The Problem with Youtube no one tells you
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- Utkarsh Mohan on Music #63: There is a Dark and perhaps Dirty side to being a 'CZcamsr'. After 6 months on the platform and 3 fast growing channels, I reveal what I have learnt.
Episode Guide
0:01 Introduction
2:03 Clickbait is Life
7:54 Disproportionate Revenue taken by CZcams
8:43 Dictatorial Content Moderation
13:43 The Role of CZcams
16:43 Brutal Darwinian Algorithm
Utkarsh Mohan is a Singapore based writer, philosopher, musician and artist of Indian origin. Formerly in corporate senior management, he now pursues his passions and is also the owner of the Ministry of Guitar collection
You can also follow him on Instagram @ministryofguitar
You held my attention all the way through. I was looking for a reason to click away. The point I want to highlight is that you really have a captivating style. At least for my preferences, your manner, and your instincts as a writer are excellent. I am on CZcams as a creative outlet and at this time, I get personal revitalization from making videos. As an observer of culture, I am convinced that an unexpected shift occurs every so often, rendering certain skill sets more valuable than they were in the past. I believe that as circumstances change, my video-making skills will be more relevant. As you observed, writing books does not have the same connection to an audience as it once did. Thank you for putting this video up for us to watch and think about. I am going to check out more of your content.
Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it. I checked out your channel as well. Wonderful content and tips.
Great content as always, Utkarsh. A few random thoughts while watching:
Agree, YT IS a net positive platform.
With regards to relying on YT for income, it doesn’t seem any different than working for any corporation. Follow the rules or you’re fired. And if you don’t like it, you can quit at any time.
I’ve enjoyed posting a view YT videos but it takes time as you know. And I appreciate a few comments, compliments, and bits of humor here and there from peers. However, on the other hand it’s very easy to get sucked into the 'how many views am I getting?' and 'click-abyss' spiral. I often get frustrated for letting myself fall into it because I’m not practicing guitar when I could be ! And I need it desperately.
We’re all responsible for our actions, lifestyles, and how we spend our time. And it certainly is a conundrum for all involved including YT!
Loggin off now to go plug in, amp up, and get some strings moving…
Yes indeed. It is rather similar if rather more impersonal. I forgot to mention one thing. Not thinking of myself as a 'CZcamsr' also helps not getting sucked down the views rabbit hole. The counter valence is "if you do something, do it properly". Ah well, life is usually full of more questions than answers
YES, agree...BUT we're BOTH spiraling down the rabbit hole RIGHT NOW! LOL OK, I'm REALLY logging off now to go practice🎸 🙃
Stay Well, Utkarsh...keep up the good work!
Makes me sad that thoughtful, considered, intelligent work like this gets only 2,5k views and a couple hundred likes.
I appreciate your work and lack of clickbait with red and yellow titles with "Oohh Faces" and paid reviews.
Thank you for all that you do Mr. Mohan!
I think there's a weird divide between some people's content field (namely larger creators), and the content of the vast majority of people trying to CZcams. Some larger creators seem to get more evergreen style placements in the algorithm (so, evergreen interest in the title+thumb, and the actual content value). But most seem to get a bloom style supply of watch hours/views, where some select videos blow up and get decent consumption but die down after 2-12 days maybe. With rare re-happening. I think this necessitates a different title+thumb creation and a different video formatting--as in, it's probably possible to optimise/maximise the viewership/watch hours, when you have knowledge of how it's being received by the audience (algorithm pushings) and how videos can be made to snowball (go relatively viral) more often and in a healthier way. This could be done through experimenting with how paired or not paired the t+t are to the video's actual content, and so figuring out what types of alignment between content and t+t are a base necessity, and what flexibility there is around it, to the specifics. Valuable content is a necessity for success, but mastery of t+t is how you get to excellent YT performance. Mr Beast has some good sporadic thoughts on these matters in his guest appearances on podcasts, like on Colin and Samir.
What we need is "Utkarsh's Ten Principles of Good CZcams Marketing"
haha you are too kind
Why? He's a rich kid from an upper caste who literally isn't even entertaining enough to get views even with an unlimited budget. He's the last person you listen to and he obviously bought channel subs, his sub-to-view ratios are horrrific and it's obvious that he couldn't even buy the attention he craves.
Love your videos, just wanted to point out one technical issue I experience with all of your videos; there is always a very high pitched sound ringing in the background of your videos which I don’t hear on CZcams generally. I’m not sure if it’s a recording issue or something in post production, or if other people have noticed it, but thought I would let you know.
Yes a few other people have mentioned it but the majority (and me) simply cannot locate the sound. I'll keep trying to fix it
It's very distracting...not enough to click away but still, needs correction.
We watch CZcams via the Opera browser which has an ad blocker and so ads don’t appear.
I find advertising has long been about interruption, rather than attention. Our policy is that all tv and online ads are muted and all online ads are covered over except for the ‘x’ removal function. Pop-ups are always the end of whatever they have obliterated and we therefore reduce and control any gains and benefits which advertisers might have had.
Great points well made sir 🫡
Especially Re the constantly churning out content.
I've been sticking to a 1 upload per week (quite highly edited) It's all I can manage.
I upload on a Friday evening, get an initial surge of views from regular viewers, then another bump on sat, and again on sunday for people who watch at weekends, then for people who are busy at weekends and watch YT at work, I get another wee bump, mon and tues, then it dies off.
I think if I posted another vid on say Mon... YT would squash the previous upload and push the newest one.
I think there is something in allowing vids to "breathe" a bit 🤷♂
But I'm probably only saying this as it fits my current upload schedule - Totally biased 😂
Loving the channel mate - great thought provoking stuff 😎👍
Great channel man. I had a quick look. You have very high engagement and viewings relative to number of subscribers. So I think what you are doing is working. I think there is definitely something to letting videos breathe. My personal intent was to front load the effort to get to a reasonable size (my target was 10K but I changed it to 20K when 10K came earlier than expected) and then follow a more moderate (twice a week) upload schedule.
@@ministryofguitar Wow mate! Thank ya kindly for checking it out 😀🙏
I think the high engagement comes from what we're both doing right now - responding to comments/valuing the viewer 👍
I think whay you have achieved in such a short time is incredible! Your position/angle as an experienced and knowledgeable, corporate, success is fantastic. No-one else can offer these kind of insights. I think you might have to change your tafrget again very soon! 😁👍
I'd love to pick your brain about youtube "tactics" sometime 😀👍
Ey yup Steve! What a pleasant surprise to see ya here! The algorithm is indeed a tough mistress. Keep up the great work (and specs) and Seeya Later!
@@ministryofguitar IKR? His accent is just the best! Seemed like it was just a week or 2 ago I congratulated you on 10k subs. Look atcha now eh??! 100k is around the corner mate... 🎸
@@jowyong6769 Hullo mate! Yes indeed sir, I've been watching a lot of Utkarsh' vids recently - Loving his insights 😎👌
Thank you again for helping me understand. I did not realize a video must be uploaded every two days.
It's not necessary. But if you want to go from 0-20,000 subs in 6 months, it definitely is the protocol. I was doing the channel for years very casually and it only grew to a thousand over 7 years despite doing over a 100 videos. Then last December, I decided to give it a shot of being more serious about it
Ok ... great content and value to me ...
I appreciate the authenticity of this video ... i think to me honesty is key ... yes the brutality of the algorithm " forces" u to upload material every 2 days i get that... money @ the beginning doesn't justify the effort of keeping up the flow /time etc etc...
So u have to believe n get through " daunting" times ahaha...
The key is making stuff because it makes u happy ... i think that's paramount .... i need social platforms to spread my music and i'm not a natural social butterfly ... i need to come out of my shell not on the creative side but on the nitty gritty n be consistent...
The algorithm grows only with constant application.
So being yourself /authentic/honest with integrity is the only way to get through the process of building/divulging/ adding value n attract an audience ..
Yes you tube is dictatorial n almost "godlike" ... it's important to establish other means of reaching out to your fan base offering different ways apart from you tube to connect /exchange/support ...
But it all starts from here.
That's where the work goes.
Namaste
Thanks for sharing. I fully agree . The key to making stuff is because it makes you happy. I'm trying to do that. Wish you all the best on your journey as well
Assuming YT is a job, there are policies you have to follow when you work at that job. Violate the policies of the company and you can be let go. It seems similar to the moderation policy. Some artists are more protective of their copyrighted items and frankly, that's their prerogative.
I also find few channels at least that I watch are solely doing YT. The vast majority are simply advertising products they're selling. The YT is simply a direct marketing tool for that.
Additionally, and this isn't a slight, but I think the term 'content' itself implies that the videos are less valuable, basically throwaway.
I think you put it well, though the analogy doesn't work fully as CZcams doesn't exactly mirror an employer (no benefits, no salary etc). I think the best approach to CZcams is the mercenary one, which is using it as a tool and not identifying with it, hence not being a 'youtuber'
No wonder one of the most popular twitch streamer is uploading his twitch contents to youtube. He is uploading contents like 2-4 videos everyday. Its really crazy and he's getting hundred of thousands to millions of viewers in each content.
Once the ball starts rolling, it starts rolling. But it's a significant amount of effort to get there
"Content creation every 2 days?" wow!, that's like a real job😯, the good thing is you can resign anytime and without hassle.😅
haha true
Did the cover not show up in your upload check?
So this tittle and thumbnail was basically a clickbait
LOL - "Passive Income"
Mark Knopfler wrote a song about that!
Haha
High pitch noise is back
Vacumming happening for a short period. It was far away but still audible I guess
@@ministryofguitar don’t think it was a vacuum. It was a continuous high pitch ring from beginning to end of video.
Marketing is evil- it has gone from product description to customer manipulation (with your marketing background, you know the approach of Edward Bernays...). Unfortunately, this attitude has now been adopted in every aspect of modern life. I find it ironic that an ex-marketing manager complains about clickbait! You and your predecessors are the origin of the problem!
Ah I'd agree and disagree. To your first statement, yes, product education/showing product in the best light is absolutely fine. Pushing consumption and things people don't need is not. Seperately not complaining, just observing. The idealist in me learnt a long time back to accept the real world for what it is and not what I would like it to be
@@ministryofguitar I agree with your philosophy entirely. But an idealist could never work in marketing!
Perhaps that's why I left :)
@@ministryofguitar 😉
Yep. It's called censorship.
haha. A lot of life has censorship
You can't be a CZcamsr. You're not some random Gen Z guy who always wears a baseball cap on his head. Forward or backward. I hate baseball caps.
Haha how did you know I hate baseball caps too
@@ministryofguitar I live in a rural area. Baseball caps are a big part of the culture here. I think some people actually sleep in their baseball caps. And call me old fashioned, but I remember a time when a guest entered someone's home or a restaurant he/she removed their hat. And no ..I don't own a baseball cap.
Of all the places to announce that your not a CZcamsr.... 😂
"net positive" term in a guitar channel, "commodities that can be monetized", netflix, content, marketing, attention retention, youtube algorithms, revenue - this is a bizarre channel for guitarists or guitar enthusiasts, I'd say this is the channel not for guitar enthusiasts... Give us some Indian type of modes/scales to expand on our creativity, man.
I am many things man but I'm not a Guitar teacher. There are hundreds, no thousads of guitar teachers better than me. What I can do though is draw the curtain behind capitalism, psychology and economics as it relates to the products we love
Well some algorithm suggested this video to me and the content of it prompted me to do a bit of quick reading on the attention economy and the Yellow economy, but a quick scan of Utkarsh's upload history suggests that it's 75% guitar-related, just not - as he's responded - playing tutorials. I'm here for some breadth.