eevBLAB 98 - The Pressure Youtubers Are Under

The constant pressure Youtubers are under to produce content that out-views their previous videos.
The Algorithm will recommend your latest video more only if it does better than your previous videos.

Twitter discussion, check out Marcus House's response:

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#Youtube #Youtuber

[Thesignalpath]

I refuse to make clickbait titles or thumbnails. I salute your commitment to making content which are _useful_ rather than feeding the algorithm designed for the bottom feeders.

[joekenorer]

I really, really miss back when Youtube was completely random. No matter what settings I change or how many ways I reload their page, I'm recommended the same videos over and over because of their forced algorithm bs. Even in their new "new to you" tab is full stuff I've already seen. I hate it, I spend no time exploring Youtube anymore, I have a handful of channels I subscribe to and wait for notifications. The site no longer has any other appeal to me.

[FranLab]

I can answer that question @4:13 - When I had a few 'viral' videos is does not really effect that 'typical' area of the graph. I find that the 'typical' area is more or less based on the last 90 days of content. When I release a 'normal' videos after a big hit video there is some drag-along effect, but I find that the whole channel gets elevated in that scenario, and videos from many years ago get churned up in the wake with new comments after several years of sleep.

[entropyachieved]

The problems not just 'the Algorithm' its that fact that if your channel is based on something thats a bit in depth on a science-ie or of technical discipline then your never going to get mass views that a brainless 'influencer' pushing half baked ideas will get.

[BenHeckHacks]

YouTube loves regular releases above all else. That's why there are so many "man reads news articles into webcam" channels. Easy content to pump out several times a day.

[marcfruchtman]

I think the single most important thing you can have is your Integrity when it comes to your content. It is why I visit your channel. Glad you are not chasing the click-bait algorithm.

[Dronebotworkshop]

I've come to have a good sense of which topics will get a lot of views and which ones won't, but I don't let that dictate the contents of my video. Electronics is a pretty broad field and some subjects are going to be more interesting than others, but I feel it's important to cover everything. So as long as I am happy with the video I release it, breath a sigh of relief that I FINALLY got another video out, and start working on the next one!

[ItsEverythingElse]

I don't give a crap what YouTube "promotes". I only watch my subscribers.

[mrguyorama]

All of my favorite Youtube content creators talk about the insane burnout they hit trying to keep up with the algorithm and their audience. Youtube doesn't care if they burnout, someone else will upload videos the next day instead. Just create, create, create, doesn't have to be as good as you want it to be, just good enough to sate the appetite of your viewers and catch new people. Don't die on this treadmill Dave, don't let Youtube eat you alive. Take the breaks you need, take the time you need, keep doing what you're comfortable with.

[FilamentFriday]

Dave,
I’m actually doing what you describe. I posted several videos in a row that haven’t performed well but topics I just wanted to do. Now I’m going to post a series of videos that are based on a very popular topic. It will be interesting how the algorithm handles it.

[AnalogueGround]

I love your positive attitude Dave. You’re realistic enough to know that YouTube has become tabloid like with its encouragement of clickbait material and yet you stick to your guns, choosing to remain an enthusiastic educator in spite of YouTube’s algorithm. Good on you - you’re probably going to be responsible for a lot of young people becoming interested in electronics just like those magazines in the old days did for us. There maybe a generation that has a lot to thank you for.

[ethanspaziani]

Man I'm so sick of how YouTube is now

[whiterabbitrunsandguns]

@EEVblog I love your whiteboard content, and will be using it to help teach my daughter about electrical engineering, so please KEEP IT UP!

[azpcox]

When the Algorithm starts recommending videos about the Algorithm, aren’t we seeing the Algorithm becoming self aware and becoming the ultimate Content Creator?

[MasterofNoneTV]

Love you Dave, we are struggling to just to get to 1000, and we still haven't cracked the code of the "algorithm"

[TheKnobCalledTone.]

The Algorithm is doing its best to try and homogenise YouTube content by rewarding feel-good clickbait and r-worded facial expressions in the thumbnails. My rule of thumb is that if a video has > 1 million views in less than a week and I'm not already subscribed to the channel, the video is probably hot garbage.

[daifeichu]

I've seen this kind of video from a lot of the content makers that I regularly watch. There's obviously an issue here. I understand how it basically works but more and more youtubers seem to be getting a bit winded from trying to put out catchy titles and pics.

[rustyosgood]

It's a hell of a business model to only pay $145 for 44K views. People have no idea what this kind of reach used to cost. You have a very solid niche. There are many of us who learn more and more with each and every one of your videos. I am not an EE. I work in tech and am focused on electronics assembly, quality and reliability but I also frequently have to analyze failures. There is a serious shortage of solid EEs and TEST Development Engineers worldwide and the more we all know about how to wiggle and analyze circuits, the better.

[nameredacted]

The objective of THE ALGORITHM is to have humans waste as much time on YT as possible; this maximizes profit and amount of private data collected on users.
At some time humanity will have to say "go frack yourselves" to multinational corporations. Until then, nothing will be done.

[stevengrey]

Your Whiteboard videos are a great resource. I wonder how many other content creators forgo that kind of valuable content because it doesn't have mass appeal. Algorithm Collateral?