Vine Debuts 'Loop Count' to Track Total Video Views

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A Vine update now includes a total views metric called the Loop Count.

By Kurt Wagner2014-07-01 20:23:17 UTC

Vine added a new metric on Tuesday so users can see just how widespread their Vine creations actually are.

Vine videos now include a "Loop Count," a metric comparable to the "Views" metric used on other sites like YouTube. The count updates automatically any time the video is played, even on embeds across the web.

See also: 35 Ways Musicians and Music Brands Are Using Twitter's Vine App

Some loop counts will include a “+” next to them, indicating the Vine was created before April 3. This is when Vine began counting video loops, so the "+" implies that there are likely existing loops missing from the displayed total.

The new figure may not offer the most accurate look at a video's popularity — it's safe to assume metrics like re-vines and Likes are a better indication of approval — but the loop count does offer a look at how widespread a video is.

Vine updated its app Tuesday to include a Loop Count that measures total video views.

Loop count has the potential to attract more brands to the service. If a marketer knows how many times a video has been looped, it can get a better idea of its overall reach. Numerous Vine "celebrities" (users with massive follower totals) already plug products on the service, making "authentic" videos of themselves using dating sites like Hot or Not and Badoo. Though it's not clear if they're paid for making the videos, it's a potential model for companies advertising on the service. The loop count adds more context for the companies who might pay users to endorse their products.

That doesn't mean loop count is a perfect metric. Vines play automatically, and loop automatically, meaning a Vine loop does not necessarily mean it was actually watched. For example, a Vine embedded in a web article may loop for minutes (or hours) while the web page is open, but that doesn't mean the video was watched.

The loop count isn't the only change in Tuesday's Vine update. The service widened videos on mobile; they now span the entire screen. Vine also added milestone alerts in users' activity feeds. For example, a user might see a notification when their Vine receives 100 Likes.

The new features and wider videos are available as part of an Android and iOS update rolled out on Tuesday.

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Topics: app update, apps, Apps and Software, loop count, Social Media, Twitter, Vine