Is React Content Destroying Original Videos?

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Asmongold's recent video overtook an original video in views and people are asking if react content negatively impacts an original video's performance. The battle lines are drawn between react content vs. original content. What's the truth?

Editor / Videographer: Kevin
Thumbnail Artist: Kevin

#react #asmongold #marketingstrategy

[devinnash]

My position is that Youtube should implement a revenue split for content creators who directly react to a video where > 50-70% of the video is a reaction to the video. Basically the original content creator should be compensated in a similar way to the copyright system. But I don't think Youtube has any incentive to implement this (they get ad revenue either way and don't have the pressure of the music industry lawsuits on this one) - so I don't think this will get fixed.

[sawmanUK]

2:40 Your evaluation is just wrong, i had two videos reacted to by asmon and both flat lined after his reaction and never bounced back. I've had countless friends have the same issue happen to them. 0 growth, 0 extra income, just a dead video in my library.

[reversal]

Like if you are here before Asmongold reacted to it

[tonystefanuk]

I don't agree with the point at 3:00. It's his editor, his youtube channel and ultimately his responsibility

[CallMeTeci]

How did someone that pretends to have clue what he is talking about get so many things wrong?
The graph at 2:30 is completely obvious bs. In that specific case, Zack might have the luck, that the views go up again, bc Asmon took the video down. (And yes, its his responsibility - the editors are working under his oversight)
But in 99, 9% of the cases, there is not a single reason for the graphs to look like this. Reactions are longer (aka more watchtime and more ads for YT), Reaction channels upload more often (stronger viewer retention), people watch Reaction videos also due to the reaction, making them more likely to click from one reaction to another and all that are metrics that YouTube is heavily favoring and WILL lead the algorithm to push the Reaction video significantly more than the original. That the title is the same is just the cherry on top of an already unfavorable situation for the original content.

In fact you will usually find that original channels DO NOT benefit from reactions at all. Often those channels already have achieved a solid constant growth, when reactors take notice of them and due to the tanking of every video they are uploading and that people are reacting to, this is also slowing down their growth and video performance through the bank.
Reactions as it currently stands are by definition parasitic in nature and YouTube should have implemented systems to strengthen original content creators ten years ago already. (revenue share models would even be beneficial outside of reactions to things like group-projects, like podcasts, where different people contribute, so it would be easier to share said revenue among them)

So either you are consciously dishonest with your viewers here or you really have no clue what you are talking about, putting your whole channel in a really weird light.

[gianmarco]

I think there's also another problem with reactors telling their audience to go like the video because they go like the video and then click off so it doesn't help for retention and that probably tanks views as well

[SirCottiny]

Asmongold cannot be exonerated from this. As far as I understand, this is his official channel, doesn't matter if an editor runs it, he hired that editor and he makes money out of it, therefore he is ultimately responsible. Reactors usually copy and paste the title of the original video, and many don't even add any real value to the video when they react to it, as they are lazy as F (especially streamer reactors who spend many hours a day live streaming). YouTube needs at least a 50-50 split to share revenue when this happens.
Zackary explained well in a follow up video some good things about react videos but other things that need to change. Precisely he said that Asmongold saying yeah go check out the original video and give it a like hurts the original video, as they count as viewers who started a video and left right away because they are not gonna watch the same video twice.

[BoogieSnacks]

Editors hired by Asmon, work for Asmon - how is the final upload on Asmon's channel NOT his responsibility? That's a crazy take man. Also these react channels are almost 100% "stealing" thumbnails - just replacing their body with the original creators. Meaning at the end of the day we have the SAME title, SAME thumbnail, but LONGER videos that looks like they have credibility or [even] comes off as the original video itself.

Also - EVEN in the case where Asmon or other react channels have established friendships online and react to multiple videos from a creator - we can go back and look at how there was no significant long term growth on the individual videos or general sub count. In fact, it has been said MANY times that when these streamers or react channels TELL their audience to go like the video - it can do more harm than good in terms of watch time since they're just liking it and clicking off.

There needs to be revenue share, and these react channels need to @ [creator's handle] in the title. Maybe something like a check box in the YT studio that makes the video OKAY or not to be reacted to. Give the actual creators the final say. Sure, they can go back after 1 month and check the OKAY box but it will give the original video time to breathe.

[maybe even a title card that pops up IN the video that let's users subscribe to the original channel]
either way - just some passing thoughts.

[wizawhat]

I think you're wrong on this. To say that Asmongold should be absolved of all participation in this is just ridiculous, and that's just obvious. I think the best case scenario in a situation like this is that now that Asmon has reacted to one of Zackary's videos, he never looks at his channel again. It's true he's promoted this channel to a new audience - there's credit to give there, but all these artificial data points confuses the algorithm with respect to viewer satisfaction. What does it say to the algorithm when someone likes and subscribes to a video, but doesn't give it any watch time on the platform?

It's true there can be a silver lining to the inherent problems with react content, but the problem is much wider than any individual case like this. It disincentivizes original content by flooding recommendation feeds with derivative content that effectively replaces the original. And that means more and more washed up :TF: creators will continue to pivot towards easy slop.

[dullgeek]

So if I did a reaction video to a song, who would get all the revenue of that video?
Why is it not treated the same way?

[Bimutec]

You are missing a lot of things Devin...
But here are a couple of points:

1. This is Asmongold's channel, you can't just exonerate him because it goes trough a proxy.
2. Reacting in a way to creates a substitute to the original does NOT help the original in any way. There is no proof that it could help an ESTABLISHED channel long term and plenty of proof that it harms it.
3. Even IF there was some kind of long term benefit but short term cost, this would only be worth it if this was the only video that ever got reacted to which rarely happens. Asmongold may not react and reupload every single video but there will likely be another react channel that will.
4. Impressions are finite, yes if people didn't watch the video trough Asmongold not 100% would go to that video, but that is not the point. The impressions would go elsewhere....that isn't react content, we shouldn't reward content theft.
4. Linking the video and having some random people click on it, like it and then immediately click off will do more harm than good.
5. For the love of god JUST ASK FOR CONSENT IT'S NOT THAT HARD.

[TheMavenDojo]

can't wait for Asmongold to react to this.

[Kngofkngs]

Wouldn’t a React Channel saying “Go Like this video” tank the Average Watch Time of a video if thousands of people pulled up the video just to like it and stop watching?

Not an Algorithm expert, but I feel like that will make YT think people are less interested.

[GGGx]

I want to first say I have no issue with react channels & I actually like some of them.
However I've said from the start that there should be a revenue spilt since the start of react vids.
It would be a win for both creators & reactors if that were to be implemented, as the Creator gets additional revenue & the reactor gets content to react to.
The reactor is then technically paying for the use of the content via share of the revenue.

[__-begk]

How did I know this video from Devin Nash was just going to be glazing the giant streamer

[Rouphie]

The graph explanation you gave I believe misses the whole point of the argument against react content, the algorithm was going to send this video out to people that DO want to watch this type of content, and so when Asmongold's video snipes the views from this smaller channel, -- it removes the opportunity for real organic growth, which is far easier to sustain, and less confusing for the algorithm -- and sends them to Asmongolds channel. Sure, Asmongold has provided this channel with views that weren't going to view this video if he hadn't reacted to it, but he also took people that were, and were funnelled to his channel. This process continues until the large channel has reacted to so many different styles of content, and has such a huge library of stolen content that you may never go anywhere else to find a video you want to watch.

[CodyMerritt]

Crucial context: Asmongold has said multiple times that he does not involve himself with the YouTube channel. His focus is on streaming. The editors handle all the capturing, editing, and posting without Zack's involvement. It functions like an official fan clip channel that has his blessing and he shares in the profits.

So when Devin is saying Asmongold is exonerated, it makes sense that he isn't to blame when he took no action other than watching the video while streaming. What he does after a video is released is up to him and whether he likes it or not, he does have a responsibility for the content from then on.

[Mornings]

Reaction content is equally lowest common denominator drivel in comparison to the content that's being reacted to 99.99% of the time

[rodgod]

Draw lines in paint
all opinions
no actual data
defend parasite content creators that leech on others
says its good for the original content creator
still no data
all opinions
literaly a worstless video

[kessy]

One thing that I've heard other creators talk about also that would help as a solution is that the options for a creator who isn't happy about this solution is either to only reach out and pray the react channel is friendly enough to do changes to support them (take the video down, change SEO related things, etc) or copyright strike the video. There's no middle ground. Whereas if a major publisher wanted to, they could claim the video, taking the revenue without actually taking the video down. The fact that this is not available as an option to individual creators when it's available to large corporations only exacerbates the issue further in my opinion.