YouTube is responsible for making some people very wealthy, or at least giving them the means to give up their day job. But how easy would it be to join the select band who make over $100,000 a year from their videos?
YouTube Fame
has made many people famous over the years since its launch. Some have been unwilling stars made famous by someone else uploading a video clip of them doing something which has spread across the Web. While others have made names for themselves by seizing an opportunity.
However, not all of these YouTube stars have actually made any money out of it. In fact, most probably haven’t seen a penny. But there are a select band of people making serious money from the videos they upload to YouTube.
YouTube Fortune
recently compiled a list of the top 10 biggest earning independent YouTube stars. The income figures involved are estimates based on how many views each of the people listed received between July 2009 and July 2010.
Top 10 YouTube Earners 2009-2010
1. Shane Dawson – $315,000
2. The Annoying Orange – $288,000
3. Philip DeFranco – $181,000
4. Ryan Higa – $151,000
5. Fred – $146,000
6. Shay Carl – $140,000
7. Mediocre Films – $116,000
8. Smosh – $113,000
9. The Young Turks – $112,000
10. Natalie Tran – $101,000
None of these people are part of a company or brand and are therefore making videos for themselves and earning big bucks as a result. To earn $100,000 or more in the space of 12 months from what is essentially a part-time job that is also fun is amazing.
Having said that, some, if not all, of these people work extremely long and hard on their videos. And they’ve had to be consistently good in order to build the audience needed to make this kind of money. So good luck to them.
Could You Be Next?
The big question is how you or I could join this elite group. It’s certainly possible, as these people were at one time unknown and unpaid online. But it’s also not easy.
The key is to find a niche, an idea, something to make you stand out from the crowd. Both Fred and The Annoying Orange used an original idea and built on it until the fanbase reached tipping point. While others on the list have found their groove very naturally.
It’s much more likely that you won’t reach these dizzying heights. So don’t give up the day job. But the more of us who try and make our mark on YouTube, the more chance that the cream will rise to the top.
Conclusions
Blogging isn’t a particularly well-paid job. I’m not complaining because it does have many other perks, but being a YouTube star has all those perks – working at your own pace and from home – while also being a potential money-spinner.
I guess like every other hopeful I need to think of the idea which will springboard my entry into the YouTube hall of fame. And the fortune could, should, then follow.
[Via Business Insider]
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