Anyone else getting this message from YouTube concerning channels below 1K?!?!

[R-Rated]

Holy smokes they know how to sneak it in don't they? This email was received just a couple of minutes after 10pm local time:
_______________________________

Today we are announcing changes to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). While our goal remains to keep the YPP open to as many channels as possible, we recognize we need more safeguards in place to protect creator revenue across the YouTube ecosystem.

LEARN MORE​

What's Changing
Under the new eligibility requirements announced today, your YouTube channel, xxxxxxxxxx, is no longer eligible for monetization because it doesn’t meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watchtime within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. As a result, your channel will lose access to all monetization tools and features associated with the YouTube Partner Program on February 20, 2018 unless you surpass this threshold in the next 30 days. Accordingly, this email serves as 30 days notice that your YouTube Partner Program terms are terminated.
One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel. Creators who haven’t yet reached this new threshold can continue to benefit from our Creator Academy, our Help Center, and all the resources on the Creator Site to grow their channels. Once your channel reaches the new threshold, it will be reviewed to make sure it adheres to our policies and guidelines, and if so, monetization will be re-enabled.

LEARN MORE​

The YouTube Team

_________________________________________

Now for the questions I have when reading the above and my answers in italic:
1. Does that mean they will also not receive any money from content that does not qualify for monetization?
I am pretty sure they will get their money from ads no matter what. The creator is really getting crumbs that fall from the table of mighty Google/YouTube. But what alternative do we have to get our art out there for others to see?

2. What about the Yellow Dollar of Death? Will we even have to worry about being good boys and girls in creating advertiser friendly content?
Sh!t, the sentence that reads - " Once your channel reaches the new threshold, it will be reviewed to make sure it adheres to our policies and guidelines, and if so, monetization will be re-enabled." Seems to hint that it will be Mad Max times to grow the small channel into a medium channel and then the creator has to be sure they are playing all nice-nice to get the parts of a percentage.

3. Will the creator still receive money from previously loaded videos that qualified under monetization?
I would not hold my breath. Imagine how tempting it is for the mighty Tube to glom onto all that little parts of revenue just to be like Office Space and end up with a fat (ter) check.

4. Do they offer lubricant or at least take the small creator out to a meal before bending them over?
I would not expect them to even drop me off at my door after this is over.

5. What about those that went the way of paying for subs?
Better hope them paid subs watch all the videos all the way through. Remember this little detail "...because it doesn’t meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watchtime within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers"? Basically the creator needs at least 11 hours per day 365 days a year to get the magic 4K hours of viewing. Whew, sure my math may be a little off but you get the point.

So, final question, what are you going to do about this? Me? I am going to spread the word. It may get someone's attention at least...

 

[Reize]

I got the message for my videography channel. Which sucks, i only have 170 subs on that one. But I do get enough views there to make a few dollars per month.

They were concerned about people spamming videos to leech of the adsense revenue. But all this means is the otherwise legit creators are now going to start spamming extremely long, low quality videos in order to keep their view counts up to avoid going under.

It's fucking shit, because my videography channel is where I honestly put out the better quality vids but it's the one that gets the shaft.

 

[R-Rated]

Just in case my first post above triggers the TL;DR - reminds me of this advert:

 

[R-Rated]

I got the message for my videography channel. Which sucks, i only have 170 subs on that one. But I do get enough views there to make a few dollars per month.

They were concerned about people spamming videos to leech of the adsense revenue. But all this means is the otherwise legit creators are now going to start spamming extremely long, low quality videos in order to keep their view counts up to avoid going under.

It's fucking shit, because my videography channel is where I honestly put out the better quality vids but it's the one that gets the shaft.

Totally true. Basically forces you to migrate the other channel into making it a playlist off of your bigger channel IF you want to get those few bucks a month.

My thing is it really shafts someone with numbers like this (from my analytics)

Watch time for the last 28 days - 120,432 = 2007 hours = 66.blah hours per day watched

Views - 20,518 = 732 views per day

So the channel has the traffic.

Subs are below 400. Why? Well I don't sub to everyone I enjoy because of autocomplete and suggested videos. Plus one group I ride with has a few folks that technically challenged in addition to me posting the content on Facebook and announcing on Instagram. Basically between me and the system, we are enabling the viewers to NOT have to subscribe. They are going to be notified that a new video is up in some manner beside YouTube pooping in their notification or email.


Now as far as folks leeching to get revenue - that is a mess in itself from some of the "quality" content the big channels are cranking out. Anyone know the name Logan Paul? Just the most recent big channel to cross the line.

 

[lupin]

Well this will cause a outrage.

I have several questions, my main one is when you reach the threshold, do you get back the revenue you have earnt in the past. I'm actually that close to the $100 mark that if you don't I'll buy 1000 subs, get the money and close my account.

 

[Reize]

Well this will cause a outrage.

I have several questions, my main one is when you reach the threshold, do you get back the revenue you have earnt in the past. I'm actually that close to the $100 mark that if you don't I'll buy 1000 subs, get the money and close my account.

It already has caused a huge bloody outrage amongst the "common people".

The problem is Youtube see, Youtube don't care. They were already this way back when they implemented the minimum views to qualify for YPP. People threw a little fit, Youtube went ahead anyway.

Now, this is going to be an EVEN bigger fit, but I foresee it's still gonna happen and Youtube won't pay their dues for the free advertising that these small content creators are providing their site with.

 

[Reize]

Now as far as folks leeching to get revenue - that is a mess in itself from some of the "quality" content the big channels are cranking out. Anyone know the name Logan Paul? Just the most recent big channel to cross the line.

Logan Paul IS THE product of the Youtube system. It is because of Youtube's insistence on quantity over quality that spawned subhuman piles of shit like the Paul brothers.

The way Youtube runs their business, while profitable, is utterly disgusting and manipulative.

 

[R-Rated]

Well this will cause a outrage.

I have several questions, my main one is when you reach the threshold, do you get back the revenue you have earnt in the past. I'm actually that close to the $100 mark that if you don't I'll buy 1000 subs, get the money and close my account.

If you analytics are like mine then buying subs may be a good investment. Of the 120K minutes viewing I cited, only 11K are from subs. That means the rest could be carried by bots IF the YouTube rulers do not cross check through some algorithm to catch that.

 

[R-Rated]

Logan Paul IS THE product of the Youtube system. It is because of Youtube's insistence on quantity over quality that spawned subhuman piles of shit like the Paul brothers.

The way Youtube runs their business, while profitable, is utterly disgusting and manipulative.

Yep and Vimeo has a cap on the amount of videos/data stored for the free accounts. I am not too certain that they free accounts get ad revenue. Alternatively, you could host your own but then where is the ad revenue there coming though?

If you develop a line of merch, sure, but then would that take too much away from artistic integrity of the line of merch was too big?

 

[R-Rated]

Well this will cause a outrage.

I have several questions, my main one is when you reach the threshold, do you get back the revenue you have earnt in the past. I'm actually that close to the $100 mark that if you don't I'll buy 1000 subs, get the money and close my account.

It might not be a profitable endeavor for some:

 

[Reize]

Yep and Vimeo has a cap on the amount of videos/data stored for the free accounts. I am not too certain that they free accounts get ad revenue. Alternatively, you could host your own but then where is the ad revenue there coming though?

If you develop a line of merch, sure, but then would that take too much away from artistic integrity of the line of merch was too big?

Merch doesn't work for all content creators. I am a videographer. I shoot cosplay videos to showcase camera and editing work. That is the product I am selling. It is very difficult to merchandise these sort of thing.

That's why I am so angry at the change because it hits us the worst. At least animators may still have original characters they used in their films to create stuff like T-shirts, pins, badges, mugs, etc.

 

[lupin]

I could get to the 1000 mark for $19.

If that means getting $100 back its kinda a no brainier.

 

[Reize]

I could get to the 1000 mark for $19.

If that means getting $100 back its kinda a no brainier.

If you close your adsense account you don't have to spend money though.

 

[R-Rated]

If you close your adsense account you don't have to spend money though.

Can you explain this a little further for those who are not as famaliar?

 

[R-Rated]

Just a thought before I head to bed. . .

IF a creator buys subs then eventually those subs will fall off at some point. Depending on the rate of decline, you could be in a cycle of buying a few more subs just to keep the numbers up for whatever the Tube Dudes are going to crunch to make sure the channel meets the stipulations. Think about how they are rolling this out now. It is easy to see them ready to send the email again the moment the channel stumbles a little.

Just something to think about . . .

 

[Reize]

Can you explain this a little further for those who are not as famaliar?

As in if you close your account entirely (the process, maybe googling or reading their faq will do better) Google Adsense will pay out whatever outstanding amount is in your account to your bank.

 

[lupin]

As in if you close your account entirely (the process, maybe googling or reading their faq will do better) Google Adsense will pay out whatever outstanding amount is in your account to your bank.

Interesting. Wonder if they will pay out money anyway.

I’m kinda annoyed at this because finally my channel was showing some decent growth in recent months.

 

[Reize]

Interesting. Wonder if they will pay out money anyway.

I’m kinda annoyed at this because finally my channel was showing some decent growth in recent months.

Likewise, I only very recently just managed to scrape by on my motorcycle channel with their newest criterias. And my cosplay videography channel is obviously going to tank with this iteration.

Considering the last time they moved the goal post was merely a year back, I shudder to think what would happen if i'm not sitting at 10,000 subs by 2019....they might shut down my motovlogging channel too.

 

[WingManGT]

I just saw this. It seems to me they don't want new people to make money on their platform and they do everything in their power to discourage us.

 

[MotoAdventureMe]

Very disappointing. I'd have to triple my subs and double my monthly watch time. Doubt I can do that in 30 days.