For those that don't know, YouTube has been struggling with a few issues over the past few years (can you say Logan Paul and a dead body?). And as any company does over time, they make changes. One of those changes smacked me in the face this morning. I sat there checking my email first thing in the morning like always and see something from YouTube in my Inbox. In short, they will be turning off monetization for small channels. Specifically, they are giving everyone 30 days to meet their new minimum of 4,000 hours of watch time (240,000 minutes) and 1,000 subscribers.
That "and" is key there as I'm probably close enough to meet the minimum watch time to get to that goal this year. But the subscriber count is really where I'll take a kick in the pants. And to grow your channel by 900 or so subscribers in 30 days is so unlikely, I'm resigned to be demonetized for the foreseeable future. As in years. Even though I broke through the old minimum last year and actually made money at doing something I love, I've now been reduced to watching from the sidelines as the bigger channels get bigger and the smaller channels disappear.
I'm still bitter. I'm still processing my emotions. I'm still sad and mad and so many other things.
And no, I'm not going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel or read my blogs. As much as I'd love to beg you to do that, I think you already would have if you enjoyed my content.
But I have to share something from one of my biggest supporters out there. My son. He is a huge YouTube consumer. If given the opportunity, he would watch YouTube all day and all night. What he enjoys is beyond my scope of understanding. I still can't comprehend how he can spend so much time watching people play Minecraft. I can't change who he is but I just don't understand. Getting back on track, as I was still processing the news and getting ready for work this morning, I shared the bad news with my son. The conversation went something like this:
Me: "I have some bad news William. YouTube has demonetized my channel."
William: "They deleted your channel?!"
Me: "No."
William: "They deleted your videos?!"
Me: "No."
William: "Can you still upload videos? I don't understand."
Me: "Well, basically I won't be able to make any money on my videos."
William: "Oh. Well that sucks."
Me: "Yep, it sure does."
It was a pivotal moment and I knew it. I was still pissed off and wanted to throw a chair through the window, but I knew, right there as I sat on the bed, that I would continue to do this thing I love. As I drove to work I wasn't sure if I wanted to put my fist through the window or cry uncontrollably. I ended up finding salvation in the bottom of my Starbucks coffee (#notsponsored!). And I realized I was having yet another John Locke moment where I just needed to scream "Don't tell me what I can't do!"
Since I started this journey through my midlife crisis back in 2016, I've struggled with my own identity. I finally found it last year. I'm a house spouse and a content creator. When I left my last job in 2016, I was kicked to the curb like a piece of trash. In 2017, I finally realized I wasn't trash and managed to pick myself up, brush myself off, and get back out there. It's 2018 and I'm back on the ground, wondering why the YouTube bus has decided to run me over.
I know there's a lot wrong with YouTube. I also know that I'm not part of the problem. I'll continue to edit videos just like I'll continue to research my articles. I'll continue to produce videos just like I'll continue to write stories. I'll even continue to pay for YouTube Red and YouTubeTV. But I feel like the platform I've enjoyed, supported, and been a member of since January 29, 2007, has betrayed me and all the other little guys out there. It wouldn't take a big push to get me invested in a different platform. ::coughcough:: Samsung? ::coughcough:: Casey Neistat? ::coughcough::
In closing, I'd like to ask you to do two things for me. First, support your family and your friends. Help them fulfill their dreams. Second, support those small, local businesses you know. Help your neighbors because they have dreams too.
Thanks for reading.
That "and" is key there as I'm probably close enough to meet the minimum watch time to get to that goal this year. But the subscriber count is really where I'll take a kick in the pants. And to grow your channel by 900 or so subscribers in 30 days is so unlikely, I'm resigned to be demonetized for the foreseeable future. As in years. Even though I broke through the old minimum last year and actually made money at doing something I love, I've now been reduced to watching from the sidelines as the bigger channels get bigger and the smaller channels disappear.
I'm still bitter. I'm still processing my emotions. I'm still sad and mad and so many other things.
And no, I'm not going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel or read my blogs. As much as I'd love to beg you to do that, I think you already would have if you enjoyed my content.
But I have to share something from one of my biggest supporters out there. My son. He is a huge YouTube consumer. If given the opportunity, he would watch YouTube all day and all night. What he enjoys is beyond my scope of understanding. I still can't comprehend how he can spend so much time watching people play Minecraft. I can't change who he is but I just don't understand. Getting back on track, as I was still processing the news and getting ready for work this morning, I shared the bad news with my son. The conversation went something like this:
Me: "I have some bad news William. YouTube has demonetized my channel."
William: "They deleted your channel?!"
Me: "No."
William: "They deleted your videos?!"
Me: "No."
William: "Can you still upload videos? I don't understand."
Me: "Well, basically I won't be able to make any money on my videos."
William: "Oh. Well that sucks."
Me: "Yep, it sure does."
It was a pivotal moment and I knew it. I was still pissed off and wanted to throw a chair through the window, but I knew, right there as I sat on the bed, that I would continue to do this thing I love. As I drove to work I wasn't sure if I wanted to put my fist through the window or cry uncontrollably. I ended up finding salvation in the bottom of my Starbucks coffee (#notsponsored!). And I realized I was having yet another John Locke moment where I just needed to scream "Don't tell me what I can't do!"
Since I started this journey through my midlife crisis back in 2016, I've struggled with my own identity. I finally found it last year. I'm a house spouse and a content creator. When I left my last job in 2016, I was kicked to the curb like a piece of trash. In 2017, I finally realized I wasn't trash and managed to pick myself up, brush myself off, and get back out there. It's 2018 and I'm back on the ground, wondering why the YouTube bus has decided to run me over.
I know there's a lot wrong with YouTube. I also know that I'm not part of the problem. I'll continue to edit videos just like I'll continue to research my articles. I'll continue to produce videos just like I'll continue to write stories. I'll even continue to pay for YouTube Red and YouTubeTV. But I feel like the platform I've enjoyed, supported, and been a member of since January 29, 2007, has betrayed me and all the other little guys out there. It wouldn't take a big push to get me invested in a different platform. ::coughcough:: Samsung? ::coughcough:: Casey Neistat? ::coughcough::
In closing, I'd like to ask you to do two things for me. First, support your family and your friends. Help them fulfill their dreams. Second, support those small, local businesses you know. Help your neighbors because they have dreams too.
Thanks for reading.
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