I create content that goes into YouTube. I generate a tiny bit of revenue from that. I have no say into how YouTube treats my viewers. If you watch the ads, awesome, I get some money. If not, I’m just glad you watched the video.
The majority of content on the platform is made up of channels my size and smaller. Most of us are getting paid pennies.
But YouTube doesn’t care about us. They want to appease the larger studios.
Youtube doesn’t care about the collective “you” that is its namesake. It hasn’t for over a decade. Itps all about the big studio level productions. It’s no better than the mainstream television networks at this point.
Maybe its due to my age, but I use YT for tutorials on diy or fixing shit. I get 20s in, then whammo, ad. Just as the guy is focusing in on the area I need to see. I am watching a 5min video and 2min of ads… it is ridiculous.
Don’t forget that if you have to rewind a part to see something the creator blew past that you needed to see and you get another two ads. Fuck that noise.
Not sure that big business favouritism is the intent, but it’s definitely more lucrative for them. Especially with Vimeo and other alternatives out there.
I remember when streaming took off in a big way - some on YT and others on justin.tv (later Twitch and now Amazon’s Twitch) - and I thought you’d have to be objectively bonkers to rely upon an opaque and ever-changing algorithm for your financial future. Some have gamed it well, but it’s pretty easy to see how they’ve survived - fake shock/reaction content, alt-light or worse content, polarising opinion, thinly-veiled advertorials, and so on.
But, economically speaking, you get what you incentivise for: if you can game the system and get the click/eyeball ratio, then they’re going to do that.
Yeah, I’m just saying that some exceptions break through. Some YouTubers make content that is so good that people outside of YouTube consistently share the shit out of it. They don’t need the click bate for the initial boost, they get the boost from sharing off the platform.
I create content that goes into YouTube. I generate a tiny bit of revenue from that. I have no say into how YouTube treats my viewers. If you watch the ads, awesome, I get some money. If not, I’m just glad you watched the video.
The majority of content on the platform is made up of channels my size and smaller. Most of us are getting paid pennies.
But YouTube doesn’t care about us. They want to appease the larger studios.
Youtube doesn’t care about the collective “you” that is its namesake. It hasn’t for over a decade. Itps all about the big studio level productions. It’s no better than the mainstream television networks at this point.
Maybe its due to my age, but I use YT for tutorials on diy or fixing shit. I get 20s in, then whammo, ad. Just as the guy is focusing in on the area I need to see. I am watching a 5min video and 2min of ads… it is ridiculous.
Tubemate. Tubular. Newpipe. Ublock if nothing else.
Freetube, piped, invidious work great on desktop too
Don’t forget that if you have to rewind a part to see something the creator blew past that you needed to see and you get another two ads. Fuck that noise.
I think you’ve got the right approach, FWIW.
Not sure that big business favouritism is the intent, but it’s definitely more lucrative for them. Especially with Vimeo and other alternatives out there.
I remember when streaming took off in a big way - some on YT and others on justin.tv (later Twitch and now Amazon’s Twitch) - and I thought you’d have to be objectively bonkers to rely upon an opaque and ever-changing algorithm for your financial future. Some have gamed it well, but it’s pretty easy to see how they’ve survived - fake shock/reaction content, alt-light or worse content, polarising opinion, thinly-veiled advertorials, and so on.
I’d argue that there are a couple of studios that are still mostly focusing on making good content, not click bate.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I think YouTubers like MKBHD are generally playing it straight. Trying to stay on top by getting better and better content.
Although, these people tend to burnout eventually. They have to keep running a faster mile.
I definitely admire the integrity and the effort.
But, economically speaking, you get what you incentivise for: if you can game the system and get the click/eyeball ratio, then they’re going to do that.
Yeah, I’m just saying that some exceptions break through. Some YouTubers make content that is so good that people outside of YouTube consistently share the shit out of it. They don’t need the click bate for the initial boost, they get the boost from sharing off the platform.
Patreon and Merch ALSO allow a lot of youtubers to survive without having ro rely on Monetization from Youtube
They need to separate out the sites, big budget dailies and content creators, your run of the mill every day creators and a video uploading site.
Theyncant be all things, simultaneously pushing shorts and videos over 15 minutes.