Why I'm Not Leaving YouTube

Aimee Nolte Music
9 May 202413:49

TLDRAmy Niti, a YouTuber and music educator, shares her reasons for staying on YouTube despite challenges faced by content creators. She started in 2016 and, despite initial success, found that YouTube revenue alone wasn't sufficient. To supplement her income, she created a PDF shop on her website, selling instructional materials. The pandemic brought an opportunity when friends recommended her to Nebula, a company that helps creators with sponsorships and provides a supportive community. Nebula's assistance has allowed Amy to increase her earnings significantly, enabling her to continue creating content. She appreciates the platform's thoughtful content and the absence of ads, comments, and view counts, which contributes to a healthier creative environment. Amy also enjoys the freedom to share her musical ideas with her audience and looks forward to future opportunities as her life enters a new chapter.

Takeaways

  • 🎥 Amy started YouTube in 2016 on a dare and has been successful due to her commitment to creating content.
  • 💰 Initially, YouTube income alone wasn't sufficient, leading Amy to create a PDF shop on her website to supplement her earnings.
  • 📈 Amy's average monthly income from YouTube is around $1,000, which, combined with her PDF sales, helped but was not fully sustainable.
  • 🤝 During the pandemic, Amy was introduced to Nebula by fellow YouTubers, which opened up new opportunities for her as a content creator.
  • 🚀 Nebula provided Amy with insights on video performance, the importance of titles and thumbnails, and a community of creators for support.
  • 💼 Nebula also acts as a sponsorship management company, securing sponsors for Amy's videos and offering immediate payment.
  • 📊 Amy's experience with Google Ads revenue was significantly outperformed by the earnings from sponsored videos through Nebula.
  • 🎼 YouTube is Amy's platform for sharing musical ideas and interacting with her audience, which she finds fulfilling.
  • 🌟 Nebula allows Amy to upload extended cuts and bonus content, as well as produce full-length classes and a new show, providing additional revenue streams.
  • 📚 Amy is proud to offer exclusive, high-quality content on Nebula, which also provides a supportive environment for creators.
  • 💵 Amy emphasizes that Nebula's subscription model allows her to earn a comfortable living, which is crucial for her continued presence on YouTube.

Q & A

  • Why did Amy start making YouTube videos?

    -Amy started making YouTube videos back in 2016 on a dare from her friend Rick, who believed she would be successful if she made one video a day for six months.

  • What was the initial success of Amy's YouTube channel?

    -After six months of posting daily videos, Amy had gained 10,000 subscribers, which was considered a success.

  • How did Amy supplement her YouTube income?

    -Amy supplemented her YouTube income by creating a PDF shop on her website, selling worksheets related to her music instructional videos for $5 each.

  • What is the average monthly income Amy makes from YouTube?

    -Amy's average monthly income from YouTube since she started is around $1,000.

  • How did the pandemic affect Amy's YouTube career?

    -During the pandemic, Amy's YouTuber friends suggested her name to a company called Nebula, which led to a partnership that significantly increased her income and support.

  • What benefits does Nebula provide to Amy?

    -Nebula provides Amy with sponsorship management, a community of creators for support and advice, and the opportunity to create and sell classes and content exclusively on their platform.

  • How does Nebula help Amy with sponsorships?

    -Nebula sets up sponsorships for Amy's YouTube videos, allowing her to earn money upfront for short ad reads at the end of her videos.

  • What is Amy's favorite thing about being a YouTuber?

    -Amy's favorite thing about being a YouTuber is having a platform to share her ideas about music and interact with her audience.

  • How does Amy's emotional health benefit from making YouTube videos?

    -Making YouTube videos allows Amy to express her ideas and teach without the emotional drain she experiences from teaching students in person, which is beneficial for her emotional health.

  • What is the name of Amy's new show on Nebula?

    -Amy's new show on Nebula is called 'Quarter Notes with Amy Niti'.

  • Why did Amy decide not to leave YouTube?

    -Amy decided not to leave YouTube because she loves being a YouTuber, she is doing fine financially with the help of Nebula, and she sees YouTube as a platform that opens opportunities for her future career.

  • How does Nebula's platform differ from YouTube?

    -Nebula's platform differs from YouTube as it is ad-free, has no comments or like button, and does not display video view counts, allowing creators to focus solely on creating content without worrying about viewer engagement metrics.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 The Journey of a YouTuber: Commitment and Growth

The video begins with the host Amy Niti welcoming viewers to her music channel. She talks about the challenge that led her to start making YouTube videos in 2016 and how she managed to gain 10,000 subscribers in six months. Despite her friend Rick's channel growing much faster, they still discuss strategies for success. Amy realized that relying solely on YouTube revenue wasn't sustainable, leading her to create a PDF shop on her website to supplement her income. She also mentions the support she received from her YouTuber friends and the pivotal role that joining the Nebula platform played in her career, providing sponsorship opportunities and a community of creators.

05:02

🎼 The Power of Community and Nebula's Impact

Amy shares her appreciation for the YouTube community and the joy of sharing her musical ideas. She discusses the emotional toll of teaching and how creating YouTube videos is a healthier outlet for her creativity. Since joining Nebula, she has been able to release both regular and extended videos, as well as bonus content and full-length classes. She emphasizes the pride she feels in creating meaningful content and how Nebula has supported her in producing these resources. Amy also highlights her new show, 'Quarter Notes with Amy Niti,' and how Nebula helped her realize her dream of interviewing her jazz heroes. She explains the benefits of the Nebula platform for creators, including the lack of ads and comments, allowing her to focus solely on creating quality content.

10:03

💰 Financial Stability and the Role of Nebula

Amy discusses her financial situation, emphasizing that while YouTube was a dream come true, it wasn't financially sufficient on its own. She explains how Nebula has played a crucial role in her being able to continue her work as a YouTuber. With Nebula's help, she has been able to create content that not only brings in immediate sponsorship revenue but also continues to support her through ongoing sponsorships on her videos. Amy also mentions her upcoming plans as her children grow up and she anticipates new opportunities for her music career. She expresses her gratitude to her audience and Nebula for their support and concludes by encouraging viewers to consider supporting her through a Nebula subscription.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, share, and view videos. In the context of the video, Amy Niti is a content creator on YouTube, and she discusses her journey and reasons for continuing to create content on the platform. YouTube has been a significant part of her career as a musician, allowing her to share her knowledge and passion for music with a broader audience.

💡Subscribers

Subscribers on YouTube are users who choose to follow a particular channel to receive updates on new content. Amy mentions that after six months of posting daily videos, she had gained 10,000 subscribers, which was a milestone in her YouTube journey. Subscribers are essential for YouTubers as they form the core audience and contribute to the success and reach of their content.

💡PDF shop

A PDF shop refers to an online store where documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) are sold. Amy created a PDF shop on her website to sell worksheets that accompany her music instructional videos. This additional revenue stream helped her supplement her income from YouTube, illustrating the diversification of income sources that content creators often need to sustain their work.

💡Nebula

Nebula is a company that supports online video creators by providing sponsorship management and a platform for their content. In the video, Amy discusses how Nebula has helped her grow her audience and generate additional income through sponsorships and the creation of exclusive content. Nebula's support has been crucial for her to continue her work on YouTube and maintain a comfortable living.

💡Sponsorship

Sponsorship in the context of the video refers to a financial arrangement where a company supports a content creator's work in exchange for promotion. Amy mentions that Nebula sets up sponsorships for her, allowing her to earn money upfront for her videos. This contrasts with the traditional YouTube revenue model, which relies on ad views and can be less predictable.

💡Middle-sized Creator

A middle-sized creator refers to a content creator on platforms like YouTube who may not be among the largest or most-followed but still have a significant and dedicated audience. Amy identifies herself as a middle-sized creator, and she discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by creators of her size, especially in terms of generating a sustainable income.

💡Extended Cut

An Extended Cut refers to a longer, more comprehensive version of a video. Amy mentions that she often puts out Extended Cuts of her videos on Nebula, providing more in-depth content for her subscribers there. This strategy allows her to offer additional value to her audience on Nebula, encouraging them to support her through the platform's subscription model.

💡Bonus Videos

Bonus Videos are additional pieces of content that are not part of the regular content schedule and are often provided as extra value or rewards. Amy states that she puts bonus videos on Nebula that will never be on YouTube, offering exclusive content to her Nebula subscribers, which can incentivize viewers to subscribe to Nebula to access this exclusive material.

💡Jazz Piano Journey

The term 'Jazz Piano Journey' refers to Amy's personal experience and progression as a jazz pianist. It encompasses her learning process, her achievements, and her interactions with the jazz music community. In the video, she talks about how her YouTube channel and the opportunities it has provided have significantly contributed to her journey as a jazz musician.

💡Quarter Notes with Amy Niti

Quarter Notes with Amy Niti is a new show that is exclusively available on Nebula. It is inspired by her teenage experience of listening to jazz interviews and her dream of interviewing her jazz heroes. The show represents a significant milestone in her career, as it allows her to engage with influential figures in the jazz world and share those experiences with her audience.

💡Stay-at-Home Mom

A stay-at-home mom is a term used to describe a mother who does not work outside the home and primarily takes care of her children and household. Amy identifies herself as a stay-at-home mom who is also a jazz musician. This dual identity is significant as it highlights the balance she has struck between her family responsibilities and her professional aspirations, made possible in part by the flexibility of her work as a YouTube content creator.

Highlights

Amy Niti started YouTube in 2016 on a dare and has been successful since then.

She initially made one video a day for six months, which led to gaining 10,000 subscribers.

Amy realized that income from YouTube alone wasn't sufficient and started selling PDFs on her website.

Her PDF shop helped her generate about $50 a day in addition to her YouTube earnings.

Amy's average monthly income from YouTube is around $1,000.

She continued to take gigs and teach students when possible.

During the pandemic, Amy was contacted by a company called Nebula, which helped her grow as a creator.

Nebula provided her with insights on video performance and the importance of titles and thumbnails.

Amy joined the Nebula platform and became part of a supportive community of creators.

Nebula also acts as a sponsorship management company for Amy's YouTube videos.

Sponsored videos through Nebula allow Amy to earn money upfront, which is significant for her.

Amy appreciates the ability to share her musical ideas with her audience on YouTube.

She finds teaching through YouTube videos more emotionally fulfilling than teaching students in person.

Amy has produced four classes for Nebula and is proud of the content she has created.

Nebula has helped her realize her dream of interviewing her jazz heroes through her show 'Quarter Notes with Amy Niti'.

The Nebula platform is ad-free, has no comments or like button, which Amy finds healthier for content creation.

Amy encourages her YouTube followers to support her through a Nebula subscription.

Nebula's subscription model allows creators to earn a comfortable living, which is crucial for Amy's continued presence on YouTube.

Amy's YouTube channel has opened opportunities for her to travel and participate in jazz festivals and masterclasses.