been checking out the new YouTube analytics & weirdly my worst performing video for views in it's first month, has a higher average percentage viewed for the same timeframe as my best performing video did!

Not that my channel has great numbers to go off, since I get nowhere near the view numbers you do. But, I see the same pattern. The video with the most views (50 views), which I also shared on more social media, has the lowest retention values (31%). My worst video has one the highest retention % at 61% with only 14 views.

I think it comes down to who is watching it. My worst videos get watched by my subscribers, and no one else. So they generally watch the whole video. My higher view count videos I put out on social media, so I got views but from people who aren't invested by subscribing, and they don't watch the video for very long.

 

[Drakhen99]

Not that my channel has great numbers to go off, since I get nowhere near the view numbers you do. But, I see the same pattern. The video with the most views, which I also shared on more social media, has the lowest retention values. My worst video has one the highest retention %.

I think it comes down to who is watching it. My worst videos get watched by my subscribers, and no one else. So they generally watch the whole video. My higher view count videos I put out on social media, so I got views but from people who aren't invested by subscribing, and they don't watch the video for very long.

And at the end of the day, the watch HOURS I think are more important than the view #s ... if you leave videos up long enough, they keep garnering views for a cumulative effect. I have videos I posted months ago that are just now seeing some views ... something that got like 20 views in the first month now has over 300.

Something else I believe is happening, at least if you're doing something outside the vlog realm, is that your subs will watch your whole video, like you said, but your non-vlog stuff will probably do better than vlog stuff for watch %, just because someone is searching for that specific topic.

I sat down one day and recorded a 4m video on the differences between the Street Glide and Vaquero... and it's currently sitting at 5.1k views, by FAR my most popular video. My 2nd most popular is a <4m video on RAM 1500 reclining seats, at 2.7k views. Next to those, are a few niche videos that nobody really did, so I've got the market cornered. My vlog stuff, some of the later ones are >100 views, but most are 30-70 views.

It's like you get people hooked on your personality with a specific topic and then they may give your vlogs a chance. Personality > Video Quality. Somewhere in there is the audio quality, probably equal to your personality, if not of greater import.

-John

 

[Hippo-Drones]

Not that my channel has great numbers to go off, since I get nowhere near the view numbers you do. But, I see the same pattern. The video with the most views (50 views), which I also shared on more social media, has the lowest retention values (31%). My worst video has one the highest retention % at 61% with only 14 views.

I think it comes down to who is watching it. My worst videos get watched by my subscribers, and no one else. So they generally watch the whole video. My higher view count videos I put out on social media, so I got views but from people who aren't invested by subscribing, and they don't watch the video for very long.

I think you hit the nail on the head there, regular subscribers will watch what they watch for longer than someone who is new to the channel

 

[Drakhen99]

I think you hit the nail on the head there, regular subscribers will watch what they watch for longer than someone who is new to the channel

Especially your friends at motovlog.com

-John

 

[Lynkinite]

I try to keep my videos around the 10 minute mark. Obviously some will go over by a few minutes from time to time. I personally can’t stand youtubers that post 20-30+ minute videos. I’m not willing to sit through a video that long when 90% of it is just filler material for a video that could otherwise be only a couple minutes!

 

[Drakhen99]

I try to keep my videos around the 10 minute mark. Obviously some will go over by a few minutes from time to time. I personally can’t stand youtubers that post 20-30+ minute videos. I’m not willing to sit through a video that long when 90% of it is just filler material for a video that could otherwise be only a couple minutes!

A few channels [nobody on here] come to mind, that do just that... and have 10s of thousands of subscribers - some over 50k! So someone is watching their 30m long videos!

I am trying to lengthen my videos, but through combo sections with music and good footage, in between my voice sections and off-bike stuff. So, not fluff, at least not to me.

-John

 

[YBGuy]

I find that most of my videos >4m in length do 40-60 avg. view percentage. For the <4m, the analytics say 60-75%.

I am making somewhat longer videos now [8-17m], and they'll be out in the next month or so, and then we'll see what happens with view %.

-John

Wow, that is a high view count percent for sure. Keep on doing what your doing.

I think my average for >4 min video is like 15%. My <4 min videos do much better at around 50%.

 

[Drakhen99]

Wow, that is a high view count percent for sure. Keep on doing what your doing.

I think my average for >4 min video is like 15%. My <4 min videos do much better at around 50%.

Dude, I just do what I do. Unfortunately for me and EVERYONE around me, I probably spend 15-20 hours, easy, per week on this stuff. Between learning new techniques in Resolve, filming off-bike stuff [how can you count filming on the bike, when you were already going to do that? ], but mostly it's editing time. That time may be higher than that - close to 30 hours per week, outside of work and family stuff.

There's a reason I get 5-6 hours of sleep a night, and it's no longer binge-watching TV shows and movies... it's my freakin' blog & YT channel. After typing this, I feel bad for me LOL. Oh well

BTW: If anyone knows anyone hiring a Davinci Resolve editor with little experience [and even less talent!], lemme know - I'm game

-John

 

[Meifesto]

BTW: If anyone knows anyone hiring a Davinci Resolve editor with little experience [and even less talent!], lemme know - I'm game

Offer it up one Fiver, made make a buck or 2 out of it

 

[Drakhen99]

I've started looking at DR jobs, but Fiver is a good way to get my name out there [if clients like the results LOL]

Thanks for the tip!

-John

 

[Meifesto]

I still need a new trailer, so who knows, maybe when the time is there

 

[Drakhen99]

I still need a new trailer, so who knows, maybe when the time is there

The time is ALWAYS there I really enjoy doing editing, especially if it's something new

-John

 

[Tomr2992]

Hi all, it's been a while! (Work and all that). This is a brilliant Q and I've really enjoyed reading through the comments.
Oddly.. I have this chat a lot about how long and how to engage, Hence I came up with the 6min review section I've done. I find viewing times tend to be far better on those and they tend to hit the sweet spot as the whole video is only around 7.30mins long.
My more in-depth ones on the cars are around 12mins but they don't tend to see the same level of watch time... maybe it's just me!

 

[Meifesto]

The time is ALWAYS there I really enjoy doing editing, especially if it's something new

-John

This has been spinning in my mind for the time being.
And i really do want a new trailer for the channel.

 

[Baldbiker]

I personally have been making my vids around 10-15 mins because I feel people just get bored after that long, but I could be totally wrong, as I've seen super successful vloggers put up 20, 30, even 60 minute vids and do quite well. I think if you are monetized you would not only get better algorithm response with regular 10 minute postings, but you should make more money too. This is all just speaking logically, not from experience.

 

[Drakhen99]

I personally have been making my vids around 10-15 mins because I feel people just get bored after that long, but I could be totally wrong, as I've seen super successful vloggers put up 20, 30, even 60 minute vids and do quite well. I think if you are monetized you would not only get better algorithm response with regular 10 minute postings, but you should make more money too. This is all just speaking logically, not from experience.

I think the bigger vloggers can get away with 20-60m videos because they have a dedicated audience. Those of us like me, who have <300 subs, cannot. Just my opinion.

-John

 

[Drakhen99]

OK, I have a question for all you who have been doing this longer than me ...

What would you do in this scenario?

I went out for a ride Saturday and recorded the whole thing. 2 hours of raw footage. I've got it into a rough cut shape now, and it's about 38m long, which is far longer than most of my vlogs [they're usually 10-15m long]. I'm talking through the majority of it, with a few pauses, and a section I think will make a good "music video" section. I used my GoPro Max and Hero 8, so I have plenty of camera angles to show [there's a section with a Ducati and its rider where I'm panning around and showing off some of the details of his bike].

I didn't stop anywhere and record new intro or outros, so I'm tempted to put it up as the full length, which when finished will be around 30m in length. I don't really want to put 8-10 hours of editing into it, which is part of why I don't want to break it up.

-John

 

[Hippo-Drones]

Personally, I'd remove the bits without talking, 30 min will be a push to hold an audience, and the moment folk add music bits in vlogs I skip through it until they are talking again. YT music is generally naff, and if I wanted to listen to music, I'd put some on to my own taste, so just IMO, delete that bit, it doesn't sound like it adds to the video if you don't have anything to say while filming it! my 2p

 

[Moto Mengy]

OK, I have a question for all you who have been doing this longer than me ...

What would you do in this scenario?

I went out for a ride Saturday and recorded the whole thing. 2 hours of raw footage. I've got it into a rough cut shape now, and it's about 38m long, which is far longer than most of my vlogs [they're usually 10-15m long]. I'm talking through the majority of it, with a few pauses, and a section I think will make a good "music video" section. I used my GoPro Max and Hero 8, so I have plenty of camera angles to show [there's a section with a Ducati and its rider where I'm panning around and showing off some of the details of his bike].

I didn't stop anywhere and record new intro or outros, so I'm tempted to put it up as the full length, which when finished will be around 30m in length. I don't really want to put 8-10 hours of editing into it, which is part of why I don't want to break it up.

-John

Why not both?

Upload a cut down shorter video with all the silent parts removed, talking sections only.

THEN afterwards upload a full length longer "scenic" version, maybe with most of the talking removed or muted but with music overlaying instead.

There's no rule you can't use all two hours of footage to make a few different kinds of videos with. It's your channel, you can do anything you want!