- I've got some good news here folks.
Even if you're not part of a YouTube Partner Program,
YouTube is gonna start monetizing your videos.
The problem is you're not gonna see a penny of it.
(upbeat music)
All right, let's get straight into this one.
YouTube have updated their terms of service.
And they have added a term that reads as such.
Right to monetize.
You grant to YouTube the right to monetize your content
on the service.
And such monetization may include displaying ads on
or within content or charging users, a fee for access.
This agreement does not entitle you to any payments.
To translate that out of legal speak a little bit,
YouTube added the following.
For channels not yet in the YouTube Partner Program,
we've added this new section to let you know
that starting today, we'll begin slowly rolling out ads
on a limited number of videos from channels,
not in a YouTube Partner Program.
This means that as a creator,
that's not in a YouTube Partner Program,
you may see ads on some of your videos.
Since you're not currently in the YouTube Partner Program,
you won't receive a share of the revenue from those ads.
Though you'll still have the opportunity to apply
for the YouTube Partner Program as you normally would
once you meet the eligibility requirements.
Now, before I jump into this in more detail,
I wanna hear from you in the comments below,
what is your first reaction to this big monetization update?
And now for my faults.
It feels at this point as if YouTube
can't get through an entire year
without some episode rocking the creator community.
We've had Article 13, net neutrality,
Adpocalypse, COPPA last year and now this.
Now I think the one thing to stress is that
I don't think you're going to see all of a sudden
adverts on every single YouTube video on the platform.
YouTube do state that they're going to roll out
some ads on a limited number of videos.
And given how YouTube usually do these things,
they'll test on maybe five or 10% of the content.
But, the terms of service
do mean that they could roll it out to 100%
of the content on the platform.
Now let's jump into the YouTube ecosystem
to see how it impacts all of the stakeholders.
In very basic terms, there are three stakeholders.
Those who create content, those who watch that content
and those who want to sell things to viewers
by paying for advertising space on creator's content.
And every time YouTube make a change,
it shifts this balance.
In simple terms this change looks to benefit advertisers
by giving them more choice
on the content they can advertise.
Whilst annoying users with more ads
and infuriating creators who don't benefit
from any of this ad revenue.
In fact, the stakeholder who stands
to make the most from this are YouTube themselves.
Potentially millions more ad served
along with 100% of the revenue.
Now I will admit at this point, I I'm not a business expert.
I don't have a degree in economics.
I'm just looking at this like the average creator.
And it feels to me like a bit of a cynical cash grab
from YouTube.
But, having said that,
let's have a look at some of the potential benefits of this.
If you still subscribe to the conspiracy theory,
that monetized videos are more discoverable on YouTube,
then you're gonna get more views on your content,
which is gonna get you to the
YouTube Partner Program requirements faster.
On a more serious note,
if YouTube does this try to monetize your content,
even if you're not in the YouTube Partner Program,
that does feel like some validation
that your content is worthy of being monetized,
so that when you do meet the requirements,
you should be confident in the knowledge
that you will be accepted into the partner program.
This next one is a theoretical pro.
But what would be cool is for YouTube to show those creators
who are having their content monetized,
but not receiving the revenue.
Show those creators how much money those videos are earning
so they know what they're going to be earning
when they are accepted into the YouTube Partner Program.
And that offers an incentive.
But YouTube aren't gonna do that really, are they?
No, sorry, the more I think about it,
the more negatives I can think of for creators.
I've always said that one of the great benefits of YouTube
is that it gives you a distribution platform
of 2 billion users for you to share your content for free
until you're monetized.
And now that's no longer the case.
YouTube are benefiting from you
as you aim towards that money target.
I also think about the potential pitfalls
for creators who are monetized.
If advertisers have more choice,
they could choose your video
and you will receive some of the ad revenue.
But maybe this creator's video
is better serving an audience.
And that creator is not receiving any money
and the advertiser chooses them,
that means the monetized channel doesn't get any money.
The creator obviously doesn't get any money there.
And YouTube wins ultimately.
Am I going too far down the rabbit hole there?
Also, I'm wondering if YouTube is trying to exploit
their legacy here a little bit.
They have over 15 years worth of video content
on the platform now.
Many of those videos have been made by creators
who have long since abandoned the platform
for whatever reason.
But those videos may have picked up momentum
and are getting thousands, hundreds of thousands,
even millions of views and the creator has no idea.
And YouTube's probably thinking at this point,
well, a lot of people are watching these videos
and that we could be placing adverts on them,
let's start doing it
even if the creator is not even aware it.
Again, I know I sound really cynical about this,
but what is the counter argument?
Maybe I need to do a future video
where I consider this a bit more and read your comments.
There's also the question of control.
If YouTube's gonna place adverts on your videos
and you can't monetize them,
can you even agree to what type of videos
are placed on that content?
When you are accepted into the YouTube Partner Program,
you have certain controls in ad sense
where you can tell YouTube,
I don't want adverts appearing from this website.
Or I don't agree with alcohol
or betting advertisement appearing on our content.
I'm guessing these creators
who are not yet in the YouTube Partner Program,
have no idea control of that.
And again, that feels wrong.
Now, given the away the terms service are written,
I will assume that this doesn't affect monetized channels.
For example, if you are
already part of a YouTube Partner Program,
and you choose not to monetize your content,
us, then YouTube isn't gonna exploit our videos
and stick adverts on them and take 100% of the profit.
I think that would be crossing the line.
So ironically, if you do want to create ad free content,
potentially in the future,
you have to meet the requirements to enter monetization.
Be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program
and then turn monetization off.
Huh, now what I will say
is that YouTube have been very clear and transparent
about this communication,
which is one of the things they have been trying to do
over the last couple of years.
And I will credit them with that.
It's in the YouTube creator blog
on the date the terms of service were updated.
However, usually you will find some form of positive spin
for everyone involved.
And the creator blog seems to focus on
the benefits it's going to give to advertisers
without considering the impact on creators at all.
Especially during this year where things have been
very chaotic, it feels a little tone deaf.
Now I will admit in this video to being somewhat negative.
I'm projecting the worst case scenario.
It's an unavoidable, that's the type of thing we do
when we hear this type of news.
However, when we think about those other challenges
that have come to us as creators of a YouTube,
in the last few years, net neutrality, Article 13,
Adpocalypse and the FTC COPPA rulings,
have those worst case scenarios come to bear?
And mostly not.
Yes, COPPA really did affect channels
that were made for kids.
And Adpocalypse also shifted the dimensions.
But as in all of those cases,
the balance eventually sorted itself out.
Now lemme hasten to add that this didn't balance out for
absolutely everybody.
Some channels were absolutely destroyed by these events.
But generally speaking, buy large,
the idea of YouTube and creators and viewers and advertisers
has stayed intact.
And then when I try playing devil's advocate with this,
the question is, what's really going to happen here?
Yes, there may be more adverts or more videos,
but I think viewers are totally accustomed to this by now.
Yes, YouTube is going to profit
from your content when you're not even allowed to
monetize it.
And from a principal level, that stinks.
But you weren't going to earn any money from that video
anyway.
So there is that to consider.
And we have to remember
that this is all still rented ground.
YouTube is well within their rights to do whatever they want
with a platform.
We can decide whether or not we want to use it.
At the end of the day,
somebody can start a YouTube channel today,
upload a video and reach potentially billions of users.
And it still costs them, absolutely nothing.
But it does mean that your content
could be lining YouTube's coffers.
And hopefully with the extra revenue
that they do potentially earn,
they're going to put it back into the creator community.