Youtube Slashes Creators' Pay Again
“In a report in 2023, multiple YouTube creators claimed that a YouTube bug is costing them between 50% to 90% of their income, both putting their future as video creators in doubt as well as seriously harming their economic wellbeing and even their ability to financially survive as video creators.”
I watch a bit of Youtube and occasional produced vids. Several times since 2012 Youtubers have lamented their incomes being slashed. 2010 to 2012 music and other creators reported their income went down by half over those two years.
Over the years YouTube has tweaked its rules a few times regarding payment for vids. Often the changes take creators by surprise. YouTube generally makes the changes without notice. Always check all platforms’ rules regularly.
“Youtube creator stats reported that at, or around, November 16, 2022, revenue per thousand video views (RPM) dropped by 70-90% overnight. YouTube employees have variously claimed it was a bug, or invalid traffic, or that it was fixed, and have deleted comments on YouTube creator forums, the YouTubers say.
For some channels revenue has since recovered, but for the majority it hasn’t. It has some YouTubers wondering if they need to get an old-fashion job to make real money.
Video blogging, or vlogging, exploded in the first decade of YouTube. Over 10 million hours of video on the platform, and people have figured out how to monetize it handsomely. Some vloggers make enough for a little pocket money, while others have turned it into a real career.
In the past, some “bad actors” took advantage of YouTube’s former content policies and posted videos of hate speech, violence and other offensive and fraudulent material. YouTube has tightened its standards and no longer allows this kind of content. To keep the money coming in from your videos, be careful that they follow YouTube’s community guidelines.
As you watch many vlogger’s videos, you’ll hear them tell you to “hit the Subscribe button.” You getting paid depends on having subscribers; by reminding viewers to click the button, you’ll improve your chances of getting paid.”
All this is well and good, what’s the point if your work is paid less and less by the platform your making money for? Were’s the cold hard cash in that? Unless you’re already making buku bucks. YouTube income is no longer reliable enough to create vids and streams as a full time gig. Creators have bills to pay and kids to feed and pets to take to the vet.
If you want to get all conspiracy theory about it, maybe that’s YouTube’s goal. If creators only do it as a hobby and not expect to get paid, YouTube won’t have to pay creators. Cheaper for Youtube in creators, less content saturation, less hosting and server cooling costs. Win win win their way.
I started posting the fixes for GigsListers in 2022. Some folks say I’m actually psychic. I put it down to I’m neurodivergent, able to see patterns in info, stats and market changes. I’ve watched show biz and tech for 20 years.
Producing vids and content for platforms for pay is like playing in touring pub bands and bar acts. If you don’t already have a professional relationship with the venues and promoters, pay can be hit or miss. The old school way is to work through an agency that appreciates creators as an agency’s prime product.
In 2022 I started researching creator and influencer agencies. That are active and seeking talent and creatives. Also research and posting funding sources for creators’ creations. The contacts are in the Gigs Stream in the Professionals section of GigsList.info
A creator agency finds sponsors, negotiates deals and logistics, keeps track and gets talent and creators’ paid. If nobody gets paid, the agency doesn’t get paid. In my own experience working in touring shows in Australia, it was a win win win my way. Working with an agency is also better for safety. Agencies don’t want their prime product damaged.
The contacts are in the Gigs Stream in the Professional section of GigsList.info
Sources
https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2012/09/27/161837316/youtube-shares-ad-revenue-with-musicians-but-does-it-add-up
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/youtube-start-paying-you-59420.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2023/03/10/youtube-creators-say-video-revenue-down-up-to-90-something-is-definitely-off/?sh=5cec72b212a2
https://commons.wikimedia.org/
Note:
I wrote this fast and the reports are from different sources, please post corrections in the comments:
