Tracking video views across multiple social channels can be tricky. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok all define video views differently, and report them through their public and private APIs differently.
Below is an itemized breakdown of all the video views/plays metrics you will find in Rival IQ, including the definitions of what counts as a video view (what about Reels?), and the differences between public and private video views metrics.
Facebook Insights (private data):
Presence Video Views: The total number of organic and paid video views during the selected time period. This includes views on videos published before the selected time period, if they continue to accumulate views IN the selected time period. Facebook Video metrics do NOT include Reels.
Video Views: The total number of times organic and paid video posts published during the selected time period were watched for at least three seconds.
Reel Views: The number of times your Reel starts to play after an impression is already counted. This metric counts Reels sessions with 1 millisecond or more of playback. This metric EXCLUDES replays.
Views, Reels and Videos: The total number of times a Reel or Video published during the selected time period were watched. Video watches counted after 3 seconds. Reels counted after 1 millisecond.
Facebook (competitive public data):
Facebook Video Views: The number of views on video posts for at least one second (excluding Reels) during the selected time period.
Instagram Insights (private data):
Initial Plays: Number of times your reel starts to play for the first time in a reels session. This is defined as plays of 1 millisecond or more, and excludes replays. This is the sum of organic and paid initial plays.
Initial Plays, Organic: Number of times your reel starts to play for the first time in a reels session. This is defined as plays of 1 millisecond or more, and excludes replays. This does not include paid initial plays.
Initial Plays, Paid: Number of times your reel starts to play for the first time in a reels session. This is defined as plays of 1 millisecond or more, and excludes replays. This does not include organic initial plays.
Instagram (competitive public data):
No public Instagram views/plays data available.
Both competitive public AND private data:
Video views: The total number of video views on video Tweets that this company published during the selected time period.
YOUTUBE
YouTube Insights (private data):
No private YouTube metrics are available.
YouTube (competitive public data):
Views: The number of views on posts published on the company's YouTube channel during the selected time period.
Views, Lifetime:The total number of views for this company on YouTube. This includes lifetime views for all posts published on this channel, regardless of your selected time period.
LinkedIn Analytics (private data):
Video Views: The total number of times video updates published during the selected time period were played for at least 3 seconds.
LINKEDIN (competitive public data):
No public LINKEDIN data available.
TIKTOK
TikTok Insights (private data):
No private TikTok metrics are available.
TikTok (competitive public data):
Views: The number of views on videos published on this company's TikTok channel during the selected time period.