[faq] Youtube
Frequently Asked Questions about Streaming BTS' Music Videos on Youtube
Caveat:
We do not approve of falsely increasing views through illegal methods.
We do not support any streaming method that will put a negative light on BTS.
The information provided below is for ARMY - free of charge and not for profit or business use.
This FAQ answers commonly asked questions in relation to streaming organically on YT and ensuring views are captured on the MV's YT page and not the Billboard charts.
Click here for the 24 HRS MV STREAMING GUIDE
[FAQ] bts mv streaming guide v1.1
Q: Why can’t I use playlists during the first 24 hours?
A: Views may be delayed and show up on the page after the first 24 hours.
Q: I have to work/go to school. Can I still use playlists to stream for hours?
A: Yes, but YT will pause the MV after 1 hour due to inactivity. Sign up for YT Premium if you need to stream for hours uninterrupted.
Q: Can I click the replay button on the video to increase the views?
A: Please refresh the browser page or close the MV and search for it again.
Q: Why should I watch other BTS MVs besides this one?
A: Repeated views within a short time frame could be seen as spam.
Q: Will my views count if I watch the MV for 5 seconds?
A: Youtube could delete your view count because their filters may treat your 5-second view as someone who accidentally clicked on MV or wasn’t interested enough to watch the rest. Keep watching till the end.
Q: If I watch the MV more than 50 times, will Youtube count my views?
A: Not if you’re watching it continuously. Alternate between other MVs, take breaks and occasionally clear your watch history and cache, and switch accounts if you have them.
Q: Can I skip ads? Will it affect my views?
A: Yes, you can skip ads. Your view is counted if you watch the MV, not the ad.
Q: Why aren’t the views increasing? I’ve been streaming for hours!
A: If the video is immensely popular (especially if it’s by BTS), it takes a while to filter through all of those views.
Whenever you watch an MV, your view is stored in one of Youtube’s many servers located near you. The views get filtered through Youtube’s extensive algorithm (coding nerds, you know how this works) before the number is updated on the page - which means a MV streamed in the first hour could show those views 2-3 hours - or even half a day - later. So don’t panic and keep streaming - the numbers will show up eventually.
Q: Do I need to be logged in or logged out to have my views counted?
A: Youtube doesn’t say you HAVE to be logged in for views to be valid, but we recommend you login to like and comment on the MV. This increases the engagement on the MV, which makes you appear less likely to be a bot. If you’re logged out, your view still counts on the MV's YouTube page. (Just don’t spam the views)
For US/PR ARMYs: Only U.S.-based streams while logged in are counted by Neilsen for Billboard. (Source)
(Note: We encourage you to use Youtube Premium to login and stream! YT Premium removes ads, allows the MV to play in the background on your phone and the streams from US/PR adds more weight to the calculations for Billboard, compared to normal Youtube streams.)
Q: Why do you keep asking me to like, comment and share the MV?
A: Ever hear how some Youtubers will ask you to Like, Comment and Subscribe to their videos? Youtube treats these as part of their engagement metrics, which shows that the MV is popular and add it to the recommended list on YT.
Sharing it directly from the YT page improves the engagement metrics, and bring new viewers to the page.
Q: Youtube can check all my information (IP, location), so won’t they know if I’m streaming the video repeatedly and delete my views if I change accounts or logout?
A: Views are not determined by these factors. YouTube defines a view as a: "viewer’s intended and successful attempt to watch a YouTube video." Things like 'watch time', 'engagement’, likes, comments, sharing, clicking on ads to view or cancel' are some of the metrics they use.
(Note: A group of people using wifi in a public space will share the same IP, like a school or workplace. This doesn’t mean Youtube will exclude the views from all but one person - but they have safeguards in place to filter out excessive streaming.)
Q: You said quality doesn’t matter, but Youtube says "To verify that views are real and accurate, YouTube may temporarily slow down, freeze, or change the view count, as well as discard low-quality playbacks."
A: The word ‘quality’ associated with Youtube videos can refer to:
(1) Video stream quality (144p, 240p,480p, 720p) - These are also referred to as ‘bitrate’, which is part of Youtube’s streaming technology. The bitrate quality will change according to the watcher’s internet speed to help them stream the video without any interruptions. This does not affect view counts.
(2) Low-quality playbacks - Spammed viewing, views created by bots or speed up or slowed down could be seen as low-quality playbacks. This affects view counts, and can be removed by Youtube’s filters.
Q: Can I pause the MV?
A: Yes but don't leave it on pause for too long. It might seem like you weren’t interested in watching the MV, and invalidate your view.
Q: Will emojis in comments freeze the views?
A: No, it won't.
Q: Will adding links in the comments freeze the views?
A:. No, it won’t.
Q: Will adding the word ‘stream’ and hashtags in the comments freeze the views?
A: No.
Q: But someone told me that emojis and links will freeze the views and that I should censor the word ‘stream’...
A: Youtube’s support documents do not mention this. You’re more likely to get banned by Youtube for annoying everyone with spam.
*Please credit with links to this page.
**All the information listed above has been carefully researched and obtained from Youtube Support and forums.