Analytics/Audience Retention Question.
- Thread starter coliwob
- Start date
Kate's Adventures
Super Poster
I've never questioned it before but you intrigued me enough to find out! This answer is from a Help Article...
"Use this report to see how your video compares to similar YouTube videos. Relative audience retention shows a video's ability to keep viewers compared to all YouTube videos of similar length.
When the graph is higher, it indicates how many more viewers kept watching your video for that time frame compared to the same time frame in other YouTube videos."
"Use this report to see how your video compares to similar YouTube videos. Relative audience retention shows a video's ability to keep viewers compared to all YouTube videos of similar length.
When the graph is higher, it indicates how many more viewers kept watching your video for that time frame compared to the same time frame in other YouTube videos."
Thanks. I still don't know what it means though. I am usually smarter than this 
really I am.
I suppose the dip at the start means that a lot of people are quitting at the cheesy intro compared to other videos, but then I am holding at least an average amount of people over the next few minutes. It sort of makes sense and doesn't make sense, if so many people quit in the first few seconds how can it show average over the next part.
Unless maybe say 40% people quit in the first two minutes of mine and the average video, only 90% of that 40 go in the first ten seconds on my video versus a more even distribution on average videos.
There, I am either smart again or have stopped making sense at some point.
really I am.I suppose the dip at the start means that a lot of people are quitting at the cheesy intro compared to other videos, but then I am holding at least an average amount of people over the next few minutes. It sort of makes sense and doesn't make sense, if so many people quit in the first few seconds how can it show average over the next part.
Unless maybe say 40% people quit in the first two minutes of mine and the average video, only 90% of that 40 go in the first ten seconds on my video versus a more even distribution on average videos.
There, I am either smart again or have stopped making sense at some point.
Kate's Adventures
Super Poster
They're comparing your video to videos from other creators that are of the same length. It looks like from the results that there was something at the beginning that your audience so far isn't responding to very well that has subsequently lost some viewers. Alternatively the video may be playing in a playlist somewhere or autoplaying as a channel trailer, I can't speak for anyone else but I'm someone who stops those videos right away if they're something I'm not interested in.Thanks. I still don't know what it means though. I am usually smarter than this
Of the people who continue watching, their interest is held on average more than other videos of the same length at the points where it's showing "Above Average". At about 3:45 your viewers start to slowly drift away, it may be because they feel the video is too long or you've maybe answered the question that they came to the video hoping to find the answer to.
By watching the video back and looking at the graph as you watch, you can (in theory) try to identify possible issues with your content that may be making people disengage.
That's my interpretation anyway, I feel like I've learned a lot tonight!
I think I am forming a decent picture of it now. Just don't think youtube's explanation really covers it that well. Can't wait to see these charts on the videos with the updated intro, its a little shorter and looks nicer so hopefully that makes for a better first impression.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Kate's Adventures
Super Poster
If it helps, I think a simplified version of what they're doing would be this....
A video of yours 5 minutes long has been watched by 20 people. It's compared with other videos of 5 minutes in length.
In the first 30 seconds, 7 of your viewers either click away or move forward to another point in the video. The expected number given the size of your audience and the averages from other videos is 4. It's therefore deemed to be a below average audience retention.
Further into the video at the 1.30 mark, 12 viewers are watching. Given the averages, YouTube would have predicted that only 8 viewers would be watching at this point. Your audience retention is therefore above average.
The same principle applies for this graph throughout your video to decide where the points are plotted.
Sorry if that's too simple an explanation, I'm still trying to figure it out myself and I've found the best way to wrap my head around it is to write it out like a Maths question. I've made up the figures in the example above.
It seems like it would be a fun thing to experiment with if you think you know what needs to be changed for the results to improve. I must try this sometime!
A video of yours 5 minutes long has been watched by 20 people. It's compared with other videos of 5 minutes in length.
In the first 30 seconds, 7 of your viewers either click away or move forward to another point in the video. The expected number given the size of your audience and the averages from other videos is 4. It's therefore deemed to be a below average audience retention.
Further into the video at the 1.30 mark, 12 viewers are watching. Given the averages, YouTube would have predicted that only 8 viewers would be watching at this point. Your audience retention is therefore above average.
The same principle applies for this graph throughout your video to decide where the points are plotted.
Sorry if that's too simple an explanation, I'm still trying to figure it out myself and I've found the best way to wrap my head around it is to write it out like a Maths question. I've made up the figures in the example above.
It seems like it would be a fun thing to experiment with if you think you know what needs to be changed for the results to improve. I must try this sometime!
babyteeth4
Taking over the world... ...one kid at a time!
The thing is, every video (not just yours) dips in viewers throughout the video, as people abandon. This just shows audience retention in your specific video as it relates to that overall norm.