Starting a Youtube Channel? Check here first. Thread

This thread will be a continuing guideline to how to aid yourself, and others, by creating the best channel you can. So first let me clarify there is no sure fire way to become famous, or to get subs, so don't complain that I/We ruined your channel by lying to you. Well now that this is out of the way, we can start by laying down a few basic guidelines:

1. Don't expect to be famous, or hit it off big within a few month. These things all take time, and luck.
2. Don't mimic other famous channels. "Pewdiepie plays Slender, so you must play Slender." If your thinking this will make you stand out, your lying to yourself.
2.a. Just because a famous channel plays a game does not forbid you from playing that game.
2.a.a Just don't do it game, after game, after game.
3. Hook up with some friends if you can; its fun to change pace once in a while.
4. Call of Duty is not something to record all the time. Nor is Minecraft. If that's what you want to do on your channel, than please do it, just don't post 360 no scope montages, hacking a game, how to piss off ten year olds, or how to get the ray gun in multiplayer shit. We should have enough of that by now.
5. Be Yourself.
6. Have fun.
7. Remain consistant in your videos, IE don't do CoD haxz and the follow up video be Cooking Mama.
8. Be personal.
9. Don't ask people to view your channel, unless you know them in real life.
9a. This means do not send out PMs about how your dog has cancer, and your mom beats you, and the only thing you want before Walking Dead ends is to get 300 subs, because then you'll post a video of yourself hooking a car battery up to your nips.
10. For the love of all things good, if you are recording a Let's Play/Commentary talk. Don't just record gameplay, and add text over the top.

Like I said this is ongoing, so the list will be changing when people add more.

Someone wrote: 9a. This means do not send out PMs about how your dog has cancer, and your mom beats you, and the only thing you want before Walking Dead ends is to get 300 subs, because then you'll post a video of yourself hooking a car battery up to your nips.

Well that escalated quickly 0_0

Some good tips here. Getting "famous" on YouTube will always be luck of the draw, but even if your best vids get only 500 views, that's five hundred people from around the world viewing your work.

Hell, I'm happy when I get 40 views in four days!

Opluence wrote: I think you've pretty much summed up about everything except for 9.a.a. don't mass PMs and friend requests if you're a music based channel trying to be "different" and "original". You just end up blending in more.

I would say if your a music based channel offering to make music for other channels for free is always great. Hell, if I had a catchy, personal song I'de praise the shit out of who made it.

I always get the "Your videos are da best! You shud totally go to www.obvious-scam.com and help generate moar traffic!"

MrFidelmios wrote: I always get the "Your videos are da best! You shud totally go to www.obvious-scam.com and help generate moar traffic!"

I had a guy telling me my videos were great and he subscribed. At the time, I didn't have a single subscriber.

I think everyone knows how to start a channel/add content properly. And if they don't then they aren't aiming for raising numbers of subscribers/views. To go from hundreds/thousands views per video to multiple thousands of views it really just takes some kind of marketing. A few years back some guys posted their comedy videos in some forums and they got around 500-700 views per video back then. I found their videos boring and not funny at all. Now, they're generating around 500k-1mio views per video and I still don't find them funny and their videos pretty much stayed the same editing wise.

What I'm trying to say is that there's no list of rules required to get there. All it takes is posting content regularly and being present outside of youtube, aswell (e.g. forums, events, etc.). The reason why most people don't get so many views is that they don't add new content regularly or stop completely themselves.

Idk I think a good amount of it is who subscribes. I have had a fairly large base of 70 subs for a few months (mind you i don't upload religiously but I do upload) yet I will see a crappy looking channel, with four or five videos with 600 subs. It's all about who subs.

Hear hear!

Really nice posts and tips. Glad I was incidentally following them lol yeah I've noticed my subs don't really ever jump and it's sometimes really random as to what videos get 250 views and others i thought were going to be epic like my rage game got like 40 views so far just cause no one's seen the link or the twitter post that it's up. Also the name of the game doesn't sound very rage inducing: Eryi's Action. lol so it really is a luck of the draw and you gotta keep at it.

ah you might want to add on not to record video using a camera or something use a capture device the quality is just not good when you use like your phone to record yourself playing a game... i've tried watching them it's not good.

I've had my channel running for about 9 months now, with about 43 subs, each video ranges from 10-200 views. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to reach great results within games, i mostly play indie horror stuff! i try to be original and try to be consistent as much as i possibly can! but exactly like you said getting famous on youtube is really just a stroke of luck! unless you can pull the greatest magic trick ever, your golden! My intentions aren't to be famous, this is merely something i do in my spare time and i really love doing it! I think nowadays people think of it as a race to see who can reach the top but with the way pewd's is going i highly doubt anybody can reach his stats!

Well I'm turning my youtube channel in a slight tangent, I've decided to do some game theories along with lets plays and indie games. I think it will be a good way to switch up the pace, and bring in more views.

Good tips there mate! I have some thoughts I'd like to share as well, having run several Youtube channels for about five years now.

It does sometimes help to do 'easy' videos. What I mean by this is to figure out what people are looking for, but what isn't there yet. This could be anything from a specific type of tutorial to a quick comparison video, but generally with a subject a lot of people google for. When you have two or three of those videos you'll notice a more steady viewer increase.

Thumbnails haven't been mentioned before but they are crucial in getting attention. Your content can be superb, if your thumbnail shows a blurred glass of water nobody is going to click it.
If you know how to use your editing suite (assuming you do if you want to get into this) add thumbnails to related videos at the end of each upload. Annotate them and link your videos to each other.

Add tags, more tags, and more tags. And even more tags.
Try to be specific. There's no point in adding ''Battlefield'' as a single tag because that one is linked to millions of other videos. ''Battlefield AK-12 statistics'' would probably get you more views. Create a notepad file with useful tags so you can copypaste them to other videos.

Interaction with subcribers is another big thing. People tend to stick around longer when you actively answer questions or reply to comments. Doing this through your videos is an even better way of communicating with (potential) subscribers.

Be sure to set a bar. Aim to deliver similar or even higher quality content each time you upload a video. Being consistent is important, not only to gain more and more views, but also to not lose subscribers you already have.

Expect losses. Viewer counts fluctuate. You'll have good months and bad months. That's life and Youtube is no different.

Get ready for copyright claims. If you want to avoid your channel being flagged (like one of mine) try to avoid banned/claimed audio and video.

Edited by: GC_Vos

GC_Vos wrote:
Thumbnails haven't been mentioned before but they are crucial in getting attention. Your content can be superb, if your thumbnail shows a blurred glass of water nobody is going to click it.
If you know how to use your editing suite (assuming you do if you want to get into this) add thumbnails to related videos at the end of each upload. Annotate them and link your videos to each other.

That's so true.

Me and a friend have created a new youtube channel. We play mostly indie horror like some people who have already posted here. We would appreciate it if you guys came by and visited. Here is the link : Youtube.com like and sub if you feel we deserve it!

Thanks,
Saft

Haha I remember those ads telling me they suscribed when I first started lol.
Oh well my tip (I'm small still so take it as you will)
DO what you enjoy and act natural,,, almost as if u arn't recording
Here a link to my channel if you wanna see what I've done
www.youtube.com/StormrReaper

I play alot of different games and i used to do lets play's until Youtubes new copyright system. I love doing what i do and i am very close to reaching my goal of 100 subs! Here's a link to my channel if you want to help me reach that goal Youtube.com

mhh

Edited by: Magic_Colour_667

Think this is a great place to start and look, but not 100% sure how this turned into a "let me post my youtube channel for everyone to see" post

We play mostly indie horror like some people who have already posted here. We would appreciate it if you guys came by and visited. I had my channel running for about 9 months , with about 43 subs, each video ranges from 10-200 views and many different Addition Math Games . Nowadays it is extremely difficult to reach great results within games, i mostly play indie horror stuff! i try to be original and try to be consistent as much as i possibly can!

@MrFidelmios - I record gameplays only Agree with 9 points, but not with this one
I play indie game and it is very different with number views. For example gameplay of Env - almost 300 views in 4 weeks, but - for comprasion - Gaurodan has 232 views by... 6 months! Also what is interesting - in only two weeks gameplay of Deep Eclipse get a 3 000 views. Before these 3k it was about... hmm.... 20(?) by two months.
Number of views depend of many things. Few points from my experience:
1 - if some game is officially given for free, even only by short time, people want to check it first and looking for video
2 - as MORE famous game you will get LESS views. Why? Because hundreds, no - thousands people will make this same clip.
3 - be original and try to do something that was not made yet. What? I have no idea If I had I did it
4 - put clips and get a patience.
5 - remember, it's hobby. Don't think about it as way of life or bussiness - if You did probably you will be bankrupt very shortly in this way

Also, after 2 years of having my channel there was 2 offer by PM for me to join Network. At this moment I am in TNG Network and have some money for views. Because I have 95% of indie games, my best montly payment was... 2,05 USD Because of point 5, I am not sad but happy. It means some people really want to see indie games gameplay.

If You are interested, my channel is here: Youtube.com
New subscribers invited

Edited by: HenryT77

Can you subscribe to my channel??? Its name is StopGames and it's got a dollar for image ..thanks!!!