• The rules for The Exchange can be found here. Please read and follow them. Stop using Paypal Friends & Family and follow our best practices to prevent getting ripped off or having a bad deal.

Youtubers That Set Up Patreon Accounts

FrequencyAndSulphur said:
Full disclosure, I'm a YouTuber with a Patreon account, so I've got a horse in this race. But one thing to add in here in a bit more detail is that YouTube revenue (from ads or the folks who sign up for YouTube Red) is relatively small, and relatively delayed, relative to what a lot of folks expect.

YouTube doesn't want you to be too precise about numbers, I gather, but even with around 15,000 subs, I have never had a video which "paid for" the purchase of an item outright, and only rarely does it cover the loss incurred when buying and then later selling an item. Thanks to generous viewers, I get a lot of loaned gear for review (which is the only thing that's made my channel possible), and a heavy majority (70-80%) of my review videos haven't actually made enough money since release to cover insured return shipping of the item, and right now, the median per-video YouTube revenue won't even cover a flat-rate envelope.

That will (hopefully) change over time, as the videos have more time to get views. But right now, when put next to the time spent on the channel, I'm not quite making minimum wage from YouTube, and that completely ignores money spent on buying gear outright, shipping, etc.

Along with gear loans which make my channel possible at all, Patreon is the glue that helps this make any sense. Shipping, purchase, etc costs are all front-loaded, and YouTube Revenue rolls in over months. The patreon money, donated regularly and with minimal added costs, allows me to pay shipping, allows me to buy a bit more gear, and allows me to pick up a much-anticipated piece of gear, knowing full well that I'm going to take a hit if I re-sell, and provide that content. I have a day job, so i don't need to make a living from YouTube, but for me, the support I get via Patreon is a buffer between the needs of the channel and my personal bank account, and it helps the channel feel like it's not eating my financial face.

If you don't have the means to support a channel you love on Patreon, I totally get it, there's zero pressure. Just enjoy the content. That's why we're doing it: for you to enjoy. The ad revenue from your view will help a bit, but a kind comment or message or email is great payment too. But if you have the means to help support the channels you enjoy with Patreon, I encourage you to. It really is a big help!
Click to expand...
I didn't know you had a Patreon Nick.
 
palonej said:
Very well said Nick!
You're not quite gem like yet.......but you're getting there!
Lastly.....more Z Hunter exposure!!!
Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks! Someday, maybe, I'll get there. But for now, sure, I'll do more to flash the Z :)

GermanyChris said:
I didn't know you had a Patreon Nick.
Click to expand...

I do my best to not get too "NPR Pledge Drive" about it, because it bugs the crap out of me when every video starts and ends with a Patreon ad. But if you search Patreon for "Nick Shabazz" or check my YouTube about page, it's there. :)
 
I don't get it. No one is holding a gun to your head. It's optional.


Chill...
 
I like the fact that you can give if you like, but you don't need to do anything to enjoy the content. If you want to support something you like, you can.
 
Space Foo said:
I like the fact that you can give if you like, but you don't need to do anything to enjoy the content. If you want to support something you like, you can.
Click to expand...

Agreed! The most annoying Patreon usage issue is when people violate that law, use it to effectively paywall large portions of their content. Situations like "Patrons above $5/month see ALL my videos" are deeply ugly to me.

I much prefer the "generous donor" model, where patrons subsidize the (public) channel, and all content remains free. I probably get fewer Patrons because of it, but I would dislike myself greatly if I did otherwise.
 
There are a few channels where I must have spent countless hours watching content. I 100% support Patreon accounts, but I do not have a credit card, so I can't support through Pateon unfortunately.
 
IamMatt said:
If you don't want to watch ads, you pay for cable, FIOS, HULU, Netflix, or whatever.
Click to expand...

Here in Canada, most of the cable channels are chock full of ads... so you're paying for the privilege to be advertised to for about 25% of your viewing time.
:-(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top