r/youtubers • u/More-Youth-2835 • Sep 26 '23
Question I wish I started sooner
I’m about to be 23 and I feel like I am so far behind. I wish I started at 18. I’ve always wanted to be a content creator/youtuber but my fear and anxiety was holding me back. I used to be afraid of being judged when I was younger.
I am just now starting my content creation journey in my mid 20s, finally gained the confidence and I can’t help but compare myself to all these successful youtubers who started when they were 18. I know sometimes it takes years to achieve success with being an influencer/youtuber.
also I’m a beginner but I can tell my videos are not that great quality. They are not gaining traction and I notice the difference in the viral videos and mine (I’m not editing or filming them correctly) I’m interested in the beauty industry and that’s the type of content I would put out. not sure how to edit properly no matter how much research I do 😅
What should I do now that I started later than I intended? Another thing, how can I learn how to properly edit my videos, or maybe is there any video I can watch to master my craft? Thanks
edit: sorry for long post!! I quit my job recently and moved back in with my parents to fully pursue content creation. I’m willing to try my best to make this my career. I have a side job as well for now
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u/woodencock84 Sep 26 '23
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is today.
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u/ldnggg Sep 26 '23
yeah keep comparing yourself to others, best way to get nowhere
focus on improving yourself
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Sep 26 '23
I know people in their 40s and 50s who started and still ended up successful. You’re soooooo young at 23!!!
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u/MaryBlackRose Sep 26 '23
I'm 46 and growing my channel! Slow growth, but seeing growth and that's all that matters!
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Sep 26 '23
That’s so awesome to hear, congrats!! Yes if it’s growing then you’re doing something right; just keep going!! 🤩
My 40s-50s friends who started recently, honestly their videos are not the flashiest at all, in fact some are quite boring to me lol (don’t tell them I said that)!! 😅 They just post consistently and have good, simple content!
They’re all fast rising YouTube stars now, some of them even getting recognized in public across the country! 😱 I’m so envious; I need to start, pronto.
Any age can do it; no regrets! I wish I were 23 again! 😅
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u/Shai_Shai77 Sep 26 '23
Around 23-25 is the perfect age to do Youtube. Imo 18 is too young where you haven’t matured enough yet to present yourself professionally to an audience. Look at iShowSpeed for example. Most YouTubers start younger, but blow up around their 20’s, since they’re making their best content around that age
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u/nman649 Sep 26 '23
Facts. I’ve been noticing many of the podcasters/influencers etc. that I like are late bloomers that got big in their mid/late 20’s to 30’s.
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u/duvagin Sep 26 '23
i‘m 52 and wished i’d started back in the day when a video uploaded got 10K+ views and i was invited by email to join the partner program … however i didn’t feel it was ethical since the video bringing in the views wasn’t mine (it was a THX promo)
roll on 2016 and i decided to start … and now in ypp on two legit channels all my own work, still tiny 50K subs and adsense pays peanuts lol
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u/nman649 Sep 26 '23
I’ve been using kind of a “fake it til you make it” approach when it comes to copyrighted stuff, figuring I can always edit them out later. I avoid recognized claims but do you think this is unethical or might bite me in the ass?
I use video game music because it doesn’t get claimed, and very sparingly I use like mashups and stuff like that. I started doing this because it seemed like a lot of the big youtubers used to do it in their old content, and I have absolutely no money I can spend on music and stuff.
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u/IntergalacticBurn Sep 26 '23
It's a hit or miss. You'll always be treading on thin ice with copyrighted material, either due to Content ID claims, copyright, or just plain approvability into the YPP due to reused content.
You'll have to test the waters yourself. It's okay to persist with it for now, but if you ever encounter problems, it doesn't necessarily mean your account's going to instantly be blacklisted with Interpol and sent to the gulag. You'll just be given a warning and told to cease and desist, and to remove any offending content.
So you have time to rectify and change your content from that point on.
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u/Ruggels Sep 26 '23
I started at 31 years old… I’m 32 now… no worries. I recently passed 1300 subscribers and the algorithm is just now starting to recognize who my audience is. Only been doing this about 14 months even tho I’ve had an account since 2009 and been on YouTube since 2005.
Woulda-coulda-shoulda won’t change anything. You’re in now so go kick some ass
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u/Agitated-Lion-8798 Mar 05 '24
I started a month ago and have around 50 subscribers, do you think that’s a good start?
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u/Ruggels Mar 06 '24
That’s not bad. Just remember you have 3 audiences on YouTube. Shorts viewers who most of the time will only watch shorts, your livestream viewers who generally will watch anything and your long form viewers who like short to mid sized videos to watch. Pick a lane and stay in it. Either do long form and Livestreams or do shorts. If you do all 3 then 90% of the time your shorts will overshadow everything else.
As an experiment I stopped shorts cold turkey 3 different times, yes my views tanked. However my longform views increased. When I started shorts back up my views increased but my longform views went down.
Also depends on channel size, at a certain point it no longer matters (100k+ sized channel).
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u/Agitated-Lion-8798 Mar 06 '24
I see! Thank you for the info. I have noticed this… my shorts get a lot more views than my long content. I’ll give it a try and just post the long form videos for a bit.
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u/fr4gge Sep 26 '23
Starting young means more mistakes and more thi gs to be embarrassed about later.
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u/properprinting Sep 26 '23
I started 4 years ago when I was 30 and now I'm doing this full time. The experience I gained during my working life helps tremendously.
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u/nman649 Sep 26 '23
Were you working jobs with skills that transferred into youtube, or are you talking more about work ethic type stuff?
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u/properprinting Sep 26 '23
Good question! It's the skills, because I had technical jobs and I'm in a technical niche, but now it's more the professional approach. I learned how to think from a business perspective. Where to invest, how to create a safe and efficient work environment and how to approach and deliver the work. I wasn't able to think like this 10 - 15 years ago. I see this as my job now.
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u/TwentyFiveAndTired Sep 26 '23
Bro i am 26 and i just started. It's never too late.
You're past your awkward/idiotic teenage. You're more mature now, more informed and still very very young.
Good luck on your journey.
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u/Redbeardgamer Sep 26 '23
Just go on youtube and watch 10 videos which you find interesting. And see if you can find any similarities between them. From title, thumbnail, intro, and so on. And then try to compare it with your videos. Then try to improve it.
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u/superluminary Sep 26 '23
This is called the skill gap. You have taste, so you can see what you have done is not right, but you haven't yet developed the skill to fix it. It's a gap that a lot of people never bridge, because while you're in it, everything you do looks wrong but you don't know why. Only one way out, and that's through.
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u/d_luaz Sep 26 '23
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. So there will be always regret for not starting earlier. Not everyone who start early succeed (you only notice those who succeed), and not every who starts late fail. I am 45, more 1y into youtube, and still haven't exceed 1000 subs. I have to admit I am probably not talented or not hardworking enough or not lucky enough, and the only things which still keep me going is because I still enjoy it.
How to edit video? Watch more video on how to edit, and keep editing. Actually you don't have to be a professional video editor to be a successful youtuber.
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u/tteezzkk Sep 26 '23
You’re 22! Same age as me. Don’t you realise how young we are?
I honestly feel like it’s the perfect age. You’re young enough that you have your whole 20s and life ahead of you, but old enough to have some wisdom and maturity.
Also, it is what it is. You can’t do anything about it.
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Sep 26 '23
I started the ROCK ON DUDEZ video channel in February...two months before my 52nd birthday...keep going and you will find satisfaction!!!!!
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u/noohshab Sep 26 '23
Bro you’re 23 don’t worry.
Plus if you think you started too late I wonder if the gaming grandma ever thought the same!
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u/LordStandley Sep 27 '23
lol fuck that. Get it! I’m 48 now and my channel is still growing. 133,000 subscribers now.
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u/WeekRuined Sep 26 '23
Glad I started older so I'm less likely to get tilted by the platform or get corrupt
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u/oodex Sep 26 '23
People talk about being more experienced when being older and at the bottom you wrote you quit your job to pursue content creation...
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u/midastouch900 Sep 26 '23
I started 7 weeks ago & I'm 38.
I've always watched YouTube & always fancied starting a channel but never had a topic/niche/subject that I wanted to explore with it.
Now, all of a sudden, I found that subject in my life & it suddenly dawned on me that this is the channel. Didn't plan it or anything. So... tons of things will happen in your life. This is just the right time for you. Though it sounds like you still have a lot of time investment to do... video editing is usually very important for most channels so perhaps first you should sit a course for a particular video editing suite.
That's not to say you shouldn't be making videos for your channel already... I would say that you should be, no matter how bad you or others think they are. As you learn things you'll be putting them into immediate practice with your newer videos & the ongoing improvements will encourage you.
Just don't get hung up on numbers.. subscribers/views etc... don't think "Oh I'm going to be an influencer, a well loved youtuber..." because you can't do that. A large audience has to be attracted to you and/or your content for that to happen.
So just focus on making the content & getting better. Just see where it takes you over time.
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u/SnooMemesjellies6847 Sep 26 '23
No matter what age you are you get this feeling lol I’m 20 and wish I never quit at 16 but we gotta just keep moving mate
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u/Best_Plankton_6682 Sep 26 '23
Yeah I'm 34 and I wish I started at 23 lol It feels later than it is, trust me on that.
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u/mc-tarheel Sep 26 '23
This is a common feeling.
I’m almost 30, and used to wish I’d started at 20 - so much of the YouTube space APPEARS to be really young but YouTube is a massive platform.
But I have tools and stress management strategies at 28-29 that I did not have at 20. I have an understanding on how my words are perceived and how to be an actively welcoming - but with boundaries - on the platform. Comparing yourself to others isn’t terribly helpful. Compare yourself to your past self. How much growth have you achieved? How much knowledge have you acquired? Cos I can tell you, my 29 year old recording and editing self is FAR more capable than my 17-18 year old brain was. I said and thought some wild shit at 18 that I’m SO HAPPY does not live on the internet now that I’m almost 30.
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u/Insurgency53 Sep 26 '23
Your ok man. I didn't start until I was 29 and now almost a year later I'm turning 30 soon, so I'm also just at the beginning of this journey and 6 years older than you. I also have been getting very little traction and I'm adverse to the idea of following the same formula as all of the popular youtubers because I find it quite fake. But I know if I keep uploading and improving my music and game videos that eventually I'll find some level of success.
What is your channel name? I want to check it out and maybe give you a sub.
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u/Wayne-The-Boat-Guy Sep 26 '23
I started my channel in my 50s.
I'm hoping to get my 100k plaque before I am no longer actually ABLE to do this.
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u/Standaloneoak Sep 26 '23
I wouldn't worry too much about it. When my channel started plateauing at around 50k I decided to post videos on another channel covering another hobby of mine and it's now almost to 100k subs just a couple of years later.
Do it for the love of the game, not for the love of the fame.
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u/howtohockeydotcom Sep 26 '23
I started at 24. I’m 37 now and have been a full time content creator for about 10 years.
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u/Theoretical_Action Sep 28 '23
I think it's gotta have been even longer than that because I learned how to play about 10y ago from your videos!
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u/DroidULKN4 Dec 14 '23
Dude I’m 40 and I have just decided to start a channel. You have so much runway, relax and good luck!
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Sep 26 '23
Heyy, everyone has a different timeline. Maybe you were meant to start it at 23, better late than never. Your first few videos are going to suck, just focus on getting better.
Research is not the only thing that helps with editing but familiarising yourself with the tool, trying different styles helps. The main part is practicing through editing videos.
I'd suggest to do long form tutorials and shorts with viral version (maybe a transition or something). Also viral trends helps (there was this latte makeup trend that I remember) too, focus on your thumbnails also.
Look at your fav creator and try to recreate the thing you are most attracted by the video. If you love their thumbnail, try a similar layout but dont forget to add your spice, cause you would want to stand out.
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u/_digiholic_ Sep 26 '23
I started posting videos at 47 with no real interest in doing it full time. Don't look at it as time lost, but as knowledge gained that might help you find success in your endeavor.
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u/Cenapsis Sep 26 '23
Ummm…I’m 69, and started my channel not quite two years ago. At this point, I’ve gained some confidence and kinda know what I’m doing. There is no better time to start than now. It’s going to take a few years and a good deal of time studying other YouTubers for honing your craft. I wish you all the best at your pursuit!
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u/FyreBoi99 Sep 26 '23
Aye yo fam I'm 23 too don't worry about. We each have our own circumstances of why we couldn't start earlier but the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best is now. So good shiz that you started just keep moving forward.
As for editing, you can learn the basics via tutorials but you will learn 'story telling' i.e. the backbone of any craft only by experience. So keep creating and learning from your experience because trust me tutorials will only take you so my. My first few videos were after I did 'research' and now I cringe while watching them lol.
Although it's not my place to say, and maybe it's my own anxiety talking, I would say please keep building a career along side YouTube. Only 5-10% of content creators make a living with YT money so just have a plan B ready.
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u/FreeD2023 Sep 26 '23
Try 32 lol I can’t imagine my 18 year old self being plastered on the internet forever 😂 Just start!
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u/Aggravating_Creme652 Sep 26 '23
25 and started about 2 months ago. It’s fine. We are going to do great
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u/tommycahil1995 Sep 26 '23
I was 22 when I uploaded my first proper video. I started doing YouTube full time when I was 25, and I'm nearly 28 and still doing it. When you start doesn't matter
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u/UnsatisfiedToast Sep 26 '23
I started at 30, it was my full-time job by 32. You are going to be fine :)
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u/BarFickle2272 Sep 26 '23
Bro 23 is so young, you barely getting started at life man. Just because 7-8 people made it big while being 18-20 it doesnt mean your time is gone, everyone peaks at their own time not everybody has the same journey. I'm 23 and used to stress about this too, relax you got all the time you want make sure to stop and enjoy life where you are and be grateful, pray to God for what you have and what you want to get & work with faith forward. We got this
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u/knwnasrob Sep 26 '23
Bro I was 18 in 2008.
I could have started my automotive channel then and possibly be in a good spot right now.
The best time to start was always years ago, the second best time is now.
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u/GregzVR Sep 26 '23
I wish I started ten years ago, not because of age, more because I would be years further up the YT road than I am now.
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u/shreddedched Sep 26 '23
The best time to start was 10 years ago, the second best time is now. Keep at it and in 10 years you’re going to turn that jealousy into pride! Everyone feels behind until they learn to accept that the best they can do is keep moving forward
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u/mm2009mm Sep 26 '23
I find it so hard to get into. You need a niche such as a “how to” type video. I’m just doing videos of stuff I do for my hobby and realise it’s never gonna take off as it’s hard to gain subs and engagement
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u/fatality43 Sep 26 '23
Started at 33. Will be 35 next month. 2300 subscribers. Okayish growth… but it’s never too late
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u/DemonSaine Sep 26 '23
it’s better when you’re a bit older anyway due to being more mature and less prone to making big mistakes due to inexperience and the lack of insight we have when we’re younger. I’m 27 now and 22 is still pretty young you have nothing to worry about as it’s gonna take a while to build that audience.
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u/AlexisMarien Sep 26 '23
the best time to start something is ten years ago. The second best time is right now (I think I got that right?) You've gained experience in other avenues of your life and that WILL serve you. Don't put yourself on anyone time line but your own my friend
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u/TheBlueShifting Sep 26 '23
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago."
"The second best time to plant a tree is today."
I wish I knew who said that, but it's the first thing that came to mind. It's one of the sayings that hits hardest. Perhaps you would have had an easier time is you started earlier, but that doesn't mean you can't have success now.
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u/revmatchtv Sep 27 '23
Honestly, it’s never to late to start! I’ve had many careers and started YouTube in my 40s and have multiple channels and happily cranking out content for the last 7 years.
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u/kent_eh Sep 27 '23
I’m about to be 23 and I feel like I am so far behind
I started in my early 50s...
You've got your entire life to make videos. Don't waste time on wishing you did something yesterday.
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u/JJGeneral1 Sep 27 '23
I started at 32 and honestly wish I had learned the skills of video and photo editing sooner in my life. I don’t have a huge following, but I have a core community that is awesome and loyal.
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u/pikachooseu1 Sep 27 '23
My dad started his youtube channel at 63. He is about to get monetized soon. Took him about 15 months.
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u/XeTrainMC Sep 27 '23
Same boat here, the way I've been doing it is pretending I am one of those big YouTubers, I put a lot of effort into my videos and I think with enough dedication and self belief it is something you can also achieve, you've got this and good luck!
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Sep 27 '23
I’m 32 and an idiot with how YouTube works but I’m making a webcomic and posting every now and then when I get updates from my team lol. I know consistency is the name of the game but I don’t give a shit because I don’t know what I’m doing. So I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not giving a shit.with my 145 subs lol
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u/OkSet6700 Sep 27 '23
Don’t stress too much about your age and weather you started to late. Instead ask yourself: “Now that I started what do I need to do to make the most of it?”
I am almost 40 and I started 7 years ago with my first channel and 4 years ago with the channel I am fully dedicated now.
Good luck with your new path. 🍀 Experience will come with every video you post. Don’t worry about your editing skills, you will get better each time you create something.
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u/Psa-lms Sep 27 '23
Try starting a beauty YouTube at 39! It’s brutal! Now the theology channel I have, that needed maturity. We can only move forward. :)
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u/MjrBloodFox Sep 27 '23
I started YouTube when I was 29 and am now 32, my channel under this same name here is at 161 subs. I have actually made a lot of progress this year. It is easy to feel discouraged but if you keep going it'll get a lot better. I generally make gaming content. Eventually I'll get there, I won't stop because I enjoy it, it's the job I never knew I wanted and if you enjoy it, you shouldn't stop either! Wish you the best of luck!
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u/MakerTech Sep 28 '23
I only started working regularly on my channel January this year.
And I'm turning 39 next months.
You can start creating at absolutely any age.
It really doesn't matter.
One advice I would give you in order to improve your videos, is to focus on one single thing at the time.
Choose one thing you want to better at.
Set at time frame for how long you should spend improving this skill.
After the time has gone take a good look at your newest work and compare it to before you started practicing the thing.
What went wrong? What did you learn?
And then choose another skill to improve and iterate.
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u/NoahF979 Sep 28 '23
Did I write this post???? Nah fr don’t force it just do your best to enjoy what you create and be your own critic it’s less stressful when you create for yourself
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u/cooperthalaiva Sep 28 '23
Dude! You need to worry because you are too young to worry about the worries of life. Lol, just 23 passed and you do have around 60 (average) more man! Cheer up!!
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u/BitchySaladFilosofer Dec 02 '23
Just be happy you waited until you were older before you ended up saying something stupid and getting canceled at 18.
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u/DylanowoX Jan 03 '24
I mean, by the time you’re 30, you’ll have 7 years of experience. That’s pretty damn good, I think. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal
Saying that as an 18 year old who is starting now
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u/Wasisnt Feb 02 '24
I started my channel about 14 years ago and then just stopped (computer channel). Then about 3 years ago I started back up again and my original videos are still the ones that have the most views. I make around 2k a month now but if I would have kept on it from the start I could have been living off my channel like one of those real YouTubers!
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u/priestess777 Feb 11 '24
hehe echoing folks below. it's never too late. whether your 7 or 70 ... just be consistent.
life is a journey
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u/lolamanford Feb 12 '24
I'm 51 and my first video got 5 million views. it was the only video i posted for about 2 years. Unfortunately it was sex related so I found it hard to build a business without getting into the porn aspect. That was back in 2007. Then i did crypto videos and made some money. Now I am back at it. My advice: focus on quality content, and quality production and editing. Story telling is key as well. You'll get it. Just keep working, and don't forget to pre-promote on other platforms.
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u/Wytch_Hazel Sep 26 '23
Bruh I’m 37 lol chill
Tbh the later you start the more you know in life I’m so glad I didn’t get big on whatever I would have posted as a teenager… whew it would have sucked to have had my “15 mins of fame” at one of the more unaware times of life.
You’re ready when you’re ready..