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Small update: I’ve told the company I’m talking about in this video several times that I could not sign this contract because it threatened my independence. The company kept insisting that they needed a signature on this contract because they needed to “justify sending physical products from their factory to the end recipient”, and they’ve also mentioned that the contract was “for legal purposes only in the accounting department to properly divide the sent products”. After some back and forth they were finally able to offer a new, way better contract. However, now that I know of these rules from this particular company, I cannot in good faith make any content about their products, because I don’t want to collaborate with a company that creates the ability to manipulate content, even if it’s not my content. So, I’ve turned down this opportunity and I’m not going to make any content about this particular companies products on my channel.
When a company sais "for legal purposes only" - I see that as a huge red flag. Legal terms are meant to reflect what happens in real life. Otherwise the legal terms are breached. Honest reviews is the reason we're following your channel - at least that's what I'm here for! 🙂
All they need is a packing slip and a signature that you received it (they are being vague with the truth here)... famous last words of anyone who signed a contract...but they said it was not really that important or a big deal and would never do what the contract says they would do... after its been done... if it was not a big deal then it wouldn't be necessary
Good on you for sharing this stuff and walking away from that crappy contract. Any company that asks a reviewer to sign an endorser contract blurs the line way too much. Independence is essential. Keep up the great work.
Ok. I have been recording/mixing and mastering since 1976. At times, on a very high level. I have been following you for a few years. I found you in your heavy “Snake Oil” days. I know you have grown and moved on from that era, but I want you to know that it was then that I learned to TRUST you. I promise you that I am not alone there. Most of your followers probably started there. As an experienced pro, I found your reviews to be honest and absolutely dead on! So….regarding this video; you absolutely don’t need to convince any of your core base that you are independent in your reviews. Maybe for some newer subscribers, nut not for the rest of us. I follow and interact with many youber music/recording/mastering channels and, given my almost 50,years of experience, I call BULLSHIT when I see it. You are a welcome exception. Please don’t abandon your independence, your honesty, it the formula that brought us to you to start with
+1 for this. Well said! I take this video as a reminder to take a good whiff when watching other audio youtubers to detect any scent of bullshit. It's clear as day when you watch mutliple videos on the same product and you start hearing the same thing but yeah. I definitely trust White Sea to be of an un-altered opinion. Also Dan Worrall is a youtuber I trust thoroughly.
Wow, this is wild. That is the kind of contract that NO ONE should sign. Thank you for staying independent - it's absolutely essential for pro audio to always have strong, independent voices. We've been happy every time you've checked out our products , and value your constructive criticism, as it helps us make better products!
Mate, you are a wonderful human being. I spend my life trying to educate upcoming people in the industry, so they don’t fall foul of the things that I did. These things that you’re selflessly highlighting are so important in terms of real education and also understanding the relevance of information within a sensationalist environment. Huge respect to you brother - this is truly helping people x
Thank you for exposing the dirty side of marketing brainwashing! Honesty is the best policy, and we are thankful for your channel for sticking to its principles!
This is Antelope Audio, I have seen these contracts more than once, . If you still trust that company for some reason and have missed all the terrible practices, then this video is your wake up call.
Not sure if it is them, but i get super sketched out by them for so many reasons! They seem to make decent products, but they’re not insanely better than other companies i that have more stable products and treat people better.
the name fits perfectly into the black box. Sometimes u can see parts of the p. Putting this in photoshop and matching the font size should make that clear.
Wow. That's balls. I've only had one company try to get me to sign something similar, but I refused entirely -- and ultimately they still sent me products. It's great to see your integrity stays intact. Well done!
This is gold , I have been saying this on my channel for the longest. The whole Idea for YT reviews are user opinion based not cooperation sponsored in this case they are not even sponsoring
You’re our hero. Your entire community is backing you up! Thank you for being the way you are, both professionally and as a human being roaming on Planet Earth. I don’t know if you realise but when you are not promoting a plugin, you are promoting honesty and ethics as a way of living. And that’s incredibly important.
Awesome video! I love that you shared one of those contracts. Of course I envisioned these contracts to be something like that, but some things I didn't expect and it's always better to know than to think to know.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those videos where the RU-vidr goes "Video sponsored by company that sent me this product but everything I say are all my own opinions" are actually in fact, not their opinions and instead just company-approved garbage.
I just checked with ChatGTP4 and this is what it came back with : The contract clause you provided does indeed match a style and content found in Antelope Audio's agreements and terms. Antelope Audio, a high-end audio equipment manufacturer, includes clauses in their agreements regarding the publication of media by endorsers and testers that are subject to approval. These clauses ensure that any published content aligns with the company’s brand and image standards. Specifically, the approval requirement before publishing and the right to request the removal of non-compliant content are consistent with Antelope Audio's documented practices in various agreements and terms (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio). For more detailed information on their terms and conditions, you can visit their official website or directly refer to their specific agreement documents.
Integrity is everything🙌🏾 and I have a lot of respect for you , for sticking by your principles and for also shining a light amidst all the darkness. Thank you👍🏾
WOW! This is very revealing, thank you for sharing. We, as consumers, should carefully think about which influencers are really just puppets of corporate puppet-masters.
You and Dan are pretty much the only reviewers I trust here. This just confirms that it isn't misplaced. Thanks for giving honest reviews and staying independent.
You're one of the few reviewers that I watch these days. I understand people need to make a living but things have gone too far IMO. The landscape has dramatically shifted over the last 10 years and it's very hard to trust what anybody tells us now. Kudos to you for maintaining integrity and being very transparent 😀
Funny thing that sad reality about music industry: it became worse. I was in a MusicShop yesterday to look for a new violin for my daughter. I checked in parallel some keyboards and surprisingly the quality of keyboards quality is overall lower then my 20 year old KAWAI MP4. Kawai looks like a thing. They look like toys. And happens a lot during the last time. I ask myself: am I getting older? Or do I just remember products of a certain quality level, and the new cheap stuff doesn't inspire me?
Respect! You are putting yourself in a position where you may lose money in the short term because your values speak higher. We need more of this everywhere.
In addition to your knowledge, your attitude and the frankness of your opinions are the reasons why I watch your videos. Congratulations on your work! I wish you all the best!
This stuff is important for people to know, maybe even more important than any average audio related tutorial. There are comapnies behind the products & company gonna gompany... Personally I've never had this kind of contract on my desk but anyone who values their integrity will deny these kinds contracts. Glad to see so much transparency from you!
You are the only "RU-vidr" that I follow for everything and anything to do with sound production, product reviews while at the same time, keeping abreast to all things new. Keep up the good work......your Canadian community member.
When serious audio technicians and producers actually make something unique, I am excited to try it. This channel is the reason I deleted 99% of my plugins. I am thankful for the work you do on this channel.
TRUST ist the most important thing you can achieve as Influencer - "Social Media" is too often on the "dark side of the power" with fake news and polarization. Nobel Prize winner Maria Resa: "Without facts, you can't have truth. Without truth, you can't have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy". Best wishes for your future as Indipendent : )
I'm glad you chose to talk about this. There are so many people that act genuine about a product and are pushing it because a company is paying them or endorsing them and they are not admitting it. These other RU-vidrs are also a part of the problem and it has turned me off to a lot of RU-vid content as a result.
Very revealing to know what many of us suspected - that many RU-vidrs intentionally act as marketers rather than reviewers and are handcuffed by audio companies. Thank you for this video.
Thanks for your openness and honesty about this subject. As the former Technology Editor for a prominent music magazine for 7 years, I can definitely relate to this topic! During my tenure, I made a point of avoiding working with companies who followed these kinds of practices. I'm glad I did, as it enabled both myself and the magazine to maintain our integrity in the industry, and among our readers. Keep up the good work! 👍
Good content. Thank you ... Yeah there's definitely some crazy unethical marketing pushes for equipment on RU-vid.... Usually involving free merchandise.
When you consider how much actors get paid for their likeness in ads.. (legally/under equity agreements) it is mind boggling that they are trying to just use youtubers to do it for free instead.
IN REALITY - No RU-vidr forced us/me to ever buy anything ever. If RU-vidrs say positive things and we go buy it just because they said nice things WE’RE IDIOTS. What intelligent person would do that? I buy what I need, I think of RU-vidrs as entertainers. It’s cool to watch, but spending even $1 based on a video I don’t get it. Marketing isn’t new lol. People who blame RU-vidrs for vids being “ads” or “shill” just wanna blame people for their bad choices. I watch HULU and see F150 commercials constantly, I don’t own an F150, and even if it was a product placement within a show and it wasn’t disclosed I STILL wouldn’t buy an F150 because I’m in charge of me and I don’t need an F150 😂 Companies aren’t our friends, they’re just companies.
That contract almost looks like an employment contract for a sales representative, they want the influencer to act like an employee of the brand but without calling it as such. That looks pretty shady, they let you do work of a product demonstrator without beeing an employee of the company. This contract is only beneficial for the brand.
Its very simple... once you sign that you are being used for your (previously thought to be) or percieved authenticity , however ironically when these are signed it is no longer authentic it is deceptive... this is why we call it "shilling" or "being a sellout" ... in my world lying is lying even if you omit the truth... thanks for sharing, I hope the first contract you signed does not open you up to legal issues for mentioning the second contract...
I do review plugins too, and as you i'm 100% honest. And even if my channel is very small, i get threatened by a company because of a bad review, another sent me their fans to shitstorm my channel (the dev did it on a famous forum i saw his posts...) and so i even got threatened by some of their fans... You know what i did? I continue with my way, cause it's the right way. When i see other youtubers review plugins i reviews that comes with some flaws, but they speech as being "the best plugin on earth" and it's like that everytime for every plugin they review ofc, i just puke, cause i know how shitty their model is! "Gimme money i say what you like" So yes, don't trust youtubers, neither me, cause i know to be honest, but you cannot be sure. Always try and test plugins before any purchase!
Btw did you know a snippet of you is used in the Black Salt Audio adds about their noise gate? I see them all the time on Facebook. Maybe you were aware and don't mind. But i thought i'd mention it in case you don't
Such a good video on this topic. I think people have VERY skewed views on what "sponsorships", "endorsements", "NFRs", etc is. Very stoked to see people like you and Matt Weiss being transparent about the back end dealings of making content for / in collaboration with companies. I can't even tell you how many sponsorships, free items, endorsement deals, etc because I don't love the company, I don't feel comfortable recommending it, I don't like how forceful they are, how specific they want the content around it, etc.
YES!! ✊wow! 👏 ..enourmous respect and props to you for doing this video & for staying loyal to your values! the world should follow your example! (not just the audio world) 🙏🎯💯 thank you!
This is the logic and ethics of the old guard. Albini types. Actual engineers. This industry is full of flash in the pan grifters, but those that abide by the long arc of merit and integrity will stand the test of time. Power to you.
Thank you so much for your intergrity. So much in our world today is fake - especially anything to do with sales. Prime example is a medical advertisement showing a doctor with his/her stethoscope wrapped around the neck. I still speak with people who believe that this is not an actor, and the ad has not been scripted and produced to the n'th degree. Soon enough, we'll all be living in a fake world once AI takes hold. Again, keep up the excellent work. I've learned so much from you.
I really appreciate your integrity and transparency Wytse, it’s very refreshing in a sea of ‘'influencers’ repeating the companies marketing spiel every time a new product gets launched. I trust your videos and will continue too. Thank you.
Really good that someone is still trying to be transparent and true not to be bought. Still, I think the company names are very good to mention! Please think about it! Perhaps a living list, for companies to be moved up or down depending on their behavior. (A funny anecdote. I bought a product from a company and was not satisfied. I wrote a comment on their website and gave a low rating. my comment was immediately removed. I wrote the same thing but gave a high rating. that comment was also removed. A week later, a package appeared in my box, with 10 similar products. Unscrupulous companies must be given a chance, but Never not to bribe us.)
Well done you. It's an attempt to control opinion, and strictly speaking is an attack on freedom of expression. The only way to deal with this is to refuse to participate, as you have done. Sadly however many people comply for the sake of "business", inadvertently undermining the democracy that gives them their freedoms.
You do not need to explain yourself. You are entitled to make a living. Anyone that watches a few of your videos knows that you have a very high level of integrity. You need to make a living. Follow your standards, make money and develop your concept!
They want all that, and then they don't even pay? Crazy... This is seems like they got all the benefit, and you get nothing. I'm not sure who would ever sign contracts like that. Good for you that you stand up for your integrity and call out bad players, even without naming names.
This is why we love and support your channel! This kind of video is never easy to make, but that super high level of honesty and integrity is exactly WHY we are the fans of your channel that we are! Thank you, and keep up the awesome work! To everyone saying this contract is horrible... This isn't even the worst of these kinds of contracts that pop up, but is a great indicator how all of the modern "brand influencer" content creation, regardless of industry or product, sets up their SOPs. That's not to say all companies and brands do this, but... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Very common kind of contract in all industries, actually.. The hard truth is that most "influencers" would and do sell their ass for any kind of contract, no matter how exploitative it is. The standards are set very low, and most companies takes advantage of it.
Real Talk!! Again!!! ❤ I do watch at least one channel which is ALL about sponsorship and endorsed content but I allow it because it's so blatant, he's doing his thing and it works for him, it's not very mature content. Never stop thinking about music and politics!!! I'll add my voice of appreciation for speaking up. 🙏
I think a) you should seek legal advice concerning your ability to safely say online what companies you will not sign "contracts" with. b) you should certainly say which companies do not require a "contract" at all - I can see no reason why there should be such contracts c) all YT music videos made under ANY such "contract" should have the word [SPONSORED] in the title and the presenter should announce this at the beginning of the video. I think this is actually a legal requirement. In the video gaming industry most RU-vid gaming channels always announce they are doing a sponsored video. Other than that they only sign NDAs relating to the dates on which they can release review and gameplay material after receiving an early review copy of a game. The very best gaming channels do not do sponsored videos, they only sign the NDAs relating specifically to content release embargo dates. It would be the kiss of death for any gaming channel to release a game "review" made under any sort of "contract" without disclosing it as sponsored. It will be found out eventually.
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I appreciate the fact that you are very concerned with the honesty and integrity of your videos. Keep pushing and again thank you
The justified ancients of Mu Mu used to say thatthe last time that the audio/misic industry showed transparency was when SSL presented the 9000 series to the public. Thank you very much, it such a BAD thing that those (that work forces...) can hide their true colors with & by the help and cooperation of the legal system. Be blessed, healthy, free, independent and prosper.
While I might disagree on one or two things you might say, Wytse, as far as YT reviews of audio products are concerned, I always look to your channel to see your input. Your integrity is unquestionable, so thanks.
Thank you, thank you very much. I am very glad that someone with such a strong and powerful voice like yours is letting the software companies know that we are fed up with them sticking their fingers up our asses with their software garbage.
Unfortunately RU-vid channels don't have an integrity score attached! To me signs of trouble are in the word 'Gamechanger' and product reviews popping up at the same time with the same RU-vidrs for products just before they become commercially available.
There is definitely a trend these days on youtube for content makers to justify and prove their independence. Hearing that from you is so eyes opening and I would like all youtubers to do the same. Thanks' and keep on!!! Such a shame you could not name the companies asking for these contracts ….
Thx Wytse for your honest comments about the online audio industry. I have really matured in mixing and mastering. Independence is number 1 priority. I work as an amateur for (very) small indie artists. I have closed down my own website just because of the 'catch 22' structure running it. Seems to me that more lawyers than experts are involved by now. My advice (for myself that is): stay away from any contracts that tie one down. Easily said, hard to do❤
OMG, I never signed anything but an NDA ahead of official releases, and I'd never let anybody tell me what to say or not. That's why I became a solopreneur, not an employee. Well done Wytse and it's good to know at least one more honest voice in the white noise of audifluencers ^^
I follow your videos since 3 years ago, you are my imaginary friend 😂😍 just keep it up, we know and trust you in audio industry. You and this channel is honest and special that’s why I’m here everytime you publish a video
It’s crazy that you can't expose the companies doing this, they need to be held accountable. They want to use you like you're their employee and control everything you say about them, but don't want to pay you like the rest of their employees.
I really appreciate your opinion on this and especially sharing some of the contract verbiage. It would be excellent if other audio channels would do something similar.
I hate companies who expect you to sign something which takes away the reviewer's independence, but are then TOO embarrassed to let the public know who they are! That disgusts me in all honesty.. EVERYONE should have the convictions of their actions! Thank you for this video, It's worthy of far more than 1 like!
