What you need
- Multimeter for macOS 13 or later, $19.99 once.
- A YouTube Data API key: in the Google Cloud console, create a project, enable YouTube Data API v3, then Credentials, Create credentials, API key. Restrict the key to that one API.
- Your channel handle, like
@MKBHD.
Set it up
- Check it in Terminal with your key and handle:Terminal
curl -s 'https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=statistics&forHandle=@MKBHD&key=YOUR_KEY' - Add a Web Address meter with that address and the key path
items.0.statistics.subscriberCount. - Refresh every 15 minutes. Use a text face, or the XP Bar with the range set to your next milestone.
Multimeter settings
In Customize This Meter… (from the meter’s menu):
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Source | Web Address |
| Web address | https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=statistics&forHandle=@HANDLE&key=YOUR_KEY |
| Key path | items.0.statistics.subscriberCount |
| Refresh every | 15 minutes |
| Range | 0 to your next milestone |
| Label | SUBS |
| Face | XP Bar, Split-Flap or LCD Readout |
Tested: Run on October 29, 2026 with a key restricted to the YouTube Data API: @MKBHD returned 21,400,000 subscribers and 5,839,422,390 views.
More on this source, including every format it reads, in the Web Address guide.
Limits
- Above 1,000 subscribers YouTube rounds the public count to three significant figures (21,400,000; 8,420), so a big channel’s number moves in steps. Views and video counts are exact.
- The daily quota is 10,000 units and this call costs 1. Every 15 minutes uses 96.
- The key is visible in your Multimeter settings, which is why it should be restricted to the YouTube Data API.
Variations
Views or video count
Key path items.0.statistics.viewCount or items.0.statistics.videoCount.
A single video’s views or likes
Address https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=statistics&id=VIDEO_ID&key=YOUR_KEY, key path items.0.statistics.viewCount (or likeCount).
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No number found in the response | The key path doesn’t match the reply. | Run curl -s with the address and read the JSON. Dots walk into objects, numbers pick array items (items.0.count). |
| Couldn’t reach the address | No network, a typo in the host, or the service is down. | Open the address in your browser. Multimeter tries again at the next refresh. |
| The server answered 403 | The API isn’t enabled for the key’s project, or the key is restricted to a different API. | Enable YouTube Data API v3 and check the key’s API restrictions. |
| No number found | The handle didn’t match a channel, so items is missing. | Include the @ and check the spelling, or use id=CHANNEL_ID instead of forHandle. |
Questions
Can it celebrate a milestone?
Set alerts to High values with critical at the milestone and turn on Notify me when it goes critical. The XP Bar face also levels up as the count grows.
Why does my count jump in steps?
YouTube rounds public subscriber counts. The exact number is only in YouTube Studio and the Analytics API, which needs a sign-in.