Small update: I’ve told the company I’m talking about in this video several times that I could not sign this contract because it threatened my independence. The company kept insisting that they needed a signature on this contract because they needed to “justify sending physical products from their factory to the end recipient”, and they’ve also mentioned that the contract was “for legal purposes only in the accounting department to properly divide the sent products”. After some back and forth they were finally able to offer a new, way better contract. However, now that I know of these rules from this particular company, I cannot in good faith make any content about their products, because I don’t want to collaborate with a company that creates the ability to manipulate content, even if it’s not my content. So, I’ve turned down this opportunity and I’m not going to make any content about this particular companies products on my channel.
When a company sais "for legal purposes only" - I see that as a huge red flag. Legal terms are meant to reflect what happens in real life. Otherwise the legal terms are breached. Honest reviews is the reason we're following your channel - at least that's what I'm here for! 🙂
All they need is a packing slip and a signature that you received it (they are being vague with the truth here)... famous last words of anyone who signed a contract...but they said it was not really that important or a big deal and would never do what the contract says they would do... after its been done... if it was not a big deal then it wouldn't be necessary
Good on you for sharing this stuff and walking away from that crappy contract. Any company that asks a reviewer to sign an endorser contract blurs the line way too much. Independence is essential. Keep up the great work.
Ok. I have been recording/mixing and mastering since 1976. At times, on a very high level. I have been following you for a few years. I found you in your heavy “Snake Oil” days. I know you have grown and moved on from that era, but I want you to know that it was then that I learned to TRUST you. I promise you that I am not alone there. Most of your followers probably started there. As an experienced pro, I found your reviews to be honest and absolutely dead on! So….regarding this video; you absolutely don’t need to convince any of your core base that you are independent in your reviews. Maybe for some newer subscribers, nut not for the rest of us. I follow and interact with many youber music/recording/mastering channels and, given my almost 50,years of experience, I call BULLSHIT when I see it. You are a welcome exception. Please don’t abandon your independence, your honesty, it the formula that brought us to you to start with
+1 for this. Well said! I take this video as a reminder to take a good whiff when watching other audio youtubers to detect any scent of bullshit. It's clear as day when you watch mutliple videos on the same product and you start hearing the same thing but yeah. I definitely trust White Sea to be of an un-altered opinion. Also Dan Worrall is a youtuber I trust thoroughly.
Mate, you are a wonderful human being. I spend my life trying to educate upcoming people in the industry, so they don’t fall foul of the things that I did. These things that you’re selflessly highlighting are so important in terms of real education and also understanding the relevance of information within a sensationalist environment. Huge respect to you brother - this is truly helping people x
Wow, this is wild. That is the kind of contract that NO ONE should sign. Thank you for staying independent - it's absolutely essential for pro audio to always have strong, independent voices. We've been happy every time you've checked out our products , and value your constructive criticism, as it helps us make better products!
This is gold , I have been saying this on my channel for the longest. The whole Idea for YT reviews are user opinion based not cooperation sponsored in this case they are not even sponsoring
Thank you for exposing the dirty side of marketing brainwashing! Honesty is the best policy, and we are thankful for your channel for sticking to its principles!
Such a good video on this topic. I think people have VERY skewed views on what "sponsorships", "endorsements", "NFRs", etc is. Very stoked to see people like you and Matt Weiss being transparent about the back end dealings of making content for / in collaboration with companies. I can't even tell you how many sponsorships, free items, endorsement deals, etc because I don't love the company, I don't feel comfortable recommending it, I don't like how forceful they are, how specific they want the content around it, etc.
You’re our hero. Your entire community is backing you up! Thank you for being the way you are, both professionally and as a human being roaming on Planet Earth. I don’t know if you realise but when you are not promoting a plugin, you are promoting honesty and ethics as a way of living. And that’s incredibly important.
This is Antelope Audio, I have seen these contracts more than once, . If you still trust that company for some reason and have missed all the terrible practices, then this video is your wake up call.
Not sure if it is them, but i get super sketched out by them for so many reasons! They seem to make decent products, but they’re not insanely better than other companies i that have more stable products and treat people better.
the name fits perfectly into the black box. Sometimes u can see parts of the p. Putting this in photoshop and matching the font size should make that clear.
Wow. That's balls. I've only had one company try to get me to sign something similar, but I refused entirely -- and ultimately they still sent me products. It's great to see your integrity stays intact. Well done!
Integrity is everything🙌🏾 and I have a lot of respect for you , for sticking by your principles and for also shining a light amidst all the darkness. Thank you👍🏾
Respect! You are putting yourself in a position where you may lose money in the short term because your values speak higher. We need more of this everywhere.
Awesome video! I love that you shared one of those contracts. Of course I envisioned these contracts to be something like that, but some things I didn't expect and it's always better to know than to think to know.
In addition to your knowledge, your attitude and the frankness of your opinions are the reasons why I watch your videos. Congratulations on your work! I wish you all the best!
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I appreciate the fact that you are very concerned with the honesty and integrity of your videos. Keep pushing and again thank you
This stuff is important for people to know, maybe even more important than any average audio related tutorial. There are comapnies behind the products & company gonna gompany... Personally I've never had this kind of contract on my desk but anyone who values their integrity will deny these kinds contracts. Glad to see so much transparency from you!
I really appreciate your integrity and transparency Wytse, it’s very refreshing in a sea of ‘'influencers’ repeating the companies marketing spiel every time a new product gets launched. I trust your videos and will continue too. Thank you.
you are the most honest youtuber that I watch. I appreciate that and when I want buy something it willl be through your links. ThNK YOU for what you do.
You are the only "RUclipsr" that I follow for everything and anything to do with sound production, product reviews while at the same time, keeping abreast to all things new. Keep up the good work......your Canadian community member.
WOW! This is very revealing, thank you for sharing. We, as consumers, should carefully think about which influencers are really just puppets of corporate puppet-masters.
Thanks for your openness and honesty about this subject. As the former Technology Editor for a prominent music magazine for 7 years, I can definitely relate to this topic! During my tenure, I made a point of avoiding working with companies who followed these kinds of practices. I'm glad I did, as it enabled both myself and the magazine to maintain our integrity in the industry, and among our readers. Keep up the good work! 👍
I follow your videos since 3 years ago, you are my imaginary friend 😂😍 just keep it up, we know and trust you in audio industry. You and this channel is honest and special that’s why I’m here everytime you publish a video
I just checked with ChatGTP4 and this is what it came back with : The contract clause you provided does indeed match a style and content found in Antelope Audio's agreements and terms. Antelope Audio, a high-end audio equipment manufacturer, includes clauses in their agreements regarding the publication of media by endorsers and testers that are subject to approval. These clauses ensure that any published content aligns with the company’s brand and image standards. Specifically, the approval requirement before publishing and the right to request the removal of non-compliant content are consistent with Antelope Audio's documented practices in various agreements and terms (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio). For more detailed information on their terms and conditions, you can visit their official website or directly refer to their specific agreement documents.
Thanks for this, I was aware of one company doing this kind of thing and have been called out for it by several RUclipsrs & media but I thought they were the exception. Knowing that this is becoming a thing is worrying as I do use RUclips as one of the main deciding factors.
Well said, and thanks for making people aware of the behind the scenes manipulating that goes on. There are a lot of chancers on RUclips whose aim is to try to monetise their videos while pretending to be offering advice and opinions. A lot of what passes as 'reviews' are just promotional claptrap often done by people who have little idea what they are talking about. Thank goodness for the few, like yourself, that we can trust to have an honest opinion. A well known website has been doing this for years, offering reviews and tutorials, while obscuring that they are promotional paid-for articles, which I find very misleading and dishonest, so i am glad if the subject is brought up to make people realise what they are reading/watching and why.
Real Talk!! Again!!! ❤ I do watch at least one channel which is ALL about sponsorship and endorsed content but I allow it because it's so blatant, he's doing his thing and it works for him, it's not very mature content. Never stop thinking about music and politics!!! I'll add my voice of appreciation for speaking up. 🙏
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those videos where the RUclipsr goes "Video sponsored by company that sent me this product but everything I say are all my own opinions" are actually in fact, not their opinions and instead just company-approved garbage.
Thank you, thank you very much. I am very glad that someone with such a strong and powerful voice like yours is letting the software companies know that we are fed up with them sticking their fingers up our asses with their software garbage.
You're one of the few reviewers that I watch these days. I understand people need to make a living but things have gone too far IMO. The landscape has dramatically shifted over the last 10 years and it's very hard to trust what anybody tells us now. Kudos to you for maintaining integrity and being very transparent 😀
Funny thing that sad reality about music industry: it became worse. I was in a MusicShop yesterday to look for a new violin for my daughter. I checked in parallel some keyboards and surprisingly the quality of keyboards quality is overall lower then my 20 year old KAWAI MP4. Kawai looks like a thing. They look like toys. And happens a lot during the last time. I ask myself: am I getting older? Or do I just remember products of a certain quality level, and the new cheap stuff doesn't inspire me?
Thank you 🙏 This kind of integrity is why I always listen to your opinions. Even if I don’t always agree with everything every time, your channel brings a lot of value to the table. Rock on 🤘
I really appreciate your opinion on this and especially sharing some of the contract verbiage. It would be excellent if other audio channels would do something similar.
Appreciate your transparency! Glad this is becoming more of a trend in the audio youtube world! I saw Fluff go over this a bit in a recent video. It’s important! I’ve seen some really sketchy behavior from companies.
YES!! ✊wow! 👏 ..enourmous respect and props to you for doing this video & for staying loyal to your values! the world should follow your example! (not just the audio world) 🙏🎯💯 thank you!
Very interesting. This reminds me of another a thought I've had for quite a while. I hear a lot of RUclips 'reviewers'' say their opinions are entirely their own and unbiased as they are 'reviewing' a lot of VERY expensive gear they are being sent by companies to 'test'. I feel like there's already a problem here. I do NOT believe that we are going to get an honest opinion from 99% of these people, because if they say too many negative things (regardless of the contracts involved), those expensive pieces of gear are going to stop showing up for them to make revenue with on RUclips, and they certainly cannot afford to purchase them all independently. One of the things that I appreciate about Wytse's channel, and why I trust his opinions, is that he tends to stay away from that kind of expensive hardware so he's not entirely reliant on these companies providing products to create content with. I'd like to hear opinions on this if anyone is interested in responding.
Good content. Thank you ... Yeah there's definitely some crazy unethical marketing pushes for equipment on RUclips.... Usually involving free merchandise.
I'm glad you chose to talk about this. There are so many people that act genuine about a product and are pushing it because a company is paying them or endorsing them and they are not admitting it. These other RUclipsrs are also a part of the problem and it has turned me off to a lot of RUclips content as a result.
I do review plugins too, and as you i'm 100% honest. And even if my channel is very small, i get threatened by a company because of a bad review, another sent me their fans to shitstorm my channel (the dev did it on a famous forum i saw his posts...) and so i even got threatened by some of their fans... You know what i did? I continue with my way, cause it's the right way. When i see other youtubers review plugins i reviews that comes with some flaws, but they speech as being "the best plugin on earth" and it's like that everytime for every plugin they review ofc, i just puke, cause i know how shitty their model is! "Gimme money i say what you like" So yes, don't trust youtubers, neither me, cause i know to be honest, but you cannot be sure. Always try and test plugins before any purchase!
I really appreciate your transparency and commitment to your viewers here! The worst part in that contract in my opinion was that they wanted to use your LIKENESS. l mean, what the hell? not only they would be able to edit your content at will but they could even AI your face saying whatever they pleased without asking you, paying you, or even letting you know about it.
Hi Wytse, I think that, to you, it is very important that your integrity is beyond question. I would like to reassure you that, from what I see on YT, from other channels, is that you are very well respected. I can't say that I have ever specifically bought a product which you have been positive about but, I can assure you that I have never bought a product that you had a negative reaction to. Your transparency and integrity are the qualities which made me subscribe to your channel.
Thay asked me if they could use a snippet of my video, and since I think its a great product, and my words weren’t taken out of context, they’ve got my approval to use it
You and Dan are pretty much the only reviewers I trust here. This just confirms that it isn't misplaced. Thanks for giving honest reviews and staying independent.
I hate companies who expect you to sign something which takes away the reviewer's independence, but are then TOO embarrassed to let the public know who they are! That disgusts me in all honesty.. EVERYONE should have the convictions of their actions! Thank you for this video, It's worthy of far more than 1 like!
I've watched a lot of your videos over the past couple years as the yt algorithm suggests them but this is the video that convinced me to subscribe. good for you for sticking to your beliefs.
Btw did you know a snippet of you is used in the Black Salt Audio adds about their noise gate? I see them all the time on Facebook. Maybe you were aware and don't mind. But i thought i'd mention it in case you don't
This is why we love and support your channel! This kind of video is never easy to make, but that super high level of honesty and integrity is exactly WHY we are the fans of your channel that we are! Thank you, and keep up the awesome work! To everyone saying this contract is horrible... This isn't even the worst of these kinds of contracts that pop up, but is a great indicator how all of the modern "brand influencer" content creation, regardless of industry or product, sets up their SOPs. That's not to say all companies and brands do this, but... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Really good that someone is still trying to be transparent and true not to be bought. Still, I think the company names are very good to mention! Please think about it! Perhaps a living list, for companies to be moved up or down depending on their behavior. (A funny anecdote. I bought a product from a company and was not satisfied. I wrote a comment on their website and gave a low rating. my comment was immediately removed. I wrote the same thing but gave a high rating. that comment was also removed. A week later, a package appeared in my box, with 10 similar products. Unscrupulous companies must be given a chance, but Never not to bribe us.)
Very revealing to know what many of us suspected - that many RUclipsrs intentionally act as marketers rather than reviewers and are handcuffed by audio companies. Thank you for this video.
While I might disagree on one or two things you might say, Wytse, as far as YT reviews of audio products are concerned, I always look to your channel to see your input. Your integrity is unquestionable, so thanks.
This is why I have very rarely made a buying decision based on anyone’s opinion. I have twice on inexpensive plugins that you spoke well of that I found interesting. I was not disappointed. Keep doing your thing.
I've watched a bunch of your videos and liked them a lot. This video really cemented my opinion of you and your channel. I am now a subscriber. Thank you. Keep doing what you are doing!
Stay real. That's why the people love your channel. And yes you can see which RUclipsrs signed and which didn't. 6:20 Best moment for them. Kepp it going !
OMG, I never signed anything but an NDA ahead of official releases, and I'd never let anybody tell me what to say or not. That's why I became a solopreneur, not an employee. Well done Wytse and it's good to know at least one more honest voice in the white noise of audifluencers ^^
Thx Wytse for your honest comments about the online audio industry. I have really matured in mixing and mastering. Independence is number 1 priority. I work as an amateur for (very) small indie artists. I have closed down my own website just because of the 'catch 22' structure running it. Seems to me that more lawyers than experts are involved by now. My advice (for myself that is): stay away from any contracts that tie one down. Easily said, hard to do❤
Thank you so much for your intergrity. So much in our world today is fake - especially anything to do with sales. Prime example is a medical advertisement showing a doctor with his/her stethoscope wrapped around the neck. I still speak with people who believe that this is not an actor, and the ad has not been scripted and produced to the n'th degree. Soon enough, we'll all be living in a fake world once AI takes hold. Again, keep up the excellent work. I've learned so much from you.
Thank you for this video! It reminds us all to take very positive opinions of influencers always with a grain of salt. It would be great if every RUclipsr had to state that his opinion was influenced or content was changed by a manufacturer or contract. Many just say that they did not get paid by a company, but knowing about such contracts, this isn’t the point.
![Who Wrote a Short Story That Seriously Disturbed a Teacher? | Dirty Laundry x Smosh [Full Episode]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bvHAy_rKoEI/mqdefault.jpg)
Small update:
I’ve told the company I’m talking about in this video several times that I could not sign this contract because it threatened my independence. The company kept insisting that they needed a signature on this contract because they needed to “justify sending physical products from their factory to the end recipient”, and they’ve also mentioned that the contract was “for legal purposes only in the accounting department to properly divide the sent products”.
After some back and forth they were finally able to offer a new, way better contract. However, now that I know of these rules from this particular company, I cannot in good faith make any content about their products, because I don’t want to collaborate with a company that creates the ability to manipulate content, even if it’s not my content. So, I’ve turned down this opportunity and I’m not going to make any content about this particular companies products on my channel.
When a company sais "for legal purposes only" - I see that as a huge red flag. Legal terms are meant to reflect what happens in real life. Otherwise the legal terms are breached.
Honest reviews is the reason we're following your channel - at least that's what I'm here for! 🙂
Uhh
All they need is a packing slip and a signature that you received it (they are being vague with the truth here)... famous last words of anyone who signed a contract...but they said it was not really that important or a big deal and would never do what the contract says they would do... after its been done...
if it was not a big deal then it wouldn't be necessary
We NEED honesty like this. Thanks!
Unison must've reached out
Good on you for sharing this stuff and walking away from that crappy contract. Any company that asks a reviewer to sign an endorser contract blurs the line way too much. Independence is essential. Keep up the great work.
Ok. I have been recording/mixing and mastering since 1976. At times, on a very high level. I have been following you for a few years. I found you in your heavy “Snake Oil” days. I know you have grown and moved on from that era, but I want you to know that it was then that I learned to TRUST you. I promise you that I am not alone there. Most of your followers probably started there. As an experienced pro, I found your reviews to be honest and absolutely dead on! So….regarding this video; you absolutely don’t need to convince any of your core base that you are independent in your reviews. Maybe for some newer subscribers, nut not for the rest of us. I follow and interact with many youber music/recording/mastering channels and, given my almost 50,years of experience, I call BULLSHIT when I see it. You are a welcome exception. Please don’t abandon your independence, your honesty, it the formula that brought us to you to start with
+1 for this. Well said!
I take this video as a reminder to take a good whiff when watching other audio youtubers to detect any scent of bullshit.
It's clear as day when you watch mutliple videos on the same product and you start hearing the same thing but yeah. I definitely trust White Sea to be of an un-altered opinion.
Also Dan Worrall is a youtuber I trust thoroughly.
Agreed. Not for the OG subs. This is a legendary level of authenticity and transparency from a RUclipsr. Always been that way
Agreed as well. I enjoy watching videos from this channel because I also believe what he says on those videos.
Love the honesty and transparency, it's greatly appreciated as is your content!
Mate, you are a wonderful human being. I spend my life trying to educate upcoming people in the industry, so they don’t fall foul of the things that I did. These things that you’re selflessly highlighting are so important in terms of real education and also understanding the relevance of information within a sensationalist environment. Huge respect to you brother - this is truly helping people x
Hearing corruption exposed is like a good revenge film for me. Love it
Wow, this is wild. That is the kind of contract that NO ONE should sign.
Thank you for staying independent - it's absolutely essential for pro audio to always have strong, independent voices. We've been happy every time you've checked out our products , and value your constructive criticism, as it helps us make better products!
Kazrog keeps killing it! On top right now next to Oeksound.
This is gold ,
I have been saying this on my channel for the longest.
The whole Idea for YT reviews are user opinion based not cooperation sponsored in this case they are not even sponsoring
Keep doing what you do! We respect your integrity and your mission to deliver transparency in your work. Thanks! 😎
Thank you for exposing the dirty side of marketing brainwashing! Honesty is the best policy, and we are thankful for your channel for sticking to its principles!
Thx man, this is the only way the whole utube theater makes sense
Such a good video on this topic. I think people have VERY skewed views on what "sponsorships", "endorsements", "NFRs", etc is. Very stoked to see people like you and Matt Weiss being transparent about the back end dealings of making content for / in collaboration with companies. I can't even tell you how many sponsorships, free items, endorsement deals, etc because I don't love the company, I don't feel comfortable recommending it, I don't like how forceful they are, how specific they want the content around it, etc.
You’re our hero. Your entire community is backing you up! Thank you for being the way you are, both professionally and as a human being roaming on Planet Earth.
I don’t know if you realise but when you are not promoting a plugin, you are promoting honesty and ethics as a way of living. And that’s incredibly important.
This is Antelope Audio, I have seen these contracts more than once, . If you still trust that company for some reason and have missed all the terrible practices, then this video is your wake up call.
Not sure if it is them, but i get super sketched out by them for so many reasons! They seem to make decent products, but they’re not insanely better than other companies i that have more stable products and treat people better.
the name fits perfectly into the black box. Sometimes u can see parts of the p. Putting this in photoshop and matching the font size should make that clear.
@@CreativeMindsAudio somehow me too. Something fishy about them.
Thank you. I shall be sure to never buy any of their products now.
@@Animetrix-WAV first thing I noticed too
That contract sounds like absolute hot garbage. Thank you for shining some light on the grimy behind the scenes of the audio equipment business.
Wow. That's balls. I've only had one company try to get me to sign something similar, but I refused entirely -- and ultimately they still sent me products. It's great to see your integrity stays intact. Well done!
It's great to see someone on RUclips with this kind of *integrity*. Thank you!
Man we need more of this from every RUclipsr. Imagine how much better this place would be. KUDOS!!
Thanks for the full on honesty here. This is a rare thing online.
Integrity is everything🙌🏾 and I have a lot of respect for you , for sticking by your principles and for also shining a light amidst all the darkness. Thank you👍🏾
Thanks for this info. And much appreciate your honesty.
Respect! You are putting yourself in a position where you may lose money in the short term because your values speak higher. We need more of this everywhere.
Saying NO to people or just walking away from a deal, is always the best card in your deck when you are uncomfortable with an agreement.
Really respect this video. Thank you for posting. Stay strong!
It’s why we like your work 👍
Thanks for your integrity, we need more professional thinking like you🤘🤘🤘
Awesome video! I love that you shared one of those contracts. Of course I envisioned these contracts to be something like that, but some things I didn't expect and it's always better to know than to think to know.
'I talked to my therapist about this..." 😂 Yes, it is disturbing.
In addition to your knowledge, your attitude and the frankness of your opinions are the reasons why I watch your videos. Congratulations on your work! I wish you all the best!
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I appreciate the fact that you are very concerned with the honesty and integrity of your videos. Keep pushing and again thank you
This stuff is important for people to know, maybe even more important than any average audio related tutorial. There are comapnies behind the products & company gonna gompany... Personally I've never had this kind of contract on my desk but anyone who values their integrity will deny these kinds contracts. Glad to see so much transparency from you!
5:24 🤣LOL "The RED Flag for this wouldn't fit in this room" Hahaha
Transparency is what we need! Thank You for this!
This gives you a strong character in my book.
Good on you and much better value for your watchers.
Keep up the good work!
I really appreciate your integrity and transparency Wytse, it’s very refreshing in a sea of ‘'influencers’ repeating the companies marketing spiel every time a new product gets launched. I trust your videos and will continue too. Thank you.
you are the most honest youtuber that I watch. I appreciate that and when I want buy something it willl be through your links. ThNK YOU for what you do.
You are the only "RUclipsr" that I follow for everything and anything to do with sound production, product reviews while at the same time, keeping abreast to all things new. Keep up the good work......your Canadian community member.
I appreciate this video and the transparency. You'll never regret sticking to your standard.
Glad to see you stood your ground 👏
WOW! This is very revealing, thank you for sharing. We, as consumers, should carefully think about which influencers are really just puppets of corporate puppet-masters.
I continue so watch your channel because of the objective reviews and analysis. Thanks a ton for staying true to the audience with videos like these
Thanks for your openness and honesty about this subject. As the former Technology Editor for a prominent music magazine for 7 years, I can definitely relate to this topic! During my tenure, I made a point of avoiding working with companies who followed these kinds of practices. I'm glad I did, as it enabled both myself and the magazine to maintain our integrity in the industry, and among our readers. Keep up the good work! 👍
Thanks for elucidating- stay healthy and strong, best wishes ❤❤❤
I follow your videos since 3 years ago, you are my imaginary friend 😂😍 just keep it up, we know and trust you in audio industry. You and this channel is honest and special that’s why I’m here everytime you publish a video
Great Video, thank You. The blacked out Company looks like "Antelope Audio"
I just checked with ChatGTP4 and this is what it came back with : The contract clause you provided does indeed match a style and content found in Antelope Audio's agreements and terms. Antelope Audio, a high-end audio equipment manufacturer, includes clauses in their agreements regarding the publication of media by endorsers and testers that are subject to approval. These clauses ensure that any published content aligns with the company’s brand and image standards. Specifically, the approval requirement before publishing and the right to request the removal of non-compliant content are consistent with Antelope Audio's documented practices in various agreements and terms (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio) (Antelope Audio).
For more detailed information on their terms and conditions, you can visit their official website or directly refer to their specific agreement documents.
Thanks for this, I was aware of one company doing this kind of thing and have been called out for it by several RUclipsrs & media but I thought they were the exception. Knowing that this is becoming a thing is worrying as I do use RUclips as one of the main deciding factors.
Well said, and thanks for making people aware of the behind the scenes manipulating that goes on. There are a lot of chancers on RUclips whose aim is to try to monetise their videos while pretending to be offering advice and opinions. A lot of what passes as 'reviews' are just promotional claptrap often done by people who have little idea what they are talking about. Thank goodness for the few, like yourself, that we can trust to have an honest opinion.
A well known website has been doing this for years, offering reviews and tutorials, while obscuring that they are promotional paid-for articles, which I find very misleading and dishonest, so i am glad if the subject is brought up to make people realise what they are reading/watching and why.
Thanks for revealing these ‘methodes’. Very much appreciated!
' never sign anything ! ' steve albini
Real Talk!! Again!!! ❤ I do watch at least one channel which is ALL about sponsorship and endorsed content but I allow it because it's so blatant, he's doing his thing and it works for him, it's not very mature content. Never stop thinking about music and politics!!! I'll add my voice of appreciation for speaking up. 🙏
I love the transparency. This is why I trust your opinion on products 1000%.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those videos where the RUclipsr goes "Video sponsored by company that sent me this product but everything I say are all my own opinions" are actually in fact, not their opinions and instead just company-approved garbage.
This is a GREAT video Wytse!
Thank you for taking the time to explain what many don't realize i going on behind the scenes.
As always, Thanks for your honesty, keep up doing things your way, everyone here appreciate your opinion and comments 🤓👍🏻
Thank you for your transparency
Appreciate your openness and honesty, keep up the amazing work
I respect your honesty bro bro, It makes a difference
Thank you, thank you very much. I am very glad that someone with such a strong and powerful voice like yours is letting the software companies know that we are fed up with them sticking their fingers up our asses with their software garbage.
You're one of the few reviewers that I watch these days. I understand people need to make a living but things have gone too far IMO. The landscape has dramatically shifted over the last 10 years and it's very hard to trust what anybody tells us now. Kudos to you for maintaining integrity and being very transparent 😀
Funny thing that sad reality about music industry: it became worse.
I was in a MusicShop yesterday to look for a new violin for my daughter. I checked in parallel some keyboards and surprisingly the quality of keyboards quality is overall lower then my 20 year old KAWAI MP4. Kawai looks like a thing. They look like toys. And happens a lot during the last time.
I ask myself: am I getting older? Or do I just remember products of a certain quality level, and the new cheap stuff doesn't inspire me?
Thank you 🙏 This kind of integrity is why I always listen to your opinions. Even if I don’t always agree with everything every time, your channel brings a lot of value to the table. Rock on 🤘
Everything you've said is why I'm subscribed to your channel. Keep going, you're doing everything right.
I really appreciate your opinion on this and especially sharing some of the contract verbiage. It would be excellent if other audio channels would do something similar.
Appreciate your transparency! Glad this is becoming more of a trend in the audio youtube world! I saw Fluff go over this a bit in a recent video. It’s important! I’ve seen some really sketchy behavior from companies.
YES!! ✊wow! 👏 ..enourmous respect and props to you for doing this video & for staying loyal to your values! the world should follow your example! (not just the audio world) 🙏🎯💯 thank you!
Very interesting. This reminds me of another a thought I've had for quite a while. I hear a lot of RUclips 'reviewers'' say their opinions are entirely their own and unbiased as they are 'reviewing' a lot of VERY expensive gear they are being sent by companies to 'test'. I feel like there's already a problem here. I do NOT believe that we are going to get an honest opinion from 99% of these people, because if they say too many negative things (regardless of the contracts involved), those expensive pieces of gear are going to stop showing up for them to make revenue with on RUclips, and they certainly cannot afford to purchase them all independently. One of the things that I appreciate about Wytse's channel, and why I trust his opinions, is that he tends to stay away from that kind of expensive hardware so he's not entirely reliant on these companies providing products to create content with. I'd like to hear opinions on this if anyone is interested in responding.
Good content. Thank you ... Yeah there's definitely some crazy unethical marketing pushes for equipment on RUclips.... Usually involving free merchandise.
I'm glad you chose to talk about this. There are so many people that act genuine about a product and are pushing it because a company is paying them or endorsing them and they are not admitting it. These other RUclipsrs are also a part of the problem and it has turned me off to a lot of RUclips content as a result.
That’s why I like small channels and the very few independent ones. Mostly the ones that sell nothing, no plugins no sample packs and no courses 😊
Honest reviews is the reason we're following your channel !
I do review plugins too, and as you i'm 100% honest. And even if my channel is very small, i get threatened by a company because of a bad review, another sent me their fans to shitstorm my channel (the dev did it on a famous forum i saw his posts...) and so i even got threatened by some of their fans...
You know what i did? I continue with my way, cause it's the right way. When i see other youtubers review plugins i reviews that comes with some flaws, but they speech as being "the best plugin on earth" and it's like that everytime for every plugin they review ofc, i just puke, cause i know how shitty their model is!
"Gimme money i say what you like"
So yes, don't trust youtubers, neither me, cause i know to be honest, but you cannot be sure. Always try and test plugins before any purchase!
That's so messed up dude, that sad you got threatened buy company for just posting a review they don't like. Very feral behavior.
@@kalidesu I appreciate your words
I’ve had the same thing happen to me… multiple times…
Gee… wonder which company that was 😂😂😂
I really appreciate your transparency and commitment to your viewers here! The worst part in that contract in my opinion was that they wanted to use your LIKENESS. l mean, what the hell? not only they would be able to edit your content at will but they could even AI your face saying whatever they pleased without asking you, paying you, or even letting you know about it.
Appreciate your honesty and independence! 💪🏻👏🏻
Hi Wytse, I think that, to you, it is very important that your integrity is beyond question. I would like to reassure you that, from what I see on YT, from other channels, is that you are very well respected. I can't say that I have ever specifically bought a product which you have been positive about but, I can assure you that I have never bought a product that you had a negative reaction to.
Your transparency and integrity are the qualities which made me subscribe to your channel.
Thank you for the transparency and kudos for your integrity at distancing yourself from a company with such contracts 👏
All the power to you. You got my respect. Thank You
Thank you Wytse. RUclipsrs that compromise their integrity to their followers lose credibility once the followers try the product and are disappointed
Stay Real Man! Thank you for staying strong! 🙏
Out of curiosity, how did you end up on the
Black Salt gate video. I keep seeing it on FB.
Thay asked me if they could use a snippet of my video, and since I think its a great product, and my words weren’t taken out of context, they’ve got my approval to use it
You and Dan are pretty much the only reviewers I trust here. This just confirms that it isn't misplaced. Thanks for giving honest reviews and staying independent.
I hate companies who expect you to sign something which takes away the reviewer's independence, but are then TOO embarrassed to let the public know who they are! That disgusts me in all honesty.. EVERYONE should have the convictions of their actions! Thank you for this video, It's worthy of far more than 1 like!
Big respect to you, Wytse - an authentic and integral human being, not motivated by fear.
This is the exact reason I love your videos and subscribe! It's because you speak the truth and it's not influenced by money or gear. Excellent.
I've watched a lot of your videos over the past couple years as the yt algorithm suggests them but this is the video that convinced me to subscribe. good for you for sticking to your beliefs.
Btw did you know a snippet of you is used in the Black Salt Audio adds about their noise gate? I see them all the time on Facebook.
Maybe you were aware and don't mind. But i thought i'd mention it in case you don't
Yes! I’m aware and I did give permission
This is why we love and support your channel! This kind of video is never easy to make, but that super high level of honesty and integrity is exactly WHY we are the fans of your channel that we are! Thank you, and keep up the awesome work!
To everyone saying this contract is horrible... This isn't even the worst of these kinds of contracts that pop up, but is a great indicator how all of the modern "brand influencer" content creation, regardless of industry or product, sets up their SOPs. That's not to say all companies and brands do this, but...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Really good that someone is still trying to be transparent and true not to be bought. Still, I think the company names are very good to mention! Please think about it! Perhaps a living list, for companies to be moved up or down depending on their behavior.
(A funny anecdote. I bought a product from a company and was not satisfied. I wrote a comment on their website and gave a low rating. my comment was immediately removed. I wrote the same thing but gave a high rating. that comment was also removed. A week later, a package appeared in my box, with 10 similar products. Unscrupulous companies must be given a chance, but Never not to bribe us.)
Very Hulky nails bro 💚GREAT video!✊ (I don't have a green fist in the emoticons, sorry)
Right on! I‘m so with you on this. Thanks for your honesty and strength! D
I wish all RUclips creators felt like you do ❤
Very revealing to know what many of us suspected - that many RUclipsrs intentionally act as marketers rather than reviewers and are handcuffed by audio companies. Thank you for this video.
While I might disagree on one or two things you might say, Wytse, as far as YT reviews of audio products are concerned, I always look to your channel to see your input.
Your integrity is unquestionable, so thanks.
This is why I have very rarely made a buying decision based on anyone’s opinion. I have twice on inexpensive plugins that you spoke well of that I found interesting. I was not disappointed. Keep doing your thing.
And this is why i follow you. I don't always like or agree with your opinions but i respect your integrity and that's the most important thing for me
I've watched a bunch of your videos and liked them a lot. This video really cemented my opinion of you and your channel. I am now a subscriber. Thank you. Keep doing what you are doing!
Stay real. That's why the people love your channel.
And yes you can see which RUclipsrs signed and which didn't.
6:20 Best moment for them.
Kepp it going !
OMG, I never signed anything but an NDA ahead of official releases, and I'd never let anybody tell me what to say or not. That's why I became a solopreneur, not an employee. Well done Wytse and it's good to know at least one more honest voice in the white noise of audifluencers ^^
Thx Wytse for your honest comments about the online audio industry. I have really matured in mixing and mastering. Independence is number 1 priority. I work as an amateur for (very) small indie artists. I have closed down my own website just because of the 'catch 22' structure running it. Seems to me that more lawyers than experts are involved by now. My advice (for myself that is): stay away from any contracts that tie one down. Easily said, hard to do❤
Thank you so much for your intergrity. So much in our world today is fake - especially anything to do with sales. Prime example is a medical advertisement showing a doctor with his/her stethoscope wrapped around the neck. I still speak with people who believe that this is not an actor, and the ad has not been scripted and produced to the n'th degree. Soon enough, we'll all be living in a fake world once AI takes hold. Again, keep up the excellent work. I've learned so much from you.
Integrity is rare these days. Thank you for sticking to your moral principles
I respect you for this. Its the main reason why I subscribed.
Thank you for this video! It reminds us all to take very positive opinions of influencers always with a grain of salt. It would be great if every RUclipsr had to state that his opinion was influenced or content was changed by a manufacturer or contract. Many just say that they did not get paid by a company, but knowing about such contracts, this isn’t the point.
Very interesting. You're honest and clever, go on!