this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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Audience is only part of the equation, arguably not the largest part. How many content creators use adblock? The big ones already know how completely meaningless ad revenue is because youtube doesn't pay them enough and they are already aware of how easy it is to block ads. Also they're more likely to be using youtube on a desktop because they use one to create, and they also are more aware of the alternatives like revanced. A lot of big creators have spoken out over the years in favour of adblocking.
If youtube makes it impossible for creators to use their own platform they'll leave in droves, and they will have the voice to encourage their audience to follow. Youtube isn't the main voice on their own site, the creators are.
Another thing this will impact is the ability for creators to collaborate, since they would have to watch others' ads in order to see their videos.
Once that happens, the audience will naturally follow. That's how social media sites have failed in the past. They've pissed off the power users to the point they finally left, then the content declined, then users followed.
Youtube is making the same mistake all capitalist entities do, of mistreating the people who actually make the product they're selling. It's a fundamental contradiction that only leads to decline in the end, it's just a matter of when. This may not be the straw that breaks the camel's back, if this isn't it, then something down the line will be.
Dude, it's at most 20 bucks a month to get rid of all ads (with YouTube music on top). Any creator who has some following can pay that from pocket change. The big content creators (1M+ subscribers) pull in millions with a mix of ad money and sponsorships. And it would be a business expense on top for them..
Creators are the last person to actually care about YouTube forced ads, it's their job, they can afford it easily.
The only ones really impacted are power users, people who use adblock right now to watch. Which would also include me. But what do you want to do? There is no other platform, if they block adblockers I either have to watch ads or finally pay them money. I'm not going to leave for another platform because there is none. Twitch is there, sure, but it's only for livestreams and awful for VODs.
$20/mo would have kept me fed for the better part of a month a couple years ago. Money has almost never not been tight, often to the point of being inhumane.
If they start forcing ads, I'll just do what I used to do when I didn't have home internet and start downloading videos instead. Which is nicer to be able to hold onto anyway. If someone doesn't like me "stealing," they can fucking pay me.
Not sure what kind of shit take that is if you bought a $70 game recently (Baldur's Gate 3, even I'm waiting for a sale and money is not tight for me), you have cats and probably a Nintendo Switch with Zelda, that's just what I read on the first page of your profile. So you obviously have money to spend on entertainment, like most adults.
$20 is clearly too much just to get rid of ads (though it also gets you YouTube Music, like Spotify), but I was talking about content creators who can easily afford this. And most people spend hours on YouTube, probably more time than they use Netflix if we're being honest.
I don't like Google either, but at some point they need to make money. That's the simple truth. If everyone used adblockers we'd see a lot more content locked down behind a paywall. It is what it is. Then you either pay or you find some other source of content.
And let's be real, people pay for entertainment. If I go outside and throw a stone it would probably hit someone with a Netflix/HBO/Disney+/Spotify/Prime or whatever subscription. It's difficult to find a person who doesn't have Netflix for example. If Google forces this through YouTube will just be another subscription service (or you get ads). Or they start limiting uploads to save on cost, which would actually kill their platform (as probably 99% of uploaded videos are barely or never watched, around one hour of video per second is getting uploaded right now).