Watch time
The total duration watched, as distinct from the number of views.
Long-form platforms optimise for it, which is why a ten-minute video watched half way can outperform a two-minute video watched fully.
It is also why formats designed to run in the background — ambient, ASMR, long-form conversation — monetise well relative to their view counts.
Formats where this matters most
- ASMR / AmbientSensory audio is the product. Microphone technique matters more than anything on screen.
- Longform Video PodcastA recurring multi-hour conversation on static multicam, with minimal editing by design.
- Video Essay / Deep DiveA long-form researched piece, twenty minutes and up, that defends an explicit thesis.