Nick2cd Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 I've noticed a lot of the woodworking channels i watch on youtube have started to do woodwork/videos/website exclusively for a living. Examples: Steve Ramsey, John Heisz, Drunken Woodworker (David P), Matthias Wandel, and the list goes on…. I realize all of their income isn't coming from youtube alone, but it just makes me wonder how it all works logistically. Does youtube make up the bulk of their annual income? Are they selling boatloads of plans on their websites? Have craft fairs reignited all over the country, thus raining dollar bills onto woodworkers who sell pencil holders and cutting boards? Whatcha think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 With a lot of followers comes a lot of advertisers and sponsors.. Plus, with increased following comes being paid for appearances.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 It works like any other job. If we poll this forum, I'm sure we'd find people surviving over a range of incomes from $10k to well over six figures. So the same thing goes for YouTubers. They (we?) don't all make the same amount of money and we all have unique living situations that allowed us to take the plunge. When I started my woodworking business about 10 years ago, Nicole made enough money to cover our expenses with the exception of about $500/month. So in order to keep my business going at the time, I needed to pull in at least $500. That wouldn't be too difficult on Youtube these days so you can see that the barrier to entry for doing this as a full-time gig may not be quite as big as you think it might be. Again, all depends on one's specific financial and domestic situation. In my particular situation, and I'm guessing it's similar for other online content producers, I don't rely on any ONE thing for my survival. To do so would be a pretty risky endeavor. So it's the combined income from numerous sources that add up to something that puts food on the table. Any money from YouTube specifically is always welcome, but not something I'd be comfortable building a real business on. And TIODS, I can tell you from my personal experience that relying on money for appearances in the woodworking world is a great way to go poor. Unless you are Norm or Tommy Mac, you'll be lucky to get enough to justify the time away from home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 As for non-pro YouTubers, it's pretty much donated time, video hardware, etc. You have to like doing it cuz at no time do you get close to breaking even 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 And TIODS, I can tell you from my personal experience that relying on money for appearances in the woodworking world is a great way to go poor. Unless you are Norm or Tommy Mac, you'll be lucky to get enough to justify the time away from home. I'm quite sure you are correct however, it is another piece to the income puzzle. Like you said, you can't rely on any one piece but, all the pieces added together equals a living you can live with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 The more you can diversify your income the safer you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 What Paul said. My very creaky efforts on YT do not get close to covering even the very basic set up I use. However I do it for fun, if it ever gave me enough to cover the price of a nice camera that would be lovely. At the current rate that'll be 2028 :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted August 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 Interesting discussion, gentlemen. Thanks for the info and view points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 Well, Graham, looks like I'll have to keep watching until 2028! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 Ha! If you manage that I'll whittle you a prize Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I've only been working at it all year and I've already made $28.89. Total. It's super easy! I don't even get the money until I hit $100. I have no idea how anyone is making enough to live on this way. Steve and Matthias get between 50-100k views on a video over the first few weeks at this point. I get 3k-8k. I made $17 last month. Multiply $17 by 15 (75k/5k) and you get $250. Now they have huge back catalogs of videos that are churning out views on top of whatever their new content generates, but even if you take their total views over the lifetime of their channel, unless they have a much better CPM than me, I don't see how it adds up to something you'd quit your day job over. Matthias has his plans for sale and Steve has sponsorships. I don't see my channel as something I hope to live off, just something I hope can supplement my income and let me do more of the creative stuff I like to do vs the pay the bills stuff that I don't. It's sort of a little retirement fund I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted August 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 krt, does youtube increase their payment per view when you get a higher number of views? maybe the 70K views that Steve is getting is being paid at a different rate than what you're getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Most of the ads go through the google adwords auction system so there really can be a huge variation just from one video to another. You can see in your analytics what the average CPM (cost per thousand) the advertisers paid, of which you only get a portion (which they don't actually show you). I wouldn't be surprised if Steve understands how to work the system for a better CPM but I don't think you get treated any differently regardless of how many subscribers you have or anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 The only thing more views does is improve your placement on the right-side margin list of "other things you might like". Some of those are sponsored meaning someone is paying for better placement, but if your video that matches the search keywords has high views, it'll put it there, too, to fill out the list. Which results in that extra hundredth of a cent when someone picks it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I anyone wants ideas on "potential" you could take a look at social blade http://socialblade.com/ . I don't think it's mega accurate at all but it would give you some idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I believe WWMM has a deal where you can donate $ to help support his efforts to maintain a free source of wood working material on the web. Don't have any idea how much it brings in and really it's none of my business. I have never felt compelled to donate but do enjoy the videos and information I get from YouTube.I guess I'm a tight ass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 It probably also doesn't hurt that if you start searching for "woodworking" you get Steve's channel suggested to you by the time you get to "woodw" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A McQuay Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I've heard of something called a YouTube Partner after a certain amount of subscribers but I've never looked into it. Sent from my phone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I'm just guessing here, but I don't think there are very many actual "professional youtubers." I'm assuming that the main goal is to increase one's exposure and drive traffic to their external site where they conduct the majority of their business. The scraps that youtube pays producers of content is just a bonus. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see the vast majority of youtubers making a livable wage purely on their videos. There are a few huge outfits out there that generate millions of hits...maybe they're cashing in...but for most people I think it's just another form of social media to increase exposure. And it does that very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 That's still being a professional; YouTube is the marketing device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Right, I'm saying that generating income on youtube isn't the profession, per se. That's not to say that professionals don't use youtube, it's just not the profession in and of itself. Although I'm sure there are a very small few who do rely solely on youtube payments to make a living. A very small few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A McQuay Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Professional in this sense would just mean people who are making regular, monetized, videos; and there are no shortage of those people so clearly they are getting something besides satisfaction. John Heisz recently quit his day job to focus on youtube, as did the guy from Drunken Woodworker. Woodworkers are small fry in the wide ocean of youtube though. I imagine it like many other creative careers where you are not relying on a single avenue of income. I've noticed a few new people this year that get many thousands of views, within hours of posting, with only a handful of subscribers. I'm guessing they are paying to promote those videos which might pay off in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I've heard of something called a YouTube Partner after a certain amount of subscribers but I've never looked into it. Sent from my phone using Tapatalk You used to have to be invited by YouTube to be a partner but now anyone can do it. Being a partner is the only way you can monetize your videos. So it used to mean something but it doesn't anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I know some people make in the 10's of thousands a year on youtube. Several of my coworkers follow this girl, and all she does lipsink popular songs. This is one of her top videos, 125 million views isn't to shabby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A McQuay Posted August 16, 2014 Report Share Posted August 16, 2014 You used to have to be invited by YouTube to be a partner but now anyone can do it. Being a partner is the only way you can monetize your videos. So it used to mean something but it doesn't anymore. Heh, You are so very correct. I checked and am already a "Partner". Guess they are setting the bar low these days. I've only been working at it all year and I've already made $28.89. Well you are smoking me. I'm just doing it for fun and when I feel like it. It did inspire me to get something better than a cell phone for a camera though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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