Dear Music Technology Brands
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control.
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The intro is from Watt's Echopraxia and is directed at myself.
Oh dude I reread Rifters like every year. What a pull.
Interesting. I just happen to be reading “Blindsight“ at this moment. Pretty amazing book.
@@mike.thomas Blindsight is one of my favorite novels ever
my MAN
@@RedMeansRecording I’m about halfway through, and it took me a while to sync up with the writer’s style and get a feel for the characters (he doesn’t really bother with intros 😆) and the environment, but now I’m LOVING it.
Good that you let that all out. I have almost entirely stopped doing demos/reviews. Only when I am really excited for something I will cover it.
Yeah, but you offer something far more interesting than gear reviews mate.
except where he criticizes Germans who don’t want to pay for a festival that criticizes them as right wing extremists? Hainbach is more tired fake virtue signalling masquerading as creative.
Luv u hainbach
All well and good but we know you’re in the clutches of ‘Big Sweater’ ;)
I like that. It's a little thing I call "integrity." It's one of the things I like about you.
I really appreciate the wave of labor organizing happening right now, and I appreciate you for sticking your neck out like this
that's an interesting parrallell except these youtubers are not employed by the brands. they mutually benefit from each other. This needs to be extremely transparent for it not to turn into the worst practices of "paid reviews" in some other industries anyway. I also don't think that's super healthy that the economic model of independent content creators relies mostly on paid reviews; even if I understand, youtube is not a great economic model in itself; you need people to finance your stuff.
@@valdir7426 There's a parallel with the Studio Actor's Guild that can be drawn regarding a brand (or studio) wanting a temporary professional relationship with "the talent" (CZcams content creators or actors). Your concern about not wanting paid-for-review-outcomes is incredibly valid, and thankfully Jeremy addressed that head-on in this video. But Jeremy (etc) is like a freelance wedding photographer (another imperfect comparison), etc, and the idea of content creators building cohesion amongst themselves to recognize that their content creation gives gear manufacturers much more value than the quid pro quo of a free gadget is exactly right. There needs to be a compensation model that addresses time and materials as well as the years of skill-building that makes these creators stand out. I could do a gear video and it would be 1% as good as Jeremy's. My total investment of time and learning music making is an infinitesimal fraction of his. My subscriber base is likewise. The value of my video in each of these contexts is a tiny fraction. The brands know that. My point is back to the wedding photographer analogy: amateurs can do it at a stereo discount, and the result is similarly lesser than a long-seasoned professional. Compensation for the years of skill building needs to be accordingly reasonable. A "union" like arrangement (even informal) can help with that.
Solidarity for all working class
@@MChristian I'm all for people working in a field having common standards and not getting individually ripped off. unionising in a way (even if that's not exactly it). It's incredibly specific; but I agree that getting "free stuff" should not be seen as a payment in exchange of a job. Either manufacturers lend their hardware in the objective of a review; with no compensation (and the unit is sent back); and then it's an independant review; either they pay directly (on top of the said gizmo or not); and it's a paid review/presentation/walkthrough; which is fine at the condition it's is explained upfront in the video to the audience. For a piece of gear that can be justified; a review can be an in depth exploration of functionnalities; different musical demos; it's ok if it has directly the logo of the brand. In this case how we view the "critical" aspect is a matter of how we trust the person. Twitch streamer have been doing payed test of their game and when they're upfront about it it's acceptable. Of course I'm still looking for a bit of objectivity and hopefully there's room for that; even in "independant reviews" that aren't sponsored.
Pretty much nailed it there. 👍
This is a very important video. Having spent alot of energy trying to get companies to actually value youtubers correctly I know all too well that synth youtubers are constantly undervalued. The way forward is two part, and just like Jeremy explains one side is knowing your value (don’t sell yourself short!) and the other is us as a collective pushing for better conditions.
Surely it's for the audio companies to decide how much CZcamsrs are worth to their brand and whether they can carve that out of their budget? There ain't some endless pool of cash lying around to pay every CZcamsr that puts their hand out. How would that affect smaller channels?
The problem here is that CZcamsrs are trying to align themselves with "influencers" instead of reputable publications. You shouldn't be taking any form of payment to "showcase" a product - that is what influencers do. You should be asking your viewers to make a small donation to remain independent - that's what reputable publications do. You have over 100k subs - if all your viewers used Super Thanks and donated $10 a year (80 cents/pm) you would be a millionaire.
I think certain CZcamsrs need to grow a backbone and start explaining to their viewers that this shit ain't free and that if they want quality content they should consider paying for it - I don't think saturating CZcams with "paid promotions" is the answer.
I think this happens more often with synths, since there are infinite models, brands, etc. - in the guitar world, things are very different. Would worth adding that perspective.
Your “value” is to your audience, not the companies who make the gear you use in the videos. If your audience value your reviews then they should pay you, if you are not doing reviews but endorsements with no criticism of a product then your “value” might be to the synth companies, but probably not. Consider also that presumably you are going to be promoting/reviewing other competing brands, what then? The problem here seems to be you are mistaking synth companies as your customers instead of your actual customers - your subscribers and patrons.
@@The-word-I-does-not-exist Sadly I'm afraid that you have it completely backwards. That is the way we'd like it to be but it's not.
We (the viewers) are the product, CZcamsrs sell us (or, rather, our eyes) to companies in return for money. That's how the business works. It's just a different form of advertising. The fact that you choose to watch it and build up a relationship with the presenter is irrelevant.
If you want unbiased, unpaid journalism, buy a newspaper.
@@robinr22 I would cite there’s a cost to everything. If you want all the benefits of CZcams content without ads that costs what $22 a month for CZcams Premium. But you’re still going to see bespoke ads from the creator. Hmm. The reason (any not just audio tech) companies will pay €3500 or even $5000 for long-tail placement about their product that THEY are confident will hit 20K eyeballs or more, is they CANNOT reach specifically those eyeballs in that precise way themselves. I love his videos but I disagree with Bo it’s not (for everybody) about getting collective it’s about each uploader learning what a given advertiser will pay for exposure they can’t obtain any other way. Some of those companies have smart marketing people. You have to pick the ones that understand how much of a deal you are and that takes time for forming relationships. Once they understand they will pay because they love a good deal. Nothing of lasting value happens from impersonal exchange of secure form submissions. A lot of frustration boils down to impatience. I’ve been using synths for nearly 50 years. These things do take one on one time, and that takes playing the long game. Basically you want to get them to decide they need to build you into their marketing budgets.
You continue to be the most wonderful person
Dude, your videos are great. Always very positive and inspiring. ✌
Love you FB!
let's talk about it once again when you want to live from it entirely :)
@@synthanatomy Literally what I'm doing (barely) right now lol
@@FreeBeat But then you probably have very cheap living expenses. Most of the CZcamsrs with a family, living in a house/room, etc, couldn't live from it. I pay here in Europe a lot for rent, and food, plus paying taxes on all my income, etc. That would almost be a minus deal. But great to read that it's possible for you :)
I love a Jeremy that knows his worth. You put a LOT into your content and if these companies want your "stamp" on their product, they need to pay accordingly. You are worth more than the gear you tout. High time some music tech companies realize that.
It's his viewers that ain't appreciating his worth - not companies - if every sub gave $2.50 Jeremy would be a millionaire. Maybe the community needs to reevaluate whether they could do more to support channels 🍰
@@badhairdetectiveMeanwhile, back to reality …
That would make him a infuner and a sell out no one would trust with a stamp...
Powerful video dude💪🏼 I think a very important point you touched on is building a sense of community among creators who are doing this professionally vs as only a hobby.
CZcams as a serious and committed gig can become very isolating and lonely, so it’s nice to know we’re not out alone in the woods so to speak. Preach it! Wish you the best for 2023✌🏻
"lightly unionizing" This is what guilds are for! You can draft best practices and publish them in a way that's easy for everyone to find. Members pay a small annual fee to cover organizational costs and in return have access to sample contracts, pricing advice and community support.
Oh that's a brilliant tip. Thank u.
All you said makes a lot of sense to me as a "whateverfluencer" I am! A ton of labor and mental work goes into making every single video. And prior to making any video, a ton of time goes to acquire the skill to make it.
I really appreciate you starting this conversation, Jeremy. ❤Also a great boost to my confidence!
Hell yes to this. I’ve been an independent creative freelancer for the past 15 years, and I’ve found that in all aspects of creative work, companies will take advantage of us if they see a way to do so. At some point you set your boundaries and you find yourself only working with companies who value you and what you can do to help them. If they can’t be bothered to pay people who are good at what they do, then they’ll end up with inexperienced and incompetent people doing these things for pennies, and that’s to their detriment. I hope all of the CZcams synth community gets together on this and makes some change happen.
Very well said! 🤘
The music tech industry perceives CZcamsrs like gear magazines.
You get the gear upfront so that you have the content before all others. You are supposed to monetize this timely advantage as part of the payment.
Problem is, that CZcamsrs don’t earn as much from advertisements as magazines in the old days and it’s much more effort to produce a video than to write an article.
Difficult to give advise on how to earn enough money from the channel.
Only thing I would say is: Don’t compromise on the content of your channel. Us, the people that don’t skip and watch your clips from beginning to end are the true value proposition that you have.
Correct on all counts
Sitting at home making a video and uploading it to CZcams is not more effort than producing a magazine. The reason some CZcamsrs are struggling is because their viewers refuse to pay for content. If people get value from the content why don't they pay for it using Super Thanks? The money that people used to spend on magazines is not being redirected to CZcamsrs - they're just consuming for free. A digital sub to Sound on Sound cost $45 a year - if the 400k subs on this channel paid a tenth of that ($4.50/pa) Jeremy would be a millionaire. Surely it's in everyone's interest to make a small donation so that CZcamsrs don't need to enter into deals with audio companies.
Yah I think the pay per content aspect is an elemental piece to it. good analogy to magazines, they’ve never been free.
clarity, honesty, integrity. you are a stand up guy and your intelligence, wisdom, and insight are a tremendous value add to the community.
More people (and brands) need to watch this. You go Jeremy
Finding your voice and understanding your worth are so difficult for creative people. I’m glad you’re finding your feet with this and gaining confidence in who you are and what you offer, because you’re amazing. Wishing you the best with all of this going forward, Jeremy!
Change " music " by Photography and it's 100% the same
Im not surprised this is a cross platform problem
As someone who has created music for hire, done voiceover work, written video scripts, mixed, recorded, edited, and worked in the realm of content production for many, many years, what you do is worth not hundreds, but THOUSANDS and sometimes TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars. As a consumer, I love new, interesting, and entertaining content. As a professional, I understand that when you don’t take care of the people who are helping to make shit happen, those people go away. I’ve always appreciated your transparency and authenticity. I sincerely hope the momentum shifts in your direction.
Your coverage of the M8 and the subsequent Rituals album was my favorite thing that happened musically last year. I hope if there’s a hardware device that inspires you like the M8 has, that you share that passion with us. That device and your album got me creating music again and I owe you a big thanks for it.
Thank you.
Please keep sharing your passion. It’s why we are here. Much love.
Agree so totally with this
Same, that album changed me, and an M8 is never not on my person these days, had one before the album even dropped, but it opened a new world for me.
Wow literally just dropped a video on this exact topic.
Thanks for your take Jeremy!
🙏💯🙏
Great video. Setting boundaries with clients is tough. Even more so to define your self worth as an artist and even more difficult than that, attaching a $$ amount to that self-worth. Yes we're all passionate about our artistic crafts but for some of us it's also our livelihood!
Too many folks don't understand the time and effort it takes to make content for their brands when they hire an artist/designer/developer. A tale as old as time...Reminds me of when I started contracting as a sound designer - working for exposure and some free swag is worthless.
Good on you for not pulling punches and being straight up. I'm happy to hear the music-technology influencers are all speaking with each other about this stuff.
Set boundaries early and often, everyone wins that way.
Thank you for this video and your honesty Jeremy. Although I’m not a music technology brand I needed to hear this. 💚
All I know is that Jeremy is the man. I’m just a dude. But Jeremy…. is the man! 💫
Every single creator like you and Loopop, Ricky Tinez, etc should do similar videos in solidarity. The only way it will ever change is when the numbers are there to support it. Exploitation is a fact of capitalism, however, to what degree depends on the number of people willing to stand up and make their voices heard.
@@JohanSebastianBot you want to see exploitation, check out socialism. How did Hugo Chavez’s daughter end up a billionaire? Why did the communist party in USSR have their own stores that the proletariat couldn’t shop in? Who died in the Great Leap forward or collectivization of agriculture in USSR?
@@JohanSebastianBot Sometimes we get together in group calls and talk with some very forthcoming companies with high standards and the heart and head in the right place, like BASTL Instruments, that want to find out what’s best for everyone in a transparent way. BASTL is nice ❤️
@@truecuckoo Great idea to highlight those manufacturers that do right by you all. Of course they are the exception and not the rule, hence the need for RMR to make this video. This sort of thing will never stop until there is social pressure to do so. Keep up the great work, Cuckoo!
I am for sure a person who identifies as a man of some kind I think
Hearing the same exact sentiment in Liam Killen's latest video. I think we all enjoy the flashy videos and personal touches you all offer with the gear demos (and it clearly blows away the demos the companies put together themselves) but we can definitely go back to the 2008 CZcams days of the amateurs doing unboxings with shaky cameras and zero edits since it seems that is where the compensation fits. I enjoy the channels that are less consumer driven, and more about the individual's experience and perspective. Show me the same old gear and the way you use it before you show me something new that just released and you're not going to use after day 1. Channels like lonershy and slowhaste really are great examples of this!
I think this is a great direction you're taking dude! For yourself and whatever this community is 😁
❤❤❤
thats actually a great idea.. good gear needs to be around for a couple of months until its reviewed by a music-gear-youtuber...
I remember watching OP-1 videos and such, I remember having some small exchange about how I thought you could be doing live sets and you seemed like you were still working on the confidence to approach that. And now you recently posted a video to show how you did a live set at an industry conference. The progress you’ve made is great (from my view) and I think it’s fucking cool that you’ve not only been able to keep doing this, but that you’ve grown as a creator and musician. From funny little subtitles to actually talking, to finding your own comedic voice, etc.
I know the brain is hard to live with. I know we all find out own ways to suffer through that. I just know that I’m glad you’re still out here doing this and I personally really appreciate your openness about all of it.
Considering your expertise, your musicality, and your audience, I couldn’t imagine anyone paying anything less than $900/day for your expertise. That’s a bare minimum. That’s what expertise and exposure costs, at a minimum. I’ve also watched a lot of demos and reviews, and yours are among the best out there.
@@quiquiqui420 Well, there’s a review, and then there’s a demo. Look at the Red Means Recording’s demo of Native Instruments not long ago. Made 3 pieces of music using their products. It was phenomenal. I would say $900/day would be a lowball for what he did there.
@@quiquiqui420 You're seriously underrating Jeremy's value here. Yes, there's lots of "content creators" who would be happy to be paid in gear, but Jeremy is a professional musician and videographer too. $900 a day seems perfectly reasonable for a short-term contract with a professional, it's about the same as I charge for short-term software work. To learn a machine, spend time finding out what it can do, writing some music to show that off, record it, edit it - that's a week's worth of work. Why shouldn't Jeremy earn a sensible wage for that? Why should he earn "a drum machine" for $4-5k worth of work?
The elephant in the room is Jeremy simply needs a tiny bit of actual support from his watchers, not the music tech companies. If half or a quarter of his 413,000 subscribers paid him $1 a year ... that's the part of this equation that needs to be fixed.
I wrote out a long winded story about selling a bunch of gear I really didn't need, but it sounded a bit self indulgent so I deleted it. Instead I'll say this:
Whether intentional or not, I felt that this video perfectly complimented your "How (Not) to Buy A Synthesiser" video.
Either way, I've really enjoyed your history / story content. The depth of research, the knowledge and passion you demonstrate is second to none. Please keep up the good work. And it is good work.
I honestly expected you to make a killing from your reviews/explainers. They are top-tier quality, and I figured companies who'd see them would recognize that and pay you accordingly.
I made educational videos for some pretty complex software a while ago, so I'd like to think I somewhat know what the process is like. Every time I watch one of your video's I'm amazed at how you're able to explain a complex topic like a synth so easily and so effectively while making them look incredibly appealing. It's truly top-tier marketing.
Best of luck with the monetization, Jeremy; I hope you manage to find a way to make things work!
Hi Jeremy! I work in marketing for a music technology brand. I've shared your video so our company will take it to heart!
You all need to be rewarded fairly for the huge amount of work that you put into these productions and I do hope that you had a large number of major tech companies watching...and listening to what you had to say...I also found it very interesting to see who of your fellow content creators responded to your comments...and those who I expected to see here that were absent...
Jeremy, Bo, Hainbach, Cuckoo, all of you are great and completly invaluable. We as creators stills have the same problem: the creativity is what matters. A piece of gear is nothing without our music. Talk for free about the machine, but if you play it you must be paid.
Thank you RMR. The grass smelled lovely. Fresh. Vital. Promising.
I used to be a photographer and I can relate to this in many ways. It's not easy and I hope it pans out for you.
The old "You'll be rewarded with exposure" trick?
@@andrewford80 That one is a classic, had that plenty of times but also camera manufacturers where you build a relationship and then it's hard to navigate what's right and how payment, which comes in many forms, works. If they're showing your work and you're getting noticed, is it cheeky to ask for usage rights or should I be thankful as they have a lot of photographers to choose from. Blogging and what to write, you don't want to say anything negative as you're lucky to even have a relationship and the benefits it brings to your status etc. It's a bit of a minefield.
I'm happy to see that your website comes up on the first Google page for red means recording. Someday CZcams will pull the rug out from under all of us. Gotta use the exposure now to build a brand on your own terms.
The re-edit hits really well. Glad someone is saying it.
Jeremy, thanks for taking a lead and a stance on behalf of this community. You have inspired many of us over the years. Thanks so much for your work, inspiration and uniting the community.
Hey Jeremy! Thanks so much for making this video. Not a lot of technology brands in the comments so I just wanted to rep my tiny corner of the tech brand world a bit and say HI, I hear you and thanks!
I think the “soft unionizing” of music tech content creators is a great move toward setting realistic and sustainability expectations for all parties involved. Thanks for the ever inspiring videos and thoughtful reflections on this fast evolving scene.
Watching this, I had the lyrics from Laurie Anderson's song, "Example #22" running thru my head:
Honey you're my one and only
So pay me what you owe me
I'm glad to see this issue being raised and discussed. As an outsider, I have no solutions to offer, but I do, indeed, hope it improves the lives and circumstances of you and your fellow gear reviewers.
You're special Jeremy and I'm always interested to hear what you have to say
There is always a new kid who does it free. Either the higher value is understood from the market or you have to pivot. Just pretending $ is ineffective and less than elegant, maybe even counterproductive. This small critique comes from someone who loves what you do :) and has had similar problems in an entirely diff industry
Your words echo into more than just music technology. I’ve experienced it and I know it’s everywhere on CZcams. Good job Jeremy.
Hi I got the gist of what you were saying. I understand some of what you’re saying. Just wanted to say
I bought an iPad because of the granular thing you did. Infact recently watched your Hydrasynth vids and it’s so obvious that you know a whole lot about these products. Not just the operation but the way you push these machines way beyond what the makers intended. Turning Hydrasynth into modular. You practically created a whole new machine. I think it’s good you know your worth, and I hope the instrument makers see how your skill, time and enthusiasm have been so influential in getting people like me to want to do what you can do with these machines. I wouldn’t buy them otherwise.
As a subscriber to your channel and a new fellow creator on my podcast, youtube, and IG for Science of Sound, you've been a strong inspiration to my own strategies as I launched my first season in November 2022. Thank you for your genuine, transparent, no bullshit approach to your content. And specifically to this video, THIS is exactly what will revolutionize the musical gear/tech industry for the good and the bad. I love a swift reminder that all the best things in life are the most difficult to navigate. Stay awesome Jeremy and keep an eye out for me in Seattle. We're bound to run into each other at some point.
Love, peace, and creative grease🤘❤,
Cody
Thank you, Jeremy. I hope everyone approached this issue in this way. Massive high five.
The entire reason that I have, in the past couple years, chosen to pick up music as a hobby is directly related to channels like yours. I also go to try out products that I see only when there is a really good overview and review of them from multiple channels such as yours. I have never seen an ad in a magazine that made me want to do that, nor an ad on a website that made me want to do that.
Hey Jeremy! You looked very happy and engaged during our lessons, and I hope you have enough students, so you can choose what brands and products you make videos about. Toxic work destroys person's soul.
One of my Patrons just sent me this, and bloody hell I relate to so much what you are saying. Navigating this industry is difficult. Thanks for this, it’s helping me to stand my ground with where I want to go with my channel! ❤
Does this mean we will see more videos on theory, pedagogy of music and genres, plus tips and tricks on music tools you love? I think sharing your experience that has been built up over the years, in your fun package, is the real cache here.
Essential watch for any music tech brand. They definitely do know the value of the "synthfluencers". But we're still undervalued. A successful brand launch on multiple CZcams channels (read...korg drumlogue etc.) sells out the gear in milliseconds. It's instant success! Indeed, it's a very tricky question to receive cash to showcase a product. But we are running a business as artists. Some brands sent me contracts stating things like "only talk positive about X when posting at Y..." ...haha they quickly go into the turd-bin / paper shredder. Great video Jeremey! Nice forest in the background, where are u shooting? Wish you all the best in 2023. ☕😄
Reminds me of a conversation I had with a professional videographer during the pandemic, and times were hard for them. They said that they would have companies ask them to come up with three fully fleshed out ideas for free, just for the pitch to compete in the tendering process. Then, the rates were awful, and most often, they would tend to go with new, unproved videographers. Because they would work for way under their value, just to have work to put on their resume. Million euro campaigns with videographers getting paid less than a couple months salary for complex work, and with their own equipment. The gouge of creative people by technology companies and corporations has become normalised (Hi Spotify).
Fuccccccck that
Tones of respect for that stand-up! But you forgot to mention something significant; the value of the tears and sweat to reach and maintain 413k subscribers. Congratulations on showing such leadership.
Love what you've said, particularly about lightly unionizing... big fan of unionizing! 😁
It's always good to remind people that they deserve to be paid for their work. I love music, but it's also the area wherein, when I was younger, I was taken advantage of financially the most often.
It took me a while to realize you were talking about unions, not un-ionizing... watched too much Chernobyl I guess 😅
"You need to decide as a creator what you're worth and stick by that." Amen brother! I've learned so much from you over the years. Appreciate you Jeremy! Thank you so much. p.s. Colored lighting game on point!
CZcams is the PRIMARY way I explore gear! I am always shocked when a manufacturer has very little CZcams content. I do reviews for the joy of it but I definitely see your point.
*love* your channel btw
If you get paid to do the review how unbiased would it be?
@@pennywise5095 I am an attorney in my main job so I am not after money, but it might bias some people.
Ohh Jeremy… I’m truly sorry you’re feeling so doomy about your future / chosen career, and that the self confidence seemingly isn’t there. I can only imagine the fear and anxiety you’re feeling, and truly do empathize with you.
You’re spot on, and while artists & creators’ talent has long since been under-valued and exploited, and is long overdue for a change, being vulnerable and honest by speaking up about it, can only serve to help that change.
Keep doing you, and while my random opinion may not matter, I’ve got much more faith in your future / career, and it’s longevity and stability, than you may think.
❤️
Amen Jeremy 🙏 there was a moment when I considered doing gear videos until I saw how it was turning great artists into corporate serfs. Thanks for flying the flag for artists & professionals everywhere ❤
Buckle up, RMR just uploaded again.
I came here ready to say the same thing but as it turns out, you're already here
When Jeremy or Benn Jordan speaks, people listen.
Man, that section about creators doing gear reviews, literally about a month ago I decided to STOP doing plugin / product reviews unless it's something I truly use in my production. Happy to see this video out here, appreciate your words, cheers
Awesome thoughts - and I think the "outdoor" commentary really adds some great context. Well said!
Tbh, I don’t have a lot of friends that are into CZcams like I am. Every time I talked about a brand on my channel it’s because I genuinely like the product and thought that what you just mentioned is the norm. Thank you for shedding some light to the situation, it helps the little guys like myself out there ❤️
I also spent 25 years learning to make movies/videos and recording audio/producing songs and I have always hesitated to start a CZcams channel based off of what is said in this video. If I ever decided to go forward with a CZcams Channel it will only be for my own interests, and no affiliation or sponsorship will predict the content of my videos. Until then I’m just a spectator that appreciates the hard work that goes into creating these videos, and I feel you should be paid what you are worth. I went threw that as a camera man in the film industry many years ago and it was degrading for years on end. It totally got in the way of my artistic adventures and I simply changed careers one day. Actually walked off the set the last day of shooting when my job was done, and never looked back lol didn’t even say goodbye to the crew. Flash forward and I’m much happier in life now days, plus I’m making music and doing photography to primarily fill my soul.
What a gorgeous place you live, if that's where you live - if not wet!
I've always respected the time it must take to learn the "tech" you brring to life. More strength to you.
Having gone through something similarly as a performer for years I can absolutely relate. When I was mostly touring I spent so much time and energy chasing endorsements which definitely worked out in my favor but also really desensitized me to how privileged of a position I was in and the whole process of getting the most out of what you already have. I also dumped a bunch of my own money into trade show demos etc without realizing them paying me in gear meant I was essentially losing money.
As a complete outsider watching this video, this comes off as extremely jaded. You're top dog in your niche so you want to schlep goods only for the highest bidder. Good luck, hope you get what you want.
I don't want to embarrass you with compliments, jeremy, but... I think there's a huge amount of integrity in what you're doing & saying here. & I appreciate that greatly. so, thank you. that's all.
Nicely done sir, very nicely done.
Although I'm in my mid-50s now, and semi-retired, I still remember a colleague saying to me once, when I was quite young,
- "If you ain't on a board of directors, or head of marketing,
- You're being used, no matter how much they offer you."
After hearing that simple statement, I never took any sh!t from any employer ever again, I made it clear from then on, by telling any figure of authority,
- "I have a very low opinion of myself, but my opinion of everybody else, isn't any higher."
- And my life worked out pretty good.
Sometimes, to get respect, you need to bite the hand that feeds you, especially if you know you have value as an individual.
love to ALL, feel no hate
A few examples as food for thought. From the guitar world, Pete Thorn gets paid to do gear demos. He's upfront that they're demos and he's paid (I think fairly well) to use his musical talent and experience as a touring and recording musician to demonstrate what a piece of gear (generally effects pedals) is capable of in great hands. He only take gear he likes and enjoys and comes up with original music for every demo that highlights what the gear is capable of. He's not reviewing, he's just showing how to use gear and the companies understand that him showing me what something can do increases the likelihood that I will buy it.
Dr. Mix on the keys side is another good example. He's clearly paid to do demos but he always does something cool jamming or recreating a song using whatever hardware/software he's demoing. The fact that he gets excited about it is fine. Most gear isn't crap. It's stuff to be excited about. As long as you show me what it can do so I can make a decision I'm fine with it.
Finally on the woodworking side (I have a lot of hobbies), take someone like Matt Cremona. He has sponsors that he'll demo stuff rom. But he also has put his logo covering the logos of everything in his shop all the way up to his industrial tele handler. He's said he has no interest in promoting a brand that isn't paying him. Seems mercenary but I don't think it is at all. Who knows how or why he chose some particular tool. If those brands want the exposure he brings to that community, they should pay for it.
Good discussion. This type of stuff happens in every creative industry and it's hard to break it when your in it. I mean your videos on a product here in CZcams are worth 100x more than the equivilent TV advert a company would put out on a piece of new gear!
I think Divkid shifted direction quite well in the last few years to do sponsored demos of new modules within a larger video of something way more interesting than just here's the new thing. Apollo View Allscillator video was a great example of this.
Thanks a lot Jeremy!!!!
There are a few, that stand out in every way! I I should say I haven’t seen every one! But Jeremy, Bo, I garuntee Freebeat is being taken advantage of, at least at this point of his path, and the overload lopopp! Then you have have Doug and Jacob and Ricky, awesome people that seam to want to be there for other people! I have no idea what they’re compensation is or where it comes from. Probably generous viewers. When it comes to THE most professional videos is definitely IMHO Jeremy, lopopp, Tim Shoebridge and Jacob, my boy Jacob!! You guys bring visual stimuli that is incredible videography. They’re are some newer goofy ones too that are just a good time! I’m not forgetting Nick either! I’ve been working on getting my channels up for several years and you guys raise the bar high! Unfortunately my health has gotten in the way, it’s still going to happen and I hope to do you guys proud! Love your work Jeremy, and I really love your back yard! Must be Oregon or Washington! Peace my friends and hope to meet you on the Journey!
Glad you’re talking with other creators and helping to set healthy boundaries. I did something similar with the sound mixer (film/tv) community here in KY. We’ve all made more money and have each others backs. It’s been better for everyone. Great video.
the endless churn of gear can be really difficult to manage. i used to write about consumer electronics for engadget-like places. we almost always only had a few weeks with devices like new phones before having to send them back.the time limit and pressure to get out a review and whatever other content we could make during that time made burn out really easy. racing to finish in time for the embargoes when you know you're just one of many reviews (or previews or whatever) is definitely dehumanizing. i'm glad you're trying to get away from that, and that content creators are starting to organize a bit, even if it's only in small niches for now. i wanna start putting up content on youtube soon, so it's nice to see these conversations happening
Same goes for these scam design "contests"! Instead of hiring an artist to design a t-shirt and paying them appropriately, these companies will have a "contest" and the "winner" gets a piece of gear!? And the company can make as much money as they want off of the winning design (and any other design that was entered), SUCH A SCAM! ARTISTS DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK!
I know that you made this video regarding youtubers and artists, but I think this video has many useful things for entrepreneurs and young people aswell. Awesome stuff!
I just want to say that as a 55-year old hobbyist musician that these types of videos are invaluable and I appreciate them so much.
THIS 7:03 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING THIS! I thought I was tripping by asking for a fair rate for learning, teaching, producing, filming, editing and promoting my content 😅 I had a company tell me they pay per view, and asked me how many views would a future video would get and pay me based off that. No. I charge based off my years of experience plus current time and energy it takes to produce the content you are reaching out to use 😅
Thanks Jeremy for the video on a difficult subject that synth tubers are struggling with. Getting paid or not is a tightrope walk for many content creators. I'm talking here from two sides, a person who has a CZcams channel and a website. Two similar worlds struggling with the same problems: how do I pay my bills, feed my family, etc. As a website publisher, there are ad spaces that I can sell to music tech companies, affiliate marketing, etc.
As a CZcamsr, you could theoretically from live the CZcams Ads. Theoretically but not realistically. Realistically, it looks like the music tech world, especially the synth world, is ranked very poorly. We are in a niche of a niche. Start a beauty, investment or gaming channel, then you will be able to make a living from the YT ads. The CPV (cost per view) is much more attractive there but for many of the big players it's not enough. More money is better for them.
What's left for a synth content creator? Patreon, affiliate marketing? Yes, but the income there is also not that great to feed a family or pay the bills. The only option left is to have videos paid for if you want to make a living from your hobby. I don't have a problem with that either, because what I, you and all other do is a product that we offer companies free of charge. It is possible to make it? Yes, but it should clearly communicated with the community. I don't see a valid point of working for free when a brand is asking you or an content creator for a video. Sorry.
For everyone who is now saying: "oh then I can't believe you anymore because you are paid by X or Y company. You are a biased because you got the device and got paid". Well, anyone who hasn't noticed until today that CZcams is one of the largest advertising platforms is still living on a pink cloud with an unicorn and pink glasses on. It remain work. Also print media are not working for free. The work has to be financed somewhere.
CZcamsrs have now taken on this role of print and. Many have the reach that they have built up over a long time. This far exceeds that of the today print outlets.
A great CZcamsr always lives in a biased review world. That's so. A good community understand this. You can only get rid of this if the creator demonetize his channel and don't accept free gear. Then you don't know for sure whether the video hasn't been paid for. Because buying all the gear yourself? Oh well, that becomes an expensive trip.
I think it's fabulous that you found the courage to talk openly about the subject. It's a tricky one for the content creators but also media like me. Thanks for this serious and honest side of you. It gave me a good input. Thanks for the video.
Good on ya mate, normally I watch your channel cos you have some interesting stuff to say, whether it be reviewing some gear, or showing us samples on the way-back machine (so grateful for that video man, that's my absolute favourite so far!).
I think the rest of the viewers here probably feel the same? You do you, not the brands 🤗
Man, you rule - I cannot even begin to describe how much I value your voice, perspective, bravery, and artistry. Keep on speaking truth to power, and I hope the ground sturdier more often (in all the ways) in the future. Big love.
I’m not a music brand…but I kept watching and I empathise with what you said top to bottom.
Protect your value and self worth at all times and only work with others (people and companies) who rate your value higher than you do 😊
Aww man, I feel your pain, and this isn’t just limited to music tech. It happens in the branding, advertising, animation world too 😩
1000%
its usually 70% mark-up for music hardware to make it viable to release. Don't ask me what company I used to work for.
Great topic you raised. Every professional should be treated like a professional. Keeping community strong is important. I also like the idea about telling a story behind the gear. Weird stuff with RMR style review is always awesome to watch, just because how you do it.
100% with you on this one, brands nowadays will even only offer software license which is zero overheads in return for work. Crazy, I’ve also recently made a change, and I’ve been much happier as a creator
Career mindset in my 20s and 30s: learn as much as I can, chase acknowledgment, prove my worth. Career mindset in my 40s: know my worth, get paid for what I'm worth. Current career mindset in my 50s (with two feet now firmly planted in the Land of Zero F*cks to Give): legacy and impact are worth more than money, focus on those things and the money inevitably comes. You are on the right path, Jeremy. Great to see you advocating for yourself.
Jeremy proving once again that he’s a real one. Love to see you standing up for yourself and other creators (and, in a more general sense, workers/laborers at large).
Solidarity!
Just watched this and wanted to say, from one creator to another, it's a noble thing you're doing here. I know that in itself doesn't pay the bills, but it's certainly reflective of the way I've been feeling about things with games companies/sponsors and the like. Some real shady stuff goes down in terms of what companies are offering, and I recently found out I've been fighting so hard the last few years to get a rate from sponsors (dealing with constant "um I'm not sure your channel is worth that much" responses) only to find out I'm getting absolutely messed around with it, and this is just part of the negotiation package.
Strategy going forward is much more stubborn, telling people "I'm worth this," and if they don't like it then I won't fight for it. Might lose out on some money here or there, but when you consider this stuff involves (deep breath) negotiating a rate, testing out a product, writing ad copy for them essentially (they send talking points but they "encourage you to use your own words!" as if that isn't just blatantly asking you to do a copywriter's job), recording and editing an ad read, syncing it with a video component, making sure it fits in your overall video, potentially delaying a project's release as you wait for approval, then going back and making changes because one tiny segment of b-roll wasn't approved or some stupid thing... it's a *lot* that's being asked of creators for the amount of money being offered/the ethical concerns that come with advertising a good deal of the time. I'm not willing to put that pressure on myself to make these companies happy anymore, if they aren't going to extend me the courtesy of paying what all that work is worth.
So yeah, slightly different situation but similar in principle. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone in wrestling with this kind of stuff-it really sucks (like you, I've found it difficult to put on the business hat when all I want to do is make videos), but the longer I do this and see others doing it, the more I think that comfort and wellbeing-the knowledge that you're not being actively exploited by companies who can and should be treating people more professionally-can be worth far more than a small amount of cash or a new bit of gear or whatever.
Go Jeremy! I’m glad you are setting your boundaries and figuring out what role you want to have in music tech.
During the pandemic I was specially susceptible to watch videos of gear in CZcams, then spend money on gear I didn’t need with the purpose of making Instagram videos showcasing the gear to get more views. Then I realized that all I was doing was contributing to other people doing the same and not actually making music (which is why i started with synths). I don’t blame you or other content creators, I blame the system that wants people to just spend their money on things they don’t need to feel like they can fill a gap in their creative workflow. Content creators like you are doing a huge influence in the music tech market and at least should be compensated properly!
RMR delivering truths, your PPG Dreams video rules, and your ambient channel is rad ass.
Radass!
You´re so damn right. I am not in a position to tell a company to pay me for a video, I am not even professional, but I guess that is exactly the reason why I never tried to come that far. At one point it becomes a treadmill/ratrace that eats up your lifetime.
Bravo! Great video and very well said. As a professional in another creative/artistic field, there tends to be those corporations/executives who look at those who literally help to create their brands, as expendable and exploitive assets where you're somehow partly compensated by just having the privilege of working with them. They also discount the VAST amount of time and experience it takes to produce professional marketing material and when you're in the middle of the pack, it's easy to sell yourself short just to get the 'exposure'. (Which in turn eats away at the feelings of your personal self worth). Excellent job at calling this out within your industry and I hope it leads to the compensation you and the other 'influencers' (Hate that fucking word) deserve!
Thank you for this! I appreciate your participation in improving the industry around you as well as your self work!
Thanks for making this video. The resonates with me 100%.
🙏💯🙏
I think you don't realize that many synth manufacturers are VERY small companies and don't have tens of thousands $ to spend on marketing. Sure, receiving a $500 product in exchange is maybe a bit low, but I contacted a few synth youtubers and most of them will take more than $3000 for a single video. That's out of reach for most one-man companies, but in comparison it's nothing for Korg, Yamaha, Roland or other big names. So please, do whatever you want to turn your hobby into a business, but take into account who you're dealing with! Yes doing videos is hard, but marking hardware products is even harder especially nowadays.
This comment is directed at the Music Technology Brands. When i became interested in putting together a small modular setup, Mr Jeremy's videos were very influential in my decision-making. As a specific example, Mr Jeremy's enthusiasm, effort, and expertise convinced me to use the Squarp Rample (fantastic video, Mr Jeremy!) as the sound source. This goes for several other of the "professional" synth youtubers as well. As a consumer i trust what i see from them and have learned how to apply their demonstrations and opinions to my purchasing strategies. For that, they absolutely deserve fair compensation from the Music Technology Brands.
Keep up the great work, Mr Jeremy. 8)
Hey Jeremy - Really interesting times. Back in the day I used to review music hardware and software for computer and music magazines and *they* paid me for the reviews. I never got to keep the hardware but I got NFR software. I made a living but I worked 24/7 although I enjoyed it. It's a different scenario now. using the magazine analogy, creators should get paid by CZcams 🤣 There will always be people who will review gear for the freebie but brands will need to consider coverage and may decide it's better to pay a well-established creator to review their product than give away ha;f a dozen freebies for less coverage. Or not...
Hopefully this becomes a trend, I know so many creatives in various fields and myself included who have been treated as if our time and expertise is worthless because we do something 'fun' for a living.
It's sad that a lot of people have been squeezed (musician friends especially) unless they have family money to support them through Covid and dwindling Spotify payments.
Ending credits with all the different titles and job positions all say Jeremy @ $/hr and a final tally of production costs, then the negotiation for your worth above costs begins. Info is a valuable item, transporting it effectively takes skill. How much for a 20 second ad spot at 7pm Tuesday just before the replay of the news? I think a 5+ minute gob job over your product that gets AI spoon fed to the right crowd is worth triple at least.
Alex Ball is the shit when it comes to the history of gear as well as his performances. At any rate, Jeremy you are a master at synth technology! And your personality makes your shit even better. Cheers mate! Btw, I first heard of you from Andrew Huang when you did the 4 producers one sample thing.
My favourite video work of you is this recent trend of you talking outside. It's nice.
So , are you saying you don't earn money from your channel or something?