Easy money has always been a trap with the internet.
Whether it be pop-up ads for pyramid scheme scams, promises of interest on your investment from a Swahili prince or legitimate work, people have always flocked to the internet to be able to make a living without having to put pants on in the morning.
The latest and greatest craze seems to be Adsense, specifically YouTube.
The most subscribed account YouTube, Pewdiepie, is making a healthy living from posting video game gameplay and other various projects. News outlets are covering this phenomenon, but very few mention the resources that are invested.
As someone who has worked on their own channel for just over five years, it’s not as easy as pressing ‘upload’.
My channel is based around gameplay and tutorials in drifting on the Forza Motorsport franchise.
It has massed nearly 25,000 subscribers and over four million views in total.
When I started out, all I had was my computer. I recorded my desktop screen as I played various free games with extremely poor commentary overlapping it. All of my footage was in standard definition and the microphone I was using made it sound like I was trying to record my voice in a paper bag.
Thinking that you can get a YouTube channel, especially in gaming, funded on the cheap is a pipe dream. In total I’ve spent over $3,000 in equipment to stay relevant and keep up with the ever-increasing competition.
I’m only just a part-time guy, those guys who have millions of subscribers have whole recording studios and their total investment ranges up into the tens of thousands.
“But, you get paid, right? It must be worth it!” you might be wondering. And that is true, I have a contact with a partnering company and I get a percentage of the revenue.
However, it is peanuts. I’m not allowed to disclose actual numbers, but you would have to average almost 750,000 views a month to be able to support even the most basic student lifestyle.
“But you get to play games for money! It must be easy work at least!” Wrong again, my naïve little reader. The only realistic way of pulling those kinds of views is working full-time, 40-hour work weeks.
Playing the games is only really 25 per cent of what is done. Editing, re-recording, uploading takes up hours upon hours of time.
Just because the commitment to time is there, doesn’t mean the money will flow in either. A close friend of mine releases videos daily, and is completely dedicated to his channel, but only gets 20,000 views a month, if he’s lucky. It is a complete financial risk, totally depending on the interest of others and their continued viewership.
I’m not trying to discourage those who want to get into YouTube. Quite the opposite, actually. It is really rewarding and in the long run extremely fun. I’ve met quite a bit of great people, made fantastic connections and learned some healthy life skills.
However with anything, it takes financial and emotional sacrifices and really is a big gamble.
Don’t believe the hype.