The Basic Truth About Networks

Moe Othman

Moe Othman

I've Got It
Hey Everyone,

I dont want to write a huge essay, so i will summarize this as much as i can.
A lot of you are asking questions about whether joining a network is worth it, what are the disadvantages and advantages etc.

Advantages - They can help you with 3rd party claims, they can provide you with small apps that can help you find free music/sound effects to use, etc.

Disadvnatages - They take a pretty large amount of your revenue in exchange.

Now here's the big issue, A LOT of people think networks will help their channel grow, the truth of the matter is, they won't.

Don't get me wrong, the networks will provide you with some stuff to help your journey, but the stuff they help you with can be obtained even without their help. For example, some networks will provide you with Royalty Free Music or an Editing program, but you can obtain these things easily on your own without any problems.

The big throw off here is that Networks Only advertise their biggest/most successful creators. (As if they actually needed it..) They won't actually help your channel by sharing your content, even if it's really good. Their main goal is to obtain more revenue, thats it. It's a company, and their main focus is reeling in the cash.

The big question you have to ask yourself is, "Is the Revenue split/% that they are taking from me, equal or worth to what they are supplying/offering me?"

If that answer is "No", either dont join a network or end your contract when possible.

Because let's be honest, unless you're pretty much famous, networks really dont care about actually helping you.

I'm with a very known network at the moment, and my contract ends in a month, and i plan to leave the network. They have been taking a % of my revenue for over a year, and i practically have not obtained anything from them in return.


Long story short, unless you're really popular (at least 100k subs), networks aren't really worth it.
 
Well said sir! :D
We joined a network not out of the bull crap incentive of 'YOU'LL MAGICALLY GAIN SUBS OVERNIGHT!' but for the free sound effects library we got but now that's gone all networks I've seen offer next to nothing :L
 
Yeah I don't get why people joined networks. I guess at first I saw 2 reasons which did not apply to me, copyrighted videogames and because they did not get into the YouTube Partnership program. Now I heard anyone can get in (?) so why don't they just do that?
 
lol, I just mentioned most of these in another topic.

I joined Fullscreen because most of my favourite YouTubers joined that Network and some of my friends did and they liked the Network and found it really helpful.
They're smaller popular YouTubers, but not as in Getting promoted by Fullscreen popular.
I found it pretty interesting and after applying multiple times I got accepted.
At first I also thought that the Network would get me popular and pay me more than YouTube etc but even though they didn't, I still like the Network and just use the features they have to offer.

They try to help getting you bigger with tools such as the Colossal Collab and groups etc, but it's not really helping that much.
I wish there was a way that the smaller people from the Network had the chance to be featured by Fullscreen as well.
I once suggested if the featured videos box on the site could actually feature random videos from people in the Network instead of the ones that already have a lot of views. (They actually featured the idea in a survey for site improvements)

I guess that sticking with Adsense could be more helpful since all the earnings go to yourself and you can get most of the tools that Fullscreen offered you eventually, it just takes more time and communication.
 
Thats very well said exactly what i've been telling few ppl here. Although you forgot 1 thing and its also the main reason i'm with a network cuz i couldn't have it any other way and thats getting paid through paypal. Adsense doesn't provide payments to certain countries so.. it sucks but oh well better something with a network than nothing at all.
 
Moe Othman said:
Hey Everyone,

I dont want to write a huge essay, so i will summarize this as much as i can.
A lot of you are asking questions about whether joining a network is worth it, what are the disadvantages and advantages etc.

Advantages - They can help you with 3rd party claims, they can provide you with small apps that can help you find free music/sound effects to use, etc.

Disadvnatages - They take a pretty large amount of your revenue in exchange.

Now here's the big issue, A LOT of people think networks will help their channel grow, the truth of the matter is, they won't.

Don't get me wrong, the networks will provide you with some stuff to help your journey, but the stuff they help you with can be obtained even without their help. For example, some networks will provide you with Royalty Free Music or an Editing program, but you can obtain these things easily on your own without any problems.

The big throw off here is that Networks Only advertise their biggest/most successful creators. (As if they actually needed it..) They won't actually help your channel by sharing your content, even if it's really good. Their main goal is to obtain more revenue, thats it. It's a company, and their main focus is reeling in the cash.

The big question you have to ask yourself is, "Is the Revenue split/% that they are taking from me, equal or worth to what they are supplying/offering me?"

If that answer is "No", either dont join a network or end your contract when possible.

Because let's be honest, unless you're pretty much famous, networks really dont care about actually helping you.

I'm with a very known network at the moment, and my contract ends in a month, and i plan to leave the network. They have been taking a % of my revenue for over a year, and i practically have not obtained anything from them in return.


Long story short, unless you're really popular (at least 100k subs), networks aren't really worth it.
Click to expand...

You cant say this addressing all networks if you only been with one network.
Good friend of mine join a network i work for with 5k subscribers. This was in February this year.
In December she will pass 500k Subscribers.
So it depends on the Network.

Fullscreen is a Tech Driven Network. They do brand stuff for there top partners, but the main focus relais on providing first class technology and leave the rest to the creator to use this stuff and make the best out of it.

Freedom is a size driven network. They don't really care about anything as long the numbers are growing.

And a very small portion of networks is talent driven. They try to sign the best talents. Even if they only have 3k subscribers. If they are good, they take them and then push them to 500k subscribers within one year. As soon you make 50k Views per video, you are getting interesting for advertising stuff.
Collective would be a good example for this.

Lets say you join CDS with 50k Subscribers. And thanks to there work in Cross Promotion and Brand deals, you make 10 million views per month after a year.
Its unfair to give a way 30% of your earnings for there work?
Without them you never gotten any Brand Deals, no Concepts for the Seals, no Videos with other CDS stars, no one that helps you with the management of your (with 10m vpm) big a** channel. No one that help you develop new stuff for your channel.

Go ahead and get your own Management team that help you with everything. I guess then you need to give away 80% of or 10 millionen views earnings.


I think the Marjory of people don't get the original idea of networks youtube had because they are flashed by all the marketing bs from bulk partnering networks. I don't want to bash any network so i don't say any numbers. But apart from Fullscreen, if you see a Network with less then 1000 Employees that manages 50k Channels, you can be pretty sure its a bulk network not having the power to provide you any advantages you really need.

Who the f**k need Ad Sales or a Community Forum?
What you need to push your channel on the next level is Concept Sales, Cutters, Professional Licences Music, Content ID, Channel Development, Channel Management.


Thats just my humbled opinion, as a YouTube Certified, with 3 years experience in the "business" seeing the site as VN, small Content Owner, MCN and now as employee of one of the biggest Media Networks in the world.
 
I'm a gamer, can't really monetize gameplay with Adsesne because I do not own it... companies like Nintendo can take down my videos...
 
MaxTheLevel said:
I'm a gamer, can't really monetize gameplay with Adsesne because I do not own it... companies like Nintendo can take down my videos...
Click to expand...
unless you have a network that will contact publishers on your behalft and negotiate the condition for you to use the Gameplay.
If you dont have a network because a 30% - 20 % or 10 % share of revenue is too much for you, you need to do it yourself.
And the time you need to invest just for this would already be equal or higher for what you would pay a good network.
 
This is similar to what I said. You can make money your videos without joining a network. And networks don't just magically hand you subs and viewers.

But you should join a network if. . .
1. You need to get paid in PayPal. Google doesn't pay via PayPal, but networks do. PayPal requires no bank account and is available in more countries.
2. You really want good royalty free music and don't know where to go. Networks provide a library of royalty free music for you to use. If you weren't in a network you might have to pay for the music or find music somewhere on the web. This might be hard to do.
3. You want a better dashboard. Networks give their users a dashboard that is usually more in depth then the normal dashboard. However, for really small channels, I don't know if that matters because there isn't much to show.
4. You have trouble with YouTube a lot, whether it be copyright, or not knowing how to upload or anything in-between. If you are having a lot of problems, you might to join a network. Networks have dedicated support teams that can help you if you need it. For gamers, they often have licenses so you can monetize certain games.
5. You have potential of things off YouTube. This is exclusively for bigger channels but you prove yourself, networks can get you a manager, tv appearances, brand deals, and more.

Should you join a network? Take this simple two question test to find out:
1. Is there anything in list 1-5 that I really want/need?
If no, don't join a network
If yes, move to question 2
2. Would you be willing to give up 10-40% of your money in exchange for the feature(s) above?
If no, don't join a network
If yes, join a network
If maybe, do some research on networks think about it some more.

This test probably works for most people. Some people might have other reasons for joining a network. But the important thing to remember is that when joining a network, you are giving up a % of your earnings for the services they provide. You have to be okay with that.
 
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