YouTubers Sold Out. Again. 

Hey guys, another high effort video here, took about 400 hours to make :) Be sure to let RU-vid know that you'd like to see more videos just like this by watching the full video and sharing!

Props to Hari for not selling his soul to mislead his viewers.

When ever money is involved people can really show you their true selves.

I really don’t get why this channel isn’t at a higher viewing point than it currently is. Your videos are informative and to the point. Please never stop.

30,000 is insane for a sponsorship video😮

People should stop watching RU-vidrs that use questionable sponsors. If they are going to take the money and push it on their audience, then it better be legit. Not holding them accountable is why things are so bad.

Man need a video on how tf do these advertisers have SO much money that buys them this much power.

Bro the moment you told us the amount that you could be earning if you did accept these sponsorship, I just hit the like button straight away. Hats off to you man!

I am shocked at how good the quality is. Damn good job, man.

I can understand how tempting it is to take sponsorships from the highest bidder, but it is how the question of sponsors are treated, that tells you who truly cares about their audience, and who's just using their cmunity for all their worth.

The money a creator earns from ad revenue is very less than they get by sponsoring a certain product in one of their videos.

The literal honesty in this video from the jump! 😁✌️ This is why I keep coming back for this. I think the reality of your audience being the product is something that cannot be ignored, but we all need better financial education to be able to counteract the effect of paradoxical relationships...

Big balls on making this video openly. Respect.

Hari - Production quality is through the roof mate! It’s fun to see you progress on your RU-vid journey, and refreshing to see someone willing to stand up for quality of content on this platform. Keep it up! 🙏

This one here “converted me” from a “viewer” to a “subscriber” 👏🏾👏🏾 All I ask is that you don’t let the money/clout ‘corrupt you’ as it did with so many others in your field

I love these high quality channels like this one but it makes it more impressive that you choose to not be blinded by the profits like other good channels

I've followed this channel ever since you were below 100k subs. I'm so glad I stuck around. You stick to your guns and bring us content that others don't dare to.

For an extra million a year I can’t even blame em I didn’t realize they were getting paid like that

I subscribed a year ago, I believe. Considering that I often watch videos like that of Jake Tran (who sold out and was unapologetic), I am happy that you haven't sold out. I hope you break the 1 million sub count soon!

Hari, I loved the video and all your videos are awesome! I’m spoiled by your lack of sponsorships. joking aside, your production quality is amazing. You use stock footage, but you edit it with sound effects and make it unique. I appreciate you and your videos. I used to dislike your channel for no reason, but I changed my mind after watching some videos like this. I wish you had a Patreon so I could support you. You give me so much value and I’m grateful for your videos. I mostly listen to them while doing other things, but sometimes I watch them when I eat. You convey the information very well. Thank you for everything. Love you, Hari 🥰

I mentally run any sponsor through a few tests when a RU-vidr pitches a sponsor segment to me: 1. Is the sponsor relevant to the channel's content? Examples of this include ElectroBOOM's regular sponsor Keysight, or some of the sponsors of The Linux Experiment (he personally vets his sponsors to make sure they are all relevant to his viewers' interests and/or needs as FOSS users; I've literally learned about some neat new products and services that are out there tailored specifically towards users who care about not getting corporately screwed over), or the various PC hardware sponsors of Linus Tech Tips, GamersNexus, and JayzTwoCents. 2. Is the sponsor something that the channel's host is personally invested in to enough of a degree that the sponsor's failure would financially hurt the host? A big example of this is Nebula, as the failure of the Nebula streaming service will have a HUGE impact on all of the channels that advertise it since they all also exist ON Nebula. Framework Laptops is another example; Linus Sebastian has invested a _considerable_ chunk of his personal wealth into the company because he believes in their products. If Framework fails, Linus stands to lose _hard._ In many, many, MANY cases, the host maybe has bought into the product just to be able to show what the product is on camera, but if the sponsor fails then all that gets hurt is the host's reputation for pitching the sponsor. 3. Is the sponsor segment a product that the channel's host has personally created or otherwise financed the development of? Examples of this are many, from JackSepticEye's own signature coffee brand (I don't drink coffee, but hey, it passes this test) to Simon Whistler's beard oil (it's not even REMOTELY relevant to ANY of his channels, but like... have you _seen_ the man's beard???) to Adam Ragusea's signature chef's knife (I ordered one! It's actually really good! I love using it! It's got fantastic balance!) to books written by the host (Dylan B. Hollis's new cookbook and Nick Lucid's (The Science Asylum) physics textbook!) to other products like the many on the Linus Tech Tips and GamersNexus stores (I have the LTT Screwdriver and the INSTANT I played with it the first time I was hooked; it's had a happy home on my desk ever since and it's my go-to when I need to drive a screw real quick) 4. Is the sponsor simply a "Huh, that's neat." thing that wouldn't be potentially ruinous to people who buy into the product? An example of this is The Night Sky (custom star maps based on date and location). It's a cute gimmick that won't financially ruin the people who buy into the product, so I'm not annoyed by it. If the answer to any of these tests is "Yes" then the sponsor is worth my time to see what the pitch is, and may actually be worth my money if I spend. But if the sponsorship can't pass any of these three tests, then it's probably just a moneygrab that's not worth it. I am automatically suspicious of anything that doesn't pass any of these tests. This includes physical products like Raycon earbuds or Henson Shaving safety razors, as the sponsor segment could be HUGELY puffing-up what is a mediocre-at-best product. HOWEVER... in the cases of both Raycon and Henson, I have friends who _have_ bought those products, and they're apparently almost as good as the sponsor segments claim they are, so they may actually be worth your money! Kamikoto Knives, however............. lol. LMFAO. No.

I remember when a sponsored video was where a product was integrated into the video via product placement (some still do it this way), like beauty gurus used to do sponsored clothing try on hauls. Even if there was a little bit of selling out going on, the videos fit the theme of the rest of their content and the worst the RU-vidr could be accused of is being insincere. Nowadays, you have sponsored videos where out of nowhere the RU-vidr goes into a random sales pitch. They know people just tune out the sponsorships and skip ahead but they like the money. I'd love to see a return to integrated sponsorships and if not then at least the sponsor ad being put at the end of the video so there isn't some jarring mid-video sales pitch. And so many companies that are pitched are dubious at best as you said. I get so tired of people defending RU-vidrs selling out with "hey, they gotta pay the bills". Modern sponsorships along with AI content have removed the last vestiges of the veneer of authenticity this site once had.

Thank you for not becoming a sellout, only very few informative.youtubers out there remaining the others have been tainted

Wow Hari. Great visuals in the editing. Keep up the awesome and INFORMATIVE content.

Kudos for the high quality and editing of this video, despite not having the support of any sponsors! We appreciate you ❤

I used to buy subscriptions from these "sponsors" but after trying like 20 of them and not getting a single ounce of value out of them, I stopped and looked for ways on how to block sponsors as well. This brings me to my current setup: Sponsorblock + RU-vid Premium. I still see a couple of sponsored segments here and there when I watch a small obscure channels but it's easy to just skip it manually. RU-vid Premium + Sponsorblock = BEST COMBO EVER

What’s the point of RU-vidAdFree if creators are adding in 1-2 min ads in their vids😂

Finally a RU-vid video that points out the bad of sponsorships, In most causes they serve to annoy the viewers rather then helping it.

This is why you the GOAT! I don’t get nearly as many or as high of sponsor offers, but I research all the companies that wanna partner. Reviews of them are always incredibly low, so I ignore most of them

Your best video ever! More! I am already bailing on channels, shorts and every other scam for months now. RU-vid alternatives are already being looked for. Otherwise I am bailing and letting every RU-vidr know as I depart! Well done and thank-you!

man,your videos are REALLY going to the next level

I also think it should be in the same mood as the video (if the video is not really serious, then make the sponsor too). Also, these animations are so smooth, definitely a sub.

There's a browser add-on called SponsorBlock which auto-skips the sponsorship sections of videos. I haven't watched a sponsor ad in over an year.

if you watch on pc there is an add-on called sponsor block, its like ad block but for ads built into the video, its a game changer, i love it

That speed, logan paul, and jake tran animation is actually pretty cool lmao.

oh wow. I didn't expect you to make the video . and also the editing is now way better in value and in a logical way.

I'm new to your channel, so I apologize if you've already done a video about it. You glanced upon sponsorships like Better Help without really explaining why. That example in particular is difficult to inform people about without looking anti-therapy. From my own perspective, I think the story of That Lordship Scam exposed a lot of creators who just didn't do enough research or who were offered enough sponsorship to de-incentify that depth of research. I love your style, both in directorship as well as an editor. New subscriber.

I'm not sure if I buy the "production value" thesis here. It seems to imply that the only justification for a creator monetizing their work is if they're a massive channel like Mr Beast, capable of pulling in major sponsors that can cover lavish industry productions, and all smaller channels ought to simply be in it for the love of the game as a hobby, without any expectation to make anything back - an attitude already present in a lot of creative industries. There's nothing wrong with having it only as a hobby, but there's also nothing wrong with recognizing that "I have to eat and the time I spend doing this is time I'm not spending freelancing as a video editor" is also a production expense.

I never really bought anything that a content creator recommended cuz most likely it would be an outright scam, so I'm skeptical 24/7 about those.

Man huge fan of your content, hope you always post contents that spread awareness.

The newest crypto-esque scam ad is masterworks, literally physical NFT’s that you can’t access, sell your share in (unless someone wants to buy it) or sell the painting (only the gallery owner/CEO can). Plus their whole 500% increase pitch is based off of 3 paintings

and why am i not surprised i never trusted any single one of them i just watch their videos and do my own research before buying anything online

Btw the animation and editing on this video is fire 🔥 definitely worth whatever you are paying whoever is doing it

Fantastic video! An Easter egg I noticed was you put the Celsius energy drink logo in there instead of the bankrupt celsius brokerage 😂

i personally skip any ads/sponsers using ad blockers and sponserblock so i rarely see them, interesting video! at end of the day its all about the money.

Such a rich and subtle subtext here. Real sure it wasn't caught unless you're electric in your tastes and somewhat cosmopolitan. Props.

Yep. I agree that sponsors should be there not to just give the creator more money, but to actually make the expensive in production videos possible/a bit more profitable. The way most youtubers do this is to just get more money for mid content like game montages

The production quality of this video was insane. Bold video.....well done!!

Very high quality video Hari. I wonder, did you get help making it because it’s super professional. If you did all by yourself, brilliant work and I’d love to know what software you use?

I'm subscribed to a couple of channels that proud themselves to have never taken sponsorships. They rely on patreon donations, I have to applaud any content creator that can achieve that level of trust with their audience, it's remarkable.

(Hari and the rest of the logically answered team) I love your work. Thanks for using your platform to shine a light on these things.

Really can't trust online personalities anymore.

I should also mention that this is one of my favorite channels. Please, keep the content coming!

Im a proud sponsorblock user, and a proud person with the idea of, if the video is sponsored a segment, its more than likely useless or actively a scam. If its a dedicated video from a channel not named LTT, it's a let it rot.

I've seen a few RU-vidrs that handle sponsorships really well, but my favorite by far is HowToDrink. The channel is primarily about alcoholic drinks, which I'm sure narrows down the list of sponsors willing to work with them anyway, but all of his sponsors are for products related to mixology and alcohol. He promotes products related to his content, from the glassware to the mixology equipment to alcohol distributors, and he seamlessly incorporates sponsored products into each of his videos. If at any point you decide you'd like to recreate a drink he makes on the show, you can buy all the materials he's using directly from his sponsors, and you get to see him actually use the products in his video, so you know what to expect. He also finds creative ways to make sponsored segments more interesting, so I'm not as inclined to skip through them. I also really enjoy sponsored segments from Daniel Thrasher because he just makes them fun to watch. From challenging himself to finish making a balloon animal before the ad read ends to making an entire comedy skit revolving around the sponsor, he always manages to make it engaging and interesting enough to not just skip right past the ad. Even when I'm not at all interested in what he's promoting, the segment itself is usually entertaining enough that I don't mind watching it, and sometimes the sponsored skit is even more entertaining than the rest of the video

It used to be that if a channel was using sponsorships or Patreon to find their videos, the viewer would benefit by not having pre-roll or mid-roll ads. But now it seems like whether or not sponsors, or Patreon is involved, pre-roll, and Mid-roll ads are still plastered over everything.

Thanks for being loyal to your viewers

The editing on this video is insane!!! Love it. You’ve basically become my inspiration 😅

I think another creator that handles sponsorship integrations very well is Tomska. Sure, the sponsor may not have directly made the video possible, but the sponsor segments are always very entertaining sketches so viewers will voluntarily watch them.

I agree with your points. I watch a channel called Rose Anvil where he cuts up shoes and the sponsors provides those shoes. I enjoy every bit of his videos. I usually skip sponsor segments if they are unrelated to the video that I’m watching except for Linus Tech Tips 😂

Dude your production quality is up there with Magnates for sure!! Keep it up

I love youtubers like noodle or Map Men who make the sponsorship so incredibly funny I never skip any parts of such videos

Man, this channel is another amazing Cold Fusion on RU-vid! Can't wait to see the day it crosses 1M subscribers too 👏🏽

Dude you’re awesome. You have a lot of integrity and self respect for not selling out

The big problem are the VPN scam ads. PVNs are DANGEROUS.

Thanks for not selling out!! I appreciate it!!

Nicely done, it was important to make people aware that every guy buttering a sponsor is not gonna make ppl easy money

Your editor is killing it!! The video looks great!

That's why I always skip sponsored parts because they are irritating and probably not going to be useful to me

It really is up to the audience to vet the sponsor, but I understand how hard this is now-a-days. We've moved on from the TV days where the sponsors weren't directly resonating with us. Now they can talk directly to us and I guess it makes it much harder for people to be weary.

I've never seen a video titled "How to tie some useful knots and there is also an advertisement for a product". I'd be like, "Nah. I was only looking for a video about knots. I am not interested in that other thing."

RU-vid needs to crack down on unsolicited emails to creators for sponsorships. If these companies want to advertise they need to buy YT ads. YT should just de-monetize videos sponsorships on them. I didn't buy premium just to be flooded with cleverly crafted sales pitches in a video. I came here to watch content not ads

Just wanted to say that I appriciate your content and hope you hit a million subs soon! Just knowing that you were offered $30k and didn't take it!! The man of the people!!

I'm the current world record holder for the fastest 5 second skip ad count-down on mobile. I dare anyone to challenge me.

The editor definitely needs a raise at this point!! Are they available for freelance jobs?

You are going on a different path , covering variety of topics, keep It up, love your content

Who the hell edited this video?! Jeez. Amazing.

Another great video. Channel never disappoints. Really appreciate the recommendations of other channels. Very big of you. 👍👍

Great video as always. Also, your authenticity is appreciated.

A very good example of a good sponsor is Brilliant. Their brand actually has value. And, the channels they sponsor actually have the audience that they may get as customers or buyers of their product.

Hey Hari, love all the videos that come out, amazing quality and great content. How can I support your channel though?

4:50 Whoa cool I didn't expect 2 of my favorite channels that I watch while eating to appear in the same video!

Personally, I always appreciate how immersive product placement and brand sponsorship are done in Casey Neistat channel. The execution is thoughtful and he's not pushing jargons or scripted dialog by the company. But I do realize that this arrangement might be Casey' privillage and other smaller creator might not have the luxury. But great point when you said that the sponsor should always help increase the value of the video for the audience. Notable POV which I hope every small Creator can adopt.

great animations and editing on this video. Great job

This is why I only use RU-vid clients with SponsorBlock such as Revanced Extended or the fork of newpipe. Users can flag irrelevent sections that can be set to auto skip. Ofc, a troll could flag a whole video, but I haven't seen that

This current situation is what made me install plugins that disable ads and even rip out sponsorships out of videos.

You should've had the good sponsorship section at the end for this video to go viral.

I know most of your viewerbase is English, but Tamil -an tamil-an dhaan bro. Namma aalungala vera level -a represent pannreenga, andha kandaarolinga maari unga soul-a sell panaama Namma maanatha kaapaathradhuku nanri bro. I've enjoyed your comments for years now, i even commented a couple years back, again in Tamil so you might remember me. Ipdiye maintain panunga bro, keep the upward trend going, and DON'T SELL YOUR SOUL lol

the misspelling of "sponsorship" somehow made the video feel more genuine.

Yo LA, you might want to recheck the Celsius brand logo shown between 8:35-8:44. That particular Celsius logo being used is actually for a different company as that Celsius(live fit) logo is actually for a brand of energy drink. It's not the Celsius Exchange logo for the now bankrupt company.

This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my RU-vid channel 9 months ago about self development. Now I have 1,613 subs and > 1,000 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.

I got reminded of what internet historian did for his sponsors

About the' Skillshare sold out' video that you posted, how about Coursera and Udemy? Are they also as bad as Skillshare?

wait a sec.. Did you just do "the good, the bad, and the ugly"??? LMAO, classic gold! gotta love what your viewers take away eh?? ;p Great stuff !!

GG great video i agree thank you for making stuff cuz i love watching it ima have to start telling others to watch as well...

There are a few creators who I won't skip the sponsorships on because they're absolutely ridiculous. These tend to be comedy-based content creators. Mostly, I just really appreciate the RU-vidrs who do obvious changes to the way the video looks (like a red frame to the sponsor break) or even have new chapters at the end of the ad so you easily know where to skip to.

It is things like this that have made me too afraid to ever accept any sponsorships at all. I am a small, practically TINY channel, but have received some sponsorship offers. I have never accepted one because I am so afraid I might promote something wrong or accidentally scam my viewers. I am not good at researching sponsors, and I don't want anyone paying the price for my stupidity.

I'm surprised that Established Titles wasn't mentioned given how widespread and notorious it was.

Y'all need the SponsorBlock extension / add-on for Firefox

Viwes - 03:30 graphic at this timestamp!!! leave me wondering how good is the quality control allowing a typo like this on a video. Leave the quality of the rest of the contents suspect too