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I run a channel with 85k subscribers and around 10k views per day. My monthly income breakdown is roughly this: - Youtube ads $900 - Affiliate links $2500 - Bra

I run a channel with 85k subscribers and around 10k views per day. My monthly income breakdown is roughly this: - Youtube ads $900 - Affiliate links $2500 - Brand deals $3000 (equates to one sponsored video per month) - Patreon $350 Took me around 5 years of posting a video a week to get here. Now I finally make a living. Started working full time about a year ago. Before that 15-20h per week for years. I talked to some other youtubers, and I think my "path" to making a living from youtube, and my income breakdown, is pretty standard. Key takeaway here is that youtube is a looong game. You will be unlikely to succeed unless you love making the videos so much, that you are happy to do it almost for free, consistently, for years. And the money is not in adsense, but in brand deals and affiliate links (which are often part of brand deals). Here's my channel if anyone is curious: https://youtube.com/MicaelWidell https://youtube.com/MicaelWidell

oblio 3y ago
How worried are you about copy cats ruining your business?
- mwidell 3y ago
  Not at all. That's the beauty of being an influencer - it is really hard to copy what you do, including personality and all. Also, it takes years to build a following and a personal brand. Sometimes people upload copies of my videos, but youtube has a good system to notify me and take them down.
jeffwass 3y ago
Thanks for this Micael, very helpful info and your channel is pretty cool too! Regarding the weekly video, are you saying you’d spend about 15-20 hours per week on that one video to get to the status you were at last year? I’ve heard that regular releases are important for a channel to be picked up properly by “the algorithm”. Is this your experience, and is that a critical to keep up the cadence of one video per week? I make music videos (basically myself playing keyboards) and have never really gotten a good long-term traction with “the algorithm” yet. Sometimes I get a burst of impressions for a few days with corresponding views and subscribes, but these come and go. I release ever few weeks, though some of my videos are shorts, or just a few mins long for a single song. I think a weekly release would be a real challenge, but maybe that’s what is needed to get to the next step? For me the real time sink is all the time arranging and practicing to get to a point I’m confident to even film myself playing.
- mwidell 3y ago
  I spend on average around 10 hours per video. (1h ideation, 4h filming, 5h editing+thumbnail). I make at least a video a week, often 2 videos. How much time you spend per video will be up to you. There are successful youtubers who spend just 8h per video, while other successful youtubers spend A LOT more. I think of every video like a lottery ticket. I know a certain percentage of them will become "hits", ie. give me 100k+ views. And I know the more videos I make, the more of these hits I get. I also know that over time I will get better and better at my craft, and increase the likelyhood of any video to become successful. I never had a schedule, and I don't beat myself up if I don't post a particular week. I just keep working on my videos a little every day, and post the video as soon as it is done. It has resulted in 1-2 videos per week over time. I know that it is probably best to keep a schedule with strict times, because then the audience will show up once they learn the schedule. But I am always too eager and can't bring myself to not post immediately, and it has worked okay for me :) Most important thing I think is that you don't take long breaks of several months. I think your audience cares about consistency, but not the algorithm.
  - jeffwass 3y ago
    Thanks for the reply, very helpful. Well done for maintaining that publishing momentum. That's a good strategy it seems, spending a little time each day, but enough to maintain a weekly video at least. Will give it a go and see if it helps. Cheers!
- waboremo 3y ago
  I'm not 100% on youtube's algorithm, but I believe one of the points it hammers is that it's no longer about catering to the video but rather the viewer. So rather than think about weekly releases to play into the algorithm, it's generally better to focus on higher quality content that keeps people/your subs engaged throughout. Schedules are important for fans, it's easier to grasp that they can check youtube at a certain day and see your new video over hoping they enable notifications. However if the schedule is far too much for you to handle, don't force a weekly schedule! There are plenty of channels doing great on a more spaced out release timing, but perhaps it's best to encourage some sort of schedule on yourself just to keep producing stuff. As you said though you have to get to a point of feeling confident to even film yourself playing. That's your #1 over scheduling. Maybe livestreaming your practices could help with that, on the plus you would also have a bunch of livestreamed content you can edit down into future videos. Doesn't suit everyone and livestreaming is definitely its own challenge/realm, so it's just a suggestion! But I could see it being good for getting over that whole perfectionism angle we get ourselves into. For music content specifically, it seems a lot of it revolves around the hopes of getting people aware of your content through fan stuff, and then pushing original stuff alongside it. So piano covers of video game music (for example) and then they also release original music; the former is easier to create/tag/practice, the latter establishes uniqueness amongst the sea of channels.
themodelplumber 3y ago
Congratulations, that's awesome. I'm curious, do you adjust or renegotiate your brand deals periodically based on anything like metrics, value of their new campaigns, etc.? In general just curious about how those contacts work out for you. Not in the game but have worked around it a lot, away from YouTube.
- mwidell 3y ago
  It is very hard to set a price. But when you are negotiating with brands you soon get a feel for what you are worth. And yeah I increase my rates over time if I grow the average views per video. Typically the deals are only on a video-for-video basis, even if I had contracts lasting up to 5-6 months at most. So it is easy to ask for a new price when you negotiate the next deal.
petepete 3y ago
Hey Micael. I've been a subscriber for years, love your channel and all things macro photography in general. Really wasn't expecting you to pop up on hn!
- mwidell 3y ago
  Appreciate that :) In a previous life I was a programmer/CTO, so it's an old habit to visit HN.
  - agumonkey 3y ago
    Did you foresee a 5 year span before stable revenue (and indirectly, did you have to alter your ways/work to have better views and workflow) ? Also did you try other platforms ? Kudos on the dedication :)
    - mwidell 3y ago
      When I started I studied some other channels in the photography niche. And I saw that you need around 100k subscribers to make a living. I also saw that most of the successful channels in this niche needed around 5-7 years to get there. So yeah this was very much expected. But I’m not doing this for the money. I do it because it is the most fun project I have ever done. I would do it for free. If I go too long without posting a video I actually start feeling depressed. So for me it is therapy. But it is nice to earn a living from doing something you must do to be happy :) And also it feels nice when people ask what I work with, to mention something that actually earns me a living. YouTube is pretty much the only viable platform if you make long form content and want to earn money doing so.
      - agumonkey 3y ago
        Heh interesting how you monitored the field before doing it. I understand the feeling of doing something you love. Money is for bills, after that you need something else. I'm currently on a similar quest.
naavis 3y ago
I went to check out your channel just to realize I was already subscribed. Well played!
dmuso 3y ago
How do you deal with “talking to the void” at the beginning? I speak publicly fairly regular and I get a lot of energy from people in the crowd. I’ve done some YouTube and converted that to podcast format. I can’t seem to get motivated to do it as I can’t see/interact with people. People I know in my niche community will tell me they watched my video or listened to the podcast, I think “oh that’s nice I guess” and I go back home to stare at a camera and I can’t seem to connect making a video with audience interaction. Is this a thing? How do you think I could deal with it?
- mwidell 3y ago
  Yeah in the beginning it definitely felt extremely weird talking to a camera, with no other person in the room. I had trouble talking as naturally as I do to a live audience or even to a friend. This was actually so hard for me in the beginning, that I avoided talking directly to the camera for a long time. Instead I recorded footage of me doing things and then did a voiceover track to put over that. But it is mostly a matter of practice and becoming used to, and comfortable with, that situation. After 1-2 years of weekly videos it didn’t feel weird anymore for me. And nowadays I can talk just as naturally to the camera as to a friend. But yeah definitely a big hurdle for many people I have talked to as well. I think what I nowadays do, without thinking about it, is I imagine the camera is a person in my core audience.
batmaniam 3y ago
Did companies reach out to you for brand deals, or did you actively reach out to them asking for sponsorship?
- mwidell 3y ago
  Both. Lately I have started reaching out and it works pretty well!

oblio 3y ago

How worried are you about copy cats ruining your business?

mwidell 3y ago
Not at all. That's the beauty of being an influencer - it is really hard to copy what you do, including personality and all. Also, it takes years to build a following and a personal brand. Sometimes people upload copies of my videos, but youtube has a good system to notify me and take them down.

jeffwass 3y ago

Thanks for this Micael, very helpful info and your channel is pretty cool too! Regarding the weekly video, are you saying you’d spend about 15-20 hours per week on that one video to get to the status you were at last year? I’ve heard that regular releases are important for a channel to be picked up properly by “the algorithm”. Is this your experience, and is that a critical to keep up the cadence of one video per week? I make music videos (basically myself playing keyboards) and have never really gotten a good long-term traction with “the algorithm” yet. Sometimes I get a burst of impressions for a few days with corresponding views and subscribes, but these come and go. I release ever few weeks, though some of my videos are shorts, or just a few mins long for a single song. I think a weekly release would be a real challenge, but maybe that’s what is needed to get to the next step? For me the real time sink is all the time arranging and practicing to get to a point I’m confident to even film myself playing.

mwidell 3y ago
I spend on average around 10 hours per video. (1h ideation, 4h filming, 5h editing+thumbnail). I make at least a video a week, often 2 videos. How much time you spend per video will be up to you. There are successful youtubers who spend just 8h per video, while other successful youtubers spend A LOT more. I think of every video like a lottery ticket. I know a certain percentage of them will become "hits", ie. give me 100k+ views. And I know the more videos I make, the more of these hits I get. I also know that over time I will get better and better at my craft, and increase the likelyhood of any video to become successful. I never had a schedule, and I don't beat myself up if I don't post a particular week. I just keep working on my videos a little every day, and post the video as soon as it is done. It has resulted in 1-2 videos per week over time. I know that it is probably best to keep a schedule with strict times, because then the audience will show up once they learn the schedule. But I am always too eager and can't bring myself to not post immediately, and it has worked okay for me :) Most important thing I think is that you don't take long breaks of several months. I think your audience cares about consistency, but not the algorithm.
- jeffwass 3y ago
  Thanks for the reply, very helpful. Well done for maintaining that publishing momentum. That's a good strategy it seems, spending a little time each day, but enough to maintain a weekly video at least. Will give it a go and see if it helps. Cheers!
waboremo 3y ago
I'm not 100% on youtube's algorithm, but I believe one of the points it hammers is that it's no longer about catering to the video but rather the viewer. So rather than think about weekly releases to play into the algorithm, it's generally better to focus on higher quality content that keeps people/your subs engaged throughout. Schedules are important for fans, it's easier to grasp that they can check youtube at a certain day and see your new video over hoping they enable notifications. However if the schedule is far too much for you to handle, don't force a weekly schedule! There are plenty of channels doing great on a more spaced out release timing, but perhaps it's best to encourage some sort of schedule on yourself just to keep producing stuff. As you said though you have to get to a point of feeling confident to even film yourself playing. That's your #1 over scheduling. Maybe livestreaming your practices could help with that, on the plus you would also have a bunch of livestreamed content you can edit down into future videos. Doesn't suit everyone and livestreaming is definitely its own challenge/realm, so it's just a suggestion! But I could see it being good for getting over that whole perfectionism angle we get ourselves into. For music content specifically, it seems a lot of it revolves around the hopes of getting people aware of your content through fan stuff, and then pushing original stuff alongside it. So piano covers of video game music (for example) and then they also release original music; the former is easier to create/tag/practice, the latter establishes uniqueness amongst the sea of channels.

themodelplumber 3y ago

Congratulations, that's awesome. I'm curious, do you adjust or renegotiate your brand deals periodically based on anything like metrics, value of their new campaigns, etc.? In general just curious about how those contacts work out for you. Not in the game but have worked around it a lot, away from YouTube.

mwidell 3y ago
It is very hard to set a price. But when you are negotiating with brands you soon get a feel for what you are worth. And yeah I increase my rates over time if I grow the average views per video. Typically the deals are only on a video-for-video basis, even if I had contracts lasting up to 5-6 months at most. So it is easy to ask for a new price when you negotiate the next deal.

petepete 3y ago

Hey Micael. I've been a subscriber for years, love your channel and all things macro photography in general. Really wasn't expecting you to pop up on hn!

mwidell 3y ago
Appreciate that :) In a previous life I was a programmer/CTO, so it's an old habit to visit HN.
- agumonkey 3y ago
  Did you foresee a 5 year span before stable revenue (and indirectly, did you have to alter your ways/work to have better views and workflow) ? Also did you try other platforms ? Kudos on the dedication :)
  - mwidell 3y ago
    When I started I studied some other channels in the photography niche. And I saw that you need around 100k subscribers to make a living. I also saw that most of the successful channels in this niche needed around 5-7 years to get there. So yeah this was very much expected. But I’m not doing this for the money. I do it because it is the most fun project I have ever done. I would do it for free. If I go too long without posting a video I actually start feeling depressed. So for me it is therapy. But it is nice to earn a living from doing something you must do to be happy :) And also it feels nice when people ask what I work with, to mention something that actually earns me a living. YouTube is pretty much the only viable platform if you make long form content and want to earn money doing so.
    - agumonkey 3y ago
      Heh interesting how you monitored the field before doing it. I understand the feeling of doing something you love. Money is for bills, after that you need something else. I'm currently on a similar quest.

naavis 3y ago

I went to check out your channel just to realize I was already subscribed. Well played!

dmuso 3y ago

How do you deal with “talking to the void” at the beginning? I speak publicly fairly regular and I get a lot of energy from people in the crowd. I’ve done some YouTube and converted that to podcast format. I can’t seem to get motivated to do it as I can’t see/interact with people. People I know in my niche community will tell me they watched my video or listened to the podcast, I think “oh that’s nice I guess” and I go back home to stare at a camera and I can’t seem to connect making a video with audience interaction. Is this a thing? How do you think I could deal with it?

mwidell 3y ago
Yeah in the beginning it definitely felt extremely weird talking to a camera, with no other person in the room. I had trouble talking as naturally as I do to a live audience or even to a friend. This was actually so hard for me in the beginning, that I avoided talking directly to the camera for a long time. Instead I recorded footage of me doing things and then did a voiceover track to put over that. But it is mostly a matter of practice and becoming used to, and comfortable with, that situation. After 1-2 years of weekly videos it didn’t feel weird anymore for me. And nowadays I can talk just as naturally to the camera as to a friend. But yeah definitely a big hurdle for many people I have talked to as well. I think what I nowadays do, without thinking about it, is I imagine the camera is a person in my core audience.

batmaniam 3y ago

Did companies reach out to you for brand deals, or did you actively reach out to them asking for sponsorship?

mwidell 3y ago
Both. Lately I have started reaching out and it works pretty well!