When I started RUclips, my family sat me down and told me I was embarrassing myself. I kept going. Now that I am ‘successful’ (as in making a living) of course they are more on board. But I credit myself with keeping on pushing while no one was on my side. It was lonely.
Who needs Prayers? Btw, GOD AND JESUS LOVES ALL ALWAYS, and will NEVER LEAVE ANYONE!!!!! THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST PLAN!!!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND EVERYONE!!!! Also, Please don’t use God’s and Jesus’s name in vain like, “Oh my Go*” Please copy this and paste this on RUclips, Twitter, Instagram, etc. THANK YOU!
This is how I think we all feel. Those comments hurt at first but then I learned to take them as a boost of motivation. I am doing something I love and will not stop until I make it. I know I can and I know I will. Friends and family will see that.
@@razo5557 Seriously though? lara is pointing out how she pushed through in the face of adversity and became successful and you're using this as a place to spam about Jesus?
As someone who has made it to be the exception, let me just say Harris is 100% correct on everything. There were years of me not making a dime, before I started seeing growth. In fact, I lost money due to investing into the channel the first two years. It’s hard to not compare yourself to others and think, why are they making it and I’m not. You have to focus on you. Stare those statistics in the face. If you start out thinking, I’m never going to be that .01%... guess what, you won’t be. You need to have the mentality of being the exception and then never stop trying. Channels like this exist to help you grow and learn. Never stop learning.
Hi. This year has been a rough year, i went out of job like many others, and i have a lot of time to kill. I´m in between 2 options: 1. Start making youtube videos, like 1 per week, and tiktok "snaps", untill i get 5-10k subs and 2k-3k avg views per video, then ease into twitch in the spare time. 2. Start heavy on twitch as the main platform and do everything in my power to grow up there. What do you think makes more sense??? Also......knowing what you know, and having already a lot of experience, how would you do it???? (ignore the options above)
Ionut Daniel Serban start elsewhere then move into twitch. Also go see Harris’s other videos on this subject. He’ll tell ya what a lot of us know... want to grow on twitch? Make content elsewhere then bring that community over to twitch
Glad to see some other big names throwing their two cents in on this one. There is a huge element of investment and patience and faith in what your doing too. 🤘
Harris literally just wants to help people succeed because it took him so long to figure out what works. He shares his tweaks to things that didn't work just so other people get a headstart in this over saturated market.
@@JACRunner I wasn't aware of that part honestly but you still have to fail a few times with that check and have genuine drive in what you want to do. (tone is hard on the internet. Not being argumentative) I believe that if people had time and didn't have to go to work and the drive to succeed in this space they could. It just takes time to craft what you want your content to be. It has to be personal on some level.
"Are you doing what it takes... probably not." That killed me because it's fuckin' true. I have a background in video editing, animation and art and here I am, sitting in front of a computer playing video games for like 5-10 people. I really loved how you handled this topic and it's definitely something I needed to hear.
I feel like sometimes those 5 -10 people are the real og people that still was there when the channel was not hyped so that for me is a twist why i still stream, but i think its more videos for me since i become to realize that those streams with minimal veiwers isnt getting the channel any exposure, probably a good video is more likely to
Woah... video editing, animation, and art. Those three skills are enough to give you a better chance of being successful than those 99.9% of streamers. Try combining those skills and see how far you go. I have a friend who suck ass at playing video games, dont have any background in video editing but actually earns 2k a month. It was his only talent and it was art. My friend was really good in art and i think the part that really made him successful is that hes always finding ways for people to have a chance to view even a single second of his videos. Like advertising in many platforms twitter,behance,fiver,patreon, and most importantly in fb groups.
I agree with everything except that "is pure luck". No it's not. It's talent, passion, versatility, knowledge, pressence, personality... A lo of stuff. Of course you can get lucky, but thats not the biggest reason why you get big. I made stream for a living, and trust me, I had to take the biggest risk of my life, so now I can live with much more than I need just with the Twitch revenue. No luck in here, lot of work. And btw! This is not about streaming 8 hours a day, thats a fact. You need to stream what you feel confortable with. And you need not to see it as a work, even if at some point it becomes it. That´s all, see you guys.
Luck is not needed. hard work will get you to what you want bettering your craft and leaning from mistakes and keep cam get you your dreams but sometimes what you shoot for will open something more better then what you are not shooting not for . the point is just don’t give up ,if you want it it can happen but be realistic don’t quit your day time 9to 5 or part time even Business owners at the beginning will work a second job just to keep their business afloat to pay their bills. And with time they mite not have to work that second job and do it full time but that takes time are you willing to give that time In ? or or just wanted to be hand it to you at the end even a person that is successful has to work there but off to maintain their success it a harder way of life and work but like the key is love it and don’t see it like work and live! like not just for the week end but everyday
Actually is both, LUCK and SKILLS. I'll bring back that time when the Doc had this kid in Fortnite duos, the kid was a decent player and the Doc asked him if he was streaming cause his name had the classic TTV. The kid said yes. After the match ended, the Doc went to this kid's channel and donated and then a lot of people donated, followed and subbed. The kid made in less than 1 hour a big sum of $ (5 digits hands down) The kid upgraded his stuff YET he never lifted. Last time I checked it, that kid was streaming for like 10 people even though he had like XXK followers. My point? the kid had the luck to meet the Doc, but didn't had what it takes to retain a crowd of people. On the other hand, I've been watching streamers with such amazing gaming skills, some with amazing speaking but they still at the very bottom and most likely, will remain there until they quit. All they need is a bit of LUCK to be raided by a mid tier or big streamer.
Lot of debate between luck and skill, but understanding the market and where you fit in (ie work smarter not harder) is underrated. For example, if you’re trying to break-in as a Warzone or Fortnite streamer you’re competing against other A-list stars like Ninja or Shroud. It may be better to find a niche (but not too obscure) game that you become the dominant streamer.
at 30 years old and making a steady income from all of this, your mom yelled at you...wow. I'm 24 and I am in that same boat. The older generations will never understand this industry, its a sad fact, but its a fact that I am living through right now.
@@Alexjussme stop streaming every day and make youtube guides about a specific game or a specific aspect in a game. If you've been streaming for so long you have dedication but just doing 7 hour streams every day is not going to make you grow. Watch some more of harris's vids about growing.
@@Alexjussme Learning to make good youtube content is your best bet man. Some people in my discord are grinding gaming guides and getting better at it and they're seeing growth. It definitely works but it takes time to learn.
I think older people (38 here) understand, I have seen my own craze and boom that I was a part of (Poker boom mid 2000s). It's important to diversify your skills so you have options to make money outside of streaming. Learn every aspect of streaming, there will be opportunities in this boom, not just for streamers, but for editors, data analysts etc etc. Just like the Gold Rush, barely anyone got rich off mining, the General Store owners got RICH AF off selling gold mining goods to the rush of gold chasing miners. Every young gen. has their gold rush that snowballs and rolls, gains speed, then most people get spun and spit out by the snow ball, leaving them dazed in the snow... don't be naïve thinking they (old people) don't understand. You are using age to dismiss their real concerns. Educate yourself be smart about it so you don't get spun out and lose time in your life.
The older generations don't understand this industry. I'd say that they'll always approve of what you do, as long as you're able to buy your house and car.
@@firerivet6389 Bingo. It's all fine and dandy when you're 20 something or even 30 something but let's be honest: probably fewer people will watch a 50 something streamer (unless they've been growing up with said streamer who has a loyal fanbase but this ain't really a growth strategy). What is concerning is: do you build a career? Do you gain new skills which can be leveraged to build your career so you can access a better job? If the answer is no, then your plan isn't much better than working at McDonalds. You might make money NOW but it is far from guaranteeing you'll make money at an age where you'll have less energy and might be a little less sharp.
This is a great video. I've been doing this for 10 years. I did it full time for 5 years and made pretty good money on RUclips/Twitch. I decided to stop doing it full time and return to doing it as a hobby back in 2015 because I just hated having to FORCE myself to make videos and stream when I didn't want to. Doing RUclips and Twitch is easy when you're passionate about the games your playing and projects you're working on. However eventually that won't be the case and your genre of games (mine being MMORPG) takes a shit, the games you enjoy lose popularity, or your gimmick if you have one wears off. When I tell people I quit playing video games as my full time job to go work a normal job they are amazed. Then I tell them working a normal job is way less work... Now I don't give a shit about views. I make videos about anything I want. Don't care trying to make monetizable content or growing my brand. Heck I'll go months without making a video at all. However when I do make a video it's because I want to. I definitely don't regret stepping away in 2015.
Hey man, I used to love your Druid vids back in the day. You were a beast. Remember watching you duelling swiftly in the sewers or something. Epic stuff. Glad your doing well bro
Something else is, having success doesn't mean you'll stay in that success bubble forever. On my own channel, I've had waves of blowing up, videos going viral, reaching big milestones and being a known name in the community, to highly considering closing my channel entirely because it was "dead". Currently in a slump and trying to figure out what to do. Getting success and keeping success are two different things too.
"People can only watch one stream at a time" *Me with dual monitors training myself to move my eyeballs independently to watch both at the exact same time*
So many good points mentioned here. I'll add one more: Even after you've done everything right (research, skills, marketing yourself, better entertainment), there's still a big chance that you will not make it but it's okay. You tried your best and you will keep doing it because at the end of they day the only one that can acknowledge your effort is yourself. You know you did your goddamn best and no one can take it away from you! Keep on doing what you do but don't sacrifice your actual future.
I don’t agree with this. If you’ve done everything right that’s the definition of making it. Get good at being entertaining and having something that people want to watch. Then spend your time getting that premium product in front of as many eyeballs as you can. Sales is a numbers game. Get in front of eyes.
Why is this even a conversation? This is literally ANYONE who is looking to start their own business or work for them selves. There are thousands of other people doing the same exact thing you are trying to do. The chance of you making it are slim... But, its possible. Idk if its luck, idk what the key is to success. But plenty of people have or will do it. Steaming is just one of those things thats frowned on, so it hurts a little more than someone who is trying to make it in photography. Tough thing to do, but again, there's a chance.
There is nothing truly unique in this world, however you have a couple options. 1. Find some things (e.g. something you have fun with and something you know has value to others) and combine them. The combination makes you unique or at least limits your direct competition. 2. Find something rare somebody else does and do it better. Only compete with few instead of many.
At least you're honest with yourself. A lot of new streamers come into this with a sense of entitlement. Nobody is owed anything, and Affiliate is honestly not at all a big deal. Shit even Partner (smaller partners) isn't really a big deal. I in order to make what I make with my full time salaried job... I'd need to have a loooooooot of subs. I treat this as a hobby. Whatever happens happens. A lot of people think "I'll hit *going live* breathe heavy on the mic, and play Fortnite/Fall Guys/Among Us/COD... and wait for the truck to back up to my door with money. I've stopped by a lot of partnered streamers, that quit/come back. They have less active viewership than some affiliates. It's a fickle thing.
The sooner people understand that everyone in Twitch is fighting for the piece of the pie regardless of playing the same game/s to grab attention or a community, the more this streaming thing makes sense. The answers to those questions aren't absolute either and have some flexibility to it. Even goes back to some interesting concepts I have watched sprout up from the justin.tv days and some survived while others were purely a product of its time.
@@keinkoenich2673 I only partly agree with this. Although yes, in essence, nothing is truly unique, but it also kind of is. No one can be you, with your personality, with your experiences, with your skill set and knowledge. Those combination of things is what is unique. You throw content creation and live streaming in to the mix and you've got an entire bag of variables that contribute to the ability to provide a unique experience. The problem is people are so afraid of doing things 'wrong' they don't go through the necessary steps to finding their unique voice and position in these saturated spaces. They all want a formula for what will work. Even channels like Alpha Gaming can be problematic with this regard. While there are objectively things that do better than others in terms of content, there are ways to tweak it to make it your own. Do you want to live stream and make content for Minecraft? Nothing is stopping you. Do you have real life interests you can translate to the game? Are you a mechanic? An electrician? What if you've now merged your knowledge of the two into a channel dedicated to replicating IRL cars. Has it been done before? Maybe. But, perhaps it was someone who isn't actually a mechanic. Someone who can't explain how they built the entire rig, engine and all, and how that information translates back to something real and tangible. You've just added another element that sets you a part by offering an educational experience as well, another opportunity for content through more engaging chat, offering Q&A's or tutorials. Although the idea may be a bit abstract, I hope it kind of gives an idea of how you can still bring an element of being unique and yourself into content. Maybe you love doing mini games and challenges. Use your experiences, your other interests and passions and see how you can make it a little bit different than someone else. Do you love dinosaurs? Make all your challenge videos include dinosaurs! It really has any possibility you can think of. And sometimes not every piece of content with be this monolith of innovation. Maybe you just have chill build days. But, when you focus on the majority of your content offering something that is uniquely yours, you will see some sort of success.
"I treat my social media like a business" I just checked Twitter the other day for the first time in awhile and the first tweet I saw was you saying to normalize calling girlfriends mommy 😂
@@Syger I wasn't saying it wasn't, I just found it funny, because conventionally treating something like a business means professional, but in this scenario it doesn't neccisarily
I go by the saying "Luck is opportunity meets preparation" The opportunity is completely luck based, but for most people it's the years of not seeing success and seeing what they can do to improve that makes it so when they eventually get that opportunity, they're able to grab it by the balls I mainly go by what Schlatt said on a podcast one time when Call Me Carson talked about how lucky he got. If it wasn't for all the times he failed beforehand, he wouldn't have been able to grab the opportunity when it came to him
I agree, you have to buy tickets if you want to win the lottery, meaning you have to be working improving yourself and be in the game when the opportunity shows up.
I mostly agree, but I think people are ignoring the part where you specifically say "seeing what they can do to improve". They just keep hearing the part about luck and then do the same thing waiting for a magical payoff that will never come
@@Ricecooka oh yeah ofc. There's a reason why growth in social media is hard now and days. It takes a lot of time / reflection / intuition to realize that you need to improve your own content. Which most people don't do because they think it's easy, and when they realize it isn't as easy as they think they quit.
I do feel that luck can play a factor in growth, but the harder you work and more you try to break the mold, the less that luck plays a part. With the right amount of time and effort, it may play no part. I was lucky with my channel in starting in a very unsaturated market. It was never planned to be anything near what it became, but it came nonetheless. If I tried the same now, I would have to put in a lot more effort and hard work to get there. Having fun should always be the top priority for a stream, content creator, or really anyone. If you are successful and hate what you do, is that really success? You can tell the difference between those truly enjoying their time and those just going through the motions. I enjoy watching the prior group much more.
> being in an unsaturated market that has potential is definitely key. To be the first or an original creator for, say, a new game that will most likely explode, will definitely give you a huge advantage especially if youre good at it. You took SFM when it was still small and gave it it's potential as an original high skilled creator for a specific fandom which then blew up and now so many more try SFM. It's all about anticipation in some cases eh?
The more competitive a role, the more luck plays a role. Veritasium did an absolutely astounding video on this: "Is Success Luck or Hard Work?" He simulated 18,000 people applying for 10 jobs. He gave them all a score from 1 to 100 in both "skill" and "luck". He then made your odds of getting in be 95% skill, 5% luck. The average luck score of someone who got the job was 94! (Note: the average skill was also very high). Luck plays an absolutely insane role in your success, but it's often hard to see that when you yourself are succesful (surely it was your hard work that did it!). You can do what you did though, and target a very unsaturated market. That makes luck a LOT less important. It's pretty much the only way to control it really.
My group of friends all stream, and so do I, and I try to give them advice from all the info this channel has taught me, they stream everyday and call it a grind and they tell me I get all of my followers because I’m female and they aren’t taking my comments into consideration, they do the same thing everyday and I try not to comment on how they could improve because of the past few reactions I’ve gotten, but I would like to see them do better and I put all of this channels info into my streams and yt, it just sucks all of my effort is canceled out because I’m female (which yes being female can get clicks ) but that’s all people see instead of the hours of information I know and understand *also thank you so much for taking your time to make these videos I watch them over and over again and it’s extremely helpful your a RUclips blessing thank you Harris 🤝🤝🤝🤝*
Fck. You are a good person to give advise to youre friends big O O F for them not being nice back to you just because "female" urgh :D... Its so crazy to read it rly idk.. cant even image getting good positive infos from a "friend" ..! :D KEEP IT UP GAL.
If i do that, around the time suggested here in Colombia... I will get such a nice transformation.. I'll be back home without anything.. fresh and clean to start over. the rober is gonna be the one being happy that night.
I’m a twitch partner who streams 7 days a week for 500+ consecutive days and counting. I don’t make anywhere near enough to support my bills and life via Twitch income. Chase your dreams I don’t want to discourage anyone but it’s important to know the truth of what you’re getting into. Cheers 👍
viewers can smell the desperation to grow from smaller streamers, it's so obvious. if you go into streaming starting from scratch viewers aren't as stupid as you think, they will sniff out that desperation to "grow" sooner than later if you are just approaching this from a business standpoint as a streamer literally no one is going to watch you imo because people watch streamers to be entertained, not to be exploited as a number view count to help some "influencer" to grow the above is the reason why i personally agree with the reddit post
I would like to put this out if anyone is actually doubting themselves and thinking of just quitting because the odds are “impossible”. I recently started streaming again back in April and in the past 5 months I’ve grown from 8 average to a 50 average only streaming 3 hours a day 5 days a week CONSISTENTLY. I’ve put almost all my money I’ve got from twitch into my stream to look better and it has payed off. But I feel like a lot of people stream then they are done. That simply won’t work. I spent 6-8 hours a day working on RUclips videos editing making thumbnails and streaming. If you really want it you’ll find time to learn it. Twitch and RUclips is trial and error but eventually you’ll find something that works. Once you find that thing that works stick to it and INNOVATE. Anyone can do it you just have to put the backbone into it. Anyways good luck :)
Hey bro, if you do see this comment I just want to say thank you for making these twitch videos because your advice has helped me so much!! I have just been streaming for about over a month now and now I have 200+ followers, Affiliate, and a great community. Some might say that's not enough but I am happy with what I have. But honestly thank you so much for making these videos, keep making more videos to give more advice and to inspire new streamers!
Harris, I have been streaming on and off for 3+ years. Initially, I didn't have the experience and had no idea what I was doing. Then I sat back and started taking things seriously. I started making goals, oh and I found your channel. I just want to say that you're doing an amazing work motivating people like me, who want to achieve something in life and are willing to fight. Whenever I feel down and feel like I am not going to make it, I watch your videos, and I realize that I can't give up. I have the potential and I can make it. Keep up the good work, buddy! And to all the viewers: We're going to make it! Don't stop believing in yourself, keep pushing!
This is something people need to hear. I appreciate the message. The parent thing, it's interesting. My mother is highly critical, always has been. When I told her about content creation and streaming she said she was "proud of me that I was following a dream." 31 years, never heard that. That is my motivation. Thanks for everything Harris.
@@erickponce7992 I'm not so sure. I've been streaming on RUclips and uploading videos for the last 3 months or so, and I've picked up a few new people when I stream but I find finding streams is a nightmare! I wish RUclips would work on the whole RUclips gaming thing.
RUclips has the recommended algorithm. You are constantly fed 10+ videos after you have a watched a video. Twitch has like 5 recommended channels in the bottom left. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think RUclips is better! :)
RUclips isnt luck. Its algorithm. If you know how to use its algorithm, you stand a much better chance than someone posting and just *hoping* to get views.
If anything, this convinced me I can do this. Like if this is true... I'm already doing better than most, and if I'm honest with myself, no I'm not doing all I can, because I've been treating this as the in-between until I could find full time work and have still found some success on Twitch despite that. I think I'm ready to give this a real, full time effort now. Thanks Harris.
i quit streaming recently to open up my own business and I learnt so much these past 6 months that I could have applied to my streaming. this is truly really inspiring, thank you for this Harris. "treat your streaming like a business" well said
Omg, Harris, I think this is the literally best video I ever saw from you, it made me cry at the end, cause it's so genuine and true. Thank you, I know I don't do enough for my streaming career and this might be the reason why started crying, because I try to invest time in this, but apparently not enough, and I'm so thankful that there is you and your channel who help my thoughts shift and think more. Thank you for being there for every single one of us and your content.
I watched Devin Nash's video first and that caused me a similar reaction, so I kinda knew what was coming. But Harris had such a positive spin about it. Kinda like Devin's video was like taking a punch from Mike Tyson, and Harris' was like your trainer saying to you: "He is fucking Mike Tyson, but he is not unbeatable. He leaves his guard open for a split second after he punches so even if you're good you most likely won't hit him. It's fucking Mike Tyson, it's okay if you lose, but if you really wanna win you gotta do your best. "
Coming from a family of four that is struggling to make rent with my normal job, I understand this problem. I was streaming for all the wrong reasons. I saw the money and hated myself for not growing. The moment that I started streaming for fun and stopped focusing on viewers/chatters I felt healthier. Take care of yourselves, please. Learn from my mistake.
I stream to twitch as a way of chatting to ppl on my friends list (PS4) whilst gaming. Not everyone who streams, is looking for an income from it. I've got 450 twitch followers and I never even bothered activating my affiliate status.
I started out searching for mic options to move away from my headphone mic and stumbled across your video while trying to gain a perspective of the market for different streaming microphones. I’ve now watched several of your videos and I’d just like to say that I appreciate the content you create because your words have genuinely helped me gain a broader understanding and given me the cues to think for myself, both critically and honestly, about how to approach streaming and content creation as an actual career. I wish you all the best and hope to see you succeed even more than now because your honesty and value of information far outpaces that of any other person who I’ve watched.
Harris: "I do believe in you, you sitting in front of computer" Me, lying on a couch, watching on a phone: "Aight, high time I ended my yt career then"
I agree with this. Streaming and making videos for RUclips is just fun and a hobby for me. Success is just an after thought, or a cool little possibility.
The best advice I ever got off you Harris was “do 5% more than the next person”. I took that advice on at the start of this year and went from 1.4k followers earning nothing to 5k followers streaming full time and making a genuine living off it. Although, I am on Facebook Gaming. I am also Australian, there is not many of us making it work! Great content mate, I still tell myself, “I need to do this % more than the next person”, it motivates me and hypes me up to continue to evolve. I’d honestly love you to start a series where you shouted out streamers that have made amazing progress or made it as a career from your content! I think it would be great content for you to go over and check their stream and make a video on potential things they could do even better! Anyways. I just wanted to say thank you. That advice was exactly what I needed. You helped me change my life as much as my followers do everyday! 🙌🏻 I’d love you to reach out in anyway, a true inspiration mate. EDIT: I’m glad this comment resonated with a few small streamers ❤️
@@ArbyTV I honestly think new streamers will have a greater chance of success on Facebook, due to twitch being so saturated. Looking at Fortnite, there are top tier pros playing in major tournaments and streaming it to 100 people On Facebook there are very average skilled players streaming to over 2k because the discoverability is there And the audience is a lot more casual
Arby! Thank you mate! Facebook gaming has been amazing for me, I started my page last year but streamed minimal hours, this year I decided to stream more, just hit 5k followers and 100 subscribers and the engagement and experience has been great. Twitch is too saturated for anyone to make it from nothing like Harris says, I went to twitch for month doing 1-2 streams a week for 3 hours and because I had my Facebook community coming over, I was instantly at 30 viewers. So what Harris says about having another platform to bring people from should be treated like gospel 🤣 Always down to help out mate, I won’t reply here very quickly so the best way to contact me is through my page if you do need any help :) Bottom line: Facebooks options for being discovered are amazing, small streamers should definitely start on Facebook,
Facebook feels intimate, there’s a strong sense of community and “family” within my followers, it’s amazing, the culture on Facebook is different but it is shifting to show some similarities to twitch in terms of watching gaming content but I love the differences. I find it to be a much more positive platform with much less toxic people. I could go on about the pros of Facebook. But it doesn’t come without it’s negatives, random reach drops, followers not getting notifications, video quality is worse (if you use the same settings on both, twitch looks much better, so I have my settings on my obs set really high), however, all steamers get their viewers the option to change quality themselves, Facebook could essentially flick a switch and the algorithm not be kind to you. For ME, those pro’s well outweigh the cons and I would always say. Go to Facebook then twitch if you want to be on twitch. One thing Harris never says enough is, you need to be willing to do this (streaming and the other things he says (making RUclips etc)) for years without making money. (To an extent!) you NEED TO SEE PROGRESS TO MAKE THE GRIND WORTH IT. If you’re not seeing any progress, you need to change something! But if there’s any progress, you’re enjoying it and it’s not affecting your life adversely then the “keep grinding” applies to you. I was doing this as a hobby and loved just mainly getting good clips of myself playing then it started turning into something. I have always taken his “extra 5%” advice from the start, from making weekly highlight videos, making montages, giveaways to the loyal supporters, games with followers until now which is games with subscribers, uppdating my overlays and alerts, having some sort of character, I am 99% myself and 1% this cocky dude that thinks he’s the best player in the world, replying to all comments, messages etc. It’s a lot of work, it has burned me out but I am going to continue to grind. I know this is long but I hope it helps in anyway in case you decide to not message me to get a more personalised response 🍀 Have a great day!!
I would have smashed my head off my keyboard a long time ago if it wasn’t for you and this channel. The work you do for the average Joe like myself is second to none. I don’t think you realize how much your content means to smaller content creators. You guys rock all I can say is thank you so much!
I usually don't write comments but I feel like writing this one out. I started making youtube videos over 9 years ago as a kid for fun, and always looking back and wishing I gave more effort, put in more time etc. Over the years i got a better internet connection and a better computer (still not very good) but good enough for streaming but I also got a fulltime job and my own place and 2 beautiful children, I keep looking back and saying if only i put in more effort back then I would have more time for streaming/content creation. After getting to affiliate a couple weeks ago, my confidence and motivation is at an all time high but I see people passing me in success and it's very hard not to compare. Harris has really helped me look at myself and see my own weaknesses (presence on camera and lack of outside of twitch content). I guess I'm trying to say thankyou for the great work you do Harris and I just want to tell you or anyone that reads this that I'm going to try to do more for myself and I hope others do aswell. This video was very impactful to me and I'm sure many others. Happy streaming everyone!
i'm 34 years old , i have a family and job. streaming was a dream for me. you made this dream to come true. thank you. I started streaming last month ( not regularly ) after watching your videos on RUclips. streaming is a hobby for me right now , not seeking high viewers, just enjoying the feeling of streaming and people who came to chat. not a pro player but i love playing video games . Note:- excuse my grammar errors , not a native English speaker. Thank you , happy streaming.
This is really what I needed to hear today. There's just much so much pessimism AND optimism that just pollute the airwaves around trying to build your stream out of obscurity. I'm feeling a ton of pressure around wanting to succeed regardless of how much I have to work for it. Thanks for the snap to reality
Starting in 3 weeks after my exams. I will come back to this video in 3 years and give you an update. I watched nearly every single video of you and im thankful already even tho i gained not a single follower yet and will still be even if i wont gain any after 3 years. The effort and honest willing to help us is just amazing. You do everything you can do. I learned so much from you already. Thank you so much!
I needed this. I stopped streaming for months. I want to get back into streaming but this time take it more seriously as I'm already a Twitch Affiliate. See it more as a business venture than just something I did in my spare time.
I'm in the same boat bro. I literally feel this exact same way. I've only streamed 53 times in the past year and a half and I feel if I at least doubled those numbers I'd be further than I am now smh. My biggest issue is self doubt. I just get down on myself saying things like: "I can't compete with that" or "Nobody is going to watch me". One of the strongest quotes Harris stated in this video that resonate with me: "If you're doing it as a hobby, you're only going to do it when it's fun". This is so true for me!! I cannot state that enough. Dude I'm to the point where I'm not playing games because I'm not streaming. That it is incredibly bad for someone like me who absolutes loves games and has enjoyed them as an escape like most people do with any hobby. An escape from everyday nonsense that we all have to go through in life. Anyway sorry for this long a** reply I probably should have listened to Harris at the end there and went for a walk lol. I am also going to take streaming more seriously and I wish you friendly competitive success man!
@@Ryoma.1219 no worries. we all want to succeed is this oversaturated field. it's extremely challenging now and it's easier to quit when results aren't satisfactory. I hope you'll find your niche. I'm still trying to find mine but eventually I will and my community will grow. Empires aren't built in a day.
I told my girlfriend and I watched this video and she asked me “well how do you feel about it” and I thought for a second and I said “this only makes me want to work harder to prove people that I CAN do this”
Sean Ireland sure there’s that mind set. But on the other hand if I put more effort into my RUclips channel and promote videos that’s better than just praying right?
Agree with essentially all of this, only point I would expand upon is the idea of competition. If a viewer of gaming content only has 3 hours of gaming content they are going to consume per day, across twitch, youtube etc. You are not only competing against all other streamers on Twitch, you are competing against ALL other gaming content, period. So while networking and community building etc is great, remember that at the end of the day, it is CUT THROAT. As much as these people are your friends, a viewer only has a finite amount of minutes they can allocate, and dollars they can spend, and, if you want to succeed, you want it to be on you.
Thank you for this. Growing and these notes remind me that I'm on a good path. I'm excited to see where we are at in a few years. Good luck everyone, and thank you for the other big accounts giving more motivation and personal experience. Yall are awesome.
I just saw this after spending about 40 hours making my second RUclips video ever. It's oddly comforting to know my odds. There's no doubt that I will have to give this 100% and then some if I want to succeed, and I'm willing to do just that. Thank you Harris, for everything you've done for both this community and myself. You're a legend, and I'll see you at the top one day ;)
Here's my take: I have a full time job, and I also supplement with a few hours of Doordash during the week. Needless to say, I don't have a ton of time on my hands to spend gaming or creating content. However, I think you should have a "healthy" grinding mindset. I don't think you should totally doubt yourself or set your sights too high either, thinking you'll blow up easily and then burning out when you don't meet your goal. It is definitely hard to standout or be noticed by a lot of people so that you can actually grow your viewership; this definitely takes a lot of time and thoughtful effort on the part of streamer. There are a bunch of great tip videos, Harris's included, about content creation on RUclips and social media accounts in order to bring more people that can actually find your content and bring them to your twitch streams. After this long and arduous grind of attracting viewers to your content, then you will hopefully see some sort of monetary reward, i.e. donations, twitch subs, ad-sense. So this is the reality that everyone who wants to be a fulltime streamer/youtuber needs to know and I agree people should not be misled by false hopes of putting all their time into streaming, or investing in the best gear, equating to viewership and a steady/high amount of income from doing so. I wish everyone positive vibes in their endeavours and I am grinding the content creation as well as having a full time job and bills and a family. 💜👻
Damn. Harris keeps it real. I needed to hear this not as a streamer, but as a musician. A lot of these same criticisms of the streaming industry have existed for decades for the music industry. It’s a hobby. It’s oversaturated. You’re doing the same thing as 99% of the rest of your peers. But you still can do it. The possibility, for those who work harder and smarter and who add value to their content consumers’ lives, is still there. And acknowledging those realities is of utmost importance if you ever expect to be anything but a hobbyist. Good talk, man. Real good talk.
Made it 60 seconds in to the video and had to pause to rage about that reddit post. The problem with this kind of statement - "only .0007% will succeed (so give up you dummy)" - is that it usually is presented along with the implication that: 1) "every member of that population is seeking partnership" in the first place (not to mention that his statistic also seems to claim that 1 stream per month = 1 streamer...?) - his analysis is completely wrong... a more accurate statistic analysis would focus on only active streamers (say, 3 streams a week) with a consistent schedule, a channel and stream that's put together.. there are so many things you can do to gain a competitive edge - optimizing stream labs, tags, titles, channel, discord, category, etc - so statistics aren't terribly useful in this situation, especially with such an inaccurate and misleading statistic. 2) "A streamer needs to have partner status in order to make a living off of content creation". They may have a devoted community who donates often, or a RUclips channel, or a couple devoted patrons, or a successful merch line, or sponsorship, or a day job. These "im just being realistic posts" always seem to forget that you can "make it" without being a partner or earning a huge sum of money on a single platform. My fellow musicians play gigs in the evening, lead worship on Sundays, play 2 or 3 weddings a month, and teach a couple lessons - NONE of these things are exclusive or require a great deal of luck, and they are exceedingly content with their 60k salary. 3) back to the statistic thing... considering how much can be done to increase one's viewership and foster a community, which will ideally continue to grow over time, why do people act like "making it" is even a matter of chance? Of course you can get lucky and be raided by a 5k person stream or something, which could maybe help a little bit, but I have to believe that if one continues to critically evaluate their content and do what they can to ensure that their content is entertaining, they can succeed on determination alone. I get so pissed off when people make statements like this because as a musician I've been hearing them all my life. It's been the source of so many lifelong anxieties and neuroses - they still plague me even though I actually have managed to make a career as a musician. Now for my opinion, some people seem to get off by putting others down and discouraging them under the guise of trying to be helpful / impart wisdom / be realistic. Yes, consider the possibility that you may not achieve whichever goal you've set, but freaking do your thing until you fail first. If you fail your goal, you're actually closer to succeeding. Reevaluate, be critical, and don't give up until you simply don't want it anymore or find some more exciting opportunity or avenue. Whatever you do, don't refrain from even trying simply because there is a possibility that you will fail. Life is short, do what you love. Sorry... rant over.
Hope Harris is paying attention to the number of people mentioning this - the new content is probably going to be short / soundbite / clips people can watch on the subway / waiting in line / etc - not 15-30 min monologues
I'm treating Streaming like a hobby and a way to connect face to face with my audience. I was already fortunate enough to be able to make a living off youtube. But everything you're saying makes me want to up my streaming game and try to start treating it as a business, and not a hobby.
It's true. Until I started doing things ON twitch that other streamers weren't doing, I experienced very little growth. I don't make a "living" on twitch now, but it's getting there in a real way. Took me 2.5 years, so far. It's a long journey to get where you *really* want to be. For most, it's a hobby and the desire will fade.
I would like to thank my friend for sending me this video. I think I’ve had this mindset when I first started streaming, but I’m glad that after watching this video, I can say I’ve got my mind clear on my objective. Thank you. At first I started doing this and to try not to be like everyone else, promoting themselves on other social media and websites, but I’ve come to realize, with the help of this video, that a mindset like that doesn’t help me grow. I don’t really like it, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. I think it can help someone grow regardless. With that being said I am aspiring to be a twitch streamer. If anyone would like to watch some of my videos or stop my stream, please feel welcome to do so. I want people who will be critical and provide some good feedback or criticism on my videos and my stream. Anything like that would be awesome. If you hate when you see messages like this, then I insist even more, to watch a few videos and give me your take on it. Thank you for this video.
my reaction: "fair enough" but also my reaction: "that subredditor is not viewing their twitch as a business, and is not necessarily streaming to entertain, but does have some good points.. however, they also don't seem to be actively trying to improve their content necessarily"
Brought a tear-off, these are the type of videos I f***ing love to watch. Inspirational but critical. Realistic but hopeful. Love you brother, keep doing what you love I’ll keep watching what you love. No more comments.
My wife is the one in our house that wants to be a professional streamer, and I support her in that when everyone else does not understand what streaming is like or about. I stream with her and mostly for fun, but I would be lying if I said I did not want make money doing it. I found your RUclips channel randomly after an EposVox video and I find your content here insightful, as well as Sam's. I am currently finishing a BA in Public Relations and much of what you are saying rings true as a marketer, and those are the skills I am trying to pass on to wife, as well as incorporate into my streams. We just moved and unfortunately for me the lighting in my computer room sucks so I just bought some Key Light Air lights for myself. Ultimately Harris, I just want to say thank you for what you are doing here and keep up the good work. I hope to chat with you live one day on Twitch or in your discord.
This is so accurate. You MUST think it terms of "How can I provide value?" I have made this my focus over everything and have started to see some growth on all platforms recently.
“Invest in yourself” Thank you Harris for being so genuine and honest. This gave me a whole new perspective, and was so real. With social media and all, it’s hard to find those qualities within content. Please keep creating! Thank you again.
You have to know 'Why' you have chosen to do this. Then, put in the effort to be successful. Success requires effort. Your advice on this topic should be extremely helpful to anyone wanting to make a living streaming. Unfortunately, many will brush it off as not true for them.
Entertainment is a MASSIVE industry. There's more games, music, YT videos, streaming being done than ever before in history. Trying to break through it is gonna be extremely hard unless you have something unique you can bring to the table. And even then, the uniqueness can only last for so long until people get bored, so you have to keep evolving alongside the industry all the time.
Man this video strikes one of two ways 1. You come out more inspired to make it for yourself or 2. You completely want to stop trying and give in to the "it's a waste of time".... ugh! its soul crushing man! You are a very level headed dude and I need people like you in my life!
I just said to my friends for the first time that I think i wanna start streaming, then I open RUclips and see this in the recommended. I think Google was listening to what I said.
For one, I really do appreciate your take on this. I feel like this is a video people should always watch before they start streaming if nothing else. Secondly, I really appreciate the ad placement in this video. I typically hate ads and I get mad every time they come on, but I understand how much it can help channels that get a lot of views. The timing for this ad was a great breaking point in the video and it didn't feel interruptive at all.
this stuff is extremely good to see because it's very easy to disregard the entire monologue because of the clearly-hyperbolic statements like "it is pure luck", but there was also a bunch of truth to many aspects of it and light needed to be brought to those things.
I literally haven’t streamed since I read this post a few weeks ago. It makes a quite a few very accurate points. I never really intended to make it big or to make any massive sum of money; I kinda just wanted a community I could hangout with and make a few bucks that I could invest back into the stream. After reading this post is when I realized I probably will never get anywhere with my channel and that I should probably just stop streaming and or take a break. Truth is, I have other better things I should be doing with my life that I’ve set aside to stream instead. I have not fully decided if I will return to streaming or not, mainly due to the fact that I’ve been enjoying my other hobbies such as music production, Guitar playing, etc... this also isn’t me bashing on people who stream. If you truly love streaming and have literally nothing else to do, go right ahead. But if you could instead be working on another hobby you might have a better chance at success with, or even just more fun with, go do that instead of streaming. I also want to clear up that I’m directing this towards the hardcore 8 hours a day 13-18 year old streamers. Anyway I hope you take something from this even though I probably typed this up horribly and messy but idc at this point lmfao enjoy your day
Ashtrownot exactly this. People need to stop thinking they will blow up and invest in themselves in something outside of online. Truth is unless you have something very special about you , great skills in game, super funny, etc, no one will care enough to watch and especially to donate.
@@samhughes3596 EXACTLY. Stream the process of the things that YOU LOVE DOING. Doing takes time, a lot of people want to hang out with a musician while he's making his music!
Wow, nice job! As a teacher of twenty years, and tabletop roleplayer of thirty, I completely support your message! You're honest and forthright, while still encouraging and inspiring. A teacher could not have said it better and it seems as if you've found your classroom online!
I’m watching this 6 months late, wish I would’ve found this sooner. I never like YT videos but this one deserves it. Harris you have an optimistic yet realistic perspective and you couldn’t have worded it better. I hope to continue to follow your advice (THE RIGHT WAY) as I’ve been. 🙌🏽
All of these platforms, RUclips, Twitch, etc can either go away tomorrow or create some new rules next month to seriously cripple your business. Side hustle, maybe. Main job? No way. Too many risks involved. Plus none of these guys know how to invest. How many will go broke if Twitch went down? How many actually saved and built up their finances over the years they were raking it in.
Thing is top1% twitch guys have so many incoms they dont RLY need twitch , look at dr.disrespect.. makes more on yt now if you dont make a HUUUUUUUGE amount of money why considering doing twitch / streaming as a main job ?
"Go on a walk and think about your content..." But it's 1am, I might get mugged. I better stream that cause it would be unique content for sure. Whoever is mugging me is gonna say poggers as he runs off with my wallet.
The Twitch craze and grind right now is JUST like the Poker Boom of the mid 2000s. Young people trying to grind out money, quitting jobs, seeking fame etc. SELF CARE is so critical, THANK YOU for this post. It is so important to dream, plan, work for it, but to also maintain your health, and don't quit your day job. When people didn't make it in Poker, they had built a lot of skills for the real world (risk assessment etc), learn how to stream and everything that goes with it. This way, you are more versatile if the streaming hobby doesn't work out as a career. Just like "the Stream Doctor" he's learned so many different skills which lead him here. Learn editing, learn graphics etc,, learn the business side of streaming (data, analytics) things that can transfer to other careers or other areas of this boom.
My mindset is, i play videogames cuz i enjoy it. With a push of a button in OBS i might aswell stream it. Viewers or no viewers, i really dont care that much. Going in to twitch with a mindset to SUCCEED in 2020 is only (for the most part) going to leave u sad and let down. It's also alot of fun to mess around with all that streaming has to offer, such as sound settings, video settings etc etc, even if you don't succeed you still have a badass looking stream to be proud of and can say: I made this all by myself! I learned ALOT just by trying to set up a nice looking stream tbh. I can take that with me and share my knowledge with others that needs it. TLDR, its a hobby for sure unless you are extremely good at what you do. Don't take things to seriously is my advice :)
Honestly, If i was a streamer i wouldnt stream every single day, like some other streamers i would schedule my streams, like for example once or twice a week and i wouldnt stream the entire day, maybe two or three hours, unless its a charity stream i can stream as long as possible to get to a certain goal, its kinda like a part time job but i get to choose how long i work and it is something i would enjoy doing.
Smartly is indeed a word, it is an adverb whose definition is: to do things in a manner that implies intelligence or skill. I'm an English teacher, sorry couldn't resist 😅
Good Afternoon Mr. Heller. I wanted to leave this message behind Just to say that I really appreciate you. The "grind" Is Real, And I know how it is having it as a burden. These points you bring out in your video are not only true but eye opening. You can Bet on every other video out there being absurdly optimistic. But as you know that isn't real! You have to take into consideration EVERYTHING when starting a new (company, Brand, Biz, ect.) With the negatives being your main priority! My father used to tell me to "make my weaknesses my strengths" And I really think that is a massive take away when applying it to twitch! Always look to improve, always look to change, and always strive for the best you! I hope everyone is doing well, and is really taking what this man says to heart. Much Love EVERYONE!!!
I've watched so many of these videos on this channel even though I don't steam and don't plan on streaming any time soon, but I feel like this information is important not just in streaming but can be applied to life in general. Don't expect handouts for doing the bare minimum. You'll never standout or get noticed in anything if you don't invest in improving yourself to accomplish your goals.
Thoughts on "the grind"..
terrible
Rubbish.
He had some points but not tomany
@@Foodran I was fist
cool
When I started RUclips, my family sat me down and told me I was embarrassing myself. I kept going. Now that I am ‘successful’ (as in making a living) of course they are more on board. But I credit myself with keeping on pushing while no one was on my side. It was lonely.
AMEN!!! DONT STOP GRINDING, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND EVERYONE!
Who needs Prayers? Btw, GOD AND JESUS LOVES ALL ALWAYS, and will NEVER LEAVE ANYONE!!!!! THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST PLAN!!!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND EVERYONE!!!! Also, Please don’t use God’s and Jesus’s name in vain like, “Oh my Go*” Please copy this and paste this on RUclips, Twitter, Instagram, etc. THANK YOU!
@@razo5557 actually God doesn't exist... Thank you
This is how I think we all feel. Those comments hurt at first but then I learned to take them as a boost of motivation. I am doing something I love and will not stop until I make it. I know I can and I know I will. Friends and family will see that.
@@razo5557 Seriously though? lara is pointing out how she pushed through in the face of adversity and became successful and you're using this as a place to spam about Jesus?
As someone who has made it to be the exception, let me just say Harris is 100% correct on everything. There were years of me not making a dime, before I started seeing growth. In fact, I lost money due to investing into the channel the first two years.
It’s hard to not compare yourself to others and think, why are they making it and I’m not. You have to focus on you. Stare those statistics in the face. If you start out thinking, I’m never going to be that .01%... guess what, you won’t be. You need to have the mentality of being the exception and then never stop trying. Channels like this exist to help you grow and learn. Never stop learning.
Thanks for adding in!
Hi. This year has been a rough year, i went out of job like many others, and i have a lot of time to kill.
I´m in between 2 options:
1. Start making youtube videos, like 1 per week, and tiktok "snaps", untill i get 5-10k subs and 2k-3k avg views per video, then ease into twitch in the spare time.
2. Start heavy on twitch as the main platform and do everything in my power to grow up there.
What do you think makes more sense???
Also......knowing what you know, and having already a lot of experience, how would you do it???? (ignore the options above)
and of course you make roblox videos and are a furry lol
Ionut Daniel Serban start elsewhere then move into twitch. Also go see Harris’s other videos on this subject. He’ll tell ya what a lot of us know... want to grow on twitch? Make content elsewhere then bring that community over to twitch
Glad to see some other big names throwing their two cents in on this one. There is a huge element of investment and patience and faith in what your doing too. 🤘
Can we also appreciate that this topic was so serious, no mention of harris's stream dates and no streambeats in the background
I noticed that too
Harris literally just wants to help people succeed because it took him so long to figure out what works. He shares his tweaks to things that didn't work just so other people get a headstart in this over saturated market.
@@grippli8604 50/50 in my personal opinion. Its a bit easier when you get a $50k cheque from your parents. But he has provided some excellent content
@@JACRunner I wasn't aware of that part honestly but you still have to fail a few times with that check and have genuine drive in what you want to do. (tone is hard on the internet. Not being argumentative) I believe that if people had time and didn't have to go to work and the drive to succeed in this space they could. It just takes time to craft what you want your content to be. It has to be personal on some level.
@@JACRunner even if that's true man you can't pay your way to being successful
"Are you doing what it takes... probably not."
That killed me because it's fuckin' true. I have a background in video editing, animation and art and here I am, sitting in front of a computer playing video games for like 5-10 people.
I really loved how you handled this topic and it's definitely something I needed to hear.
Take your talents and stream yourself doing them
I feel like sometimes those 5 -10 people are the real og people that still was there when the channel was not hyped so that for me is a twist why i still stream, but i think its more videos for me since i become to realize that those streams with minimal veiwers isnt getting the channel any exposure, probably a good video is more likely to
Doing youtube vids will get views a lot faster then streaming will
Woah... video editing, animation, and art. Those three skills are enough to give you a better chance of being successful than those 99.9% of streamers.
Try combining those skills and see how far you go.
I have a friend who suck ass at playing video games, dont have any background in video editing but actually earns 2k a month. It was his only talent and it was art. My friend was really good in art and i think the part that really made him successful is that hes always finding ways for people to have a chance to view even a single second of his videos. Like advertising in many platforms twitter,behance,fiver,patreon, and most importantly in fb groups.
"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done."
oooooo that’s Wise
Probably the best quote (I’m assuming) in this comments section.
Jobi i subscribed to ur channel
I agree with everything except that "is pure luck".
No it's not. It's talent, passion, versatility, knowledge, pressence, personality... A lo of stuff. Of course you can get lucky, but thats not the biggest reason why you get big.
I made stream for a living, and trust me, I had to take the biggest risk of my life, so now I can live with much more than I need just with the Twitch revenue. No luck in here, lot of work.
And btw! This is not about streaming 8 hours a day, thats a fact. You need to stream what you feel confortable with. And you need not to see it as a work, even if at some point it becomes it.
That´s all, see you guys.
It’s lots of work + luck. And I think that applies to everything, life, work, etc.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Hard work and right place, right time.
Luck is not needed. hard work will get you to what you want bettering your craft and leaning from mistakes and keep cam get you your dreams but sometimes what you shoot for will open something more better then what you are not shooting not for . the point is just don’t give up ,if you want it it can happen but be realistic don’t quit your day time 9to 5 or part time even Business owners at the beginning will work a second job just to keep their business afloat to pay their bills. And with time they mite not have to work that second job and do it full time but that takes time are you willing to give that time In ? or or just wanted to be hand it to you at the end even a person that is successful has to work there but off to maintain their success it a harder way of life and work but like the key is love it and don’t see it like work and live! like not just for the week end but everyday
Actually is both, LUCK and SKILLS. I'll bring back that time when the Doc had this kid in Fortnite duos, the kid was a decent player and the Doc asked him if he was streaming cause his name had the classic TTV. The kid said yes. After the match ended, the Doc went to this kid's channel and donated and then a lot of people donated, followed and subbed. The kid made in less than 1 hour a big sum of $ (5 digits hands down)
The kid upgraded his stuff YET he never lifted. Last time I checked it, that kid was streaming for like 10 people even though he had like XXK followers. My point? the kid had the luck to meet the Doc, but didn't had what it takes to retain a crowd of people. On the other hand, I've been watching streamers with such amazing gaming skills, some with amazing speaking but they still at the very bottom and most likely, will remain there until they quit. All they need is a bit of LUCK to be raided by a mid tier or big streamer.
Lot of debate between luck and skill, but understanding the market and where you fit in (ie work smarter not harder) is underrated. For example, if you’re trying to break-in as a Warzone or Fortnite streamer you’re competing against other A-list stars like Ninja or Shroud. It may be better to find a niche (but not too obscure) game that you become the dominant streamer.
"Pause this video, go on a walk" It's 2:38am and I hear cats fighting outside.. No way I'm going on a walk
that's not fighting son
@@osuscyan3143 I-
@@osuscyan3143 :O
at 30 years old and making a steady income from all of this, your mom yelled at you...wow. I'm 24 and I am in that same boat. The older generations will never understand this industry, its a sad fact, but its a fact that I am living through right now.
@@Alexjussme stop streaming every day and make youtube guides about a specific game or a specific aspect in a game. If you've been streaming for so long you have dedication but just doing 7 hour streams every day is not going to make you grow. Watch some more of harris's vids about growing.
@@Alexjussme Learning to make good youtube content is your best bet man. Some people in my discord are grinding gaming guides and getting better at it and they're seeing growth. It definitely works but it takes time to learn.
I think older people (38 here) understand, I have seen my own craze and boom that I was a part of (Poker boom mid 2000s). It's important to diversify your skills so you have options to make money outside of streaming. Learn every aspect of streaming, there will be opportunities in this boom, not just for streamers, but for editors, data analysts etc etc. Just like the Gold Rush, barely anyone got rich off mining, the General Store owners got RICH AF off selling gold mining goods to the rush of gold chasing miners. Every young gen. has their gold rush that snowballs and rolls, gains speed, then most people get spun and spit out by the snow ball, leaving them dazed in the snow... don't be naïve thinking they (old people) don't understand. You are using age to dismiss their real concerns. Educate yourself be smart about it so you don't get spun out and lose time in your life.
The older generations don't understand this industry. I'd say that they'll always approve of what you do, as long as you're able to buy your house and car.
@@firerivet6389 Bingo.
It's all fine and dandy when you're 20 something or even 30 something but let's be honest: probably fewer people will watch a 50 something streamer (unless they've been growing up with said streamer who has a loyal fanbase but this ain't really a growth strategy). What is concerning is: do you build a career? Do you gain new skills which can be leveraged to build your career so you can access a better job? If the answer is no, then your plan isn't much better than working at McDonalds. You might make money NOW but it is far from guaranteeing you'll make money at an age where you'll have less energy and might be a little less sharp.
This is a great video. I've been doing this for 10 years. I did it full time for 5 years and made pretty good money on RUclips/Twitch. I decided to stop doing it full time and return to doing it as a hobby back in 2015 because I just hated having to FORCE myself to make videos and stream when I didn't want to. Doing RUclips and Twitch is easy when you're passionate about the games your playing and projects you're working on. However eventually that won't be the case and your genre of games (mine being MMORPG) takes a shit, the games you enjoy lose popularity, or your gimmick if you have one wears off.
When I tell people I quit playing video games as my full time job to go work a normal job they are amazed. Then I tell them working a normal job is way less work...
Now I don't give a shit about views. I make videos about anything I want. Don't care trying to make monetizable content or growing my brand. Heck I'll go months without making a video at all. However when I do make a video it's because I want to. I definitely don't regret stepping away in 2015.
Hey man, I used to love your Druid vids back in the day. You were a beast. Remember watching you duelling swiftly in the sewers or something. Epic stuff. Glad your doing well bro
Whoa ! To walk away like that. 💯
I did the same . Well said
Thanks for sharing your perspective. It's good insight.
checked out your channel, subbed
The industry is literally so massive do not stop
Something else is, having success doesn't mean you'll stay in that success bubble forever. On my own channel, I've had waves of blowing up, videos going viral, reaching big milestones and being a known name in the community, to highly considering closing my channel entirely because it was "dead". Currently in a slump and trying to figure out what to do. Getting success and keeping success are two different things too.
ruclips.net/video/clkBf4hRLEs/видео.html
@@zaddy1434 no
Capp00 jus tryna reach u buddy
same for me also
Lev1sa wtf y are these famous RUclipsrs replying to me
"People can only watch one stream at a time"
*Me with dual monitors training myself to move my eyeballs independently to watch both at the exact same time*
That eyeball thing hurts my brain and eyes o my tf dude
So many good points mentioned here.
I'll add one more:
Even after you've done everything right (research, skills, marketing yourself, better entertainment), there's still a big chance that you will not make it but it's okay. You tried your best and you will keep doing it because at the end of they day the only one that can acknowledge your effort is yourself. You know you did your goddamn best and no one can take it away from you! Keep on doing what you do but don't sacrifice your actual future.
100% agreed
“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a Weakness. That is Life.”
that's not really a point tho, its "hey you tried your best and that's ok" but longer
I don’t agree with this. If you’ve done everything right that’s the definition of making it. Get good at being entertaining and having something that people want to watch. Then spend your time getting that premium product in front of as many eyeballs as you can. Sales is a numbers game. Get in front of eyes.
That... that literally is the one thing that he just said big streamers bullshit people watching with. Did you even watch the video?
Why is this even a conversation? This is literally ANYONE who is looking to start their own business or work for them selves. There are thousands of other people doing the same exact thing you are trying to do. The chance of you making it are slim... But, its possible. Idk if its luck, idk what the key is to success. But plenty of people have or will do it. Steaming is just one of those things thats frowned on, so it hurts a little more than someone who is trying to make it in photography. Tough thing to do, but again, there's a chance.
"You, you watching infront of the computer. I think you have the potential to be a big streamer." ..crap, I am watching this on my phone D:
ME
Sameeee. For some reason I can't watch Harris on my computer. It always has to be on my phone.
"What Makes you Unique from anybody else?"
"What makes you interesting to watch?"
Literally, these two questions in now swirling in my mind nonstop.
There is nothing truly unique in this world, however you have a couple options.
1. Find some things (e.g. something you have fun with and something you know has value to others) and combine them. The combination makes you unique or at least limits your direct competition.
2. Find something rare somebody else does and do it better. Only compete with few instead of many.
That i am my self
At least you're honest with yourself. A lot of new streamers come into this with a sense of entitlement. Nobody is owed anything, and Affiliate is honestly not at all a big deal. Shit even Partner (smaller partners) isn't really a big deal. I in order to make what I make with my full time salaried job... I'd need to have a loooooooot of subs. I treat this as a hobby. Whatever happens happens. A lot of people think "I'll hit *going live* breathe heavy on the mic, and play Fortnite/Fall Guys/Among Us/COD... and wait for the truck to back up to my door with money. I've stopped by a lot of partnered streamers, that quit/come back. They have less active viewership than some affiliates. It's a fickle thing.
The sooner people understand that everyone in Twitch is fighting for the piece of the pie regardless of playing the same game/s to grab attention or a community, the more this streaming thing makes sense. The answers to those questions aren't absolute either and have some flexibility to it. Even goes back to some interesting concepts I have watched sprout up from the justin.tv days and some survived while others were purely a product of its time.
@@keinkoenich2673 I only partly agree with this. Although yes, in essence, nothing is truly unique, but it also kind of is. No one can be you, with your personality, with your experiences, with your skill set and knowledge. Those combination of things is what is unique. You throw content creation and live streaming in to the mix and you've got an entire bag of variables that contribute to the ability to provide a unique experience. The problem is people are so afraid of doing things 'wrong' they don't go through the necessary steps to finding their unique voice and position in these saturated spaces. They all want a formula for what will work. Even channels like Alpha Gaming can be problematic with this regard.
While there are objectively things that do better than others in terms of content, there are ways to tweak it to make it your own.
Do you want to live stream and make content for Minecraft? Nothing is stopping you. Do you have real life interests you can translate to the game? Are you a mechanic? An electrician? What if you've now merged your knowledge of the two into a channel dedicated to replicating IRL cars. Has it been done before? Maybe. But, perhaps it was someone who isn't actually a mechanic. Someone who can't explain how they built the entire rig, engine and all, and how that information translates back to something real and tangible. You've just added another element that sets you a part by offering an educational experience as well, another opportunity for content through more engaging chat, offering Q&A's or tutorials.
Although the idea may be a bit abstract, I hope it kind of gives an idea of how you can still bring an element of being unique and yourself into content. Maybe you love doing mini games and challenges. Use your experiences, your other interests and passions and see how you can make it a little bit different than someone else. Do you love dinosaurs? Make all your challenge videos include dinosaurs! It really has any possibility you can think of. And sometimes not every piece of content with be this monolith of innovation. Maybe you just have chill build days. But, when you focus on the majority of your content offering something that is uniquely yours, you will see some sort of success.
"I treat my social media like a business" I just checked Twitter the other day for the first time in awhile and the first tweet I saw was you saying to normalize calling girlfriends mommy 😂
It’s a weird business..
Ok, and with the general demographic of 'gamers'/livestream folk it resonates and generates engagement thus making it a 'good tweet.'
@@Syger I wasn't saying it wasn't, I just found it funny, because conventionally treating something like a business means professional, but in this scenario it doesn't neccisarily
@@Senpai so thats why the back injury lmaooo
I go by the saying "Luck is opportunity meets preparation"
The opportunity is completely luck based, but for most people it's the years of not seeing success and seeing what they can do to improve that makes it so when they eventually get that opportunity, they're able to grab it by the balls
I mainly go by what Schlatt said on a podcast one time when Call Me Carson talked about how lucky he got. If it wasn't for all the times he failed beforehand, he wouldn't have been able to grab the opportunity when it came to him
I agree, you have to buy tickets if you want to win the lottery, meaning you have to be working improving yourself and be in the game when the opportunity shows up.
Thank you for this.
You miss every shot you don’t take. If you’re not taking shots and missing, then you’re never going to finally make that shot.
I mostly agree, but I think people are ignoring the part where you specifically say "seeing what they can do to improve". They just keep hearing the part about luck and then do the same thing waiting for a magical payoff that will never come
@@Ricecooka oh yeah ofc. There's a reason why growth in social media is hard now and days. It takes a lot of time / reflection / intuition to realize that you need to improve your own content. Which most people don't do because they think it's easy, and when they realize it isn't as easy as they think they quit.
This was a great watch Harris :)
Kris notice me senpai🤣(if u dont reply u owe me a keyboard)(oh yea i use a membrane dell keyboard)
It's funny that I just watched ur channel before I watched this : >
Hi kris
w0ah what are you doing here sempi
ye
I do feel that luck can play a factor in growth, but the harder you work and more you try to break the mold, the less that luck plays a part. With the right amount of time and effort, it may play no part. I was lucky with my channel in starting in a very unsaturated market. It was never planned to be anything near what it became, but it came nonetheless. If I tried the same now, I would have to put in a lot more effort and hard work to get there.
Having fun should always be the top priority for a stream, content creator, or really anyone. If you are successful and hate what you do, is that really success? You can tell the difference between those truly enjoying their time and those just going through the motions. I enjoy watching the prior group much more.
> being in an unsaturated market that has potential is definitely key. To be the first or an original creator for, say, a new game that will most likely explode, will definitely give you a huge advantage especially if youre good at it.
You took SFM when it was still small and gave it it's potential as an original high skilled creator for a specific fandom which then blew up and now so many more try SFM. It's all about anticipation in some cases eh?
And the right amount of
( Y )
The more competitive a role, the more luck plays a role. Veritasium did an absolutely astounding video on this: "Is Success Luck or Hard Work?"
He simulated 18,000 people applying for 10 jobs. He gave them all a score from 1 to 100 in both "skill" and "luck". He then made your odds of getting in be 95% skill, 5% luck. The average luck score of someone who got the job was 94! (Note: the average skill was also very high).
Luck plays an absolutely insane role in your success, but it's often hard to see that when you yourself are succesful (surely it was your hard work that did it!). You can do what you did though, and target a very unsaturated market. That makes luck a LOT less important. It's pretty much the only way to control it really.
lol never expected to see you here
"People can only watch one stream at a time"
God tier mods: *cackling*
some truly gifted mods out there, for real. (chessbae94 comes to mind)
Multiple monitors need a use on off days.
Me: i stream long and often
Other streamers: I only stream 4 hours a day 4 times a week
Me: -pandemic hits-
everyone: Time to stream longer
Uh..I just opened a second tab to watch the other guy on the first guys team....am I not supposed to do that?
My group of friends all stream, and so do I, and I try to give them advice from all the info this channel has taught me, they stream everyday and call it a grind and they tell me I get all of my followers because I’m female and they aren’t taking my comments into consideration, they do the same thing everyday and I try not to comment on how they could improve because of the past few reactions I’ve gotten, but I would like to see them do better and I put all of this channels info into my streams and yt, it just sucks all of my effort is canceled out because I’m female (which yes being female can get clicks ) but that’s all people see instead of the hours of information I know and understand
*also thank you so much for taking your time to make these videos I watch them over and over again and it’s extremely helpful your a RUclips blessing thank you Harris 🤝🤝🤝🤝*
Fck. You are a good person to give advise to youre friends big O O F for them not being nice back to you just because "female" urgh :D...
Its so crazy to read it rly idk.. cant even image getting good positive infos from a "friend" ..! :D
KEEP IT UP GAL.
Lmao steaming everyday with garbage content won’t make you grow you need a personality
"Go on a walk"
Me:*in the other side of the globe watching this at 10 pm*
One of the best time to take a walk with silence around you!
I got for walks or runs at 1am. Letting your brain be clear and think never stops.
@@RandomTopicGames ok maybe i should try that...
Night rides/walks are the best!
If i do that, around the time suggested here in Colombia... I will get such a nice transformation.. I'll be back home without anything.. fresh and clean to start over. the rober is gonna be the one being happy that night.
I’m a twitch partner who streams 7 days a week for 500+ consecutive days and counting. I don’t make anywhere near enough to support my bills and life via Twitch income. Chase your dreams I don’t want to discourage anyone but it’s important to know the truth of what you’re getting into. Cheers 👍
viewers can smell the desperation to grow from smaller streamers, it's so obvious. if you go into streaming starting from scratch viewers aren't as stupid as you think, they will sniff out that desperation to "grow" sooner than later
if you are just approaching this from a business standpoint as a streamer literally no one is going to watch you imo because people watch streamers to be entertained, not to be exploited as a number view count to help some "influencer" to grow
the above is the reason why i personally agree with the reddit post
I would like to put this out if anyone is actually doubting themselves and thinking of just quitting because the odds are “impossible”. I recently started streaming again back in April and in the past 5 months I’ve grown from 8 average to a 50 average only streaming 3 hours a day 5 days a week CONSISTENTLY. I’ve put almost all my money I’ve got from twitch into my stream to look better and it has payed off. But I feel like a lot of people stream then they are done. That simply won’t work. I spent 6-8 hours a day working on RUclips videos editing making thumbnails and streaming. If you really want it you’ll find time to learn it. Twitch and RUclips is trial and error but eventually you’ll find something that works. Once you find that thing that works stick to it and INNOVATE. Anyone can do it you just have to put the backbone into it. Anyways good luck :)
In what category were you streaming?
RAPH Côté ROBLOX
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Plain and simple, you've got to diversify.
Like going thru your kitchen 10 times even tho you know there’s nothing to eat.
Dat's bullshit dude, you clearly havent played a Pokemon game and tried breeding and hatching eggs to get a shiny pokemon
Leon Ruvalcaba shit that hits hard considering thats exactly what I’m doing right now
@@chadmoore5839 Thats too relatable xD
Hey bro, if you do see this comment I just want to say thank you for making these twitch videos because your advice has helped me so much!! I have just been streaming for about over a month now and now I have 200+ followers, Affiliate, and a great community. Some might say that's not enough but I am happy with what I have. But honestly thank you so much for making these videos, keep making more videos to give more advice and to inspire new streamers!
"you need to step it up and start doing things you don't want to do" was the kind of harsh motivation I needed. Thank you.
Harris, I have been streaming on and off for 3+ years. Initially, I didn't have the experience and had no idea what I was doing. Then I sat back and started taking things seriously. I started making goals, oh and I found your channel. I just want to say that you're doing an amazing work motivating people like me, who want to achieve something in life and are willing to fight. Whenever I feel down and feel like I am not going to make it, I watch your videos, and I realize that I can't give up. I have the potential and I can make it. Keep up the good work, buddy!
And to all the viewers: We're going to make it! Don't stop believing in yourself, keep pushing!
This is something people need to hear. I appreciate the message. The parent thing, it's interesting. My mother is highly critical, always has been. When I told her about content creation and streaming she said she was "proud of me that I was following a dream." 31 years, never heard that. That is my motivation. Thanks for everything Harris.
"Anyone can cook".
Yeah, but is it something we'd actually eat?
ONEGREATFIRE Haha don’t ruin Ratatouille for me 😂
Caz L Orrell Yeah I know. But I don’t want these philosophical questions every time I watch it now 😂
that's exactly what I was thinking! the critic was even like "not everyone can be a great cook, but a great cook can come from anywhere" or something
This is exactly what I was thinking too haha
RUclips has some luck factor that you kinda need for success, Twitch is different, there's much less uncertainty in how people find streams to watch
I believe is harder to someone find you on twitch
@@erickponce7992 I'm not so sure. I've been streaming on RUclips and uploading videos for the last 3 months or so, and I've picked up a few new people when I stream but I find finding streams is a nightmare! I wish RUclips would work on the whole RUclips gaming thing.
RUclips has the recommended algorithm. You are constantly fed 10+ videos after you have a watched a video. Twitch has like 5 recommended channels in the bottom left.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think RUclips is better! :)
Lady Luck is a liar
RUclips isnt luck. Its algorithm. If you know how to use its algorithm, you stand a much better chance than someone posting and just *hoping* to get views.
If anything, this convinced me I can do this. Like if this is true... I'm already doing better than most, and if I'm honest with myself, no I'm not doing all I can, because I've been treating this as the in-between until I could find full time work and have still found some success on Twitch despite that. I think I'm ready to give this a real, full time effort now. Thanks Harris.
i quit streaming recently to open up my own business and I learnt so much these past 6 months that I could have applied to my streaming. this is truly really inspiring, thank you for this Harris. "treat your streaming like a business" well said
Omg, Harris, I think this is the literally best video I ever saw from you, it made me cry at the end, cause it's so genuine and true.
Thank you, I know I don't do enough for my streaming career and this might be the reason why started crying, because I try to invest time in this, but apparently not enough, and I'm so thankful that there is you and your channel who help my thoughts shift and think more.
Thank you for being there for every single one of us and your content.
I watched Devin Nash's video first and that caused me a similar reaction, so I kinda knew what was coming. But Harris had such a positive spin about it.
Kinda like Devin's video was like taking a punch from Mike Tyson, and Harris' was like your trainer saying to you: "He is fucking Mike Tyson, but he is not unbeatable. He leaves his guard open for a split second after he punches so even if you're good you most likely won't hit him. It's fucking Mike Tyson, it's okay if you lose, but if you really wanna win you gotta do your best. "
Coming from a family of four that is struggling to make rent with my normal job, I understand this problem. I was streaming for all the wrong reasons. I saw the money and hated myself for not growing. The moment that I started streaming for fun and stopped focusing on viewers/chatters I felt healthier. Take care of yourselves, please. Learn from my mistake.
Good advice. You have to know your limits and focus on what’s important.
I stream to twitch as a way of chatting to ppl on my friends list (PS4) whilst gaming. Not everyone who streams, is looking for an income from it. I've got 450 twitch followers and I never even bothered activating my affiliate status.
"You watching in front of the computer"
..*me watching in the shower on my phone*
I started out searching for mic options to move away from my headphone mic and stumbled across your video while trying to gain a perspective of the market for different streaming microphones. I’ve now watched several of your videos and I’d just like to say that I appreciate the content you create because your words have genuinely helped me gain a broader understanding and given me the cues to think for myself, both critically and honestly, about how to approach streaming and content creation as an actual career. I wish you all the best and hope to see you succeed even more than now because your honesty and value of information far outpaces that of any other person who I’ve watched.
"I believe in you, you infornt of the computer "
* Me, watching on phone * 👹
Gotta cut Harris some slack, he’s a legacy RUclipsr 😂
Watching on TV ?
You life is a joke
A phone is a small computer
Just like someone said previously your phone is like a mini computer.. at least that's what I thought when he said that to make myself feel better lol
Harris: "I do believe in you, you sitting in front of computer"
Me, lying on a couch, watching on a phone: "Aight, high time I ended my yt career then"
LOL
Lol ruclips.net/video/clkBf4hRLEs/видео.html
@@zaddy1434 is this you trying to advert your channel? This is lazy marketing and only tanks your watch time and ratings.
vac4nt u still saw it so I guess it worked
Smartphones are computers :)
I agree with this. Streaming and making videos for RUclips is just fun and a hobby for me. Success is just an after thought, or a cool little possibility.
"self awareness to recognize your strengths and your weaknesses"... yeah, it's a problem to only see weaknesses during self reflections :|
Heyo, if that's really the case for you, then at the very least you can write down 'critical' on your strengths list!
The best advice I ever got off you Harris was “do 5% more than the next person”.
I took that advice on at the start of this year and went from 1.4k followers earning nothing to 5k followers streaming full time and making a genuine living off it.
Although, I am on Facebook Gaming.
I am also Australian, there is not many of us making it work!
Great content mate, I still tell myself, “I need to do this % more than the next person”, it motivates me and hypes me up to continue to evolve.
I’d honestly love you to start a series where you shouted out streamers that have made amazing progress or made it as a career from your content! I think it would be great content for you to go over and check their stream and make a video on potential things they could do even better!
Anyways. I just wanted to say thank you. That advice was exactly what I needed. You helped me change my life as much as my followers do everyday! 🙌🏻
I’d love you to reach out in anyway, a true inspiration mate.
EDIT: I’m glad this comment resonated with a few small streamers ❤️
Congrats man!! How do you feel about Facebook Gaming compared to Twitch? I was thinking of starting up there
@@ArbyTV I honestly think new streamers will have a greater chance of success on Facebook, due to twitch being so saturated.
Looking at Fortnite, there are top tier pros playing in major tournaments and streaming it to 100 people
On Facebook there are very average skilled players streaming to over 2k because the discoverability is there
And the audience is a lot more casual
Doodles Gaming i really appreciate that! the comment gave me a lot of hope lol
Arby! Thank you mate! Facebook gaming has been amazing for me, I started my page last year but streamed minimal hours, this year I decided to stream more, just hit 5k followers and 100 subscribers and the engagement and experience has been great.
Twitch is too saturated for anyone to make it from nothing like Harris says, I went to twitch for month doing 1-2 streams a week for 3 hours and because I had my Facebook community coming over, I was instantly at 30 viewers. So what Harris says about having another platform to bring people from should be treated like gospel 🤣
Always down to help out mate, I won’t reply here very quickly so the best way to contact me is through my page if you do need any help :)
Bottom line: Facebooks options for being discovered are amazing, small streamers should definitely start on Facebook,
Facebook feels intimate, there’s a strong sense of community and “family” within my followers, it’s amazing, the culture on Facebook is different but it is shifting to show some similarities to twitch in terms of watching gaming content but I love the differences. I find it to be a much more positive platform with much less toxic people. I could go on about the pros of Facebook.
But it doesn’t come without it’s negatives, random reach drops, followers not getting notifications, video quality is worse (if you use the same settings on both, twitch looks much better, so I have my settings on my obs set really high), however, all steamers get their viewers the option to change quality themselves, Facebook could essentially flick a switch and the algorithm not be kind to you.
For ME, those pro’s well outweigh the cons and I would always say. Go to Facebook then twitch if you want to be on twitch.
One thing Harris never says enough is, you need to be willing to do this (streaming and the other things he says (making RUclips etc)) for years without making money. (To an extent!) you NEED TO SEE PROGRESS TO MAKE THE GRIND WORTH IT. If you’re not seeing any progress, you need to change something! But if there’s any progress, you’re enjoying it and it’s not affecting your life adversely then the “keep grinding” applies to you.
I was doing this as a hobby and loved just mainly getting good clips of myself playing then it started turning into something. I have always taken his “extra 5%” advice from the start, from making weekly highlight videos, making montages, giveaways to the loyal supporters, games with followers until now which is games with subscribers, uppdating my overlays and alerts, having some sort of character, I am 99% myself and 1% this cocky dude that thinks he’s the best player in the world, replying to all comments, messages etc.
It’s a lot of work, it has burned me out but I am going to continue to grind. I know this is long but I hope it helps in anyway in case you decide to not message me to get a more personalised response 🍀
Have a great day!!
I would have smashed my head off my keyboard a long time ago if it wasn’t for you and this channel. The work you do for the average Joe like myself is second to none. I don’t think you realize how much your content means to smaller content creators. You guys rock all I can say is thank you so much!
I usually don't write comments but I feel like writing this one out. I started making youtube videos over 9 years ago as a kid for fun, and always looking back and wishing I gave more effort, put in more time etc. Over the years i got a better internet connection and a better computer (still not very good) but good enough for streaming but I also got a fulltime job and my own place and 2 beautiful children, I keep looking back and saying if only i put in more effort back then I would have more time for streaming/content creation. After getting to affiliate a couple weeks ago, my confidence and motivation is at an all time high but I see people passing me in success and it's very hard not to compare. Harris has really helped me look at myself and see my own weaknesses (presence on camera and lack of outside of twitch content). I guess I'm trying to say thankyou for the great work you do Harris and I just want to tell you or anyone that reads this that I'm going to try to do more for myself and I hope others do aswell. This video was very impactful to me and I'm sure many others. Happy streaming everyone!
i'm 34 years old , i have a family and job. streaming was a dream for me. you made this dream to come true. thank you.
I started streaming last month ( not regularly ) after watching your videos on RUclips.
streaming is a hobby for me right now , not seeking high viewers, just enjoying the feeling of streaming and people who came to chat.
not a pro player but i love playing video games .
Note:- excuse my grammar errors , not a native English speaker.
Thank you , happy streaming.
It's like you're describing myself and you don't even know me!
This is really what I needed to hear today. There's just much so much pessimism AND optimism that just pollute the airwaves around trying to build your stream out of obscurity. I'm feeling a ton of pressure around wanting to succeed regardless of how much I have to work for it. Thanks for the snap to reality
Starting in 3 weeks after my exams. I will come back to this video in 3 years and give you an update.
I watched nearly every single video of you and im thankful already even tho i gained not a single follower yet and will still be even if i wont gain any after 3 years.
The effort and honest willing to help us is just amazing. You do everything you can do.
I learned so much from you already.
Thank you so much!
Ping me for update
Let's see how this goes lol
I needed this. I stopped streaming for months. I want to get back into streaming but this time take it more seriously as I'm already a Twitch Affiliate. See it more as a business venture than just something I did in my spare time.
I'm in the same boat bro. I literally feel this exact same way. I've only streamed 53 times in the past year and a half and I feel if I at least doubled those numbers I'd be further than I am now smh.
My biggest issue is self doubt. I just get down on myself saying things like: "I can't compete with that" or "Nobody is going to watch me".
One of the strongest quotes Harris stated in this video that resonate with me: "If you're doing it as a hobby, you're only going to do it when it's fun". This is so true for me!! I cannot state that enough. Dude I'm to the point where I'm not playing games because I'm not streaming.
That it is incredibly bad for someone like me who absolutes loves games and has enjoyed them as an escape like most people do with any hobby. An escape from everyday nonsense that we all have to go through in life.
Anyway sorry for this long a** reply I probably should have listened to Harris at the end there and went for a walk lol. I am also going to take streaming more seriously and I wish you friendly competitive success man!
@@Ryoma.1219 no worries. we all want to succeed is this oversaturated field. it's extremely challenging now and it's easier to quit when results aren't satisfactory. I hope you'll find your niche. I'm still trying to find mine but eventually I will and my community will grow. Empires aren't built in a day.
I told my girlfriend and I watched this video and she asked me “well how do you feel about it” and I thought for a second and I said “this only makes me want to work harder to prove people that I CAN do this”
Same!!
This is the right mindset, let’s go!
Same here!! Let's keep going ✊🏾
If you're doing everything right. It is just luck. More work doesn't directly correlate with success in this field.
Sean Ireland sure there’s that mind set. But on the other hand if I put more effort into my RUclips channel and promote videos that’s better than just praying right?
Agree with essentially all of this, only point I would expand upon is the idea of competition. If a viewer of gaming content only has 3 hours of gaming content they are going to consume per day, across twitch, youtube etc. You are not only competing against all other streamers on Twitch, you are competing against ALL other gaming content, period. So while networking and community building etc is great, remember that at the end of the day, it is CUT THROAT. As much as these people are your friends, a viewer only has a finite amount of minutes they can allocate, and dollars they can spend, and, if you want to succeed, you want it to be on you.
Thank you for this. Growing and these notes remind me that I'm on a good path. I'm excited to see where we are at in a few years. Good luck everyone, and thank you for the other big accounts giving more motivation and personal experience. Yall are awesome.
I just saw this after spending about 40 hours making my second RUclips video ever. It's oddly comforting to know my odds. There's no doubt that I will have to give this 100% and then some if I want to succeed, and I'm willing to do just that. Thank you Harris, for everything you've done for both this community and myself. You're a legend, and I'll see you at the top one day ;)
Here's my take: I have a full time job, and I also supplement with a few hours of Doordash during the week. Needless to say, I don't have a ton of time on my hands to spend gaming or creating content. However, I think you should have a "healthy" grinding mindset. I don't think you should totally doubt yourself or set your sights too high either, thinking you'll blow up easily and then burning out when you don't meet your goal.
It is definitely hard to standout or be noticed by a lot of people so that you can actually grow your viewership; this definitely takes a lot of time and thoughtful effort on the part of streamer. There are a bunch of great tip videos, Harris's included, about content creation on RUclips and social media accounts in order to bring more people that can actually find your content and bring them to your twitch streams.
After this long and arduous grind of attracting viewers to your content, then you will hopefully see some sort of monetary reward, i.e. donations, twitch subs, ad-sense. So this is the reality that everyone who wants to be a fulltime streamer/youtuber needs to know and I agree people should not be misled by false hopes of putting all their time into streaming, or investing in the best gear, equating to viewership and a steady/high amount of income from doing so.
I wish everyone positive vibes in their endeavours and I am grinding the content creation as well as having a full time job and bills and a family. 💜👻
This is for sure a video where i watched front to back and literally felt every single word you've said. Loved it! Well put!
Damn. Harris keeps it real.
I needed to hear this not as a streamer, but as a musician. A lot of these same criticisms of the streaming industry have existed for decades for the music industry. It’s a hobby. It’s oversaturated. You’re doing the same thing as 99% of the rest of your peers.
But you still can do it.
The possibility, for those who work harder and smarter and who add value to their content consumers’ lives, is still there. And acknowledging those realities is of utmost importance if you ever expect to be anything but a hobbyist.
Good talk, man. Real good talk.
Made it 60 seconds in to the video and had to pause to rage about that reddit post.
The problem with this kind of statement - "only .0007% will succeed (so give up you dummy)" - is that it usually is presented along with the implication that:
1) "every member of that population is seeking partnership" in the first place (not to mention that his statistic also seems to claim that 1 stream per month = 1 streamer...?) - his analysis is completely wrong... a more accurate statistic analysis would focus on only active streamers (say, 3 streams a week) with a consistent schedule, a channel and stream that's put together.. there are so many things you can do to gain a competitive edge - optimizing stream labs, tags, titles, channel, discord, category, etc - so statistics aren't terribly useful in this situation, especially with such an inaccurate and misleading statistic.
2) "A streamer needs to have partner status in order to make a living off of content creation". They may have a devoted community who donates often, or a RUclips channel, or a couple devoted patrons, or a successful merch line, or sponsorship, or a day job. These "im just being realistic posts" always seem to forget that you can "make it" without being a partner or earning a huge sum of money on a single platform. My fellow musicians play gigs in the evening, lead worship on Sundays, play 2 or 3 weddings a month, and teach a couple lessons - NONE of these things are exclusive or require a great deal of luck, and they are exceedingly content with their 60k salary.
3) back to the statistic thing... considering how much can be done to increase one's viewership and foster a community, which will ideally continue to grow over time, why do people act like "making it" is even a matter of chance? Of course you can get lucky and be raided by a 5k person stream or something, which could maybe help a little bit, but I have to believe that if one continues to critically evaluate their content and do what they can to ensure that their content is entertaining, they can succeed on determination alone.
I get so pissed off when people make statements like this because as a musician I've been hearing them all my life. It's been the source of so many lifelong anxieties and neuroses - they still plague me even though I actually have managed to make a career as a musician. Now for my opinion, some people seem to get off by putting others down and discouraging them under the guise of trying to be helpful / impart wisdom / be realistic.
Yes, consider the possibility that you may not achieve whichever goal you've set, but freaking do your thing until you fail first. If you fail your goal, you're actually closer to succeeding. Reevaluate, be critical, and don't give up until you simply don't want it anymore or find some more exciting opportunity or avenue. Whatever you do, don't refrain from even trying simply because there is a possibility that you will fail. Life is short, do what you love.
Sorry... rant over.
"I do believe in you. You watching on the computer."
Me on my phone: 🥺
Lol same
LUL, he is talking to you too. Your phone is a computer.
@@one234569and10 well you're technically correct, the best kind of correct 🤣
Hope Harris is paying attention to the number of people mentioning this - the new content is probably going to be short / soundbite / clips people can watch on the subway / waiting in line / etc - not 15-30 min monologues
I'm treating Streaming like a hobby and a way to connect face to face with my audience. I was already fortunate enough to be able to make a living off youtube. But everything you're saying makes me want to up my streaming game and try to start treating it as a business, and not a hobby.
New merch: "Live. Laugh. Livestream."
Underrated comment.
69 likes, you're welcome
Now THAT I would put in my living room.
Im stealing this idea LMAO
It's true. Until I started doing things ON twitch that other streamers weren't doing, I experienced very little growth. I don't make a "living" on twitch now, but it's getting there in a real way. Took me 2.5 years, so far. It's a long journey to get where you *really* want to be. For most, it's a hobby and the desire will fade.
I would like to thank my friend for sending me this video. I think I’ve had this mindset when I first started streaming, but I’m glad that after watching this video, I can say I’ve got my mind clear on my objective. Thank you.
At first I started doing this and to try not to be like everyone else, promoting themselves on other social media and websites, but I’ve come to realize, with the help of this video, that a mindset like that doesn’t help me grow. I don’t really like it, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. I think it can help someone grow regardless. With that being said I am aspiring to be a twitch streamer. If anyone would like to watch some of my videos or stop my stream, please feel welcome to do so. I want people who will be critical and provide some good feedback or criticism on my videos and my stream. Anything like that would be awesome. If you hate when you see messages like this, then I insist even more, to watch a few videos and give me your take on it.
Thank you for this video.
The post lost me at "there's no skill involved" lol. Like I agree 100% with everything Harris is saying here...
This is probably the most motivated I have felt for a long time. Love this concept and I’m ready to grind as a business not a hobby
treating streaming as a business. thats so on point.
my reaction: "fair enough" but also my reaction: "that subredditor is not viewing their twitch as a business, and is not necessarily streaming to entertain, but does have some good points.. however, they also don't seem to be actively trying to improve their content necessarily"
Brought a tear-off, these are the type of videos I f***ing love to watch. Inspirational but critical. Realistic but hopeful. Love you brother, keep doing what you love I’ll keep watching what you love. No more comments.
You are great person and professional what you do... great video!
"If you want to have what others don't have, you must do what others won't do"
My wife is the one in our house that wants to be a professional streamer, and I support her in that when everyone else does not understand what streaming is like or about. I stream with her and mostly for fun, but I would be lying if I said I did not want make money doing it. I found your RUclips channel randomly after an EposVox video and I find your content here insightful, as well as Sam's.
I am currently finishing a BA in Public Relations and much of what you are saying rings true as a marketer, and those are the skills I am trying to pass on to wife, as well as incorporate into my streams. We just moved and unfortunately for me the lighting in my computer room sucks so I just bought some Key Light Air lights for myself.
Ultimately Harris, I just want to say thank you for what you are doing here and keep up the good work. I hope to chat with you live one day on Twitch or in your discord.
This is so accurate. You MUST think it terms of "How can I provide value?" I have made this my focus over everything and have started to see some growth on all platforms recently.
“Invest in yourself”
Thank you Harris for being so genuine and honest. This gave me a whole new perspective, and was so real. With social media and all, it’s hard to find those qualities within content. Please keep creating! Thank you again.
Obe if my favorite quotes is, "It takes 20 years to make an overnight success."
You have to know 'Why' you have chosen to do this. Then, put in the effort to be successful. Success requires effort. Your advice on this topic should be extremely helpful to anyone wanting to make a living streaming. Unfortunately, many will brush it off as not true for them.
It's just true, hardly anyone is going to make it on twitch period.
I'll prove you wrong even if I stumble along the way I'll make it to the top
Kat Kat Ali mark his words and my words too im going to make it!
@@katkatali8838 you wont
Whatever
Yeah
Entertainment is a MASSIVE industry. There's more games, music, YT videos, streaming being done than ever before in history. Trying to break through it is gonna be extremely hard unless you have something unique you can bring to the table. And even then, the uniqueness can only last for so long until people get bored, so you have to keep evolving alongside the industry all the time.
Man this video strikes one of two ways
1. You come out more inspired to make it for yourself or
2. You completely want to stop trying and give in to the "it's a waste of time".... ugh! its soul crushing man!
You are a very level headed dude and I need people like you in my life!
I just said to my friends for the first time that I think i wanna start streaming, then I open RUclips and see this in the recommended. I think Google was listening to what I said.
Well put, Keep up the Good Work Harris.
"Go on a walk and think about your content."
Man, if I actually streamed this would be really good.
For one, I really do appreciate your take on this. I feel like this is a video people should always watch before they start streaming if nothing else.
Secondly, I really appreciate the ad placement in this video. I typically hate ads and I get mad every time they come on, but I understand how much it can help channels that get a lot of views. The timing for this ad was a great breaking point in the video and it didn't feel interruptive at all.
this stuff is extremely good to see because it's very easy to disregard the entire monologue because of the clearly-hyperbolic statements like "it is pure luck", but there was also a bunch of truth to many aspects of it and light needed to be brought to those things.
I literally haven’t streamed since I read this post a few weeks ago. It makes a quite a few very accurate points. I never really intended to make it big or to make any massive sum of money; I kinda just wanted a community I could hangout with and make a few bucks that I could invest back into the stream. After reading this post is when I realized I probably will never get anywhere with my channel and that I should probably just stop streaming and or take a break. Truth is, I have other better things I should be doing with my life that I’ve set aside to stream instead. I have not fully decided if I will return to streaming or not, mainly due to the fact that I’ve been enjoying my other hobbies such as music production, Guitar playing, etc... this also isn’t me bashing on people who stream. If you truly love streaming and have literally nothing else to do, go right ahead. But if you could instead be working on another hobby you might have a better chance at success with, or even just more fun with, go do that instead of streaming. I also want to clear up that I’m directing this towards the hardcore 8 hours a day 13-18 year old streamers. Anyway I hope you take something from this even though I probably typed this up horribly and messy but idc at this point lmfao enjoy your day
THIS IS THE TRUUUTH!!!
Ashtrownot exactly this. People need to stop thinking they will blow up and invest in themselves in something outside of online. Truth is unless you have something very special about you , great skills in game, super funny, etc, no one will care enough to watch and especially to donate.
All I'm saying is there's no reason you couldn't stream the hobbies you listed
@@samhughes3596 VERY GOOD POINT!
@@samhughes3596 EXACTLY. Stream the process of the things that YOU LOVE DOING. Doing takes time, a lot of people want to hang out with a musician while he's making his music!
You know that post just made me want to grind more! Keep up the hard work everyone!
This is totally accurate. But the thrill is the ride not the end goal.
Wow, nice job! As a teacher of twenty years, and tabletop roleplayer of thirty, I completely support your message! You're honest and forthright, while still encouraging and inspiring. A teacher could not have said it better and it seems as if you've found your classroom online!
I’m watching this 6 months late, wish I would’ve found this sooner. I never like YT videos but this one deserves it. Harris you have an optimistic yet realistic perspective and you couldn’t have worded it better. I hope to continue to follow your advice (THE RIGHT WAY) as I’ve been. 🙌🏽
All of these platforms, RUclips, Twitch, etc can either go away tomorrow or create some new rules next month to seriously cripple your business.
Side hustle, maybe. Main job? No way. Too many risks involved.
Plus none of these guys know how to invest. How many will go broke if Twitch went down? How many actually saved and built up their finances over the years they were raking it in.
Thing is top1% twitch guys have so many incoms they dont RLY need twitch , look at dr.disrespect.. makes more on yt now if you dont make a HUUUUUUUGE amount of money why considering doing twitch / streaming as a main job ?
You forgot IRL cyclestreams :)
"Go on a walk and think about your content..." But it's 1am, I might get mugged. I better stream that cause it would be unique content for sure. Whoever is mugging me is gonna say poggers as he runs off with my wallet.
The Twitch craze and grind right now is JUST like the Poker Boom of the mid 2000s. Young people trying to grind out money, quitting jobs, seeking fame etc. SELF CARE is so critical, THANK YOU for this post. It is so important to dream, plan, work for it, but to also maintain your health, and don't quit your day job. When people didn't make it in Poker, they had built a lot of skills for the real world (risk assessment etc), learn how to stream and everything that goes with it. This way, you are more versatile if the streaming hobby doesn't work out as a career. Just like "the Stream Doctor" he's learned so many different skills which lead him here. Learn editing, learn graphics etc,, learn the business side of streaming (data, analytics) things that can transfer to other careers or other areas of this boom.
My mindset is, i play videogames cuz i enjoy it. With a push of a button in OBS i might aswell stream it. Viewers or no viewers, i really dont care that much. Going in to twitch with a mindset to SUCCEED in 2020 is only (for the most part) going to leave u sad and let down. It's also alot of fun to mess around with all that streaming has to offer, such as sound settings, video settings etc etc, even if you don't succeed you still have a badass looking stream to be proud of and can say: I made this all by myself! I learned ALOT just by trying to set up a nice looking stream tbh. I can take that with me and share my knowledge with others that needs it. TLDR, its a hobby for sure unless you are extremely good at what you do. Don't take things to seriously is my advice :)
Honestly, If i was a streamer i wouldnt stream every single day, like some other streamers i would schedule my streams, like for example once or twice a week and i wouldnt stream the entire day, maybe two or three hours, unless its a charity stream i can stream as long as possible to get to a certain goal, its kinda like a part time job but i get to choose how long i work and it is something i would enjoy doing.
Yea I only stream about 2 hours maybe 3-4 times a week. However I’m nowhere near affiliate or anything yet😂😂
Smartly is indeed a word, it is an adverb whose definition is: to do things in a manner that implies intelligence or skill.
I'm an English teacher, sorry couldn't resist 😅
I’m English teacher indeed
@@outline_gaming whoops, still learning to touch type 😅
i don't care.
i'm pushing towards my dream, even if i fail.
i'll make up.
Good Afternoon Mr. Heller. I wanted to leave this message behind Just to say that I really appreciate you. The "grind" Is Real, And I know how it is having it as a burden. These points you bring out in your video are not only true but eye opening. You can Bet on every other video out there being absurdly optimistic. But as you know that isn't real! You have to take into consideration EVERYTHING when starting a new (company, Brand, Biz, ect.) With the negatives being your main priority! My father used to tell me to "make my weaknesses my strengths" And I really think that is a massive take away when applying it to twitch! Always look to improve, always look to change, and always strive for the best you! I hope everyone is doing well, and is really taking what this man says to heart. Much Love EVERYONE!!!
I've watched so many of these videos on this channel even though I don't steam and don't plan on streaming any time soon, but I feel like this information is important not just in streaming but can be applied to life in general. Don't expect handouts for doing the bare minimum. You'll never standout or get noticed in anything if you don't invest in improving yourself to accomplish your goals.