Analysts have recorded a drop in Shorts’ audience coverage on YouTube

From September 30 to October 6, according to experts, the decrease in coverage of long videos on this site was only 0.8% compared to the same period last year. The maximum drop was recorded in the week of August 18 to 24: it amounted to 28% year-on-year.

At the same time, the audience reach of Shorts, horizontal videos aimed at young people, continues to decline, the study notes. Compared to last year, this video format lost more than half of its unique views.

From September 24 to 30, Shorts coverage decreased on average by 55.9% compared to the same period in 2023, and for the period from September 30 to October 6, 53.8%, analysts report by WhoIsBlogger.

The study took into account data from 48 thousand YouTube channels, whose dissemination of video coverage indicators is quite wide. WhoIsBlogger did not provide absolute figures. The analysts explained that in this case the median percentage values ​​are “more representative.”

• In October, YouTube began blocking the transfer of videos to the Russian platforms Rutube and VK Video. Services must download content using foreign VPNs.
• VK Video views, after YouTube slowed down in Russia, increased fivefold in early October. Russian online video services and cinemas reported an increase in traffic and user engagement after YouTube began to slow down, with significant growth seen in the children’s content category.
• YouTube increased the length of shorts from one minute to three as of October 15. The video hosting company emphasized that this feature was the most requested by content creators.
• YouTube access problems in Russia began at the end of July; video hosting traffic in the country decreased by half. Users have flocked to Russian content platforms.