Getting Started On YouTube Is Hard Because Of THIS 

Not sure how I found your channel but man after the first couple vids I could tell that you are authentic and you make great content. I wish you nothing but success with your YT journey / life

That skit got me laughing a lot!!! especially the one "why is he following me?" 😂😂

You have no idea how calming this point of view was to me. Thanks for sharing. I'm 2 weeks into creating content regularly, and the uncertainty and "slow burn" are NOT my forte and it's been super stressful at how slow it moves, but your perspective really clicked with me. Thanks again.

Almost 18 years later, 11k subscribers, 1k+ videos, and still working to figure out what my channel is about. This video was helpful and interesting. Thank you!

When I started my channel I kept it a secret from everyone I knew! I felt weird about it. Now everyone I know thinks I'm the coolest thing🤣

My name was Naylor prior to marriage 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 . Anyhow, what you’re saying is true. I have videos I’ve busted my arse making and I get 300 views. One of the simplest videos I made last year (cat video) had 6k views 🤷 and still growing. I’m in my 50s and learning how to use the app was the biggest challenge, so thanks for breaking it down 💕

RU-vid likes videos promoting RU-vid. You have obviously thought deeply about this from a social media side but the art and community angle that you bring to the conversation is why it’s 👍

Discovered you channel on the RU-vid home page. What you say is 100%. It took 2 years and 50 videos to get 100 subscribers (in 2023). Last week, I got 197 new subscribers from 2 videos.

Thank you for your encouragement! This is exactly what I’m going through… delaying posting bc of the fear of judgement. I want my primary platform be LinkedIn but It makes sense to start here on RU-vid to ease the stress of a beginner. (I feel more comfortable on stage, speaking to audience in person, but I’m out of my comfort zone in front of just a camera and no one around 😅).

I always feel less weird about uploading to RU-vid vs IG, Facebook, TikTok. Especially my vlogs. I feel like I have my own world here on YT. Thanks for reinforcing that for me 🙌

Hi Darren! I must say, it's a relief to find a content creator tutorial that isn't bragging, shouting and trying to sell their (sometimes) ridiculousy overpriced 'courses'. I've been in the music production business for 5-6 years but I'm seeing are very large negative impact from AI. Track sales have gone almost to zero so I stopped producing music a while ago. I started my RU-vid channel only a couple of weeks ago and I really dig your tutorials and the way you present them! Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge!

I don't know if I should call my channel new or unpaused but I have 8 subscribers. I am thrilled with the journey through figuring out what sticks and what doesn't and you're absolutely right, there's no pressure to make perfect content right now, so I can do whatever I want. These days wont last but man are they are sweet.

Great video mate, been dealing with RU-vid anxiety after one of my videos hit 170K views and now my latest is just making it past 100. RU-vid is brutal and I was seriously considering stepping away. You having the balls to show us your analytics is what made me change my mind. Your content is clearly excellent!

Thanks Darren, this is a really good motivator. The slow burn of RU-vid is where I feel most comfortable, I can take my time, improve my content, enjoy the process and not worry about what other people think. Keep up the good work and have a fantastic day 🙂

Great content and editing - funny, clever, and helpful! I thought I'd easily have the coveted 1k subs by June when I first started (lol). Well tomorrow is June 1st and I got humbled very quickly. It gets discouraging when you feel like you bring all the charm and useful content to the table with very little return, while newer channels keep popping up and surpass you by a landslide. So tired of seeing "I got monetized in 2 weeks!" videos giving the same empty advice pop up on my feed. But you're right - I'm just going to keep leaning into the unknown while I'm in it. I'm confident I'll find my way eventually!

This is so true. I’m 4 days into my first RU-vid video ever, and the first two days I got like 8 views. I was hurt and worried honestly lol but on day 3, I got over 200 views within a 24hr period. Point is, keep posting, keep working smarter and harder. If the video is optimized correctly, you’ll see growth over time!! Thank you for this video because it’s really good for new creators to hear like myself 🎉

I like how your shed is way tidier than your studio.

Great video, getting subs is really easy when you already got some knowledge, but when you are starting RU-vid it can be really frustrating. I wanted to delete my main channel which now has over 150k subs because I was struggling so much at the start (Luckily I found out that using a bit of Famester could give me a little push in terms of subs and views. After that I was getting so much organic audience, and my channel just exploded).

This is EXACTY how I viewed YT when I started (and still do). That’s probably the reason why I feel comfortable posting here vs posting on IG. Workin on it but still have those mental blocks as you said with posting there. Love the videos man! Always so relatable and inspiring. Keep it up bro!

I had the strangest start to RU-vid.... the very first longformat video I posted instantly took off and now it has 40k views which is completely insane to me. It was my first time editing and filming etc. I was posting it being happy that at least I managed "something" and dared to put myself out there. I thought I can just learn as I go, experiment and figure out how things work and slowly get better without any pressure bc no one is watching anyways.... so yeah I didn't see that coming and tbh all of a sudden there was a lot of pressure and I needed to learn to put it back in the box and pretend like the first video didn't happen so I can keep being free and not let anxiety take over! (not dramatic at all hahah) :D Now I am really confused because it is like a backwards evolution hahaha. I was ready to have no views and work my way up but it is doing the opposite, each video I post performs worse than the previous.... Even tho this is not what I was expecting and kinda threw me off, I am so happy how it's going and I'm excited to learn more, get better and I hope I find some other art RU-vidrs to talk to! It has been so great to learn to be less anxious, just put stuff out there, not care as much what everyone thinks, just do what I enjoy, try new things and post stuff even if not everything is perfect :)

Amazing video motivating and uplifting going through this slow period right now I prefer RU-vid and long form content too great video thank you.

So cool and inspirational to everyone who runs a small business or small RU-vid channel, too! We're all in this together as passionate creators. Cheers to everybody who follows their dreams! We got this!

I wish I had this video when I started, I learned that slow growth is normal and it got frustrating, my best video is an old video that keeps getting views through search and it keeps growing, I'm happy with any views, but, it's nice to get alot of views fast, though it's not often that it happens unless you are a huge channel.

I’m a small RU-vidr coming back after an 8-month hiatus. Thank you for the encouragement! I am loving the lack of anxiety, posting my authentic self and enjoying it. You have an awesome channel!

Thank you so much for sharing this. I definitely needed to hear this… I started focusing more on long form content on RU-vid only a few weeks ago, instead of reels on Instagram… because after many years of creating videos on Instagram and TikTok I found out that my videos truly only reach family, friends, or people I know… and I don’t seem to reach a new crowd… And then, one day, one of my dance videos on RU-vid shorts went viral… and that boosted me to focus more on RU-vid. Now, I like to create dance tutorials for people that actually search for it, instead of people that just scroll and like random dance videos performed by mums that never dance or funny quick dance videos done by a non-professional dancer… Although my videos don’t get many views today, I feel that people will search for my dance tutorials in the future and it makes me feel much better to create and put so much time into it… It feels so much more relaxed and different to focus on creating valuable (vertical) content, than hopping on quick trends and constantly keeping up with the hype. So it sounds like music to my ears to hear you talk about this as well… Thank you for making this video!

Love the "use what you've got" vibes here

In my five years or so of watching videos like this, this is one of the most inspiring videos on being a creator that I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us it’s appreciated.

This was really good. All your information was well presented and relevant, everything felt natural to camera and unscripted; like you just *know* all of this intuitively from your own experience. Edit, grade, lighting, presentation - all great. You're doing really well, keep it up :)

For me the most beautiful thing about youtube is the all community and the data you can see from your own content . What do i mean with that is first , you have lots of info shared by other creators just because they are really passionate about this and most of them are gonna share how it works for them , plus lots of tools from youtube , but also from the community to can see actually usefull data to how and where to focus to improve your own content . And this for me is why i like youtube as a platform more then the others . And from what i can see in the last few months youtube altgorithm gets better and better , this is the same reason i found your channel , also if the trend of the altgorithm keeps like this and maybe improves even more, anyone can get bigger if they understand better what to improve and what to focus more on . Also i like your style of telling a story , so i am gonna be a regular here for some time .

You convinced me to go prepare myself a coffee 😂 Liking this video as it got a good vibe and it really sends an awesome message! Cheers, redhead bro ✌

Really great video, Darren. I've found in the 2 years with my channel, there has been growth, style difference, etc. Recently though, like you talked about I'm creating very similar content every week which hasn't allowed me to expand audience or grow as a person/channel like I may want. Change is hard, especially when you think it may change the audience you're speaking to (art in my case) when I may want to talk about my 2 year journey as something new. Lots to consider, and maybe it's time to just do it.

Thanks for the video man, it's a nice reassurance that it's okay for nobody to be about at the start of the journey! Also really the building a library analogy, it's true!

so TRUE! The beauty is the attempt and if you just keep going for long enough, you will find you audience. Great video and to anyone reading this thinking about quitting, just keep going!

My Dawg. Appreciate you for this. Much love bro

Amazing channel, actually. Watched two videos top to bottom, and… I feel better walking away then when I walked in. Think that’s something you said in the other video. Love this authenticity

Awesome video man, really great points in this and makes it so much clearer. This might be the push for me to get back onto creating content on RU-vid!

Good stuff and encouraging for sure. I appreciate all that it took to pull off this one.

keep it up! Out of every single youtube growth channel i've watched (5mil subs+) YOu def the most genuine!

I’m really happy I found your channel. I actually look forward to your content.

I love the reminder that starting slow and learning along the way can be a benefit to us! Great video man, subbed

Thanks mate! Love this

Talk about a guy that is locked in, thanks for the great insights! 🔥 I have a channel as well and it's rough getting growth. Much appreciated for you and your summaries on the same struggles I'm facing. I subscribed 👍

I’ve seen a couple of your videos over the past week or so and i gotta say man i can’t wait to see your come up 🔥 Great content keep it up 💪🏾

Hey, thanks for creating this video. It takes cojones to start a RU-vid channel and I applaud you for it. You showed useful information in a human to human way. You contributed to my decision to start my channel. Thank you. 🎉

A great video, Darren. I’ve subscribed, liked, and will watch all your videos. Keep going!

So appreciative of your perspective and encouragement. 🤙🏽

This is all so true! Thank you!

Wow man really thanks for this video sincerely. This video really hit home for me I started last year on youtube and everything you said hits the nail on the head thanks appreciate you

Love the positivity, just the motivation I needed. Thank you.

Good topic with some very good advice. I’m glad this video popped up on my homepage. You have some mad editing skills

Thanks for the tips and also for the extra vote of confidence! We all need it at times!

Thank you so much for this. Just starting myself and couldn't be more excited...and terrified. But this is such a great perspective and I'm super grateful you took the time and effort to put this video together.

Additionally, don't start RU-vid just because you want to 'make money', because it won't work in the long run! Do it with purpose, value, and passion. 🤍

WOW!Great content man! All the topics you brought up really resonate with my experience. Keep on going :)

Great video man. It’s encouraging to hear others confirm what you might already be thinking about RU-vid growth. Your video was informative and encouraging. I think the key is to keep plugging away until you find your audience (or your audience finds you).

As a new channel, this info came just in time!! Keep grinding bro!!

I love how you share your insights and advice with us! It's so encouraging yo me as I begin my journey on RU-vid.

That’s really encouraging 💖 thanks for sharing those honest words & feelings. As a newbie can I can definitely related to those - and feel less pressure now to get it (all) right from the start.

Thanks for keeping it real!

Thanks Darren. Good luck on your journey.

I feel like I’m stuck with a specific way of creating videos for TikTok, and I don't want to be known just as that or stick to that style. Hopefully, I can find myself as I build up my RU-vid channel. It is a long and challenging process, but I’m keeping my head forward. Thank you for sharing this video.

I love the content of this video, you laid it out very nicely. Thanks for the help!

Thank you for this very good video and the encouragement to persevere :)

This is really helpful and insightful. Thank you! 😀

I love your content and love your voice. It's calming. And this video was helpful for sure.

I love your videos! Thanks for being so honest about your journey 🤘 I was just filming a video today being open & honest about my struggles as an artist after quitting my 9-5. I made a promise to myself that no matter how much I get discouraged that I will keep on going. A lot of people get discouraged too quickly and give up. No matter how big the pit - we pick ourselves up & keep going 🔥 Keep being awesome ✨

Great video. Only been a couple of years that I have been making stuff here, and only recently that I've started a schedule. I love RU-vid.

Like this! Keep on keeping on. Your humor & perspective is cool.

Just starting up here and this was very helpful! Thanks for the thoughtful (and fun) video!

Awesome video! I just started posting on my martial arts channel and I can totally relate to everything you discussed in this video. Thanks for sharing!

I agree with all of these! the slow growth is so real, it can be quite frustrating sometimes but every little step of growing your channel can be actually so exciting. I feel like the experiment part is so true, the best part is that you can add something new to each new video every time, to see what performs well and what you actually like. thank you so much for sharing these true facts about starting a youtube channel. it can be hard but I feel like in the end it will be all worth it. I am still a very small youtuber, but my gut feeling tells me that I am actually growing to get, at least, a viral video soon. Also, thank you so much for the tips and advice! It gave me even more motivation to keep going to achieve my dreams.

Nice Vid Mate. Cool shots and thoughts. Keep it up!

Very true !! Good info !

Hey Darren, thank you for sharing your journey and experience, my RU-vid channel shows similar properties. Watching your video gives me hope, will keep on pushing through, thanks man! Keep well.

It's still the same after 3 years for one channel of mine. But I am more focused on Udemy and using RU-vid to promote my Udemy courses. Still I get caught up in RU-vid, so it is still a downer at times.

Thank you for this,it was a big help

The growth in views is super encouraging. Thx for sharing

Really appreciated this one, thanks! 🎉

Thanks. That was really insightful and encouraging.

Thank you Darren. I'm in my experimental era and this is exactly what i needed to hear. Thank you so much

Brilliant, thanks so much for this - needed to hear this. Loved the intro 👍

Inspiring to say the least. The struggle is real. Good luck to you as well.

Love your authentic and laid back vibe. Thank you for sharing your perspective! New subscriber here.

Wow - you just suddenly turned up on my feed. I can really connect with your style and content. I like that you convered an aspect that i have not heard spoken about before - slow start isn't the end :)

Excellent video! I watched it all the way thru. I like your style 😎 the best advice I learned from you: just relax, learn from your mistakes, enjoy the process, growth comes with time

Love it, keep it going man!

Dude i'm so into this,,, thank u

You came up with a lot of creative ideas - to present certain situations in "visual images" as examples. I liked that very much. Thank you, Darren.

Great video! It’s super useful to listen about your honest experience. Thank you for sharing this!

Great video. thank you!

Dude thank you for this video abd the great advice, I'm learning about patience with youtube unfortunately patience is no a gift I possess but I'm trying and videos like yours help so thanx dude!!

Love this down to earth encourgaing chat, thanks man.

This was so much better than I expected. A lot of people talk about this stuff, sure, but your presentation is way more engaging. Sub'd and looking forward to more. Thank you.

What you said is truly wonderful. It makes me feel like I'm not alone and confused about what I'm aiming for. Thanks you so much! 💙

This was awesome, thank you! The beginning pulled me right in, and your words made me stay!!

Thank you so much for this and all your great content. I just started and at 6 weeks in, this is super helpful. I especially love the idea of creating a content library, that's brilliant and inspiring. Keep up the great work and much appreciated!

I just started my channel a few months ago and is hard to grow it 😤 I feel motivated after watching your video thank you mate

This was cool man, I just subbed. Nice to hear down to earth numbers from a regular RU-vidr. Your explanation of how social media works with your friends was good, I sort of knew that but hadn’t thought about it. Think the algorithm served this up to my homepage because I’ve been consuming quite a bit of content about how RU-vid works after having a few videos I didn’t put much effort into take off, then my huge project flopping 😅

Thanks for sharing.

As someone who recently launched a channel this video really resonated. I see so much more potential on this platform than any of the short form platforms. And on RU-vid I feel a deeper sense of connection with the creators I follow. Appreciate all the work you put in to these videos, you're one of my favorite new channels, keep it up!