I’m looking for some small content creators who’s content has not been influenced by the potential of making money. In the early days of YouTube there was mostly trash, but then a few small channels started using formats, using specific styles and actually standing out above a pile shit.
I used to love how these creators made their content for their viewers, they were so very different from anything we had in those days. Things have changed, I get it, everybody and their dog are trying to make money on the internet. Content creators need to pay bills, feed families and maintain/improve their quality. Honestly, I get it. But it sucks, I feel like 90% of the content I come across are contractually based to release at a specific time or interval. Meaning content creators are just milking their audience and sponsors. I’m not saying this type of content isn’t good, it’s just how it feels 10x less genuine and from the heart of the creator. (I feel LTT belongs in this category as well) It feels like cable television with extra steps and a personal algorithmic touch.
What people tend to forget is how little resources you need to make good quality content on youtube. It’s never been easier to just start recording on our 4K+ smartphones. Yet, it’s never been this hard to consistently find early internet ethos content creators.
So Lemmy, can you tell me about some small content creators whichhave the passion and drive we used to see?
I’ll leave a few channels here which I enjoyed the most this past month.
Nokeric - Of the rails sketches
Joel Haver - Short sketches but also long form deep thought (Larger channel)
He has a patreon now but still no ads:
https://youtube.com/@primitivetechnology9550?si=lBWNPNLZowdKKR6i
Just a guy in the woods building shit from nothing, without tools. It kicked off a lot of similar channels that were obviously using tools.
I love these videos so much and cannot recommend them enough. No narrative, no music, no ads, just well placed camera shots to make the whole thing self explanatitory. I feel like I have learned so much from him and I have never heard his voice.
Yeah, he’s really good. He’s an Aussie fella, named (funnily enough) John Plant, although I guess that could be a pseudonym. I like his content and style so much, I really wanted to somehow pay him for the hours of enjoyment I’ve gotten, so I bought his book. Really good read.
I sort of like Mr. Chickadee for the same reason. No talking or flashy gimmicks, just hand tools and the sounds of nature.
No ads? I got an ad on the first video I opened.
No sponsored ads in his content - he can’t control if YouTube shows you an ad.
If you’re at all into Minecraft, EthosLab is the gold standard for low-key, super interesting, and not driven by money videos. He’s not small, but he’s worth mentioning in case anyone hasn’t heard of him.
Get your snacks!
His minecraft series is the longest series I’ve ever watched. I’ve been watching since the Chocolate Island and Sgt Spaz days. So good.
I was going to suggest Direwolf20 for the exact same reasoning
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Absolutely agree. He’s one of the channels I’ve watched for the longest. Been subscribed since probably 2011 or so. His videos are just so wholesome and it always makes my day when he uploads. Absolutely recommend if people are into minecraft survival content.
My channel is not very good 😅 but I make videos just because I love talking about old video games and want an excuse to talk about them more. New videos come out every Tuesday and Saturday because that’s when my co-host is off of work and can watch them with her mom. 🙂
Nothing wrong with a little self promotion! I do enjoy channels like The Retro Future as well, I’m sure I’ll enjoy yours as well.
My kinda content! Giving you a follow!
Haha Thanks!
Louis Rossman. Right to repair is great
He’s absolutely the best spokesperson for right to repair. Very knowledgeable and no-bullshit approach. Although I find he’s becoming very complainy lately, not that there’s not enough to complain about lmao, but sometimes I’m not in the mood for 15 min of heated ranting.
I find his voice so calming. Even when he’s angry he sounds calm.
Beau of the fifth column does 3-10 minute videos doing political analysis in what looks like a garage.
He said on a longer FAQ video that he’s set things up to hide his channel’s income from himself. He draws a salary that’s enough to take care of his family, but he doesn’t know how much more the channel earns – he doesn’t want his content to be influenced even unconsciously by which videos The Algorithm say paid better.
Beau is a good one!
All of them with sponsorblock, which you then whitelist based on tolerability and quality.
I find that most content producers don’t really actually let the sponsors get in the way of content in any capacity other than quantity (as in they produce too much for the channel’s good). There’s a small number of exceptions, but those usually stink enough that you spot it a mile away, and most of them intentionally. This isn’t TikTok or Insta, Creators actually do want you to know when they didn’t make something out of their own accord.
Some try to be more subtle with their one-off events… And into the blacklist they go back when they do. Unfortunately one of those was Kurszgesagt a month ago, with their blatantly biased and fearmongering video on Bioweapons, which was largely based on one non-scientific source. Funny enough, they did seem to a leave a hard to notice hint that the video was off, I mean, aside from the content. The hint was that: The video had no birds. You know, their mascots.
+1 to sponsor block. It’s a game changer in today’s YouTube.
That being said, it is still frustrating that most YouTubers nowadays censor the fuck out of their videos in fear of being cancelled by the YouTube algorithm or the sponsors. I appreciate when I come across a channel that still has the balls to say “fuck” or use normal words that people now suddenly view as “trigger” words like “kill” or use a squirt gun without censoring it.
I don’t mean that every video needs to be laden with profanity and shock content, but just that I want it to be normal, relaxed, and genuine. Not some stupid squeaky clean version of content that only 10 year old children in Catholic school are allowed to watch. I’m a grown ass adult goddamnit.
Cold Ones is a bit of an obnoxious channel, but I appreciate that they don’t bend to the will of YouTube’s stupid censorship for the most part.
Generally though I prefer to watch reaction YouTubers. Sixteenleo has fantastic long form content (hour+ long videos) doing deep dive reaction videos. He doesn’t have a loud, obnoxious vibe that many channels do either. I like his relaxed vibe and long form content.
Them being sponsored is not the issue here, contrary to popular belief, you can actually be sponsored AND unbiased. But listen to many different creators and you’ll notice a trend in burnout, chasing the next viral video, having to meet deadlines for sponsors, etc. All these things can and will deteriorate the viewing experience.
I follow plenty of creators, doing so full-time and only with the support of their fans, it’s a well thought out, proven system and it works. Almost all of them started before any monetisation was possible as well. It’s amazing how something like that is even possible.
All that being said, there’s a definite decline in passion and drive across the board. I still enjoy all the new produced content, but in the same way I enjoy a movie or TV show. Much less in a “we’re a community of like minded people” kind of way.
My problem with sponsorship isn’t about bias, it’s about annoying sponsored segments.
“Hello. My name is, your host, … The Crafsman.”
The CrafsMan SteadycCaftin is the most chill, honest, and entertaining crafting/toymaking/music-making channel anywhere.
I’m not sure all of these are really small content creators and completely sponsor free but here it is:
YT channel on STEM and making sciency stuff: https://youtube.com/@TechIngredients?si=ic6g-uCLEWXO4DWu
Random technical stuff : https://youtube.com/@TechnologyConnections?si=sz-Gwfgo0gMN3vOG
All things space genuine expert: https://youtube.com/@scottmanley?si=MzE-v1thBOwrvmBf
Great computer stuff: https://youtube.com/@Computerphile?si=S2Ju7aLhViNw5sd8
Not so unnecessary inventions: https://youtube.com/@UnnecessaryInventions?si=O9iy4OVVbhJj6-kE
Some scottish guy researching odd history stuff: https://youtube.com/@CalumRaasay?si=UqgnEsN0YkU7YZuR
This guy sounds ! https://youtube.com/@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER?si=9lN-vhpOO-twS6pi
Pretty random list, I just like very different kind of things :)
But I’d say most of the above are passionate people and mostly without ads or sponsors etc.
LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER is honestly one of the best channels I’ve found this year, the guy’s energy is amazing, and the journey of his organ is definitely worth watching. I’ll check out the other channels for sure!
There’s some outstanding science content out there. My newest find is Three Twentysix, a 2.5k-subscriber chemistry channel. I’ve already learned some new stuff from him that I hadn’t seen from The Professor or Nile Red.
I have a big list of favorites that I’ve shared recently, really solid creators, but that’s my hot tip for the day.
Good suggestion, thanks! Edutainment is very hot right now, honestly the future of education in some ways.
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https://piped.video/channel/UCtESv1e7ntJaLJYKIO1FoYw
https://piped.video/channel/UCFhXFikryT4aFcLkLw2LBLA
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source, check me out at GitHub.
If you want more chemistry stuff check out Prussian Blue. His videos are pretty funny and kinda feel like Mr. Green in more serious.
Amateur Chemistry is also pretty funny although his videos are more amateurish
Also ThyLabs. His videos are pretty high quality.
Prozd and Magic the Noah.
Prozd is mostly “Here’s a boardgame i reviewed. Now look here’s a skit!”
Magic the Noah just bullshits around coming up with boardgames that he forces other small content creators to play.
Removed by mod
I mean yes. Ofc. But that is how it always has been. He was a VA before he started youtube. But the format and the irregularity of when he posts is not of the money making kind.
I think sponsored content is impossible to get away from but prozd has mostly stayed the same since he started youtube.
ProZD has been arround! Definitely enjoyed him, I’ll check the other channel out as well, thank you.
Hbomberguy and MattKC come to mind for me. Also, but this is very niche, most of the Brickfilming scene still feels this way, there’s just no money to be made in there.
Civvie 11 has a Patreon, but he never begs ya to support him, doesn’t take sponsors (even makes fake sponsor skits to make fun of sponsors), and he just delivers his content with no intention on letting monetization get in the way. Worst he’s done is display a card saying “midroll ad goes here.”
As for his content, it’s sort of a hybrid review/let’s play of old first person shooters, new first person shooters inspired by those of old, hilariously inept first person shooters, and Slavjank. His humor is fantastic, editing is tight, and there’s a sort of back story going on in the background of his videos that he could not be more interested in getting involved in (in character, mind.)
I watched pro postal a while ago and it was pretty good. I’ll watch more of his content.
One of my favorites is Atomic Shrimp. He does his own thing creating videos on weird stuff he loves doing. Videos include scambaiting, reviewing cans of strange foods, nature and slowtv videos, cooking meals from ingredients bought with limited budgets and rules, food, gardening, and crafting experiments, cheap dropship item reviews, etc.
I’ve never seen a sponsored ad from him and he avoids using clickbaity thumbnails and titles. His content isn’t for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoy watching all the random shit he does.
Edit: also, I just read over his channel description, he blatantly says he does not accept any offers for sponsorships, paid ads, product placements, etc. Definitely fits your “not for the money” question! :)
First name that came to mind when I saw the thread title. His new Weird Stuff in a Can episode was a fun journey.
Project Farm is probably the foremost tool/gear testing and review channel. No sponsors, he always buys what he tests with his own money, and all of the testing ideas come from the community. This dude is one of the hardest working content creators and makes great videos that serve a valuable purpose.
I do appreciate creators who do their own content despite being keenly aware of the algorithm.
Infrequent long-form content creators to check out:
Tom O’Regan: British(?) topical/interest reviews, personal recommendations include his Obra Dinn video, Sickest Chess Match, and The Biggest Mistake In Music History
B-Mask: I support him on Patreon so pardon the bias but he likes to take his time creating in-depth and clear retrospectives on topics he’s interested in, managing to get you interested in The Fantastic Four, Jems, and 2000s video game trilogies. Not long form for the sake of $$$ but insightful analysis of the history, themes, and personal deconstruction of such topics.
Also check out Moth Light Media for evolutionary biology, and Lines in Motion for manga and art analysis.
More frequent but short form (under 4 minutes) creators to check out are few and wide, 5sf are back-ish but carrying the torch are:
CrackerMilk are a bunch of good aussie lads making short sketches for quick laughs, with excellent timing and shooting.
Valueselect is a personal fave where he was doing sketches a year or two ago but is experimenting with yt shorts quite well. The majority of his comedy surrealist/fantasy/80’s styling music are absolute hits.
Hope these are good starting points, I found these guys from browsing similar threads.
