YouTube Hassles + Headaches

Why I Don't Post As Much As I Once Did On YouTube...For Now

Almost every day, I get comments or messages about my reduced posting schedule—especially from those watching my content on YouTube.

Maybe it’s my fault for making so many quality montages last year. Maybe it’s the fault of those who assume creating those montages is easy, fast, or free. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s YouTube’s fault for promoting the idea that the comments section is a place to pop off and voice opinions as fact, with or without receipts.

Whatever the case, I’m over it.

The internet isn’t Burger King…you can’t always have it your way.

My corner of the internet is more like King Burger.
And I’m more like Bon Qui Qui: “You’re gonna have a Coke!”

Sorry—not sorry—I decide what and when I post on my YouTube channel (and on every other platform for that matter).

Sorry—not sorry—I believe content creators (myself included) should be able to make a living from our work. YouTube channels educate and entertain just as much as—if not more than—traditional tv channels. Yet, the level of disrespect I encounter daily makes disabling comments and/or ignoring emails a regular necessity.

I love making content, but I don’t love the headaches that often come with it.

I don’t love dealing with false copyright claims, scam attempts, or unkind comments from people who seem to think tearing others down will make them feel better. I don’t love relying on algorithms and bots to determine my reach.

And I really don’t love how hard YouTube makes it to consistently monetize and pay my bills. Some days, I flat-out hate the platform and those running it. Which is why I’ve struggled to justify making and posting more montages on the platform lately.

Once upon a time, I thought YouTube was a fair platform for creators—big and small. But based on my experience, the platform (and its little bots too) has evolved to make it increasingly difficult for smaller creators to survive and thrive.

Monetization is a nightmare. For those of us lucky enough to quality for the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube takes a generous 45% cut of AdSense revenue and 30% of everything else (Super Chats, Super Thanks, and Memberships).

What do creators get in return?

Besides a place to upload and a vague chance of promotion, YouTube offers:

1. A broken Content ID system

2. A useless Creator "Support" team

3. Blatant censorship and fraud

4. Ever-changing guidelines and rules

5. Spam from their various partners and programs

6. Ad-suitability restrictions

7. An opaque review process that usually starts with creators being treated like criminals and typically ends with them being treated like children

On top of this, I have received multiple “Community Guidelines” strikes for minor infractions, while many larger (and straighter) channels blatantly violate YouTube’s Terms of Service without consequence.

The result? For me, thousands of dollars in lost revenue and countless hours hoping YouTube’s “Support” will do more than rubberstamp its bots findings. The circle jerk there is real…annoying.

Every montage I make involves hours of research and editing. Unlike many YouTubers, I can’t (currently) just hit record and upload. My montages take time—sometimes days—to create and curate. And lately? YouTube’s algorithm has been showing my work to fewer and fewer people.

YouTube seems to reward quantity over quality. The more you post, the more you’re seen. But take your time crafting something meaningful and you risk being buried under an avalanche of clickbait and low-effort content.

Contrary to what some unkind viewers seem to believe, making these montages isn’t free. Equipment, software, music licensing, and cloud storage all cost money. And as for my time, I definitely think it’s worth more than nothing. And yet, YouTube happily takes its cuts irregardless of how little it offers in return.

The reality? If you’re not pulling in millions of views per video, YouTube likely won’t be paying for lunch, much less your monthly living expenses.

So, for now, I’m stepping back—not quitting, just reevaluating. I’ll still post when it makes sense for me, when the content feels worth the effort. But I refuse to let the algorithm and platform to dictate my time, my money, or my mental health.

If you haven’t noticed, I don’t like being told what to do or when to do it. For better and worse, it’s who I am and how I walk through the world.

To those who get it and continue to support me—both emotionally and financially—thank you, thank YOU, and THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart, you’re the reason I keep creating, even if I don’t post as often as YouTube wants me to.

Keep calm and keep creating! 🌈✌️
Clint

P.S. A new montage will be dropping later today—here on Substack, not YouTube.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

• David Hockney Just Keeps Painting (W Magazine)

• Justice Roberts Rebukes Trump's Call To Impeach Judge (Axios)

• Hollywood Director Arrested On Charges Of Swindling Netflix Out Of $11M For A Show That Never Aired (Associated Press)

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ON THIS DAY = MARCH 19

BIRTHDAYS

• 1821 = Richard Francis Burton = English soldier, geographer, and diplomat 🌈

• 1847 = Albert Pinkham Ryder = American painter

• 1848 = Wyatt Earp = American police officer

• 1864 = Charles Marion Russell = American painter and sculptor

• 1872 = Sergei Diaghilev = critic, ballet impresario, and Ballets Russes founder 🌈

• 1880 = Ernestine Rose = American librarian and advocate

• 1882 = Gaston Lachaise = French-American sculptor

• 1891 = Earl Warren = American lieutenant, jurist, and politician

• 1892 = Theodore Sizer = American professor of the history of art

• 1894 = Moms Mabley = American comedian and singer 🌈

• 1916 = Irving Wallace = American writer

• 1921 = Tommy Cooper = British magician and prop comedian

• 1933 = Renée Taylor = American actor, producer, and screenwriter

• 1936 = Ursula Andress = Swiss model and actor

• 1937 = Clarence "Frogman" Henry = American singer-songwriter and pianist

• 1947 = Glenn Close = American actor, singer, and producer

• 1953 = Ricky Wilson = American singer-songwriter and musician 🌈

• 1955 = Bruce Willis = German-American actor and producer

• 1963 = Neil LaBute = American filmmaker

• 1980 = Theo Von = American stand-up comedian

• 1991 = Garrett Clayton = American actor and singer 🌈

EVENTS

• 1649 = The House of Commons of England passes an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it "useless and dangerous to the people of England".

• 1831 = First documented bank heist in U.S. history, when burglars stole $245,000 (1831 values) from the City Bank (now Citibank) on Wall Street.

• 1859 = Charles Gounod's opera Faust premieres in Paris.

• 1918 = The US Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.

• 1931 = Governor Fred B. Balzar signs a bill legalizing gambling in Nevada.

• 1932 = The Sydney Harbour Bridge is opened.

• 1979 = The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.

• 1982 = Victor/Victoria is released in theaters.

• 1987 = The FDA approves AZT for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• National Backyard Day

• National Chocolate Caramel Day

• National Let's Laugh Day

PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

”I don't write down lyrics or anything else, and I've no idea how guitar-tuning is supposed to go. I just work with the strings until something comes out that sounds good to me; from there, everything else falls into place.”
Ricky Wilson

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