I've been doing YouTube videos for the last eight years. Six from the channel I have now. In that time span, I have seen a lot of stuff happen. Some great things, some terrible ones. Would it be easy now these days to get into doing videos? Or is it a lot tougher now for the content I and others do?
For one thing, Content ID is not as big of a hassle compared to what it was. Now these days, I don't have to worry about some bogus company flagging a video because of music. In 2013, I had just about every Medal of Honor Underground video getting flagged because of the music of Michael Giacchino. Outside of a few companies, (Nintendo in particular) Content ID is nothing to worry about.
However, finding an audience is a tough one. Even some channels that have been around way longer than me have started to decline in viewership. Part of it is content. Old games now these days are not a big interest anymore. There is exceptions, but overall, a lot of focus in new games is the main draw. Personalities as well. Specifically the ones that are more "energetic" and more "emotionally driven" than others who act normal. Even ones that support their channel may not always have it easy. They could be as normal as anyone else in the world with a job and maybe a family.
In my case, a reason I believe I draw views from certain games is because no one is doing them or there aren't as many videos about a certain game. Or maybe a specific thing like a demo of Tekken 2. Or uploading a soundtrack like Pebble Beach Golf Links. What I do is rather niche, but I've carved out an audience that at times like the videos you don't typically see. Especially with sports games.
I would say it's harder to get into YouTube today, but I would try to give it a year or two before either pulling the plug or continuing on. Find what you think an audience would like and get it ready as a video for upload. Don't rush. Be thorough and be sure they are ready for your content.
No comments:
Post a Comment