Youtube was once the main video streaming platform and had no competition since its nascent arrival; but, in 2021 TikTok surprised the streaming world with an increase in average viewing time, and some Youtube creators, already dissatisfied with the status quo streaming monetization model, began to favor the preferred Twitch format. This led to Youtube creators asking the question: how will this scenario evolve into a new format? At the moment, Youtube creators alternatives aren’t abundant on the streaming horizon. Let’s review the trends related to streaming, creators, and monetization.
Competition inside the Youtube Creators program
Perhaps this is a reflection of pressure from TikTok, a more nimble and democratic platform. This could be one of the reasons why Youtube has given free rein to their community and why some Youtube creators have complained.
There are contests, prizes, and fame for those who make the most the quickest. If you’re in the visual content business, you know it takes time, blood, sweat, and tears to make something good. Publishers take and make time to create quality material, but platforms don’t look at this. To do more and do it faster, Youtube creators have to invest more, otherwise, they deliver poor content. This fact of life leads us to turn our attention to another challenge, monetization.
Making money with Youtube, is it still possible?
Yes, but it depends on whether your model is a subscription-based or views-based one. Subscription models can be profitable even with small accounts. For example, if you have less than 20,000 subscribers, Twitch or Vimeo can be more profitable. However, this is where the problem crops up its ugly head. If you get more views, it would be prudent to put the same video streaming platform content on YouTube.
In 2021 when Twitch data was leaked from Reddit accounts, some creators opened their values publicly. Youtube pageviews are very profitable according to Covertblue by a factor of 10. However, the same video(link) shows that within Twitch, Prime Video subscriptions have a good ROI ratio for the creators themselves. However, this is where the system can be hacked. If Covertblue created all of this content not only on these two platforms, but also on their website, how much money should they be making? Not to spill the beans on Google, but, they should be making 7 times more. This means that 2.7 million views are converted into 2.7 million pageviews on a website with Adsense plugged in and can be roughly worth $200,000 to $290,000 US dollars. That’s no chump change we’re talking about. So, mumm’s the word. Also, by using YouTube on a website, both revenues are accrued. We have literature curated for you in the form of tips and tricks here (link to an internal link about Arena.im products monetization article). Top notch global creators privy to this information are already taking advantage to monetize their websites. Why not you too?
Youtube Algorithms and their War on good Content
Yes, it may seem nonsensical, but according to a study published by Mozilla Youtube AI seeks to attract your attention with “poor content”. The title and thumbnail will draw your attention, but the content may be less appealing than an advertisement. It’s just all about business. Many creators are “upset” with Google and YouTube because they are expanding their structure to include more cameras, editions, and content study. Although the AI was attempting to serve more beginning Youtube creators, your subscribers are receiving more from them rather than from you. It’s regrettable, but this is a “sad but true” set of circumstances. Its advice is more about metadata than it is about what you follow.
A recent article from Bloomberg.com reported that Twitch, the Amazon.com Inc.-owned live-streaming website, has been toying with ideas on how to pay its top talent. This seems to parallel YouTube’s tack. People familiar with the planning stated that the effort would boost its profits but would risk alienating some of their biggest stars.
Under consideration are updates that would offer streamers incentives to run more advertisements. Additionally, the proportion of subscription fees dolled out to the site’s largest performers would be reduced, said a few who asked anonymity because the negotiations are still private.
This move by Amazon indicates the changes surging through all video streaming platforms. Viewership for live videos of people playing video games has skyrocketed recently and this has elevated a new genre of internet celebrities. Twitch is leading the market, now, but Amazon is more interested in generating revenue over the long haul. It has started work on new, profit-driven programs; however, some employees have said the shift hurts its users. An exodus of top and longtime employees, who said Twitch has lost touch with its community’s needs has recently been reported by Bloomberg.
Duration and Theme
Again, AI, if the computer algorithm determines that your content is fine, you won’t be able to edit it. Youtube creators invest time in improving Youtube SEO, editions, editing, effects, and thumbnails, but if they change the video duration and talk about anything else, the results may suffer. Perhaps YouTube AI is putting too much weight on that. Is YouTube’s neural machine learning engine picking up on the video or channel’s context? Nobody knows, yet Youtube creators have been observing / watching and grumbling about this.
If you meet the Youtube criteria, maybe you will be able to start making some money. Instead of slaving away for one of the big four, there are alternatives to make more and collect data for your company. It’s no wonder why media giants like Globo TV, Rogers Media and Fox Sports have left YouTube and brought their content to their own domains. Some creators and companies have already noticed that. They are taking their first steps into creating a new digital streaming environment. And so should you.
