Here's the video I created for this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m6iljcKW186ZhYk.html Think this will keep going, or are we going to see more content of the "raw, creativity" type in the future? (also, totally missed asking to boop the like button!)

A friend of mine runs a channel with about 200k subscribers. He teaches gold prospecting, so he has to be out in nature to create his videos. The amount of work he puts in to release a weekly video is stunning. Between travel to locations, filming, video editing, social media, scheduling, etc he is constantly working. Fortunately he loves it. For the vast majority of creators, KZfaq is a LOT of work. It looks easy when you watch the video, but the amount of effort to get that video uploaded to his channel ready for viewers to watch is unappreciated by the majority of his viewers. I have joined him on a number of his adventures, so I get an up-close understanding of the effort involved.

I feel like there is a pendulum swing back of creators that want to be as authentic as possible. That's definitely what I'm drawn to anyway. Great video Nate!

With the big creators that quit, the simplest explanation is that they've made a bunch of money, enough that they don't need to keep grinding the difficult, repetitive thing any more. They can go and do something more fun.

I decided, early on, to do videos I like to produce and be myself. Let the chips fall where they may. I’m trying to improve my videos consistently but I want make it not a burden. Something I can do for the next 20 years.

While I am gobbling up all these "everyone is quitting" videos (I love them, and this was a great addition, Nate), I have to giggle a little bit. To me it is so simple. KZfaq is a job, and people leave jobs for other opportunities all the time! But this same thing happens in every work setting...I worked in a department once where a quarter of the staff found new opportunities within three months of each other. It was a complete coincidence (and I was one of the people who left). AND no matter where you work, people are ALWAYS shocked when someone leaves for another opportunity. Always! I'm not sure why! But this isn't unique to KZfaq. It's life. Still, I love this video!

Honestly, I don't plan to quit at all, I had so much fun creating content for youtube in the past year, and I want to keep going! If people are quitting, that's good, less competition for me :) Like Hayao Miyazaki said: "if everyone is going to a certain direction, then we can go the opposite way, because there, the competition is less."

I think the yearly planning template you created is something really special that people will be using for a long time. It’s made me not only lock down decisions, but feel energized about them.

The platform “seems” like it’s been around forever - but it’s actually very young. This means that there are channels on KZfaq that have run their course - they built a business, profited from it, and now are moving on. This isn’t always a bad thing. KZfaq is also not one-thing. There are people that have literally become media companies with KZfaq as their distribution platform. I’m not worried about Creators quitting KZfaq - I’m worried about VIEWERS quitting KZfaq. Even though many people think they are individuals - there is also a bit of a community aspect. If the platform becomes seen as low-value to viewers - then we all suffer.

"More like a TV show" is so true. I make (& watch) craft tutorials. I am not a fan of the "over-produced" or over-edited video with constant flashing images. It seems these videos are geared toward junior high students.

Hey hey Nate, been watching you for years. Here's my story. I've been restoring antique furniture full time in my own business for 44 years and have a following. I go on youtube and post a video and in a matter of an hour gets over a 1000 views. When I made vids of me playing guitar I'd get 3 views in 6 months. I found my audience. Show me the money heh heh heh, love your channel dude!😅❤🎉

Yeah, this is a lot more of a grind than I originally thought it was going to be. This video got me thinking about how I am so much more focused on chasing views now as opposed to just creating educational experiences with my son that I’m sharing with the world.

I have noticed a lot of big youtubers leaving (and making a video about it). I have a plan for my youtube channel, and while I might outsource the editing at some point I do not plan to "build a team". I really like the philosophy of the book " The Power of One", I want my business to remain small and agile. And keep it mine. You can grow in different, better ways than the oldfashioned - just add more and more people, and you HAVE to grow bigger. Also, for some reason it gives me immense pleasure that you also use the Elgato Wave 3!

There was always going to be a shift in the creators who are coming onto or leaving KZfaq. I just feel like this hit harder because so many larger creators did this in one go. However, wanting to take a break or moving onto something new is never a bad thing, and I wish them all the best in their journeys. When our priorities change, we grow, and that is the most important thing - whether or not we create content 💜

The things that grow my channel the fastest are not the same that bring me joy. I have learned to find peace with this. Good conversation. Thanks Nate.

I just came back to see if a new video came out and just saw that you almost reached 50l subs already in 6 months! You are crushing it!!!

As someone who has just ventured into youtube after YEARS of wanting it, thank you very much for this. It's refreshing, it's insightful and it eases the worries and frights I had.

I've noticed this as well. I'm in a bit of an opposite space. Life got busy and I ended up just ghosting on my channel for 18 months. Somehow I still grew while I was on that break. Now I'm back and getting the channel going again with a video every other week because that's what I can handle now. (side note, I was really grateful to see you're still making videos because I rely on them! Took me some investigating to see what happened moving from the previous channel to your own. I'm loving the new channel! Thank you for the great video, as always!)

I have been really busy and haven't been on KZfaq for a while Your Howdy, Howdy, made me smile. So glad you kept it on this channel.

As someone from the business world currently building out the content base in my passion hobby (photography) to launch a channel I feel like many creators have no idea what operating a business operation is like. I’m going into it expecting 60+ hr weeks, hard negotiation, schmoozing, etc. Hopefully one day that will lead to having a team and a thriving business I can leave the corporate world for. I also fully understand if that dream comes to fruition it will likely lead to me having less creative freedom because others will be depending on me (my business, sponsors, employees, family, etc.). Honestly this transition makes me even more excited to launch a channel because I’m tailor made for this type of creator world!

Thank you for your video. We stated our channel just over a year ago & it’s become a full time ‘hobby’. It is a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Things change (that’s life) but we’ll keep at it, as long as possible. Big cheers from Melbourne 🍷!

That's Crazy! We were just talking about this and concluded burn out is real, even (or especially) for large channels. Way to keep it real Nick!

That means KZfaq has succeeded. The KZfaqr has earned enough funds to start a real business. This KZfaqr provides another opportunity to follow almost the same path

I knew you would jump in on this and I have been so excited for your perspective!

Thank you🎉so much for the info🌹

Awesome video! I just started my KZfaq channel a month ago and I am enjoying every minute of it. Creating a schedule has been great for content. I am viewing the whole process like a marathon not a sprint.

A really helpful perspective, Nate. I wasn’t aware of the existence of most of these big KZfaq channels until I saw the videos about why “everyone” is quitting. Great points about the nature of business to move on from a given market or platform. Thanks again for your wise and cheerful advice on this channel.

Great watch as always 👊🏿. I think a lot of people are getting tired of the algorithm chasing and want to just go back to making what they love.

For me I think it helps to look at my feelings towards creators I’m subscribed to and their channel habits, and apply those things I prefer as a viewer to my channel for my own viewers. I think a lot of creators need to have that “out of body” view of their channel and how media consumption is changing

This was very useful. I also shared on this on my channel recently and based on my experience so far, some vital advice for new creators who want to make it big on youtube I shared too. Thank you Nate

Nate I've Learned a lot from you And is Starting to see some Results ✨ (Have been following you even during your Old channel) Thanks for Everything Bro 💎

Excellent! Thank you! It’s been a nagging thing for the last several weeks. Setting the limits is on of the most important things. ❤️

This was spot on timely! My channel IS evolving and so am I! It’s very scary but it will be worth it!! Thank you!

great discussion point again Nat, i think the grind is something that will probably be the biggest impact to most

I had a video flagged, I submitted it for a manual review and lost, it was branded as "not suitable for advertisers". The video was then slammed full of ads by KZfaq and the video in question was a MOVIE REVIEW of 30 Days of Night. I didn't use any clips or photos for thumbnail art, it was a simple discussion between myself and exclusive channel members. When you cannot review a movie without fear of being demonetized it is no longer "YOU" Tube and people will begin to seek other platforms. KZfaq is currently laying off for a reason.

Hey, Nate. So glad your new channel is doing well! You've given my countless tips over the last couple years for starting and growing my newish channel. Really appreciate it. FYI, I tried to keep watching your old home after you left. It's just not the same :)

Stumbled on the channel a few days ago. You’re both entertaining and thought-provoking as we ponder growing our channel. Cheers!

Congratulations on 40K Nate. 😊

You didn't necessarily make the case for it, but this video gave me the impression that growing as a one man team making your own content just might not be as realistic in 2024. I'm not disheartened by any means, I know there are exceptions, but what would you say is needed from those one man teams to grow and be competitive with the output of multi-person groups? Also if you know of some, which youtube creators would you say are good examples of successful one man teams?

Yay. Great video, thank you. I don't think I ever want to get big enough to have a team. I enjoy the process of creating videos even if they are limited by my own skill and time.

When KZfaq becomes a successful revenue building business then you have to decide if you are committed to the business as a priority or creativity? This is your fork in the road and will determine your direction in terms of content, operations and cost

This was actually very well put into words. Big thanks! This made me think about things from a completely different perspective. And definitely not in a bad way.

Your ideas and guidance have been huge for me. What I wanted from KZfaq when I started (nothing specific really) is much different than what I want now. My audience has become more focused, I found a way to take my audience to a profitable place for me (not from KZfaq). I have created something off of KZfaq that I would have never thought of without KZfaq and would not be able to do without the audience that found me here. At the same time, it’s gone from making videos about things on my mind to trying to think of KZfaq topics and video ideas. Having even limited success on KZfaq becomes a challenge when I already have a full time job and a child - and now have this other thing that I accidentally turned into something important to me (and perhaps my audience). It can be exhausting

Fantastic video, Nate! Great discussion. I really appreciate how you're looking out for us creators! Blessings, Brett

First video I watched about; "Creators Quitting YT" as there seems to be a lot of them out there right now. Thanks for the info. Being that you mention big time KZfaqrs and their cost of having a team work for them. Going to VidSummit the past 2 years I didn't realize how big of a "Support Crew" a lot of these big KZfaqrs have and just how much they are spending just to have them helping their "Creativity Journey". It's almost a punch in the gut as a small creator to hear, "I put $100,000" into the creation process of such and such video and saying it like it's no big deal. Sitting there in the audience like.....ummmm, this is like hearing a multi-millionare about how hard it is to be them....okay maybe not that bad but one gets the gist. Wow, I think I went super off topic here.

That's just such a valid and important tip: I knew from the very start that I never wanted to work with a team or do sponsored videos. These dependencies were the very reason why I quit the world of corporate jobs because I knew these are, emotionally, the most draining.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom! Much appreciated!

I’m a new subscriber. Enjoy your channel, especially since as a senior I’ve launched my own channel. I had a couple successful (good responses) videos and for the life of me I still can’t figure out why. I know about many of the techniques like thumbnail, titles, description, tags, keywords… etc. But my “Two Seniors Camping” didn’t have any of those things and yet it got a 96+K response. It was after that video that I started learning more about how to create and grow a channel. No matter… it’s all fun and interesting. I’m evolving. Thanks for the info… Cheers!

excellent video, Nate. I've always been in favour of individual YT creators like yrself, I do not come to youtube for silly tv-like shows. Yt requires a lot of hard work and I think the remuneration could be a little fairer for small creators. still, i'm still motivated to reach the monetisation threshold (on my other channel) and am happy to see the big teams leave space for the genuine content creators such as yourself🙂

Always love your videos and sage advice! I have been at this for 10 months now, and slowly growing, staying within my niche cuz that's what I enjoy, no plans to worry about becoming super big, just want to keep enjoying what I do. I also had to slow my pace a bit to stop feeling pressured and now have a posting schedule 1 video a week that works for me and is easy. Looking forward to your channel plan video :)

Great video, Nate! I'm excited to see how things play out over the course of this year.

Good to hear your perspective as always, Nate. BTW, a subject I'd love to see you do a video on is when to hire that 1st person to help out with a channel. I currently do everything myself. I guess the first person most people hire is an editor or a thumbnail designer? Would be cool to hear your tips.

The barrier to entry seeing the production quality in my niche feels real. It adds a lot of pressure (for me) and I am finding myself trying to chase that, which is making it more of a grind and less of the extension of my hobby I wanted it to be. I mean Ive spent £2-3K on equipment with is a significant investment for most. Im still early days and finding my way. Hope i get there and it lightens up a bit. Btw, love your content Nate!

Your advice has helped me improve my content so fast, you illustrate the proper mindset in a way no one else does. Since I started listening I've literally 10x my normal views, and while I'm not breaking ~1k average yet, I know I will because I can consistently increase my quality using your techniques. It's a dream job but you've made it seem possible.

Thanks Nate, another great video. You have a great style. For me it definitely has become more of a grind. When I started I loved the videos and all of the editing, recently it's been hard to stay motivated. I have to keep reminding myself why I started. P.S. It took 4 or 5 tries to get this video to loaded.

You make good points. Thank you for sharing😊

God knows how long I waited for this video, Thanks Nate for finally commenting on this big shift. It made me realise how much I have fallen into this trap of chasing numbers and moving away from the creative aspect of my channel. Having listened to you, I am now sure of where I want to propel my channel to. I want my videos to pivot towards creativity as opposed to Trend and youtube 'Algorithm.' Of course I want to make videos that people watch, that is why, I will keep learning about KZfaq growth. Even though I will cut down on binge watching KZfaq growth videos so I can focus on other things because I don't want to get sick of KZfaq so soon. Also I will watch less of my competitor channels because that is also a good reason creators shift away from their creative self. I will only watch for inspiration. It's so easy to be trapped into the cycle of competition that you end up losing your creativity and why you started in the first place.

Another great video Nate. I myself have had my channel for 16 years and always said that I don't want to be dependent on my videos for income because you never know what will happen with a platform in the future. And I think it has been good for me both mentally and creatively to be able to keep up for this long and be able to take a break when I needed to without anyone else being affected. I know, for example, that the winter period is more popular to film here in the north where we get snow and show the world in compared to other times of the year which are more normal. So then during the summer I can tell the viewers that now it will be one video per month, for example insted of one per week . And also being able to make the kind of content I want instead of someone else deciding it. Of course I watch videos like Nates for tips on trimming videos but not to change the content of the videos I've been around so long so I know some videos get 100 views and others 100,000. but the one with 100 can gain momentum in 5 years you never know. Yes I have both taken help from others and been able to help friends with their videos or when they couldn't film for a certain time so that they would have the opportunity to keep their channel running Of course, it has been a roller coaster ride and I don't always like all of KZfaq's changes So the day I would feel that I want to change platform then I can even do that when I own all my content myself without any music etc 😀 . If there would be someone better for my type of content Take care Alexander in North Sweden

I just want to say I think you are brilliant! I love what you creatively did with that Matt patt part of the story. Weldone

On a more serious note, I have always said that conflict creates change, and one constant in your life is that there will be conflict! -Kelly’s wisdom at your service!!!!

Awesome video, as always, Nate! So this makes me curious... How many people are on your team to create your awesome videos with the new cannel? It seems like you do it all yourself, which is a good thing, but can you pull back the curtain for us?

On point! Thanks for sharing!

So, the only reason I kept watching my first video of yours was the howdy howdy, and I immediately thought of the theory channels. Been watching Matt since like 2011 sad to see him go. Love your too channel nate! You bring loads of valued info to each and every video you post and it's been very helpful in guiding myself through my own social media journey. Hoping to post soon, almost there 😊😅

Loved this! ❤ very helpful 👏 thank you!

This was really insightful! As a small channel, I see KZfaq as a journey and I’m open to where it takes me.

I lost a lot of my passion for making asmr videos when it became just a job, and not also a passion and hobby. I was trying to follow the algorithm doing my popular content over and over, like ear cleaning and scalp check asmr.. but its sould draining omg. Recently I started doing more diverse asmr again, and even tho it might not do as well as my ear cleaning and scalp checks, it gives me so much more happiness and more fun and sweet comments from my viewers which I really love to read. I do rely on it for our income BUT I am also working on alternate money bringers so I dont have to depend on just youtube.

Thx for the shout of realism. As a hobby content creator I sometimes wonder how channels manage to grow to the size they do. I needed to be reminded that mostly these are not one-person productions as mine is.

you are a very likable person Nate! thanks for all your advice and videos.

Well Said Nate! For a small channel like me, who just wants to reach those who share, I am keeping my videos raw, authentic, and not built to chase the numbers. Once I took my ego out of the creative process, I'm happier, having fun, and there is an audience for me.

Love this vid Nate! I tell myself all the time. Don’t ever give up and stay focused. I wanna build my channel to the highest but it’s up to me to accomplish it. I think sometimes a lot of people don’t really realize how much work content creators put in. I can tell you this.. it’s a lot but it will pay off one day. Thanks Nate!!

Might be a booming niche growing in reaction videos to all the "everyone's quitting KZfaq" videos. Maybe that's just the algorithm dumping them all into my Suggested feed since I watched a few but it seems there has been a real spike in these. For the record I think you nailed it. And I think it holds true for a lot of creative folks who catch on big and lose control of the business side of becoming popular. Sort of like the young rock star who gets so wrapped up in the business that they burn out...or find they are good at it and become a brand and take over the world. (e.g. Jay-Z, Taylor Swift)

Hello Nate, I used to watch you on CM. Your new channel popped up and i was excited to see your face and started watching again. My journey with YT. Started on a dare. I own a construction company and on the side i was a "Fish nerd". That is a good thing in our world. I was literally out of my comfort zone but dove in to YT. because it was fun and i could not believe people actually wanted to hear what i had to say. After 35 years in the hobby i had learned a thing or two. I really enjoy making videos because if i can help 1 person it is the ultimate gift i can give. I wasn't about money but now that im getting a little older im looking at YT. As a opportunity that has potential. That is a breif history my story and i want to thank you for helping this 1 person with your gift Thank you Steve Heller Sheller Aquatics

Great video. Thank you.

This a super good look into the topic. Great job!

You forgot to tell us to boop the like button!! 😭😭 I always love to see the point in the video where you say "like button" and the like button lights up. It's so fun hahaha. Thank you for sharing this. I always enjoy your clear headed perspective on things.

YES, KZfaq is 100% Grind - 7 full length videos last week over my 3 channel how many hours was that 2-3 hours per video: filming, editing, thumbnails - It's a marathon and a grind - Great video Nate..

I think of this as a good thing! A) The OG KZfaqrs need a break from their business/hobby/whatever they call it and have time for themselves B) KZfaq has been acting the same. Everyone seems to be copying each other (thumbnails, editing, shouting the title/anything at the viewer) Not applying this to the ones who quit! Just noticing a pattern C) This is a great time for smaller creators to rise up! Give KZfaq the You back. I've been watching JJJacksFilms and he's sharing the spotlight with smaller accounts and it's really cool! One account went from like 66 subscribers to 2K+ thanks to Jack.

I finally find a video that explain very well what is happening, thanks! 🙏

Evolving with limits is great advice for any business not just KZfaq. Great video.

Imma be real, I've been bopping around the internet a lot lately thinking about how to leverage my real world skills and help folx online (Really fancy way of saying, I'm trying to start a KZfaq channel), and I keep coming back to your videos, so I hit that sub button for you. You just got a vibe that I relate too. Appreciate you!

Your channel is growing so quickly. Already approaching 50K subscribers.

Howdy! Didn't know you started your own channel! You just randomly popped up in my feed. Subbed!❤

Excellent insights Nate!

I just started and here to stay. To be honest It's so much more fun to have a team around you. People around me don't get why I do what I do. Being an artist is a lonely path in the beginning and can be boring at times to just hear your own thoughts and ideas.

Hey Nate, huge thanks for all of the help you provide to us for free. I really appreciate it. I would adore a channel roast however my biggest problem I need help with is how to make videos faster. I want to make IRL Rubik's cube videos but my current audience isn't likely to follow me there. I want to slowly transition into those videos from my current style, but because I don't have a lot of time I can't post as much as I'd like to and I can't transition as quickly as I'd like. Also, I'd appreciate it if for once you booped my like button on this comment

Go into it knowing your limits 💯💯💯

I really thx you for your very good Analytical Understanding of KZfaq. Your information is very logical and get to the point very fast. 🎉🎉🎉

I worry about the burnout! Ive experienced it a few times myself and I haven't been doing this for that long. Hoping to find more balance this year, along with YT success. Lets see if those two things even go together. 😅

Insightful video as always Nate!

I took my Hobby to KZfaq in 2017, in 2022 I went full time, quitting a 24yr (well paid) career in the Military. I enjoy the community I've built and seeing growth more than the money, and I think that's a big factor to longevity. Obviously I can't do it if I don't have money, but I don't chase it.

Very nice insight at around 04:50 People tend to get more success on YT if they bring something they're already doing over to KZfaq. I feel its one of the things I lack, as I'm mainly trying to document my way to that point, instead of starting there. Great video again Nate, always appreciate your insights

I love your question about what is the limit you are willing to go. I am going to really think about that as a new creator. I do know that I have a limit. Not sure exactly what it is right now. Going to think about it. Thanks!

loved the insights. Thanks.

I thank you for all the massive help you've given me Nat and I've seen your reasoning about the abrupt endings. Out of nothing but positivity and respect , I really don't like them. it always seems more like a mistake than deliberate and impacts the professional feel * in my opinion.Looking forward to seeing your continued growth

I think your ideas are valid, from my perspective and experience. You tube channels are dynamic things, and as time progresses, the future happens.

I think one of the reasons why people is quitting is that we need to post videos even when we don't want it or even when its not about what we want to talk about just because if we don't do it our channel will receive less views, and the next videos will suffer because of that. The stage of being creative is gone, unfortunatelly, so we need to keep posting even when the subject is already saturated and we have nothing to say. One other thing in my opinion is that we need to be stuck in one subject, and life is more complex, human being are more complex and enjoy a lot of different things. I miss the old youtube when people were free to speak about anything, anytime, they could express more creativity.

Sunnava-gun you left us hanging! Stay awesome my dude much love from the UK.

I find it truly remarkable that certain content creators can retire through their success on KZfaq. It's a possible. Many people may underestimate the amount of effort required to create a video, especially for those who have gained significant popularity. Nate, I appreciate this video.

I have also noticed the change in KZfaq for some time now and I think its a nice change from the spectacle which I was never a fan of. I like nice slower paced videos wether entertainment or learning. That's how I make mine. Hopefully it will benefit us smaller channels. Keep up the great videos by the way. Your channel has turned into probably my favorite out of all the channels in your niche.

We used to kill it! We have around 385k Subs and over 100 Million Video views. We killed it from 2012 until 2017. BUT now our views are embarrassingly low. Now it seems YT is choosing to NOT put us in the algorithm. I walked away for a year and it is even worse. Almost quit but gonna figure it out, but it seems they now pick and choose who gets views. My Subscribers don’t even get notified after hitting the buttons and etc. I am most certain they are behind this. Nice Video btw! 🤘❤️