Blocked Videos!!! Just Who Owns This $h�???

For what it's worth, I was restoring a 1922 Victrola and went to youtube to learn how to clean 78rpm shellac records. Your video on how to clean vinyl records popped up. Watched it anyway and many more of yours. Got hooked.

Jan Snyder-Ellerman

It's only one data point, but I can confirm that YT is not including your videos in my suggested content window, even though I've been a subscriber since last year. I thought you were taking a break until I went directly to your channel and found plenty of new content. Not good.

Aynsley

No worries, Fran. One quality video per week is more than enough to keep me on the line. Relax and recharge. It's important for the channel as well as for you. Win-win!

Michael S Wilhelm

You need to sell millions of units of merch to get profit from the licensing. That's fine for Ferrari, but the last two FranLab shirt campaigns did not meet expectations.

Fran Blanche

I'll talk some about this in a video later on...

Fran Blanche

Could Frantone merch be a possibility? I have no doubt that there would be plenty of guitar aficionados who'd rock a Frantone sticker on their guitar case, as well as wearing a t-shirt during some of their performances. Kinda like how Ferrari appears to make more money from selling hats and shirts than they do out of selling cars lol

OzRetrocomp

Licensing Frantone? You implied you're never going to do anything with it because it's too expensive. Maybe try licensing it to a company with the resources to deal with it? It's a thing you got sat on the shelf making you no money. Some revenue beats no revenue at all. Guess you probably thought of that already though and there's some reason why it doesn't work. If you prefer long projects, I'd agree with other commenters about putting them out in several smaller videos. YouTube is really valuing your content on number of videos produced and not so much on length of videos. You might generate more value for your investment by breaking them up without having to sacrifice doing more complex stuff. I do personally like longer videos but you've got to do what YouTube rewards.

Frantone is still valuable and I do share some of my knowledge in that regard, but some if it I will keep off-line for future Frantone endeavors.

Fran Blanche

Oh Mark - I really want you to spend your money on your own needs. FranLab depends on those who have extra to pitch in, and I would hope anyone in need would not put money in this pot!

Fran Blanche

Even I have limits with the rants - but every now and again, and only when necessary.

Fran Blanche

I stopped doing T-shirts because people stopped participating in the campaigns. Quality is a big issue for me, and any shirt of my art has to be silk-screened, and those one-off companies inkjet print their shirts - I do not like the look.

Fran Blanche

I want all my FranLab content to be available whether people pitch in support or not. The Patreon exclusive videos are kind of that idea already.

Fran Blanche

I would hate to have to 'overmonetize' my channel for it to work. That would just be sad I think.

Fran Blanche

It would not be worth the time I'd have to put into doing that. If it were on my channel, I could justify the investment.

Fran Blanche

Because there are only so many hours I have to find ways to make FranLab work and sustain itself. When this YouTube thing finally fails, then I'll have to get some gainful employment.

Fran Blanche

Since you have found that manufacturing of your effects pedals is not profitable, perhaps select a given pedal and explain in detail the circuit, how it works, some scope traces, the circuit diagram and theory. You should be able to spread a given pedal over several videos (a single long 1+hour is too much to watch/digest at one time).

Last word, I'll support you whatever you do!

Dr Andy Hill

@Dr. Andy Hill: You can Edit your comments under the three little dot menu.

As for raising further funds , I don't have any ideas at the moment but as soon as I do, I will let you know.

Dr Andy Hill

Ooops accidently pressed enter, take as long as you need, I will continue to Patronise you and so will the rest of your "Real" supporters.

Dr Andy Hill

Just look after yourself Fran, if you burn out you won't be able to produce any content or do anything.

Dr Andy Hill

I wouldn't stop the support only because of less videos on your channel. There is to much content out there on YT to watch even 1% from my beloved channels. I always skip at least 50% off all my supported channels. Do what you want to do and get your time. If I remember ten years back correct some channels like EEVblog increase their video output rate and I got stressed to view them all ;-). I quickly stopped watching them all. But I know I am talking only for myself. I would appreciate to see less videos / week on every channel I follow!

Take a good time off, Fran. I will always support you and your work. I think you are a very down to earth and honest person. Take good care and we will see you again when you are ready. ❤️

Mz. Fran, I get you! I've been in a tough spot and a hard corner for years. I used to be a Photonics Technologist and I was a good one, I even worked at the national labs. I had a very bad person do something evil and it cost me my career (I solved a problem they made and they covered their butts by claiming I did the opposite, and went around my industry claiming it). I have to say this: This current corporate zeitgeist, and the commander in chief we have, is doing our country in. Honest people like you and I are losing opportunities and the ability to survive while crooks thrive. These are dark times. I can't afford groceries but I'm going to keep supporting you. In college, my best classmate was a woman, in fact, she helped me immensely get on track in school. I was a top lab student but she was top lecture student and she saved my butt without going into detail, she made me realize something life changing. We need women in science and technology badly and I highly admire you. I got injured at my minimum wage job and I can't work and my friends are feeding me, but I'm going to keep supporting you, Fran. You are my hero.

If Youtube 'likes' rants, maybe you should deliberately do an Andy Rooney-style rant monthly. I certainly have unvoiced rants about my work; perhaps the same thing happens for you as you create, design, and build. Not a 'solution' exactly, but something to stimulate thought in the community.

Hi Fran, have a well-earned rest. I guess we all have ideas but no magic answers to make all the issues go away. I will say that one of your unique selling points I think is your collection of vintage electronic parts, which often we don't get to see. Vintage and retro are quite popular now, so maybe rather than teardowns, why not do a few videos around a vintage tearup. By that I mean taking a bunch of vintage parts and recreating something from the era they are from and bringing some of those old valves and parts back to life, a reincarnation. Maybe a comparison build between a modern IC equivalent and a vintage design to give some context to how well they did (or not) back in the day before transistors and IC packages were around. As Kristen said, ads are okay, leave them ad free whilst for patreons only, gives a reason for people to sign up, and let the ads appear when on YouTube for all. Anyway hope to see you back soon.

Leigh

The BBC has a handy online form you can use to request permission to use copyrighted material at https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/enquiryform/. Might be worth a shot.

One idea that might produce some additional revenue would be to sell your many existing T-shirt designs through a print-on-demand service like Teespring (like Dave Jones), Spreadshop, Printful, etc. This apparently doesn't require the upfront investment and minimum quantity that your previous T-shirt offers have. If you have digital versions of all your designs, I suspect you could set this up in a few hours. And if you offered a Fran Lab mug, I'd buy one immediately.

Sorry it's so hard. YouTube is super hard. How about a membership site where people can subscribe and inside you can have your designs and howtos in more detail? Just a thought. Maybe people who are serious about learning and getting hands on might want a little more support or PDF schematics?

Take February off Fran. :) (hugs)

Also, I thought of you this past weekend. I went to a vintage electronics show and I saw some vintage Heathkit radios. I thought of buying it for you but it was already built; not as much fun as putting it together.

Fran, I know you're against putting in ads but what if you keep posting your vids here on Patreon commercial free then put ads on when you open it up to your channel? YouTube likes it when vids have ads. The copyright thing isn't going away, sadly, so you have to get YouTube to like you and you do that by putting ads in. We can live with one or two ad breaks in a 15 or 20 minute video. Promise, we won't run away. :)

What brought me here, and the reason I have stayed, is the eclectic mix of things you do and your unique style. I don't mind if you post once a week or once a month or whenever, just do what YOU want to do and I'll still be here.

David Peaker

I don't suppose Archive.org could host the digital files of the laserdiscs? They should know how to handle all the copyright claims.

Maarten Daalder

Fran, you do whatever you want to do. You shall always have my support. I know it's not much, but it is what I can afford. If I win the lottery, I promise, I'll donate more.

Rocco Rizzo

Fran... what kind of work are you looking for?

nj Phil

Maybe alternate that “this quarters build project” update episodes with something else for variety (tear down, something made on the side in an hour, tutorial, etc). That way it’s similar effort, but more videos and more of a length people will watch. (I watch 10 minute things, eg, while eating; anything over 30 minutes needs special scheduling to watch.) Ewen

Ewen McNeill

I suspect the way extended making projects work on YouTube is via “episodic television” — 10-15 minute weekly updates with progress each time, to build interest in the project. Feature movie length YouTube mostly doesn’t get an audience, except at the very high end “name brand” stars perhaps; and certainly not the same audience as ten 10 minute episodes in a series. Ewen

Ewen McNeill

First, I'm in wholehearted agreement with making things start to finish. Maybe do it in a series of shorter videos to match what folk are looking for? Eg, How to prep the wood for the case, how to assemble and how to finish, etc in separate videos as a series? Many home hobbyists have to fit in projects a bit at at time, so maybe it would be a good fit? Wishing you every success!