I always see some people putting their YouTube channels for sale.
Is it a good idea and how does one know how much your channel is worth?
Is it a good idea and how does one know how much your channel is worth?
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Answered YouTube channel sale
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This is against the YouTube Terms of Service, so that is already a red flag. But also if they are selling a channel that already has subscribers then you are buying into vanity metrics alone. Unless you are copying exactly the content they are making (presuming of course they are actually making content, they likely are not) then these subscribers are 'empty subscribers,' meaning that they are never going to watch your content. That lack of watch time and engagement is going to throw a big ol' flag at YouTube that your content is not worth watching and you will never get your videos discovered.
So long story short, this is a complete and utter waste of time and money. Unless you simply want an empty channel with some vanity subscriber numbers and videos with 20 views (which looks really funny, let me tell you).
So long story short, this is a complete and utter waste of time and money. Unless you simply want an empty channel with some vanity subscriber numbers and videos with 20 views (which looks really funny, let me tell you).
Just out of curiosity, where do you see these people trying to sell their channel?
I have seen a top channel in New Zealand (5 million+ subs / 500k+ views per day) get sold to someone based in the US. It continued to produce similar content for kids though a couple of months later, it is now losing subscribers and is lucky to get 10k views a day.
As to how much is a channel worth? If a channel is based upon a person/personality, then it not likely going to be bought or at least not for a good price. When subscribers see a change of owner, I have noticed that there is often a drop in subs and views which is not good for the buyer.
Something you also need to think about too is HOW the exchange is going to happen so that no-one gets conned. At what moment do you hand over the keys to the channel?
I personally wouldn't sell any of my channels as they are all a form of passive income. I am still earning money from videos I created YEARS ago. Unless someone came in with a seriously life-changing amount (which isn't likely to happen) then I prefer to stay with the income I have.
I have seen a top channel in New Zealand (5 million+ subs / 500k+ views per day) get sold to someone based in the US. It continued to produce similar content for kids though a couple of months later, it is now losing subscribers and is lucky to get 10k views a day.
As to how much is a channel worth? If a channel is based upon a person/personality, then it not likely going to be bought or at least not for a good price. When subscribers see a change of owner, I have noticed that there is often a drop in subs and views which is not good for the buyer.
Something you also need to think about too is HOW the exchange is going to happen so that no-one gets conned. At what moment do you hand over the keys to the channel?
I personally wouldn't sell any of my channels as they are all a form of passive income. I am still earning money from videos I created YEARS ago. Unless someone came in with a seriously life-changing amount (which isn't likely to happen) then I prefer to stay with the income I have.
You are being nice when you use the word "funny". I have a much stronger and less polite word in mind than "funny" when I see that situation as has been the case lately.
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- Subscriber Goal
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Yup... and don't think that there isn't a single person who won't notice. Everyone in the world understands that you can buy subs. That is common knowledge. The second someone sees that you have one or two million subscribers they are going to look at the view count on your videos and laugh when you can't break 100 views.
In a sense, people will scrutinize your channel EVEN MORE if you have an unusually high number of subscribers. So you better have the receipts, otherwise, the only people left that care are the suckers who don't know any better.
It may be that I am still relatively new in the TB Forums but why am I seeing these crazy situations so much the past week or so?
And then why do these people come to the TB forums to complain (or brag about their 300K in one case)?
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I just had a thought... is it still against YouTube's TOS when one company buys another company which means they now have the rights to a channel?
E.g. Coca Cola buys the "NewWonderDrink" company and plan to sell their drinks. This WonderDrink company had a YouTube channel showing how "Wonderful" their drink is. Coca Cola now owns the company and thus the YT channel. In a way, they are purchasing the YouTube channel too.
That is what I have assumed can happen with "sales" (more like acquisitions) of YouTube channels.
Just wondering!
Totally agree with you ... I always tell people the same thing, subscriber numbers are only vanity metrics.
You could have a million subscribers but if they aren't watching your videos, that number is useless. It is pure vanity!
Subscribers don't put food on the table, the views (well, the corresponding ad revenue and associated products) do.
When people are interested in starting out on YouTube, I always tell them to focus on getting views not subscribers.
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No, that is not against TOS because that is a totally different type of business transaction. In this case the channel is owned by and represents a product, and the channel is therefore an extension of that product. There is nothing wrong with a legal exchange of rights for that product. What is against TOS is when it is the channel itself that is for sale. That exchange makes YouTube the product... so you are effectively selling something that doesn't belong to you.
It's tough to hear but you need to remember; we only own the intellectual rights to our work, we do not own our channels and we are surviving on borrowed land (for free, mind you). YouTube can pull the plug on their platform at any time. They can pull the plug on a channel that has exchanged hands as a portion of a business deal and nobody gets sued. But if someone sells a channel and that product is now pulled? That is grounds for a lawsuit.
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