Huh, you’ve been faking it all along! Hahaha! Enjoying the videos… oh, by the way, perhaps the record shop guy was just an employee and not the owner. Some employees lack enthusiasm due to low pay. Also, did you stop to think the guy in the store may have just experienced a tragedy, such as the passing of a pet or even a family member? Perhaps you should go back at least once to confirm as to his being a real dickhead or not. You could be the one missing an opportunity, you just never know.
Ok , I just have to say, I dig the choice of shirt sir. Paisley is cool. And I am curious, is you place a flat, house or apartment? Not too shabby… have a most excellent day!
Yeah, I know you’re right. There are so many reasons why he might have been a bit off that day and I should probably give him the benefit of the doubt. But… he was probably the owner… probably… and he was just sitting there reading a book. Ha ha! Perhaps you’re a better man than I?
As to where I live… it depends on the story I’m telling. Ha ha! I like to pretend that I’ve created the whole place out of balsa wood. A studio backdrop for my false enthusiasm! Ha ha!
I would usually agree with you… however… this is a small business with, in my opinion, limited clientele in my area. I’m just surprised that he didn’t make the effort to ensure my repeat custom. His loss.
(In general though… yes… I prefer that shop staff don’t hassle me! I know… I’m being contrary!)
Yes, his loss, so why do you have that emotional attachment to that event? 😛 One of correct answers is you’re human, but it’s not the one that would solve something. … Maybe it’s useful for you to have these blind spots (everyone including me has blind spots in assesment of “life”, people just differ in the placement of those), because as much as I like my inner peace / clarity, it makes writting lyrics somewhat difficult. That might be my blind spot, atleast in some aspects of it.
Anyway, if you’d like to join my “nobody gives a shit” records, you’re welcome. It’s completely fictional company. So fictional that I didn’t even bother to write it somewhere in the cover of my EDM album… probably that I didn’t bother to complete that cover apart from the front.
On the returning topic of fame / popularity / success. https://youtu.be/1SINJTza98w watch this and carefully listen to Niel describing difference between being an educator and putting it out there. The second one is what I do, and you can see on my sub count how much it’s effective in department of popularity ( It’s not ).
* warning: incoming moan * In the case of Sudden Doom, I definitely misjudged the expectations. I didn’t expect it being popular, but one or two people who would play it and tell me if they like it or if it’s shit, were expected and they’re nowhere to be found. * end of moan *
You definitely need to answer to yourself if you want big channel or underground channel. Until that happens, you’re stuck. If you choose big channel, it would be useful to define how big, thousands of subs, tens of thousands or more? (some levels might be unrealisable with your content, but that’s to decide for later)
From my short “viral” expirience and some already deleted videos with hunderts of views, I can tell you following. You can’t depend on YT to promote your stuff until you hit certain unknown numbers. It looks to me that, the way to bypass the “certain numbers” thing is in forums / repost sites. Here is the point where I can’t exactly direct you exactly, as I’m familiar only with Czech based ones. I think Reddit, 4chan are global aternatives to what I mean, guitar forums like Mylespaul.com, producer forums, photograps forums, there are forums for everything today.
Take it step by step. Definie to yourself ( without any relation to reality first ) how would succes / fame look like (beatlemania like? just different woman everyday? shitload of money from YT alone?), when that definition will be done, confront it with reality (popularity comes with hate, you can’t find interwiev with Kerry King on YT without some comment that he’s absolute dick). The better defined the easier is to decide.
If i’d be decent psychologist or psychologist at all, you’d have already thought all of it through and had decision… and maybe not. 😀 Anyway, good luck.
The truth is I have no control whatsoever over the popularity of my channel. I can kid myself that I can ‘steer’ myself in a certain direction… but I can’t. What is clear is that if I keep making videos like my Saturday Show my channel will eventually fail. My subscriber count is at best static, at worst diminishing. But subscribers only account for a tiny percentage of my viewership. The problem is that, day in day out, my most watched videos are pedal reviews I filmed years ago! You know where I’m coming from. We’re on the same page.
I do have a clear purpose. I want people to want to listen to what I have to say. Then they might be interested in hearing my music. But I’m failing. This isn’t a moan. It’s just thinking out aloud. I need to give people what they want to become more popular. I either need to film more pedal reviews… or cause some controversy. At the moment I am inclined to do neither.
On the other hand. There is nothing wrong with simply doing what I enjoy. There are enough people along for the ride to justify myself. I still say that a room of 80 people listening to what I have to say is a pretty good gig. Thanks for your continued advice. I very much appreciate it. 🙂
“The truth is I have no control whatsoever over the popularity of my channel.” false in absolute sense of things, but practical way of looking at it. Definitely in a sense of staying sane. Those pedal reviews probably have the advantage of being published before “Promote already popular” was fully implemented, or do they still atract lot of trafic these days? I didn’t check. The pedal review way is very unpractical for your goal and probably even for you. I mean you don’t have music shop behind your back, to have consistent flow of oedal amps etc. to review, as far as I know, and I think the percentage of Chappers’s viewers that also like Dorje is quite small. Another part of it which is definitely not for you is, gear heads are usualy wankers (shreders) playing wise, again limitings factor… yes, we’re on the same page here.
Looking for audience id like looking for girlfriend, you can put effort into looking good etc. , but you don’t have control over meeting the right one in the right moment. There’s one problem in this comparation. Audience is lot more people than girlfriend / wife and life is “programmed” ro reproduce. But having big (let’s ignore for moment how big) audience is something… eeeh … different, tied to personality traits and other things. That’s a bit shitty description, but I hope you’ll get the meaning.
Your USP being you is neccessary for you goal, which as much as it’s clear, is missng the way to it. You being you is neccessary for your sanity and happiness. Everyone (or almost everyone) can improve in being themself. However evolutinarily we are those who survive not those who are happy / life is under no obligation to be pleasant to be lived… worderful I fully digressed (facepalm). To the original point, you’re not easy to be sold, for following reasons (which we partialy share).
– Your taste in music can’t be easily defined, and or it can be described in terms that are familiar to people. Despite your love for Maiden, you’re not average metalhead etc. your taste for music seem to me be complex and driven by “forces”/things in music, that most of people are unaware of. This is trait that we share, except we don’t have many of those “drivers” in common… probably.
– You like to entertain complex thoughts, or maybe thinking about stuff is better description. We definitely share this one.
– Your content is thought provoking lot of times, sometimes unintentionaly. I can’t say this about my video output, but it’s not important now.
If you didn’t noticed, I just described aspects which made me your viewer. Now let’s look at them from point of “average” content consumer.
– can’t understand it, unrelatable
– takes effort and there no bait to make that effort
– takes effort again
The catch of popularity is to be either someone people dream to be like (Chappers for example) or having something relatable (rise of anti-SWJ channels for example, or Guitarstruggles in different way)
Btw. this is so never ending topic purely because I somehow sense, that you’d like to have bigger audience, not Pewdiepie bigger, or Chappers bigger, but bigger. And there’s also the thing, that each time I write something like this, it’s never complete.
Eeew, it’s long as hell again.
I’d probably like Chappers more if he would do the “bad day” rewiev sometimes. “This is fucking guitar ok, it has probably 6 strings, I can’t be arsed to count them”. He’s quite unprobable character to me.
Cheers for the lengthy replies. You’re very insightful. 🙂 I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. I will probably come back to this subject again and again so forgive me in advance!
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I forgot to mention upside of your USP… you can run out of pedals to review, problems on guitars to fix, but you won’t run out of you as long as you’ll be alive. 🙂
Agreed. For all my moaning… and there will always be plenty to come… I can indeed never run out of ‘material’! 🙂
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So whilst on a grand tour of Somerset (staying with relatives that reside in said lovely county) I was pleased when a notification of a post from Mr6 appeared in my emails. On my return home I now have the chance to post a reply which I have been unable to do since leaving YouTube. I do however watch your videos. I struggle with the popular interpretations of fake and real, very often it seems to me that the more “real” an individual claims to be the more fake they turn out to be. To suppress one’s own somber demeanor in an attempt to connect with another for whatever (sincere) reason is very real and shines a light on the often egocentric nature of so called “real” people who share many traits with those who claim to be “honest” no matter what the cost to others….. There is a suitable time for all of these different responses, if there is a tricky bit it is the timing. Good luck with your channel, it’s one of the best and if you do call it a day at some point I hope you continue to post elsewhere. I would even consider face book if that was the only option, although I would have to learn how to use it in a way that cuts out the mindless chatter that rules the internet. Stepping away from YouTube has been quite uplifting in many ways and I feel a real sense of freedom from the “syndicate of real people” that for me was quite suffocating. However I do wish them well and I hope that they find whatever it is that they are clearly looking for very soon : )
So glad that you’re still around! ‘Fake vs real’ is a problem on YouTube because I don’t believe a word that anyone says. Everyone is trying to sell something. I know what you mean about those proclaiming themselves to be real being the worst fake offenders out there! Ha ha! I’m watching someone on YouTube as I type who pisses me off more and more with each video. I will probably end up unsubscribing… and that’s weird in itself! In the old days, if you didn’t like a TV programme you just didn’t watch it. You didn’t have to cause a fuss. Now, I have to actively leave the ‘club’. Like I’m walking out of the door slamming it behind me! Ha ha! For what it’s worth I just try and be honest. I use silence rather than lies.
Facebook isn’t such a bad thing. In fact it’s been quite funny listening to the nonsense talked about it by people who never use it on YouTube channels over the past couple of years. You can lock down your profile to such an extent that you only see and hear what you want to see and hear. Occasionally something will creep through the guard… but it can be interesting stuff. Besides which, the youth have moved on. Facebook is now primarily aimed at the people who are dissing it! Ha ha! It’s like a paradox.
As for stepping away from YouTube, it is something that I need to do more of. I pride myself on watching far less TV than I used to… however in reality I have simply substituted it for YouTube. I need to be more selective in what I watch. And… to be honest, I have honed my channels down a fair bit. RedLetterMedia. Previously Recorded. Kinda Funny. Colin’s Last Stand. Leonard French. Philip DeFranco. AngryJoeShow. Okay… that list is already pretty long. But you’ll notice it’s mainly the larger channels. Such a turn around from where I started. And a shame in some ways. But the smaller channels only catch fire when they’re squabbling. I still watch Guitarstruggles etc etc… but I also need to spend less time creating videos. Creating videos (as you’ll appreciate more than anyone!) saps my time. To the extreme! I enjoy it… but it’s a real slog. That’s not really a moan… it’s more a fact. But, like I said… I enjoy it. So I’ll carry on. But it’s gotta be said… I am having zero success. I think I need to truly nail down what I am trying to achieve. I still think that my aim is to encourage an interest in my music but I appreciate the almost-impossibility of that aim. No-one cares. And that’s not wrong of them. There is too much music and too much bad music and not enough time to listen to even the good music and not enough time for anything anymore. Where did all the time go?
I should take a leaf out of your book. But just remember… there is a YouTube world out there where guitars aren’t even understood let alone talked about. You could still dip your toe in. Or just come here and comment. Any activity at all on this site will make my day! Ha ha! I almost forget I’ve got a website sometimes. I do intend to do more with it. Honestly! Would I lie to you?
Problem with Facebook is, unles they changed the rules in last 2 years, anything you upload on facebook is no longer yours. It becomes property of Facebook. So it’s not good media hosting platform IMO. For keeping in contact with people it’s good.
As far as faking it for the camera on youtube vids, I treat the camera like it’s an old friend I haven’t seen in a while and am actually quite happy to see them, that seems to give a reasonable balance. (Mind you, the amount of videos I scrap because I find I haven’t smiled at all, well, it’s a lot).. I also remember a quote from an F1 pundit who reckoned the secret was to be yourself, but just slightly exaggerated by 10% or so. It’s a hard balance to get right, so I think it also helps if you already feel comfortable behind a camera or mic..so all those Pub gigs we all did way back then, carrying on regardless of screaming drunks and rooms full of apathy, do come in handy..
I agree with the +10% quote. That’s what I do. I don’t lie… but I do choose to record when I’m in a good mood! And then I try to up the enthusiasm a little. Why would people choose to watch someone who looks like he doesn’t give a shit? … or maybe they do watch that? Ha ha! My lack of success suggests I might just be getting it all plain wrong!!!
As my back and forth banter with Explosive suggests, I accept my ‘USP’ is just being a (/pretend)friend and talking earnestly to camera. That’s it. The USP. Not great… but it’s all I’ve got! And, to be honest, it’s what I look for in other people. For instance, I would love more ‘straight to camera’ from you and less guitar. Controversial? Not meant to be! You’re a fantastic guitar player… but you’re an even more fantastic raconteur. A piece from you every day and I’d be there! But I understand why it probably can’t be done… because it’s a killer! An absolute killer. More than any non-video maker will ever understand. /violins.
I chose to scale my output down to one video a week in the belief that it might be less work… but I was wrrroooonnnngggg!!! And it has not been a success! I think a 4 minute video a day would be a far better bet… but I tried that and just couldn’t ‘keep it up’. I sympathise with Ed Dana’s latest where he nearly took the words right out of my mouth. I have a slightly different perspective in that I am relatively happy (/lies to self) with my ‘club’. My weekly club. My 50 or so people who watch me with genuine interest. A weekly gig with 50 punters. Ahhh… that’s not so bad really. Is it? 🙂
It does seem that the standard advice is that regular videos are where it’s at, maybe 3 a week, but as you say, it’s not easy to do . If it gets to the point where it feels like I’m just banging out the vids to get something on line, then that’s not acceptable to me and I’d rather not bother, hence my recent quiet periods.
I suffer with depression as well, so being on top form isn’t always possible, so maybe I do have to force it a bit sometimes, but again, there’s only so far I can push that one.
I’m really interested in your comment about my guitar-based videos, I’ve thought about doing more non-guitar vids but wasn’t sure if anyone would be that interested, given the core support of my channel seems to be guitar people. I have considered stepping up the output here, and that gives me a bit more scope if I don’t have to do something impressive on a guitar every time !
I recently discovered a great guitar channel, a young guy called Sean Daniel, he seems to have the mix just about perfect ..really interesting tips and tuition, songs, great humour, and most important, it’s a nice chilled place to be.
I’d put your channel more along the lines of BBC Radio 4 than Radio 1..you might not get the huge views, but it’s content of a higher level, always interesting, and pretty much whatever subject you tackle, you’ll make it worth the watch..with Radio 4, I can end up listening to almost anything regardless of subject, just because it’s intelligent and though provoking content. You deserve a lot more views, I don’t have any answers and even if I did, I”d probably keep doing what I do anyway, as it keeps me happy, and if I’m not making a penny from it, then that’s the main reason for me doing it.
Cheers !
Huh, you’ve been faking it all along! Hahaha! Enjoying the videos… oh, by the way, perhaps the record shop guy was just an employee and not the owner. Some employees lack enthusiasm due to low pay. Also, did you stop to think the guy in the store may have just experienced a tragedy, such as the passing of a pet or even a family member? Perhaps you should go back at least once to confirm as to his being a real dickhead or not. You could be the one missing an opportunity, you just never know.
Ok , I just have to say, I dig the choice of shirt sir. Paisley is cool. And I am curious, is you place a flat, house or apartment? Not too shabby… have a most excellent day!
Yeah, I know you’re right. There are so many reasons why he might have been a bit off that day and I should probably give him the benefit of the doubt. But… he was probably the owner… probably… and he was just sitting there reading a book. Ha ha! Perhaps you’re a better man than I?
As to where I live… it depends on the story I’m telling. Ha ha! I like to pretend that I’ve created the whole place out of balsa wood. A studio backdrop for my false enthusiasm! Ha ha!
Also there’s the possibility that he mistaken you for me and acted accordingly. I don’t like shop people being chatty when we don’t know each other.
I would usually agree with you… however… this is a small business with, in my opinion, limited clientele in my area. I’m just surprised that he didn’t make the effort to ensure my repeat custom. His loss.
(In general though… yes… I prefer that shop staff don’t hassle me! I know… I’m being contrary!)
Yes, his loss, so why do you have that emotional attachment to that event? 😛 One of correct answers is you’re human, but it’s not the one that would solve something. … Maybe it’s useful for you to have these blind spots (everyone including me has blind spots in assesment of “life”, people just differ in the placement of those), because as much as I like my inner peace / clarity, it makes writting lyrics somewhat difficult. That might be my blind spot, atleast in some aspects of it.
Anyway, if you’d like to join my “nobody gives a shit” records, you’re welcome. It’s completely fictional company. So fictional that I didn’t even bother to write it somewhere in the cover of my EDM album… probably that I didn’t bother to complete that cover apart from the front.
On the returning topic of fame / popularity / success. https://youtu.be/1SINJTza98w watch this and carefully listen to Niel describing difference between being an educator and putting it out there. The second one is what I do, and you can see on my sub count how much it’s effective in department of popularity ( It’s not ).
* warning: incoming moan * In the case of Sudden Doom, I definitely misjudged the expectations. I didn’t expect it being popular, but one or two people who would play it and tell me if they like it or if it’s shit, were expected and they’re nowhere to be found. * end of moan *
You definitely need to answer to yourself if you want big channel or underground channel. Until that happens, you’re stuck. If you choose big channel, it would be useful to define how big, thousands of subs, tens of thousands or more? (some levels might be unrealisable with your content, but that’s to decide for later)
From my short “viral” expirience and some already deleted videos with hunderts of views, I can tell you following. You can’t depend on YT to promote your stuff until you hit certain unknown numbers. It looks to me that, the way to bypass the “certain numbers” thing is in forums / repost sites. Here is the point where I can’t exactly direct you exactly, as I’m familiar only with Czech based ones. I think Reddit, 4chan are global aternatives to what I mean, guitar forums like Mylespaul.com, producer forums, photograps forums, there are forums for everything today.
Take it step by step. Definie to yourself ( without any relation to reality first ) how would succes / fame look like (beatlemania like? just different woman everyday? shitload of money from YT alone?), when that definition will be done, confront it with reality (popularity comes with hate, you can’t find interwiev with Kerry King on YT without some comment that he’s absolute dick). The better defined the easier is to decide.
If i’d be decent psychologist or psychologist at all, you’d have already thought all of it through and had decision… and maybe not. 😀 Anyway, good luck.
You talk a lot of sense.
The truth is I have no control whatsoever over the popularity of my channel. I can kid myself that I can ‘steer’ myself in a certain direction… but I can’t. What is clear is that if I keep making videos like my Saturday Show my channel will eventually fail. My subscriber count is at best static, at worst diminishing. But subscribers only account for a tiny percentage of my viewership. The problem is that, day in day out, my most watched videos are pedal reviews I filmed years ago! You know where I’m coming from. We’re on the same page.
I do have a clear purpose. I want people to want to listen to what I have to say. Then they might be interested in hearing my music. But I’m failing. This isn’t a moan. It’s just thinking out aloud. I need to give people what they want to become more popular. I either need to film more pedal reviews… or cause some controversy. At the moment I am inclined to do neither.
On the other hand. There is nothing wrong with simply doing what I enjoy. There are enough people along for the ride to justify myself. I still say that a room of 80 people listening to what I have to say is a pretty good gig. Thanks for your continued advice. I very much appreciate it. 🙂
“The truth is I have no control whatsoever over the popularity of my channel.” false in absolute sense of things, but practical way of looking at it. Definitely in a sense of staying sane. Those pedal reviews probably have the advantage of being published before “Promote already popular” was fully implemented, or do they still atract lot of trafic these days? I didn’t check. The pedal review way is very unpractical for your goal and probably even for you. I mean you don’t have music shop behind your back, to have consistent flow of oedal amps etc. to review, as far as I know, and I think the percentage of Chappers’s viewers that also like Dorje is quite small. Another part of it which is definitely not for you is, gear heads are usualy wankers (shreders) playing wise, again limitings factor… yes, we’re on the same page here.
Looking for audience id like looking for girlfriend, you can put effort into looking good etc. , but you don’t have control over meeting the right one in the right moment. There’s one problem in this comparation. Audience is lot more people than girlfriend / wife and life is “programmed” ro reproduce. But having big (let’s ignore for moment how big) audience is something… eeeh … different, tied to personality traits and other things. That’s a bit shitty description, but I hope you’ll get the meaning.
Your USP being you is neccessary for you goal, which as much as it’s clear, is missng the way to it. You being you is neccessary for your sanity and happiness. Everyone (or almost everyone) can improve in being themself. However evolutinarily we are those who survive not those who are happy / life is under no obligation to be pleasant to be lived… worderful I fully digressed (facepalm). To the original point, you’re not easy to be sold, for following reasons (which we partialy share).
– Your taste in music can’t be easily defined, and or it can be described in terms that are familiar to people. Despite your love for Maiden, you’re not average metalhead etc. your taste for music seem to me be complex and driven by “forces”/things in music, that most of people are unaware of. This is trait that we share, except we don’t have many of those “drivers” in common… probably.
– You like to entertain complex thoughts, or maybe thinking about stuff is better description. We definitely share this one.
– Your content is thought provoking lot of times, sometimes unintentionaly. I can’t say this about my video output, but it’s not important now.
If you didn’t noticed, I just described aspects which made me your viewer. Now let’s look at them from point of “average” content consumer.
– can’t understand it, unrelatable
– takes effort and there no bait to make that effort
– takes effort again
The catch of popularity is to be either someone people dream to be like (Chappers for example) or having something relatable (rise of anti-SWJ channels for example, or Guitarstruggles in different way)
Btw. this is so never ending topic purely because I somehow sense, that you’d like to have bigger audience, not Pewdiepie bigger, or Chappers bigger, but bigger. And there’s also the thing, that each time I write something like this, it’s never complete.
Eeew, it’s long as hell again.
I’d probably like Chappers more if he would do the “bad day” rewiev sometimes. “This is fucking guitar ok, it has probably 6 strings, I can’t be arsed to count them”. He’s quite unprobable character to me.
Cheers for the lengthy replies. You’re very insightful. 🙂 I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. I will probably come back to this subject again and again so forgive me in advance!
I forgot to mention upside of your USP… you can run out of pedals to review, problems on guitars to fix, but you won’t run out of you as long as you’ll be alive. 🙂
Agreed. For all my moaning… and there will always be plenty to come… I can indeed never run out of ‘material’! 🙂
So whilst on a grand tour of Somerset (staying with relatives that reside in said lovely county) I was pleased when a notification of a post from Mr6 appeared in my emails. On my return home I now have the chance to post a reply which I have been unable to do since leaving YouTube. I do however watch your videos. I struggle with the popular interpretations of fake and real, very often it seems to me that the more “real” an individual claims to be the more fake they turn out to be. To suppress one’s own somber demeanor in an attempt to connect with another for whatever (sincere) reason is very real and shines a light on the often egocentric nature of so called “real” people who share many traits with those who claim to be “honest” no matter what the cost to others….. There is a suitable time for all of these different responses, if there is a tricky bit it is the timing. Good luck with your channel, it’s one of the best and if you do call it a day at some point I hope you continue to post elsewhere. I would even consider face book if that was the only option, although I would have to learn how to use it in a way that cuts out the mindless chatter that rules the internet. Stepping away from YouTube has been quite uplifting in many ways and I feel a real sense of freedom from the “syndicate of real people” that for me was quite suffocating. However I do wish them well and I hope that they find whatever it is that they are clearly looking for very soon : )
So glad that you’re still around! ‘Fake vs real’ is a problem on YouTube because I don’t believe a word that anyone says. Everyone is trying to sell something. I know what you mean about those proclaiming themselves to be real being the worst fake offenders out there! Ha ha! I’m watching someone on YouTube as I type who pisses me off more and more with each video. I will probably end up unsubscribing… and that’s weird in itself! In the old days, if you didn’t like a TV programme you just didn’t watch it. You didn’t have to cause a fuss. Now, I have to actively leave the ‘club’. Like I’m walking out of the door slamming it behind me! Ha ha! For what it’s worth I just try and be honest. I use silence rather than lies.
Facebook isn’t such a bad thing. In fact it’s been quite funny listening to the nonsense talked about it by people who never use it on YouTube channels over the past couple of years. You can lock down your profile to such an extent that you only see and hear what you want to see and hear. Occasionally something will creep through the guard… but it can be interesting stuff. Besides which, the youth have moved on. Facebook is now primarily aimed at the people who are dissing it! Ha ha! It’s like a paradox.
As for stepping away from YouTube, it is something that I need to do more of. I pride myself on watching far less TV than I used to… however in reality I have simply substituted it for YouTube. I need to be more selective in what I watch. And… to be honest, I have honed my channels down a fair bit. RedLetterMedia. Previously Recorded. Kinda Funny. Colin’s Last Stand. Leonard French. Philip DeFranco. AngryJoeShow. Okay… that list is already pretty long. But you’ll notice it’s mainly the larger channels. Such a turn around from where I started. And a shame in some ways. But the smaller channels only catch fire when they’re squabbling. I still watch Guitarstruggles etc etc… but I also need to spend less time creating videos. Creating videos (as you’ll appreciate more than anyone!) saps my time. To the extreme! I enjoy it… but it’s a real slog. That’s not really a moan… it’s more a fact. But, like I said… I enjoy it. So I’ll carry on. But it’s gotta be said… I am having zero success. I think I need to truly nail down what I am trying to achieve. I still think that my aim is to encourage an interest in my music but I appreciate the almost-impossibility of that aim. No-one cares. And that’s not wrong of them. There is too much music and too much bad music and not enough time to listen to even the good music and not enough time for anything anymore. Where did all the time go?
I should take a leaf out of your book. But just remember… there is a YouTube world out there where guitars aren’t even understood let alone talked about. You could still dip your toe in. Or just come here and comment. Any activity at all on this site will make my day! Ha ha! I almost forget I’ve got a website sometimes. I do intend to do more with it. Honestly! Would I lie to you?
Problem with Facebook is, unles they changed the rules in last 2 years, anything you upload on facebook is no longer yours. It becomes property of Facebook. So it’s not good media hosting platform IMO. For keeping in contact with people it’s good.
I’m not sure how much media hosting you can do on Facebook? I suppose I post the occasional video… but nothing I’d be worried about losing.
As far as faking it for the camera on youtube vids, I treat the camera like it’s an old friend I haven’t seen in a while and am actually quite happy to see them, that seems to give a reasonable balance. (Mind you, the amount of videos I scrap because I find I haven’t smiled at all, well, it’s a lot).. I also remember a quote from an F1 pundit who reckoned the secret was to be yourself, but just slightly exaggerated by 10% or so. It’s a hard balance to get right, so I think it also helps if you already feel comfortable behind a camera or mic..so all those Pub gigs we all did way back then, carrying on regardless of screaming drunks and rooms full of apathy, do come in handy..
I agree with the +10% quote. That’s what I do. I don’t lie… but I do choose to record when I’m in a good mood! And then I try to up the enthusiasm a little. Why would people choose to watch someone who looks like he doesn’t give a shit? … or maybe they do watch that? Ha ha! My lack of success suggests I might just be getting it all plain wrong!!!
As my back and forth banter with Explosive suggests, I accept my ‘USP’ is just being a (/pretend)friend and talking earnestly to camera. That’s it. The USP. Not great… but it’s all I’ve got! And, to be honest, it’s what I look for in other people. For instance, I would love more ‘straight to camera’ from you and less guitar. Controversial? Not meant to be! You’re a fantastic guitar player… but you’re an even more fantastic raconteur. A piece from you every day and I’d be there! But I understand why it probably can’t be done… because it’s a killer! An absolute killer. More than any non-video maker will ever understand. /violins.
I chose to scale my output down to one video a week in the belief that it might be less work… but I was wrrroooonnnngggg!!! And it has not been a success! I think a 4 minute video a day would be a far better bet… but I tried that and just couldn’t ‘keep it up’. I sympathise with Ed Dana’s latest where he nearly took the words right out of my mouth. I have a slightly different perspective in that I am relatively happy (/lies to self) with my ‘club’. My weekly club. My 50 or so people who watch me with genuine interest. A weekly gig with 50 punters. Ahhh… that’s not so bad really. Is it? 🙂
It does seem that the standard advice is that regular videos are where it’s at, maybe 3 a week, but as you say, it’s not easy to do . If it gets to the point where it feels like I’m just banging out the vids to get something on line, then that’s not acceptable to me and I’d rather not bother, hence my recent quiet periods.
I suffer with depression as well, so being on top form isn’t always possible, so maybe I do have to force it a bit sometimes, but again, there’s only so far I can push that one.
I’m really interested in your comment about my guitar-based videos, I’ve thought about doing more non-guitar vids but wasn’t sure if anyone would be that interested, given the core support of my channel seems to be guitar people. I have considered stepping up the output here, and that gives me a bit more scope if I don’t have to do something impressive on a guitar every time !
I recently discovered a great guitar channel, a young guy called Sean Daniel, he seems to have the mix just about perfect ..really interesting tips and tuition, songs, great humour, and most important, it’s a nice chilled place to be.
I’d put your channel more along the lines of BBC Radio 4 than Radio 1..you might not get the huge views, but it’s content of a higher level, always interesting, and pretty much whatever subject you tackle, you’ll make it worth the watch..with Radio 4, I can end up listening to almost anything regardless of subject, just because it’s intelligent and though provoking content. You deserve a lot more views, I don’t have any answers and even if I did, I”d probably keep doing what I do anyway, as it keeps me happy, and if I’m not making a penny from it, then that’s the main reason for me doing it.
Cheers !