Short answer is no, if you are linking from Youtube they will not count as views in Youtube.
When you add a Youtube link to Spotlightr we are able to play the video without related videos, ads, and the Youtube logo. In these cases, linked video statistics and statistics like views will only be collected inside of your Spotlightr video analytics.
What are the benefits of using your Youtube link with Spotlightr instead of just Youtube?
Here's a summary. We also have a thorough article on the subject on our blog.
Videos played in Spotlightr look much more professional since you are able to customize the look and feel to match your brand
You will get rid of the YT ads
You will save some storage space in Spotlightr (linked videos don't count towards your storage space)
You can use the advanced marketing tools
SEO benefits
Using Spotlightr on your site instead of Youtube has the SEO benefits, in that:
You can add a social share button right on top of the video for shares. Social signals from your videos increase SEO value.
Embedding YouTube videos (instead of using Spotlightr) runs the risk of losing traffic to YT and increasing bounce rate.
Better chance of people linking to your content if you embed using our player. If you embed with YouTube and someone wants to link to it, they might link to the video on YouTube instead of your own web page that holds the embedded video.
Are my linked videos secured?
One disadvantage to linking video to Spotlightr, as opposed to uploading direct, is security. Only videos uploaded to the Spotlightr directly are encrypted and protected.