i know it wasnt you. i am a faithful fan because you are respectful and insightful. I was thinking David as I wrote. maybe i shouldve used his name directly to avoid any confusion. more confusion. do you mean the age thing is a big deal?? could you elaborate?
I think there is definitely an age divide - maybe it’s 40, maybe it’s 35, but most of the world younger than whatever the age grew up watching youtube channels where the creators were self-sufficient on their channel and merchandised with self-branded products - but still, losing their youtube channel would be financially devastating, and their fans understand this.
As opposed to the older generation, that grew up on, and largely watches, scripted TV and movies. These contain highly paid SAG member actors, celebrities, a lot of underpaid people and an entire ecosystem designed to hype their industry and drive traffic/interest/revenues. The creators (actors) within that system don’t have to rely on their presence specifically on a YouTube channel to earn, so losing it wouldn’t be nearly as big a deal to have to switch platforms - because it’s not the core source of income to the creator. They may not even have a YouTube channel, and many of their fans likely don’t even subscribe to it. It’s not a thing I see many TV and Movie actors do.
Those creators have both a union they can participate in, as well as a multitude of established points that will fund creative projects. The studios hire all the necessary people to bring it to life, then handle PR and promotion. This all happens “behind the scenes” - and all the public really sees is the finished product.
No such system exists for YouTube creators - at least yet. I think David falls in the first category, where his one-man YouTube channel is one of the main hubs of the financial ecosystem he created for himself, because there’s no established model for being successful in the music business without selling out. And David won’t sell out. When it does happen, it’s timing, happenstance and luck. And maybe some corporate profiteering along the way, too.
I wish I could explain it better, but a lot of my GenX compatriots and generations older will ONLY watch corporate TV and don’t see YouTube channels as even viable businesses, outside of a Mr. Beast (because they hear about him on corporate TV). I think younger generations aren’t watching nearly as much force fed corporate TV.
Thanks for taking the time to map this out some more. while you clearly define 2 groups, I don’t think we all fit neatly into that but then again i should only speak for myself. I am not your average septuagenarian, nor was i your average teenager either. Yes, I have watched plenty tv and have been deprogramming myself for 25 years by watching old shows and remembering how they did or did not influence me. From the 70’s to 90’s i seldom watched tv anyhow, Since going online, i sometimes wonder , how did we get information back in the day. We had to seek it out, read alt magazines, go to talks and workshops, getting out there actually having deep conversations with people.
I find today’s take on many things is shallow. People watch a lot of videos and are somewhat illiterate as a result. Quick bites of info and move on. How about some actual thinking. Meanings of words are constantly changing, one sensation here or there to distract.
I have been thru my own journalistic travels and i’ll bet you never heard of me. i never made much $$ at it and got so I didn’t expect to make $$ if i wanted to tell the truth. editors are a bitch.
making a living on youtube has always kinda puzzled me. i used to make more use of it than now. staying offline is more important than ever.
what i really notice and hope for is that generations respect each other and communicate with each other. we have to listen to varied viewpoints. if people love their gramma, they will show more respect to other older people. but if gramma has been a selfish old bag, then old people are viewed more harshly.
so when you hold that little hand remember some day that hand may be holding your little old hand.
cut the AGEIST crap. over 40!!??? quit the generalization.
It wasn’t ME. And I AM over 40. Yell at David Rovics. And he isn’t wrong, most of my friends have no idea how big a deal it is.
i know it wasnt you. i am a faithful fan because you are respectful and insightful. I was thinking David as I wrote. maybe i shouldve used his name directly to avoid any confusion. more confusion. do you mean the age thing is a big deal?? could you elaborate?
I think there is definitely an age divide - maybe it’s 40, maybe it’s 35, but most of the world younger than whatever the age grew up watching youtube channels where the creators were self-sufficient on their channel and merchandised with self-branded products - but still, losing their youtube channel would be financially devastating, and their fans understand this.
As opposed to the older generation, that grew up on, and largely watches, scripted TV and movies. These contain highly paid SAG member actors, celebrities, a lot of underpaid people and an entire ecosystem designed to hype their industry and drive traffic/interest/revenues. The creators (actors) within that system don’t have to rely on their presence specifically on a YouTube channel to earn, so losing it wouldn’t be nearly as big a deal to have to switch platforms - because it’s not the core source of income to the creator. They may not even have a YouTube channel, and many of their fans likely don’t even subscribe to it. It’s not a thing I see many TV and Movie actors do.
Those creators have both a union they can participate in, as well as a multitude of established points that will fund creative projects. The studios hire all the necessary people to bring it to life, then handle PR and promotion. This all happens “behind the scenes” - and all the public really sees is the finished product.
No such system exists for YouTube creators - at least yet. I think David falls in the first category, where his one-man YouTube channel is one of the main hubs of the financial ecosystem he created for himself, because there’s no established model for being successful in the music business without selling out. And David won’t sell out. When it does happen, it’s timing, happenstance and luck. And maybe some corporate profiteering along the way, too.
I wish I could explain it better, but a lot of my GenX compatriots and generations older will ONLY watch corporate TV and don’t see YouTube channels as even viable businesses, outside of a Mr. Beast (because they hear about him on corporate TV). I think younger generations aren’t watching nearly as much force fed corporate TV.
@David Rovics we feel your pain, brother.
you explain these differences very well, thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to map this out some more. while you clearly define 2 groups, I don’t think we all fit neatly into that but then again i should only speak for myself. I am not your average septuagenarian, nor was i your average teenager either. Yes, I have watched plenty tv and have been deprogramming myself for 25 years by watching old shows and remembering how they did or did not influence me. From the 70’s to 90’s i seldom watched tv anyhow, Since going online, i sometimes wonder , how did we get information back in the day. We had to seek it out, read alt magazines, go to talks and workshops, getting out there actually having deep conversations with people.
I find today’s take on many things is shallow. People watch a lot of videos and are somewhat illiterate as a result. Quick bites of info and move on. How about some actual thinking. Meanings of words are constantly changing, one sensation here or there to distract.
I have been thru my own journalistic travels and i’ll bet you never heard of me. i never made much $$ at it and got so I didn’t expect to make $$ if i wanted to tell the truth. editors are a bitch.
making a living on youtube has always kinda puzzled me. i used to make more use of it than now. staying offline is more important than ever.
what i really notice and hope for is that generations respect each other and communicate with each other. we have to listen to varied viewpoints. if people love their gramma, they will show more respect to other older people. but if gramma has been a selfish old bag, then old people are viewed more harshly.
so when you hold that little hand remember some day that hand may be holding your little old hand.