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Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

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Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#91

Post by noone_youknow »

I don’t know if I qualify for this, I’m a dev in the day job but my channel is non-tech - after years of tech-only side projects I wanted to do something different. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

* you have a lot of great advice about audio on the comments here - and they’re right, decent audio is a must. I use a DJI wireless lav for most stuff, but also have a Rode NT-USB for tabletop stuff and their shotgun mic on-camera for sync audio and quick pieces to camera when out and about. I usually record main audio into audacity via a behringer audio interface.

* get a good editing program, and get good (which means efficient) at using it. You’ll spend a lot of time in it. Personally I use the studio version of davinci resolve, other opinions are available.

* it can be feast and famine. I started my channel in Jan this year, and hit 1000 subs / 4000 hours at Easter. Monetised a couple days later. I’ve earned about twenty-five pounds since then - it’s gone quiet, but it’ll pick up again.

* don’t pay too much attention (or really, any) to the VidIQs and Channel Makers of this world - they just want to sell you snake oil (but their videos are often entertaining and you can learn stuff from what they do - just not so much what they say).

* don’t bother with VidIQ or tube buddy or all that other stuff - spend the money on storyblocks, a better camera, lights, audio gear instead.

* decent lights are worth their weight in gold. Aputure are great, but expensive. Smallrig do very similar kit at half the price.

* probably more specific to me, but filming long-take 4K in a hot kitchen with all the equipment going will challenge even the best heat-management system in your camera

Also FWIW I don’t do shorts any more. I experimented with them and the dopamine hit is great, but I’m a long-form guy. Shorts just skewed my analytics and brought in low-quality subscribers…

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#92

Post by Washuu »

HellsMaddy wrote: post #63

I'm not a YouTuber, but I found Theo Browne's "How The YouTube Algorithm ACTUALLY Works"[0] to be pretty intriguing. I watched it a few months ago and just re-skimmed the transript, so I'm not sure if I'm remembering it perfectly, but here's what I took away from it: - YouTube's algorithm recommends videos based on audience viewing patterns. - The algorithm doesn't care what the video is about, it only cares about wh…

I can corroborate the basics of the "small test group". I have a channel with a bunch of subscribers that no matter what I do, when I post to it, YouTube basically shows my videos to the wrong audiences then kills it.(Either due to channel history or something else with how YouTube has categorized it.) So I started a new channel, posted the same videos, and suddenly they just get shown to the proper audiences while doing well.

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#93

Post by slyall »

CM30 wrote: post #20

Try to stick to a schedule. That's something I've personally struggled with a lot, and it's something that the more successful channels I follow have usually done better with. People like to know when new uploads will be posted, and YouTube likes to push videos that people check out quickly after their initial airing. Because of that, it's probably best not to try and post daily (or multiple times a day) unless you c…

Changing can work. If you scroll back to the start of a lot of popular providers and you'll find the originally produced very different stuff.

Even established channels can change. Eg JillBearup[1] used to post videos about science fiction, fantasy, movies. About 8 years in she started a new hobby and posted a few videos about stage fighting that were popular and then pivoted to costumes and fighting in movies. Roughly 10x jump in views per video.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/@JillBearup/videos

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#94

Post by fortunateregard »

swyx wrote: post #72
wooque wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

God no, I'm tired of having to set videos to 1.5x

its no consolation but get the Video Speed Controller extension https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-contro...

Or drag this bookmarklet to your bookmarks bar.

  javascript: (() => { document.getElementsByTagName('video')[0].playbackRate = prompt("Set video speed multiplier:", "3"); })();

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#95

Post by joeconway »

swighton wrote: post #81

I used to be a full time dev / R&D engineer. Now I basically do the same thing on YouTube (youtube.com/stuffmadehere). The difference now is my R&D-ing is directed at early stage prototypes that I think are interesting / instructive, rather than what is best for an actual business, useful, or profitable. Youtube is interesting because theres a constant source of numeric feedback on how you are doing (views / subscrib…

I think you could post something intentionally self indulgent, self serving and knowingly terrible to your numbers and we’d all lap it up. You’re one of the few folks I would describe as brilliant.

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#96

Post by goldemerald »

swighton wrote: post #81

I used to be a full time dev / R&D engineer. Now I basically do the same thing on YouTube (youtube.com/stuffmadehere). The difference now is my R&D-ing is directed at early stage prototypes that I think are interesting / instructive, rather than what is best for an actual business, useful, or profitable. Youtube is interesting because theres a constant source of numeric feedback on how you are doing (views / subscrib…

I love your content, the only channel I've turned the bell on for. I am curious about your approach to explaining coding and machine learning, do you think it's possible to make "coded for 5 days" engaging in the same way physically building the objects is engaging?

Also, have you considered publishing your work in robotics conferences? I feel like grad students might be hesitant to cite a YouTube video whereas there's clearly enough technical contribution for a full publication.

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#98

Post by wahahah »

swighton wrote: post #81

I used to be a full time dev / R&D engineer. Now I basically do the same thing on YouTube (youtube.com/stuffmadehere). The difference now is my R&D-ing is directed at early stage prototypes that I think are interesting / instructive, rather than what is best for an actual business, useful, or profitable. Youtube is interesting because theres a constant source of numeric feedback on how you are doing (views / subscrib…

Your content is extremely prolific, good work! I think your thumbnails specifically do a great job of selling the content.

Having a focus on numbers can definitely be caustic; at the end of the day it's about the whims of hundreds, thousands, or millions(!) of people, and even the algorithms in charge of leading them about.

If you make good content, you'll be appreciated for that content regardless of what the numbers reflect.

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#99

Post by RulerOf »

swighton wrote: post #88
dangoodmanUT wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Seeing these numbers change based on what you do can be incredibly addicting and it's very easy to accidentally connect your personal happiness to those numbers As someone who doesn't post as often as other YouTubers, do you find it's harder to be mindful of this because of the "stakes" of a single video, or easier because there's more time to disconnect between uploads? (big fan btw)

I definitely have a sense of only having one shot so I want to make the best video that I can. Though it’s not so much related to the numbers as it is to: 1) I spend a ton of time on the engineering so I don’t want to make a crappy video that doesn’t do it justice 2) the amount of time spent watching these videos is staggering. Like multiple lifetimes of time is spent watching an average video. If I make a junk video…

> 2) the amount of time spent watching these videos is staggering. Like multiple lifetimes of time is spent watching an average video. If I make a junk video, I’ve just wasted an enormous amount of time. Being a good steward of this weighs heavily on me.

I wish anyone at google cared about this as much as you do.

Re: Ask HN: Advice on starting a YouTube channel?

#100

Post by zxcvbn4038 »

Don't let Youtube be the golden copy of your video. They can, and often do, kill your account at any time without notice or explanation and you will have no recourse. Keep the golden copy of all your video someplace reliable like S3 and in a format where you can out watermarks and channel names if needed.

Have a separate account for Youtube then your primary e-mail in case they decide to shut down your entire account your not completely cut off.

Try to have a way to communicate with your viewers outside of Youtube. If the algorithm does kill your channel then often times the only way to get it restored is via social media outrage, and you need a way to ask your followers to be outraged. Fund raise via patreon, have a reddit or discord community, release your videos early on a different platform, etc.

Don't be afraid to refresh old content periodically - everything old is new again.

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