There is a lot of talk about how Youtube is censoring content creators through changes to the monetizing option. Unfortunately, this is simply not what is happening. Google, via Youtube, is only doing what is best for the platform - at least monetarily. If advertisers won't pay to place ads on certain types of content (say, content that features risqué language) then Google doesn't get paid and neither does the content creator. Let's step back a second here.
Did you know, that for years Youtube was home to content creators that loved creating content for the sake of creating content? In recent years it has become home of "how many people can I offend with my content and rake in ad revenue?" Much like television, the money controls the content. With Youtube, it is a little harder since every person that wants to put content up is a freelancer and they can put up whatever they want. With television, content is often planned and developed based around many demographics and variables that Youtube creators are able to ignore, or don't know about. These details are often seen on screen as product placements and mentions during the show (in exchange for guaranteed payments of money). Some Youtube channels have been able to break into the magical number of subscribers to achieve some of this type of financial support (and Google has stepped up their rules to reflect such activity as negating ad revenue sharing on those videos).
The recent backlash from the Youtube community, mostly the "bigger names" that have taken to making videos complaining that Youtube is censoring them and pulling ad revenue is rather ironic. If Youtube was censoring these content creators then those videos would be taken down immediately. That is why I titled this article the way I did. It is not censorship. It is just business.
These content creators don't want to make content for free and Youtube/Google don't want to host it for free. It is just business. Google and Youtube have to turn a profit, or at least not lose as much money as possible, and that requires advertisers to be there to support the platform.
Did you know that the FCC (United States government) only regulates over the air content and not paid cable channels? Do you notice that paid cable channels (other than premium channels such as HBO and Showtime) keep their content similar to that of what you see on network television (Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC, etc)? Why would they do that if paid cable channels can do whatever they want?
Advertisers. That is why.
Do you think Tide, Calvin Klein, Ford Motor Company, Dove soap, etc would bring their millions in advertising campaigns to a channel, or show, that featured nudity, swearing, or brutal fights? Nope. They probably would not. Television stations, all of them, know this and understand it - that is why when you see a major feature film hit cable or network television, it is often edited for content and "time available" which is another way of saying "we cut questionable content that might make advertisers mad."
Youtube is no different. It is a business. Businesses require money to operate. There are three ways that are popular in getting money coming in. Users pay (Youtube won't do that). Members pay to access the platform (Youtube might do this). Advertisers pay to reach the audience the business represents (the most popular method on the net today). This means, advertisers call the shots. If advertisers start demanding their higher paying advertising campaigns only show on videos that feature "clean" content then guess what - that is going to eventually become a requirement monetize on the platform.
Don't like it? Get out. Youtube is big, and probably not going anywhere anytime soon. That means, those that just cannot make a video without swearing or going "off the wall" are going to get left out of the advertising fun. There will be people that rise within the new rules to fill that void though. It happens all the time, this is nothing new.
Years ago, Nintendo started enforcing their right to block ads (or receive the content creators share of ads) on videos featuring Nintendo's own product. Many companies were doing this before, and after, so it was nothing new. Except it was Nintendo doing it. This caused a lot of content creators to complain and bemoan how Nintendo was ripping them off and taking food out of the mouths of their family and other "colorful" descriptions for the action. Guess what. Other people stepped up and kept making Youtube videos featuring Nintendo content, even though they knew it would not make them money.
There are other options to monetize videos - one is to join Steemit and embed the vids here. Another is Patreon (the most popular for people bitching about Youtube's changes to advertising). Another is to clean up your act and work within the confines of the business model you are presented with.
It just amazes me that so many are "offended" that Youtube dare change their advertising rules to keep the lights on for everyone. That would be like members here on Steemit screaming CENSORSHIP when the recent hard fork occurred and earnings were reset on many articles that were due around that period (and the resetting of the rewards pool afterwards). There was no censorship then because no one was thrown out, blocked from creating, or generally hindered from doing what they were doing before. Some people quit of their own volition because "there was no money" for a period of time there but that just showed me who was in this for creating content and who was in it only for the money. Same thing for the changes to Youtube's advertising - I can clearly see who is creating videos only for the money.
I know, some of those people making vids on Youtube have developed into businesses of their own right. Great. Congratulations to you. I do have reservations about your business savvy if Youtube advertising revenue is your only source of keeping the lights on though.
well written. worth more than 13 cents.
Thank you. The value of my articles is just the nature of the beast. It is all about who sees them and sees value in them. I regret nothing. :)