Is YouTube REALLY oversaturated...

[Sin B]

So I was thinking about the YouTube algorithm, which is incredibly picky with how content gets filtered and passed on to other users, so I wanted to see who the top YouTubers actually are. Is everyone over 1, 2, 5mil subs?

And what I found out, was rather surprising. SocialBlade to my amazement and appreciation has a top 5000 mostsubscribed tubers list, which going by poods 49mil is as accurate as anything, so let's analyze.

Pewds, has his 49 mil, awesome, no one comes even close as a content creator.
That's 49 mil people (not really, but ignoring that) that YouTube has shown poods content in some way or anotherr.

Going down the list, top 100 are all 8.5mil+ subs, impressive number no doubt, but doesn't come anywhere near poods. Is it because 40mil people simply didn't like their content? They're subbed to so many other channels they didn't find it interesting? I doubt it...

Going even further down the list... the 1000th channel, only barely above 2mil subs, that is a huge drop wouldn't you say? Can you guess how much the 5000th most subbed channel has? Barely over 600k!

Now I'm not trying to belittle these numbers or people, 600k is a hell of a lot. What I am saying though is, if we compare #1 to #5000, 49mil vs 600k. With only 5000, content creators, I get the impression that YouTube is far from oversaturated. Several people have done vids with how broken down the YouTube system is with how they share vids to the public, even the subscribers don't get all the content they're supposed to get

Example if you're subbed to 60 people that all post on the same day on the home page you'll see maybe 5 vids.

I mean realistically The world has over 7 bil people, granted in the modern world with internet access and all that I believe the last known figure was in the 3billions. Last known figures for YouTube show 1 billion active monthly users. 5000 content creators vs 1 billion users. 10000 content creators vs 1 billion users. Hell even 20000 content creators vs 1 billion users. Those numbers never seem to add up.

Why is this? It's simple, the algorithm which puts channels out, and which puts videos out is heavy duty garbage. The top 50 channels get the most promotion because their system is so outdated it can't go further than that, then everyone else gets pretty heavily screwed.

Let's face it, there are tons of viral channels that became popular yet their content has no "business" value. What I mean by this is, anyone could do the same and maybe dozens have done it, but because they got lucky people saw it and subbed. But when it comes to content, personality, looks, etc... There's already the same exact thing with no views/subs/etc.. The YouTube algorithm helps no one in the lower ranks.

I don't think YouTube has a problem with being oversaturated. Any one person here, I don't doubt that if YouTube showed their video down 1 or 2 million people's throats they'd get at least 10% of that into subscribers. People are always looking for new content, old content always can get boring, but at the end of the day YouTube just recycles the same damn content over and over and over again...

ahh I'm rambling a bit, and majorly TL;DR

well if anyone reads it in full let me know your thoughts, do you find youtube oversaturated or do you also consider it just to be a broken system oversaturating audiences with the same exact people not letting anyone smaller through to the masses?

 

[Hi!MyNameIsJan]

bad analysis.

 

[Sin B]

bad analysis.

Great contribution.

 

[ocslushie]

In my opinion, it's both. YouTube's algorithm is very poor, but I heard it has recently changed. And it's not that YouTube is over-saturated, I feel that certain communities are saturated.

YouTube's most current algorithm was based on watch percentage and view time, but I hear from some big YouTubers who know people from YouTube that the algorithm has changed and people cannot abuse it as they had used to. For example Leafyishere's views have declined immensely since the supposed algorithm change. But yes, the algorithm did push certain channels over many others.

I feel like some channels don't grow because the communities are over saturated. For example the gaming community and more specifically the FIFA community. Like you said, they are basically all the same and some just get luckier. But what's the point of subscribing to a smaller channel when they are subscribed to the bigger channel already if they make the same content.

 

[Hi!MyNameIsJan]

Great contribution.

Read your first post again and think. Its just flawed, sorry.

Example if you're subbed to 60 people that all post on the same day on the home page you'll see maybe 5 vids.

Thats why there is the "subscription" page....

Now I'm not trying to belittle these numbers or people, 600k is a hell of a lot. What I am saying though is, if we compare #1 to #5000, 49mil vs 600k. With only 5000, content creators, I get the impression that YouTube is far from oversaturated.

Good that there are more than 5000 content creators.

Several people have done vids with how broken down the YouTube system is with how they share vids to the public, even the subscribers don't get all the content they're supposed to get

Yes the subscripton page/tab filters content of creators that you don´t watch regulary out. Just like Facebook. Or Twitter. Or any big platform.
Might be that it happens to much or sometimes if it shouldn´t happen. But thats not the majority of the times, YouTube had bigger problems with this some time ago, they fixed it.


Youtube wants you to watch as much as possible. The algorithm is optimised for this. Not for promoting small Youtubers, not for building an elite of 50 Youtubers which hold all clicks. They only want Views -> Ad views.

I don´t think Youtube is oversaturated, but for anything you can imagine there is a small channel doing it. It has just reached this sized where everything is there. Like Wikipedia has a page for anything, there is a youtube channel for it. It´s not easy to get exposure as a small channel. Sure. But it´s not the fault of the algorithm. The algorithm doesn´t care about you, it cares about the viewers and the clicks they generate. Thats it. No need to cry, no need to praise it. Builing a channel is hard and frustrating just like building a buisness is hard and frustrating. You need luck and dedication. You can only influence on of these variable. And your SEO. Which basically is half of your luck.

Still. Flawed analysis.
I don´t want to offend you, sorry if i did.
Have a nice evening.

 

[Sin B]

Read your first post again and think. Its just flawed, sorry.



Thats why there is the "subscription" page....

Except even subscription page does not show all content. Why do you think all big creators promote the "bell" notification system? Its only way for YouTube to get off their a** and send videos out to everyone.

Good that there are more than 5000 content creators.

Indeed. Then again those are merely the top 5000 over 600k, the real numbers from 0 to 49mil could be 10, 20, 100k who knows.

Yes the subscripton page/tab filters content of creators that you don´t watch regulary out. Just like Facebook. Or Twitter. Or any big platform.
Might be that it happens to much or sometimes if it shouldn´t happen. But thats not the majority of the times, YouTube had bigger problems with this some time ago, they fixed it.

If that's how it's supposed to work then even there they fail. There's many people I haven't watched in 3 years yet show up on my feed, while people I watched a day ago don't.

Youtube wants you to watch as much as possible. The algorithm is optimised for this. Not for promoting small Youtubers, not for building an elite of 50 Youtubers which hold all clicks. They only want Views -> Ad views.

Fair enough.. They should be up front with their business methods then. They make such a big deal about their creators but if at the end of the day only the ad revenue matters they should act that way.

I don´t think Youtube is oversaturated, but for anything you can imagine there is a small channel doing it. It has just reached this sized where everything is there. Like Wikipedia has a page for anything, there is a youtube channel for it. It´s not easy to get exposure as a small channel. Sure. But it´s not the fault of the algorithm. The algorithm doesn´t care about you, it cares about the viewers and the clicks they generate. Thats it. No need to cry, no need to praise it. Builing a channel is hard and frustrating just like building a buisness is hard and frustrating. You need luck and dedication. You can only influence on of these variable. And your SEO. Which basically is half of your luck.

I do not disagree. Luck is the KEY, because YouTube does not care. I'm glad you agree with me. People don't go viral due to their own talent or skill 90% of the time, they just got lucky and things spiraled from that point onward.

Still. Flawed analysis.

Seemed like you agreed with more than one point, even if using different words.

I don´t want to offend you, sorry if i did.
Have a nice evening.

I'm not here for offense I'm here to discuss. If I was so squishy I wouldn't be trying to get big on the internet, troll capital of the universe.

 

[Hi!MyNameIsJan]

The domination of big youtubers isn't so much the domination of big youtuber per se, but the domination of youtubers with fans. In the first hour your video is online, your "loyal" subscribers will watch it, like it, share it. A random Person watching your video maybe likes it and rarely writes a comment. The fan does all the interactions the youtube algorithm filter for (100% watchtime, high comment/view ratio, high like/view ratio, shares in Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, fanpages) and gets your video on the frontpage of non-subscribers.
This is when you won. I think thats why Vloggers dominate youtube since about 2/3 years (atleast in Germany). Because they build a personality hype. And fans with it.

Next point is the probability of you having Fans. I would say that huge Vloggers with 500k regular watchers will have 5%-10% hardcore fans.
A small youtuber with 1000 subs doesnt even have 50 fans, if he has any. Because the viewers don't think its reasonable to be a fan of a small youtuber. You need to be big.
But in statistics, there is no such this like long term luck. If you produce above average content, you will habe a small (still above average) growth. If you have uploaded 1000 good videos over the course of 3 years, a lot of people will have got them recommended. If a Screen Junkie channel or PewDiePie would start now with 0 subs, but their quality content, they would have the same audience after a year of work. I think the youtube algorithm is like a game with a ladder and elo. Eventually you will land where you belong. With the small difference that the average youtube viewer wants cancerous content. Or atleast watches it. Blame the viewer and yourself (for bad Videos, Seo, Promo etc.)

Bye, i need to go to school now.