FranbLab: YouTube Algorithms Cracked!

This highlights the issues many youtubers encounter . In the beginning you do what you love and produce much loved videos. Then one day the "could i make a living doing this " pops up and because you love what you do you go ahead and inadvertently become dependent on YouTube for most or all of your income . The question should be " should i try to make a living doing this"?. No fixed income ...no benifits insurance etc etc . If an employer offered the same outlook and prospects nobody would work for them ! You Tube is in it for the money pure and simple. We can see everyday that they do nothing but monetise every scrap they can. Anybody thinking they are social and community spirited is either naive or stupid or both. Its good to see you go the extra mile in trying to figure out how YT works but at the end of the day its your choice !! You chose to put yourself thru this ! If you started a private website where you hosted your videos, id join immediately. Your being very social in making videos free to view but if you look at your views to subscribers ratio and then your subscribers to patreons ratio you're working hard and being subjected to YT dictatorship for the sake of a far greater audience. Its the equivalent of U2 playing madison square garden and only selling tickets for the front row !! Only the front row dont get any advantage over the guys at the back ! Rant over

Phil Maddox

Don't forget. Quality vs quantity. We do watch everything here in Motown. Ain't too proud to beg for more content.

Michael S Wilhelm

Fran, your long time audience value you for your quality content. Newer subscribers have arrived from other channels on the back of the melodrama. You can't satisfy all the people all the time. You have two different audiences (with some crossover). I just looked up your "What is a Face to YouTube" and your "The NIMO Tube: Rarest And Most Dangerous Digital Display Of All Time" videos. One of the things that the algorithm is looking for is viewer engagement. A key metric is viewer comments, which is why most channels solicit comments. Although your NIMO video has 2,066 comments, they were aggregated over more than 12 months. In contrast, your "face" video attracted 878 comments in less than a month. Obviously, there is something about that video that has attracted viewer engagement, so the algorithm has started to show a trend toward your newer video. What it can't assess is that the "Face" video has a much shorter shelf life than the NIMO tube video. It's statistics will slump as soon as people stop commenting. Total views has the NIMO tube remain video dramatically ahead.

SpringRat

How do you differentiate between the algorithm that places and the viewer that chooses?

The algorithm, that place videos in feeds, is selecting those with faces, talk of faces, behavior that directly addresses/engages the viewer.

Methinks your data can merely point to the summary that "the algorithm rates faces, et. al. as king, not that people think faces are king

Misstating conclusion?

Oh and point a lot!

Dr Andy Hill

Wby not start each video with a talking head shot and make sure this is the thumbnail, see if this satisfied the algorithm monster, then continue with the tech video. See if this will give the required tractor trailer combination.

Dr Andy Hill

Keep doing what you are doing Fran, I came for the tech but I'll stay for the frants!

Dr Andy Hill

Another piece of the puzzle is that videos that include your face on the selection slide are *much* easier to recognise as “creator I know” than ones that just show a project and a project related title. This particularly matters on, eg, a TV interface (Apple TV, etc). I do agree with eevblog though, tech things will always have a niche audience compared with “everyone loves a rant”. You perhaps need to choose between a happy niche audience (your patreons basically) and a big viewership. I appreciate the BTS updates, but I’m basically here for the projects/tech. Just saying. Ewen

Ewen McNeill

I like your introduction to this video, Fran. I am glad to hear I am not the only one who has bitched about your complaint videos. I can't stand them - but if that is what sells, so be it. I'm impressed that you have the energy and time to do tech videos and bitching videos, and plan your future...

Fran, this channel has always been about you sharing you, and less so about you making us happy or finding/building an audience. Unless, of course, you want to change part of who you are to become someone who focuses more on making unknown strangers happy, or capturing YouTube eyeballs. That's cool, of course, it's just not who you've been. There are lots of people who focus on such things, and I'm not sure how many more we need. You are a well-rounded person with diverse experiences, knowledge, abilities and perspectives. When it comes to Maker skills, you have one of the most complete sets I've ever seen. You are unique in many ways. I wouldn't mind seeing a series of videos on, say, effects pedals. I don't play a guitar, and would never buy an effects pedal, but if you share your knowledge and enthusiasm, I'll eagerly watch and learn. Because you're an interesting and generous person. We need more of those! Hell, you got me to buy a fountain pen! Maybe I **WOULD** buy an effects pedal. Who knows? You share, and I'll let you know. (Edit: No, it's not about buying, either. It's about getting curious and enthusiastic, and then *trying* new things!)

BobC

The music education youtube is wrestling with similar problems right now. Point taken that youtube was never intended for this purpose. Well. The platform is, if course, but not the software created to recoup costs and generate profit.

John Verne

How about a rant about cat videos!

Good point, youtube cat videos

Daniel Bingamon

I do prefer your tech vids but there is some science in figuring out the algorithms. :)

It's as if Pink Floyd was right to fight the PTB "no dark sarcasm in the classroom - hey teacher - leave them kids alone .."

As with most of the www since 1993 - we have to sift through 400 metric tonnes of cr*p to get at the 1 gram of gold, Fran. :o)

One of the problems (the main problem?) with tech content is that it's going to be naturally a smaller base of viewers who will find that particular technical topic interesting enough to press play. Rants on the other hand have more general appeal so may naturally have a higher number.

EEVblog

Ranting about rant videos in a rant video? LOL! but I really do get what you’re saying, it seems geared toward superficial content? 😕

Nicholas Wilson

Rant on Fran; why not make a tech video and rant at the same time? :-)

Just remember what my guru, Sylvester Stallone says... "Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do."

Bruce Havourd

Hm. I guess some people just love drama for its own sake. More technical people (like me) prefer your legitimate tech topics. Oh, well... Enjoyed the little "outtake" at the end of the credits!

Gee Bee

The ending capped it all. :-)

Keith Wright

I, for one, welcome our new angry finger-pointing tech overlord.

Pete Cervasio

Your YT insight is spot on - it mirrors the crap on TV that does so well in the ratings like the umpteen reality shows - lots of faces and ranting and confrontation. Not my cup of tea but obviously to a great many others. If Frants help tow along the tech content that I enjoy, so be it. It's very easy for me to click the like button on the Frants.

Bill Karkula

Bitchin' pays off. Keep on Frantin' !!!

Howard Simons

I've got 130 videos of ravens on my channel. 2 years now, my figures are still in single figures. #gameofravens

At least your Frants are intelligent and observant. Yes, I prefer the tech, but this stuff gives your channel a diversity many others lack. Do what it takes, that you're comfortable with. ;o|

Zygmunt Dean

[Stephen Fry] Whom! [/Stephen Fry] Seriously, YT has made a complete sh*tshow of content forcing things like Patreon to exist and now they added "memberships" to channels to copy the idea. Keep on "Frumbling"!

lohphat

Hah, the narcissistic algorithm!.

Congrats Fran!

AESFTW