YouTube Live Algorithm:

• Top signals: Watch duration + click-through rate (CTR) on the stream thumbnail. YouTube weights total engagement time more than chat velocity.
• Secondary: Shorts feeder funnel performance, channel subscriber count, viewer return rate over 30 days.
• Penalizes: Low-retention starts (high bounce in first 30 seconds), thumbnail clickbait that doesn't deliver, demonetized content.

YouTube-specific quirks:

• Shorts dramatically influence live discovery. A creator with 100K Shorts views per month gets favorable live placement even with smaller live audiences.
• VOD watchtime continues feeding the algorithm for 6-12 months after the broadcast ends. A live stream with strong replay value has compounding ranking benefits.
• Channel subscriber count matters more on YouTube than follower count on Twitch. The 1,000-sub Partner threshold is a real algorithmic inflection point.

YouTube optimization priority: Shorts engine (drives discovery) → thumbnail and title craft (CTR) → broadcast pacing (watch duration) → subscriber-conversion mechanics. Different priority order than Twitch.