Today I'm going to make video on how to get started on YouTube. I've been asked to make this video.

I don't know how many times. I get this question all the time.

'How.. can you give me some tips on how to get started?'

I think what I always just say is 'keep- keep working hard, and I'm sure you will succeed...'

But I thought not today. I w-wanted to actually give something more constructive and

some... some more help than just that

Um, I've been doing a lot of streams lately and everyone just keep asking me "how do I get started?"

"What kind of tips do you have?" and I thought okay fine, I'll make it okay

I thought about making this video before, many times, but I just feel like who am I to tell you how to--

It's not like I know all the answers.

And I really think everyone has a different answer to the question on how to grow on YouTube.

So just take this as.. from my own perspective

Also know that I don't know everything and just because I say something doesn't mean it's the rule of thumb.

You know tha-that is it that's not the case, couldn't be further from it and I started YouTube seven years ago.

So obviously things are different now. This video probably won't be relevant for most people watching.

But maybe it will be interesting. I don't know. (laughs)

Here we go! First of all I wanted to start on the equipment

Because I think it's- this is where most people fail right away, I see so many people get really angry

about this one because they bought all this expensive equipment and they- they come to me like 'Where are the subscribers??'

'Where are all the views- I've got- I spent all this money on all this equipment...'

I always say don't spend money on equipment

It doesn't have to be expensive at all

And I think a lot of people wait with starting videos because they don't have all the equipment

I think it takes practice to make videos, and I think it doesn't hurt to get started with what you have.

I didn't have a webcam when I started. I had a fucking...

I legit use this microphone?

which I actually

accidentally broke. That's my first microphone on the Razer headphones, and it was fine-

(laughing) It really was. It definitely doesn't hurt to have nice quality.

Don't get me wrong, but it's not automatically going to make you get subscribers.

I'm going to link what I think is a good sort of budget start-up in case you're curious

of-of what ki-sort of equipment-

I would recommend. Uh...

If you want to start making my type of videos, and I will-I'll also link my equipment in case you're curious

what exactly it is I use.

Stand out. (laughs) Personally I'm very much drawn to-to different things that people do.

If I notice the channel doing something I haven't seen before, I'm automatically more drawn to that...thing.

And I think it was the same thing for me when I started making videos

I did what everyone else was doing. I-I did Call of Duty videos because that's what was- euhhh...

popular at the time, but that's what

made me want to start making YouTube videos cause I loved watching it on YouTube.

And it was really popular back then and I enjoyed making those type of videos.

But my channel didn't grow from it at all

I had like what a couple hundred people watching me, and I remember when other YouTubers refer themselves to as

'Oh hey-yeah, I only had a couple hundred back then...' I'm like nibba a hundred

I'm so fucking proud of these hundred people that I have. (laughs)

Shut the fuck up. And I also remember

watching all these bigger YouTubers doing the same call of duty videos, and I'm like these guys are fucking terrible.

I'm way better than these guys. Why is my channel not growing more?

But that's the thing -- the big ones have already settled in. You know y-you're not going to- It's going to be hard as hell.

You have... you have an uphill battle and it wasn't until I started doing something

different, something that hadn't been done before, like the horror videos,

that's when I started to get an audience that really cared

about the content that I was making it and it was so clear, and I really see it myself

Uh, when- when I

discovered new YouTubers it's always something different. They have something different. What was it- what was it...

Dr. Dre said it's easy to make it to the top, but it's twice as hard to stay there

You see people on YouTube come and go all the time. I-I don't want to throw any names out there, but

You-you know what I mean, like there's a ton of YouTubers that everyone used to watch and every-

i-it got so many- so much attention, but they just didn't have what it takes

Uh... to keep their audience. A lot of people

sort of get boosted from the algorithm of YouTube.

Basically, YouTube recommend certain type of videos that fit what they want to... promote

Maybe it's really long videos

Maybe it's videos they get a lot of likes and a lot of 'this and that' and there's always people that abuse their algorithm.

It's been since I started on YouTube, an-and it's still going on. I-is- this isn't a thing that will-

I don't think will ever end. And it's really unfair because a lot of big- a lot- a lot of youtubers

get really big really fast because of it, but basically...

they go away equally fast. If you don't have

something to maintain your audience with, something more than your shtick eh-of making algorithm happy,

then you-your lifespan on YouTube is going to be short.

That's just how it is so I'm not really too bothered by- about any of it

I just don't want you, if you want to grow your channel,

to be obsessed about the algorithm because that shouldn't be the number one priority

Uh, I personally never try to abuse the algorithm, or some shit like that. Honestly I had no idea what I was doing.

Literally, I discovered that ten minute videos like a year ago- it's been (laughs)

Remember the reply girls, y'know? They were so fucking popular. They-they got so many views because they- the algorithm

promoted their videos in the sidebar all the time. But it's not like anyone is still watching them, like, 'oh

I wonder what this algor... what th- (laughs) what this boob girl is saying now about this...'

Y'know? What I'm getting with this is you needed personality. People- people will find your video.

But th-they're not going to stay and like they care about you as a person

I think YouTube is all about personality at least that's how I see it. An-and anyone I watch on YouTube,

I watch because I care about their personality, I care about them more than just their content

but also who they are as a person, and uh, that's why I enjoy watching them and that's why I enjoy YouTube.

I enjoy it because it's different than television. You're not just watching this, uh...

product behind a bunch of producers and writers, you-you're watching just a person speak directly into a camera

And I think that's the beauty of it.

I also think that's why so many youtubers come and go -- they forget about this part. A-and that's fine.

Y'know, it's not like everything has to be super personal and everything has to be so,

'Oh, I love you guys so much. You're my family.'

YouTube... is... a hobby and a job

at the same time, which can be really hard to balance.

I think a lot of people don't realize this, but, you get to set your own hours, you get to set your own pace.

But it basically means you'll be working 24/7 like it's really hard to turn off YouTube in your brain. I'm always checking videos

How are they doing? I'm always checking stats. I'm always checking comments

What are people saying? What are people thinking? And it's really hard to turn off

It's not like a nine-to-five job you go in you do your job, okay, now I'm done. Phew, I can relax.

I-I really struggle a lot with this, an-and just trying to shut my brain off and 'Okay now I'm doing this, now

I'm doing that.' And that's why I really enjoy having an office, because I-I can do my work here

And then once I'm back home, I can just relax.

Eh-I-It's... I-I guess my advice here is to try and separate it. I treat YouTube with a- with a lot of respect.

Because I feel so lucky to be in the situation that I am. I think a lot of YouTubers take- take uh...

YouTube very...

Casually. I'll just upload a video. I need some money. I'll upload a video

May-maybe I'm a little naive for saying that but, I-I always get the question

'What happens if you miss a day, Felix? What's the big deal? Who's gonna care?'

Wh-who-It's okay. You don't have to upload all the time, but it's like I set the schedule for me.

I know I can do it, it is my job to do it still. I have to do it, okay? I-I see YouTube as a...

It's not going to last forever, but I might as well make the most of it...meanwhile.

Every YouTuber has-has a-has a life span.

Market yourself. Most YouTubers that you are watching got a helping hand to get where they are. Maybe they don't admit it.

Maybe I'm just wrong. Most YouTubers had some helping hand. Maybe th- maybe they uh...

Maybe their videos were posted on a website y'know? That prom- that thought okay, 'This is a cool video...'

Maybe you got trending on reddit, y'know? Maybe your family member was the YouTuber or maybe a friend of you-o-of

of that person was a YouTuber they helped them. Getting that helping hand on YouTube

is not essential.

But it's- it

makes YouTube easy mode pretty much. To already... the hardest part of YouTube is to establish your very first audience. If you can get

that for free from someone else, hell, yeah!

Hell yeah, that's the best! But a lot- I see a lot of

misunderstanding of this as well, because, for example, I did the shout out competition in the past and, uh...

For example Jack was one of them, Ken was one of them. And a lot of people look at them and be like, 'Oh

Oh, you got a shout out from Pewdiepie. Aww, aww that's so bullshit. If I had one, I would be big.' Fuck you.

No, i-that's not how it works. A shout out can only get you so far.

I-I-It gets you that-that base audience, maybe, but they're not going to stay unless you're worthwhile staying to - they're not going to care about

watching any more videos, unless you upload videos - unless you upload videos that people care about.

You don't need a shout out, and a shout out isn't necessarily going to help you,

Unless your content is interesting. That's just how it is.

You see people all the time in my comment section marketing their own YouTube channel. I find it...

very disrespectful to do that. It annoys the hell out of me. 'Cuz it's basically just ignoring what I worked on...

and basically just saying, 'Hey look at me!'

I do think you should market yourself somehow if you really care about growing your channel.

Now, I don't know what the best method is, but everyone has a secret

I'm sure of how they try to get their channel out there. Maybe something they're ashamed of that they wouldn't admit.

I-I think most YouTubers have it. I, for example, used to find commenters on-on videos similar to mine and uh...

I would write a private message to them being like, 'Hey! I see that you enjoyed this channel. Maybe you will enjoy mine!'

I know. Extremely embarrassing, extremely pathetic, but I used to do it.

At least it's not intrusive on someone else's work, okay? So, I-if y...

I recommend marketing yourself somehow, I just d-don't- a-and it's nothing shameful about doing it,

But don't be fucking obnoxious and disrespectful doing it,

That-tha-that's my point with that.

Next up is don't fucking trust anyone.

Growing my channel on YouTube

I've come across so many toxic people, people that just want your s-audience your subscribers

Uh...

They don't give a shit about you. They'll lie to you.

Uhm....

They'll try and manipulate you.

I think I'm- one of my best skills as a human being, is to cut out toxic people.

I have very little tolerance for people in general, and if I find them to be abusive or disrespectful,

I have no problem with cutting out these people in my life.

I know some people really struggle with this

And I think as a YouTuber you're just really gonna have to be cut and dry with people. It's just how it is.

Networks.

You may have heard of networks a lot

I'm- I'm technically signed up with the network still, but I'm not planning to stay with the network. YouTube wouldn't sign

with gaming channels. You could not monetize your videos if you were a gaming channel, back in the day

It was the worst thing

I think that could possibly happen to the gaming community on YouTube because essentially networks got so much power,

Because we were obligated,

to sign with them.

So basically, as a gamer, you would get these insanely bad deals with networks where they would give you half of your revenue

and

Give you, essentially,

nothing back. Networks still take a...

huge portion of your revenue if you're a small YouTuber. I still get a lot of people asking me, 'Hey, I'm a youtuber,

I-should I sign up to the network?'

'I don't know blah blah blah,' or 'do they increase my CPM blah blah blah...' Most likely they don't

Uh...

From my experience, they don't sell ads on your videos

Think about most networks they have- like what, thousands of channels in them. Why would they care about your channel?

Y'know?

How are they going to focus on all these channels? It just doesn't make any sense.

I would not recommend signing with the network if I was a smaller YouTuber these days. That being said,

Networks definitely helped me,

to a certain degree,

But I think as a smaller channel, it's completely useless.

They're just going to take a portion of your revenue and give you nothing back

You're not obligated to sign with a network anymore

So, I would recommend against if you're a smaller channel. Which brings me to my next point:

Get a lawyer.

Don't sign anything

without professional, over-a-a

A professional overlooking what you're doing.

I signed contract that were- that led me into month-long processes of trying to get out of those contracts.

I-It's a lot cheaper to have a lawyer look over the contract and knowing exactly what you're getting yourself, into than

Afterwards, gettin' a lawyer to try and get you out of this situation.

Get a lawyer and get an accountant if you're-s- if you're making money off YouTube, and do it early.

I think setting those two things up earlier is better than later.

I realize this is a lot of information, but I think I saw this as a sort of...

Me talking to myself in the past,

Uh...

And the sort of stuff that I learned through these uh,

years of making videos on YouTube. And I try to keep it as, uh, actual advice and constructive as possible,

But

I would like to finish with...

Make YouTube with the right intention.

I see so many people wanting to make Y-YouTube videos because they want to get famous, they want to make money

Uh...

which is all great stuff. And YouTube really is an amazing place for it- for that, but,

make YouTube videos,