Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

[NewscasterNews4]

So, after about a year hiatus from making YouTube videos, I decided to get back to making videos again. Why? Because YouTube is a place that I feel I can put myself out there, a place where I feel if I wanted to, I could vent and put out my thoughts on particular issues. My question to you guys is: Should I try to get YouTube to become my permanent source of income? Obviously, since i only have 12 subscribers I dont mean right now, but for when i graduate high school. I know this will sound like a stupid question to many of you, but I honestly don't have too much intrest in school right now, and I am very motivated to get my YouTube channel back up and running.

This is my YouTube channel BTW: http://www.youtube.com/user/NewscasterNews4

I only have one video out so far but will put out a channel update video soon. Please, if you could, help me out and subscribe

P.S.- Please don't hold the "Tips On Getting A Girlfriend" thread against me. I know the thread seemed pointless to a lot of you guys and I'm sorry.

[kehlis]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

As a primary income? No.....

[JazzMan]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Step #1 is defining what kind of genre you want to "specialize in." Do you want to do comedy skits, talk sports, video games, news, or what? That is where you'll get your "first wave" of subscribers if you make a name for yourself.

Step #2 is to get the proper equipment/software. Windows Live Movie Maker is VERY basic, but it's also free. If you want to make it big and actually partner with YouTube, you'll more than likely have to shell out cash in order to do so and get the high-quality video editing software. Adobe Premiere will take about $100 out of you but it's worth it, IMO. I would recommend Photoshop as well, as if you purchase both here Video Editor for $150 you can do some nice editing work.

With that software you'll want either a high-end camera or microphone, depending on what types of videos you will be broadcasting. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

Step #3 (probably more of the real step #2) is to get a job and purchase these things yourself and to support yourself while making videos. It will suck for a while, but who knows, you might make it viral.

And if/when you make it viral, give us boys at OS a shout-out.

[kingkilla56]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Good luck. Its a pretty saturated market now.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Good luck. Its a pretty saturated market now.

Yeah, it used to be a goldmine. Now, it's pretty dry.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Unless you have 300,000 subs or higher and average 50,000 views or more per a video, you will not earn a livable income off of Youtube.

Youtube payout rate is $3 per a 1,000 views.

For every success story of I do Youtube for a career, there are 10,000 crash and burn stories. Pretty much most of the people who are able to do Youtube for a career people are the ones who started their channels 6 years ago, right when Youtube started. There was no competition for views and subs back then.

Now, damn near every kid have a gaming capture card of some kind or they are using their parent's HD camcorder to do skits and stuff. Competition for subs and views is fierce. It use to be you could just record something, upload it and get a several thousand views. But now, you have thousands of Youtube channels in every category.

But hey you got to start from some where. Just keep in mind, Youtube is worldwide and you are going to be a tiny fish in a big ocean. So I highly advise you to go to college for you can have an education to fall back on and just do Youtube as a hobby. Going to be a WHILE before you see ANY income from Youtube and a much longer while before you see a livable wage off of it, if ever.

I know you probably see Pewdiepie, Whiteboy7thst, Gold Glove, Tmartn, Chris Smoove, etc making 6 figures a year off of Youtube and think hmmm, they all young, I can do it too. It must be easy ? Nope.....

All those dudes got over a million subs, hell Pewdiepie has over 26 million subs. They are at the status now where they can upload themselves taking a crap on the toilet and it will still get a million views in 48 hours just because their sub count and name recognition is so high.

Starting from the bottom, you will be lucky to get a 100 views in a week. So just keep it as a hobby for now. Get your education.

[Hooe]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Step #2 is to get the proper equipment/software. Windows Live Movie Maker is VERY basic, but it's also free. If you want to make it big and actually partner with YouTube, you'll more than likely have to shell out cash in order to do so and get the high-quality video editing software. Adobe Premiere will take about $100 out of you but it's worth it, IMO. I would recommend Photoshop as well, as if you purchase both here Video Editor for $150 you can do some nice editing work.

With that software you'll want either a high-end camera or microphone, depending on what types of videos you will be broadcasting. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

Just a word on software - iMovie is now free with OSX Mavericks and has a reasonably powerful feature set, and Final Cut Pro is also an option if you're on OSX (and on Mavericks it has a similar interface to iMovie now). Might be worth a look, particularly given that every artist I've talked to regards OSX as the superior platform to Windows for multimedia and content creation.

As to pursuing YouTube as a full-time job - I agree with the consensus here, keep it as a hobby until if and/or when you take off. It's a jungle out there.

If you're interested in video production as a career, see if you can find some sort of college, community college, or trade school near you to attend, as to invest in your skill set. You'll be more employable in the field as someone with classical training vs an amateur YouTuber; everyone and their mothers is an amateur YouTuber nowadays.

[mb625]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Premier and Final Cut Pro are legit. Also Avid, but those are a bit further advanced (and I think you have to pay for Avid, too). I got a degree in Electronic Media Performance and Production (focused more on the Performance, but I know some about the Production side of things as well), so if you have any questions on pursuing a degree in that field as CM Hooe suggested (and it's a fantastic idea if that's what you want to do), I might be able to help.

[cavsfan2]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Even if you were to become famous on YouTube, how sustainable is that? What happens when people stop watching? Go to school and find something that you like. Make YouTube a hobby, not the deciding factor of whether or not you have a place to live and food on the table.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Full expected the OP to have thousands of subscribers when opening thread...

Just make sure you don't use anything with a copywrite that would prevent you from getting paid. I have an original video that caught fire and has around 800,000 views. It has music playing over the video that prevented us from trying to cash in on it.

[Cusefan]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

Hard truth time: Listening to a teenager perform impressions of NFL QBs is not exactly something I would ever listen to, I will go out on a limb and say that 99.99%of the internet would agree. So find something that people would actually be in. Just remember, the internet is forever so whatever you put out will remain there until the humans go extinct and even that is not guaranteed.

I've been wrong before though, go live your dreams before the crushing reality of the real world sets in.

[Matt10]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

I think saturated is the right word here. If you can stand out, then go for it - but what is going to be your approach?

I've challenged all the FIFA and PES gamers out there because that is a seemingly untapped market. The simulation gamer approach is not heard of on youtube. There are a couple guys that think they know what they are talking about - but they don't even put near enough effort (or hours) that I do.

You have to find a niche that you are passionate about. If you like video games, then do it - seek out the top contributors - and see just how often they upload videos. More importantly, look at the amount of likes they ASK for, then how many they RECEIVE. This is important because it shows that there are those that are actually watching the whole video and wanting to contribute to the success of the youtuber.

Like I said, i'm in an area that won't get THAT much attention - but that's okay - I'm not in it to make money or make a career. Just like my dynasty reporting - I'm not in it to get readers or recognition - it's just for me. I think that's where you need to sit down and really take a look at what is it you can do for you - then how can it be presented.

[NewscasterNews4]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

As of right now, I have many different ideas about where to take this channel. I plan on doing some skits with my friends this summer, but I also want to put some gaming on the channel as well. In terms of skits, I want to model them after the skits that Smosh does on YouTube. Short, 5-10 minute films on a variety of topics. I also would like to put a variety of gameplay on my channel, from Call of Duty to Madden to Minecraft.

Now, I have applied for several jobs this summer as well as hopefully ways of income so I can get equipment for my channel such as an HDPVR, an HD camera, and my own computer for editing (right now I use my sister's laptop).

[Matt10]

Re: Should I Pursue YouTube as a career?

As of right now, I have many different ideas about where to take this channel. I plan on doing some skits with my friends this summer, but I also want to put some gaming on the channel as well. In terms of skits, I want to model them after the skits that Smosh does on YouTube. Short, 5-10 minute films on a variety of topics. I also would like to put a variety of gameplay on my channel, from Call of Duty to Madden to Minecraft.

Now, I have applied for several jobs this summer as well as hopefully ways of income so I can get equipment for my channel such as an HDPVR, an HD camera, and my own computer for editing (right now I use my sister's laptop).

Focus on just one theme/topic. If you want to do skits, then do a skits channel. You should honestly invest more time in those youtube campaign or academy channels that show you step by step on how to build your channel. Be clear in the direction first, not as you go.