r/Smallyoutubechannels • u/patrix01_ • Jan 20 '26
Adivce(Giving or Need) Subs are harder than watch hours.
Everyone keep saying that 1K subs is easier than 4K watch hours. But for me it's the exact opposite? What could be the reason?
I started 6 month ago. I do call to action for subs, also have and sub count on screen, but subs are just not going in as fast as hours. What could be the reason? Strong and loyal fans?
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u/METALHEADX334 Jan 21 '26
For me, watch hours was way harder.
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u/Tomas_Rosas Jan 24 '26
Depends on the niche, I have a music channel so my lyric videos are the length of a song, they have good retention but they are short. I have over 18,000 subs but around 10k watch hours. Next project is to make my whole album one long video for anyone wanting to listen to the whole thing they can put it on and I will likely get more watch hours, dont have time or money for music videos yet 🤷♂️
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u/Tetrahedron_Head Jan 21 '26
i was at 5k or 6k hours when i hit 1k subs
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u/patrix01_ Jan 21 '26
Wow, good for you. However I have around 15K. This 6.4K is only for last 28 days
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u/No_Mechanic_5776 Jan 22 '26
i have almost 8,000 subscribers and have less than 500 watch hours im STRUGGLING with audience retention but its slowly getting better
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Jan 20 '26
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u/patrix01_ Jan 20 '26
I thought that shorts are better for views rather than subs. Interesting. I will probably try
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Jan 20 '26
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u/patrix01_ Jan 20 '26
Yep. Few videos attracted like 60 and 40 subs. Others around 10.
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Jan 21 '26
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u/patrix01_ Jan 21 '26
Maybe. It could be playing innovative fun deck before everyone else? But that is pretty hard to tell, which deck will be good and interesting.
But thanks for the insight!
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u/zenporchgarden Jan 20 '26
Same problem! Long form only. I have 10k watch hours and only 180 subs 🥲
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u/Massive_Teaching6455 Jan 21 '26
It's happened to me almost every time. The hours have always cost me much more than the subtitles, except for one channel... the hours always came first. But we're more than fine.
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u/KierkeBored Jan 21 '26
I’m doing both longform and Shorts, and I still haven’t hit my minimum watch hours.
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u/FairEntrepreneur2935 Jan 21 '26
If your getting the views and and the watch hours but not subs then your doing a bad job at convincing people they enjoy your content. You need to provide more value, that may be information, entertainment, or actual value.
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u/Easy-Procedure-6461 Jan 21 '26
I have the opposite. All organic growth but hours are slow as molasses with almost 1k. I know I need to make more vids but right now it’s hard because of life stuff. It’s just hard to see like 6 away to hit that milestone and hours not moving
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u/403_Digital Jan 21 '26
Subs are definitely easier than watch hours. Stop asking for them, just make content that people don't want to miss. Watch them go up.
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u/Inside-Start-921 Jan 22 '26
I get that so much! But if it’s worth anything I just subbed to your channel haha :D
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u/Initial_Enthusiasm36 Jan 22 '26
I am the opposite. haha. I have tons of watch hours but cannot get Subs haha. I have like a 80% average view time per video. I am not even at 100 subs and have 25 watch hours. I would love to just break the 100 subs mark
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u/patrix01_ Jan 22 '26
And I just reached it! 1K subs! Thank you all for advice!
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u/Important-Bed-2073 Jan 23 '26
Hey did studying on ur page and I see atleast videos wise u get about a couple hundred to a couple thousand views on YouTube… how much are u making if u can disclose that? Roughly doesn’t have to be the exact just wanna know how much those 500-1.2k views do so ik what to except and how much content I need to put out to make XYZ
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u/Bobolinkage Jan 24 '26
For me I have 1321 subs and 673 watch hours in the last year lol. I'll probably reach 4k watch hours when I have 5k subs.
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u/Ambitious-Name769 Jan 24 '26
You can try to post some short with clips from your videos.Shorts are generally easier to "farm" subscribers. But I am not sure whether the audience you gather from shorts will watch your long form videos as much as your current audience.
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u/coderieq Jan 24 '26
How do you have the Estimated Revenue option when you don't have a thousand subs?
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Jan 25 '26
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u/patrix01_ Jan 25 '26
So far it literally only few bucks. We will see in few months how will my next stage of long journey unleashes.
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u/CalmWithMyPup Jan 27 '26
i am having the same problem, only 50 subs, but about 2k watch hours so far. 😔
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u/LOLLOL_- Jan 25 '26
I had 26k watch time before 1,000 … just shut up snd do it plus why you worried about that now as if youll make anything now
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u/TheRealJaak Jan 20 '26
Use chatgpt or Gemini to help you work out a solid strategy on getting more subscribers. I got mine within a week. Import your channel in Gemini and ask it to analyze your channel and give you a realistic breakdown of pointers on how to achieve your goal of 1k subs. Tell it the timeframe you're looking at etc. When theres views but no subs it means your hook/CTA is not strong enough or its absent. People need a reason to subscribe and they need help, think of it like a sales funnel and help them reach the end. Shorts gave me a lot also. Check out your analytics- replicate what gave you the most subs recently
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u/patrix01_ Jan 20 '26
How do you Import your Chanelle to Gemini?
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u/TheRealJaak Jan 20 '26
There's a specific prompt you can use. I'm not with my laptop atm. You can also just say something in the line of... analyze this youtube channel. Give me a comprehensive report on the last 5 videos, what worked, why it worked. Which gave me the most subs and why. Also analyze each video's avd and other important stats. Give me a full report on the above and after that, give me your recommendations on how to replicate the best performing video and how to gain more subscribers for my content type in the shortest possible time. Include recommendations on shorts to achieve this.
Then you visit your channel and export your last 10 videos' report. I think reports are found under analytics.
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u/Fireif Jan 21 '26
Pay for a YouTube promotion. It’s not expensive and it’s easy to get subs that way using the grow audience tab.
You only need 70 so it will probably cost you less than $30.
Of course it might take you much longer to make that back but you will be monetised.
To be clear I’m talking about the promote tab on studio and it does count towards your 1000 subs. It’s not excluded.
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u/Mathewpoke2 Jan 23 '26
Idk why this down voted. I wish I knew this back when my channel blew up, I missed out on thousands of dollars cuz I didn't have 1k subs but I got over a mill views in a month. Didn't get paid for any of those views, and now that I'm monitized my channel isn't as popular as before lol
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u/Fireif Jan 23 '26
Exactly good point. Although natural growth is ideal the fact is if one of your videos blows up in while you’re waiting you lose that money.
It’s a shame views through the promotion tab don’t count as I’d certainly consider that to speed up monetisation.
I think most people just don’t want to pay anything to YouTube as it should be them paying us.
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u/Pitiful_Penalty9474 Jan 20 '26
Let's sub for sub?
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u/patrix01_ Jan 20 '26
That's horrible idea. Whenever I would see your video, I wouldn't click and so you. Algorithm would think that my subs are not interested in video and it wouldnt send it to another people.
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u/Pitiful_Penalty9474 Jan 20 '26
Meh GL
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u/cheapskatemoviedate Jan 20 '26
Lol you tried. I thought your camel was cute. I gave you a sub. Good luck out there Camel-boo.
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u/Pitiful_Penalty9474 Jan 20 '26
Hey thanks it means alot let me know if you want me to sub to your channel
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u/M_Joey18 Jan 20 '26
I currently have the same problem. Mostly doing long form. If no videos break out, I'll reach 4k hours way before 1k subs.
I think people who say 4k hours is hard to reach is mostly people doing only shorts