Maintaining a YouTube Channel

Sacred Synthesis

Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« on: September 22, 2021, 09:44:05 AM »
I've had a YouTube channel for about eight years now.  For five years or so, I posted a video probably every couple of weeks.  Sometimes I posted two or three at a time.  It was daunting task, and I found myself thinking about and planning the next video pretty much every day.  It acquired about the same amount of stress as a part-time job. 

Over the years I've watched other YouTubers come and go.  Sometimes you can predict or sense when someone has either become worn out or lost the enthusiasm for it.  And there's nothing more shameful than a dead channel in which nothing has happened for many months or years. :(

I find myself having outbursts of productivity.  Several pieces will come within a short period, and easily, but then my mind becomes preoccupied with other matters.  I'm always thinking about producing another piece, and I'm very relieved when I finally do.  But the point is, having and maintaining a channel is definitely work.  And there's the stress that comes when you have a gap of inactivity, as people begin to ask in the comments if you've quit or vanished from the face of the earth.  Yes, having a YouTube channel is difficult, in that we've all become little musical stars to others and are expected to produce so much on their behalf.  Otherwise, you're disappointing them.

Based on my experience, two weeks seems to be the magic number.  If you can produce and post something substantial at least every two weeks, your subscribers will be happy and their number will continue to increase.  That's a reasonable amount of time.  But once you go beyond the two weeks, it's as if the guilt and worry set in.  I can understand why many people give it up, just as they give up social media.  It can drive you crazy.

« Last Edit: September 22, 2021, 10:45:22 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2021, 11:12:15 AM »
I always try to aim to record at least 5-10 tracks when I am in my studio and then release one each week just in case I don't have time to go back to the studio during that period of time.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2021, 12:10:55 PM »
That's a good insurance policy.  I usually do five or six versions of the same improvisation, and then post the one that seems the best. 

Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2021, 03:22:04 PM »
It's been two months.   I demand Improvisation #104!    ;D

Joking aside, really nice work on #103... hadn't listened to that one yet.  Great aural journey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u87H5lesS3w

It is really tough to have consistency on YouTube.  I can totally relate.  Especially hard with a day job and kids... little time vultures.   Lately I've been trying to streamline my studio to make it as quick as possible to jump in and start recording in the twilight hours when everyone else goes to sleep. 

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Sacred Synthesis

Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2021, 03:57:23 PM »
Ug - you got me there, Creative Spiral.  I'm way behind schedule.  Shame on me! :(

I'd say few people realize what they're taking on when they first start a channel of their own.  At some point, you get really enthusiastic about it.  But at another point, you start to feel it's just one more chore among a million that has to get done.  It is, though, such a fabulous opportunity to share and promote your work; and it really is fun, too.  I have no intention of giving it up.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2021, 04:04:09 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

Jason

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Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2021, 10:00:20 AM »
I've only been making YouTube videos for a little over a year, and so I'm pretty new to it. I didn't have many subscribers for the first year but have been getting a lot more over the last few months- probably about 150 over the last 2-3 months. As I write this, I have 208. (I got three yesterday and two the day before.)

I used to be more focused on playing live and eventually decided for a number of reasons that making videos would be a lot more satisfying... and it really is! When the pandemic really started closing things down on March 13, 2020, I suddenly found the time at home to do what I wanted. I also had some motivation: I couldn't see my parents, and my 86 year old Dad asked me to play him a recital and put it onto a DVD. With lots of time at home, I was able to eventually learn a little about DAW's- and how to record audio and video and put them together. I then was able to bang out about ten videos in about ten weeks. ...But then I had to go back to work!

In the last year, I have only done six videos. Even worse, over the last nine months, I have only posted four videos! That's pretty bad, and yes, I feel bad about it. I suppose I should be losing subscribers left and right, as well as getting complaints from unsatisfied customers. But I think I have only lost a few (3?), and I haven't heard a single complaint. So what's going on? I probably don't know.

...But I think it has something to do with spending a lot more time on each video. My two most popular videos are from this last group of four (and one of the four was a traditional hymn for my Dad on Christmas, which is really different for my channel). If I divide the number of likes by the number of views, my highest rated video is my most recent one. So, I am trying to take my time and really do the best job I can. I'm also trying not to worry when life gets in the way, as it does. Ultimately, I would rather have less videos of a higher quality than more videos that aren't as good as they should be. And if my hobby is causing me regular stress, then I need to change my perspective. It's suppose to be fun.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Maintaining a YouTube Channel
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2021, 04:26:37 PM »
It is fun, but I never considered that to be a motive.  I've thought of it as a serious project, but one without precise deadlines.  It's something like relatively easy and enjoyable work.

What I don't understand is why the number of subscribers is generally much higher than the number of views.  Why subscribe to a channel if you're not going to listen to each posting?  I'm not getting something here.