How Guntubers Make Money (And Bias)
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Since review channels are entirely based on trust, and a discussion about bias and RUclipsr income is currently doing the rounds. So myself and @Hoplopfheil do our best to demystify some of that here on the (br)ass facts channel
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I talked to Leviathan a while back because I was curious. The biggest thing that appealed to me was that they actually appear to have people at RUclips that they can talk to. However, they only made their RUclips rep service available is I signed an exclusive deal with them, which included a requirement that any time someone approached me directly about a deal I was required to hand that over to Leviathan to negotiate and arrange. I wasn't willing to sacrifice my independence and put myself at the mercy of their lawyers, so I didn't;t go any further with the discussion. FWIW, the contract I saw included a clause that it could be automatically cancelled if either they didn't offer any sponsors for 6 months or the channel didn't run any of their sponsorships for 6 months.
Personally, I don't really see anything nefarious about them, as much as they apparently want to get the nefarious brand image. I suspect they do a really good job at getting channels the ads that you all the time, and they make things really easy for channels to work with. Lots of people want to outsource that work, and understandably so.
Glad to see you chiming in here
I wish you did recommendation videos, but I know that's not really what your channel is about. Thanks for being wildly legit at all times
Says the man who's shilling a raffle website with egregiously-overpriced items to enter said raffle.
@@ThoraniosX honest outlaw was doing that to very disappointing
@@ThoraniosX Yeah.... is there any provided free way to enter those raffles because that company seems like an illegal lottery... There's a reason large companies always have a free way to enter raffles/giveaways
HUGE TIP to up and coming content creators. Keep all communication by email or text. This will allow you to have proof of claims when companies try to slander you.
It's also just useful advice in general to keep track of stuff
Did Lucas ever get back to you on proof of Leviathan creators not giving full disclosures?
I haven't seen anything on it, it looks like he schizo-posted then just dipped when pressed for evidence (only to do it all over again like a week or two later).
Dixie has been kinda blasting your ass. You’ve always seemed largely objective within your specific sphere of California based content. Despite Leviathan
@@SmokesKwazukii Dixie is just turbo aggressive and is often wrong too, despite how sweet it is when he's right lol
@@SmokesKwazukii dixie is a tankie, so I wouldn't worry to much about him
I legitimately want to expose the people getting paid for positive reviews.
I’m totally fine with someone doing a paid ad or a sponsored demo. As long as it’s made aware from the beginning that it’s a paid ad.
Please 🙏 you'd be doing everyone a favor
You should start with Sooch or whatever his name is.
"Talon Sei" censors comments that aren't complimentary of the item he's shilling for.
"Honest Outlaw" pretends to run giveaways but you have to buy merch to enter. That is a *raffle*.
@@connorw1494sootch00 is so obvious about it that anyone who doesn’t realize what they’re watching …. I don’t know, they probably lost money to a “Nigerian prince” too.
Ekhm Colion
Insert "You guys are getting paid?" meme
You’re an OG. You don’t make any money in this game?
@@CBMMmercinary Average about $40 a month from google ads lol. Gave up on most vids since google will label as ad limited so we just mention our store and hope for the best.
The best thing about watching gun videos for so many years is I can kind of figure out who's giving honest reviews and who's shilling. Especially when they give positive reviews to bad guns.
that's why trust must be earned, and it's so easy to loose. No easy answer to that.
*cough* demo ranch *cough*
@@50shadesofcerakote Nah. There's a difference between a GunTuber like Demo Ranch who showcases guns and one who gives reviews. Matt's like, "Here's this cool gun. It does this!" He doesn't tell you it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, say it's good for everything, tries to make it sexy with elaborate close ups and music, and excuses or glosses over obvious flaws. Ditto Hickock45, whose demos of vintage Colt 1873 revolvers isn't much different from the latest AR. Indeed, when the AR jams he leaves the footage in the video along with his unhappy old man noises.
@@EricDaMAJ The last video I think I watched of Demo was the folding glock and he basically did all that. Then 5 other channels did videos on the folding glock all at the same time.
@@50shadesofcerakotesimilar to gaming: distributors send out a product around the same time to the biggest influencers
61 year old boomer here. I find NutnFancey to be boring and You and Hop a lot more entertaining 🤫 PS: Paul Harrell's only sponsor is Pop tarts
And Shasta sodas
And Red Bull, if I recall.
Meat companies reallly missed an opportunity there
I like Paul, he's ok.
Luckily Pop-Tarts and their parent company knew better than to try going after Paul Harrell with a C&D over an obvious case of parody, though knowing most couldn't afford to fight that court battle... They either did it out of respect for Paul, or because they didn't want generic "Toasties" or some other similar item to crush them in sales after the massive backlash 🤣👍
Personally, I think I would be HILARIOUS if you did a RAID SHADOW LEGENDS ad, like Count Dankula does. Everybody knows it’s just for the money and he makes it entertaining. I want you to have more money.
It must be noted that you must scream “RAID SHADOW LEGENDS” any time it is mentioned.
There are some channels that are an absolute master class in ads, two that come to mind right away are Flashgitz and Internet Historian
@@FadaarInternet Historian is great: "Add time. . .add over!"
Agree, I think theres no shame in running stupid ads. If it means more content and money in your pocket whatever
The blatant ones are easiest to avoid. 22 Plinkster pimped his master's Uppercut 22lr a few weeks back, and then it was proven to be absolute garbage ammo. He's chosen to die on that hill because he knows where his next payday comes from.
The latest to out themselves as untrustworthy is "Honest" Outlaw. Talked absolute shit about Kel-Tec for years, then suddenly the meekest, most apologetic Sub2k (Gen 2, NOT 3) dropped soon afterwards. Guess he didn't want to lose his spiffy new range to litigation lol.
We as a community will be losing a part of our souls when Paul Harrell passes...
"Talon Sei" censors comments that aren't complimentary of the item he's shilling for.
"Honest Outlaw" pretends to run giveaways but you have to buy merch to enter. That is a *raffle*.
If it's by "get entered to win" then it is literally and legally a raffle, and you can enter for free as required legally... It's all fairly simple to find on their website. I've just looked at it, never bought anything or entered, but "get entered to win" is just a raffle made as a way for you to aquire one time run merchandise to support your favorite content creators at inflated prices given the fact that it's a way to pay the creator and the raffle company, not a regular charity raffle... I can see the appeal of receiving a physical item you deem neat in return for your money to support a creator rather than just using one of the direct donation options where perks are often limited or non existent. But the entire point is supporting the content creator, not watching videos a week early or thinking you'll actually win the raffle... I'm not sure why people have such a problem with this raffle concept and call it a scam? Honestly I think it's a pretty good idea that may pay better than typical in video ad sponsors, while allowing the supporters to actually get a unique piece of channel associated merchandise... Sure it's probably "overpriced" coffee mugs, clothing, and other random merch, but the whole idea is supporting the creator, not actually winning the raffles or getting the best price on a coffee mug... I don't really watch honest outlaw, but I don't see how it's "shady" or a "scam" if he is using the "get entered to win" company for the contest/raffle, because I've read their drawing rules and it's just a typical raffle with the expected rules/exemptions/legally required free entries. 🤷♂️
@@berryreading4809 because it's presented as a giveaway. It IS a raffle.
This happens a TON
@@berryreading4809 because it IS a raffle not a giveaway
I wish more would be honest. The gun YT community has devolved into mostly infomercials.
The honest ones get muted tbh…
Paul Harrell was the best
Infomercials and literal propaganda. You can't convince me the mcx spear is a good weapon for the average soldier
@@CommanderK15 spear is literally good man…
@@DeskPop yeah bro just like how everyone says the ak12 is garbage I'm sure
Clickbait is how most of them make money.
Biden in an ATF hat with glowing red eyes grabbing at an AR-15 as the American flag burns in the background.
100 Gorillan Views
@@Matt-xc6sp yes and boobs on the pic.
Clickbait would fall under AdSense.
@@Matt-xc6spdon't forget the title being the most doomer shit you've ever seen
Whoring=clickbait?
I make money on hopes and dreams. All points here are valid. It's a monstrously potential serious slope to go down this road.
And here we have the single best optics reviewer on the fucking planet chiming in
@@lordhellfire153 oh Stop it! Your too kind. Thank you
I really admire your approach to reviewing optics and greatly anticipate the growth of your channel. I also very much appreciate the effort you put into your channel while also being a family man.
@@man78924 My favorite parts are when he goes "pew pew pew" at nothing, while in a large dark empty room... He's just like me!
@cdoes is legit. Love his vids
nobody actually watches the sponsored segments anyways, we just skip through them. so you might as well get that RAID money.
Get the raid shadow money bro. That's a whole ass gun. I don't mind skipping it.
That’s how I feel too. I don’t mind these guys getting their money.
yeah. I would absolutely not care. it’s not tricking me into spending money on bad ammo or low-value gunsmithing classes. they could do ads for feminine hygiene products and I’d be like “get those tampax dollars brothaz!!” (as long as they could stand behind the product)
Im with you. I skip those second I here that ad is gonna start, and if this money could increase the quality of the video, go for it
I dream for RAID
@gansior4744 u gotta watch the venture surplus ones just in case they get something in that uve never herd of but now u desperately need.
I skip ads on every channel but yours and Hop’s.
SDI is also a degree mill
SDI is horrible. It's not a college program.
SDI is a scam and the fact that GarandThumb pushes it says a lot about him.
Enh, as long as it’s a foot in the door to gunsmithing, who cares if it’s a shit degree? Most unis are shit degrees too, people just don’t admit to it
@@Brent-jj6qi the difference is that 90% of jobs that 'require' a college degree just want you to have a piece of paper saying you went to school. If you want to be a gunsmith, you need to know how to be a gunsmith
@@mwal223 sure, but you can know how to be a gunsmith and still need the stupid piece of paper to get a gunsmithing job even if you’re otherwise perfectly qualified, so I don’t see degree mills as hugely bad in todays society
This has actually been one of the most informative videos I have seen on how and where money exchanges hands for videos. Appreciate the upfront honesty of what these paid sponsorships look like and what the payouts are.
I was unaware of the Leviathan Group altogether. I don't watch any of them regularly, but I won't watch any of them at all again.
Uncle Nutn still undefeated.
And unintelligible.
Yeah, because despite his hour long videos, he wouldnt even have time for ads. Hes too busy groveling for more Patreon supporters
@@armorist6570 I would rather see someone ask for patreon supporters than push stupid mobile games..
I give the dude credit. He did the work and has done for longer than most. That people whine he's groveling for more Patreon supporters, well the reality is that no gun oriented channel is going to last solely on YT ad revenue alone. The gun folks are sometimes their own worst enemy with this crap. If people want gun content they have to back it themselves because while YT lets most gun content be on here, they are not exactly tripping over themselves supporting it, nor are general advertisers widely supporting it.
I work for one of the companies Hop gave, what everyone at the shop considered a somewhat harsh, but still a fair review. I've been in the industry for a lot of years, and personally I enjoy the niche creators who can give me more than "what does a X do to a human head" (I've probably seen it, and may not have positive memories about it). Money is what makes the world go 'round. Without it things just don't happen because there's no incentive for it to happen. In the west we've been collectively advertised to since before we were born, ads for baby products sent to our mothers and fathers. We watched the GI Joe, Spongebob, or whatever commercials when we were kids, surely anyone growing to adulthood in the last 60 years realized that advertising is what allows the quid-pro-quo of a lot of "free" things to happen. Granted, we are in an age of surveillance capitalism, but that's another topic entirely.
Fact remains, I like what you do, and I'll do what I can to support you, both of you.
Venture is based I shill venture to everyone and they don’t even pay me
Same. Brassfacts got me hooked, but I can't deny that a source for quality surplus gear is always welcome into meager coffers.
I can't say I'm surprised, but it's good to hear it. Several years ago, I experienced something similar in the space industry. I "moonlighted" (pun not intended) as an editorial writer & photographer covering the domestic space industry. I prided myself on writing fact-based pieces, clearly stating where my editorial bias was interjected.
One time, I happened to be at an event at the then-largest spaceflight outfit in the US and scooped a HUGE piece of information about a particular, high-visibility program. The PAO pulled me aside afterward and begged me to not publish the information because it wasn't even known to Congress, much less the public. Because I felt "special" that the 800-pound gorilla knew who I was at that point, I was flattered and decided to not post that piece. I thought I was doing the right thing to preserve the nascent relationship I was building there, confident that it would lead to bigger access.
It didn't. When the news was released a few months later, the gorilla promptly forgot who I was and I had no greater access than I'd had previously. I should've maintained my integrity... published the piece... and been true to me. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there... and I got eaten on that one.
That's rough.
_I sold my soul and they wouldn't give me a refund_
That's bad to hear, I hope you had better success later on.
This is how Washington DC works. “Journalists” (soulless shills) agree to do the bidding of politicians in exchange for maybe being invited to the WH Press Club gala night debauchery some day. If you ever read the Podesta emails, Podesta (Hillary’s campaign manager) didn’t even have to reach out to them, as they were lined up, pants down, ready to lap up anything the Clinton campaign excreted in their direction. They were slavishly volunteering how they were on board for Hillary years in advance, in fact. The US has rarely had actual journalism, even dating back to the 1800s.
Brassfacts Friday 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I was given a Vortex Venom to review. I said not to put it on pistols. I haven't been given any Vortex since 😬
I view it as a honor to get blacklisted sometimes.
@@BrassFacts a right of passage
@@MagicPrepper rite*
I'm receiving a gun for a review soon. The company asked how I run my reviews (free ammo, money, etc...) I told them that had they offered me money, I would have hung up on them.
I don't have a problem with ammo or a free product, as long at the creator discloses it. Which I always do.
I've been considering doing a video much like this as it pertains to my individual channel. Great video!!
Hey brother love your stuff and you should do a video
I’m relatively new to the Guntuber game and mostly do shorts. ~300k subscribers ~66 million lifetime views. My total lifetime YT revenue as of writing is $2,209.03. Seems like RUclips has really changed with ad revenue since the FPS Russia days. I had one gun short get 11 million views (monetized) and make $90. Another short that wasn’t shooting content has 7.6 million views and I got $1k for it. The short with three million less views made $900 more simply because it didn’t get stuck with the “Shooting/Guns” CPM. Thankfully this is just a hobby for me. My heart goes out to those trying to make Guntubing a job in 2024. Also lol @ 14:49.
Shorts seem like a tough gig. :(
Yeah, most what I've seen/ heard from other (non-gun) youtubers is that shorts are for exposure, longer form videos are for adSense
Shorts are as useless as tits on a boar hog for ad revenue, especially if gun related. If not gun related then I find ad revenue is higher but still it's a tough field to hoe. There is a debate going how much shorts are useful for bringing people over to your long form content. I think my conclusion is the conversion rate is very small and it's two different types of audiences, one with attention deficit disorder that just wants a quick hit of entertainment and the other with an interest maybe in learning something. I still make shorts just for fun because I can be creative, make them quickly and simply, use what music I want, etc.
The Sig Fiasco with their handgun comes to mind. I wonder how many people Sig paid do a favorable review after all the bad publicity?
No kidding.
I say no to leviathan like 95% of the time but that’s probably because when I do an ad it’s because I generally really vibe with the product and the ad does well. I think people who take every ad are selling themselves short long term.
If I recall this is your hobby not main gig. I suspect smaller (and larger channels that want really expensive sponsor) don't have that luxury.
I say that as many of these ads fucking suck.
Tell me about how my influencer-pumped-up Tulster is slightly less gooder than your new belt.
I think running an ad spot consistently, no matter what it is, is something people can expect from large channels without most people being turned off by it. The little time my children watch YT I tell them to let the ads play so long as there is no DEI. Creators deserve a paycheck when we watch and I'm not sending cash.
@@PatrickKnieslerYou are essentially indoctrinating them into consumerism and psychologically developing negative behavior traits with respecting ads. The more you see and watch ads the more likely you are to be influenced by them.
If this was not true, why do ads work.
Sure they may not be as susceptible and be able to ex cerise the spending tendency young, but carrying the habit as they get older they will be far more prone to fall into advertising propaganda.
Their ads 95% vibe with your forehead
Garand Thumb's sidekick Micha makes vids that are legit 95% ads
That guy sucks
Micah and especially Charlie have ruined his channel. It’s turned from serious gun and gear reviews to demoranch 2
Yea, the dude has taken a ton of what I enjoyed from garandthumb and ruined it. I literally can't stand the guy.... He's not funny, pretends to be a gatekeeping expert when over half the things he speaks on and blurts out is just nonsense.
@@NamFlashb4cks GT ruined his own channel, the direction it's gone is entirely within his control and this is what he's chosen to do with it. It's sad.
@@frankholub4673 it really is a shame. He used to be my go-to for reviews and now it’s just like “oh yea I can’t wait to watch your personal jarjar binks make 27 boobs jokes in 5 minutes with these breast implants that you’re seriously dedicating a whole video to”
Thanks for the behind the scenes, you abd hop both seem pretty legit as HOP hates everything.
I like animals
Imagine if the government could comprehend the concept "conflict of interest". That would be the day.
That's the whole reason I watch hop he cuts through the bs like no other reviewer I've seen on this god forsaken app
Absolutely. 100% zero bullshit reviews. One of the best
If reviewers in general were more like hop, not just in the gun industry but as a whole this site would be a whole lot more tolerable.
This video is why we love Hop and Brass Facts. Always tellin' it straight. Money be damned.
The jab at SDI was much needed "I wouldn't recommend anyone spend their money on that" is something I've been saying for a while now. I never went to Gunsmithing school, however have been training under a couple highly skilled smiths on average a few hours a week for years now and can and have talked circles around SDI students and left them questioning their own schooling. Recently, I was asked by a SDI graduate if they could transfer their AR barrels through our FFL because "The barrel of an AR is serialized and required a background check" apparently his SDI professor had told him that amongst many other wrong "Facts".
The Leviathan group choads (not just them, tho) push SDI hard. Knowing FULL WELL that SDI is a scam.
@@Lord_of_the_Edgelords At this point I'm not completely sure if influencers actually know that SDI is a scam though. Although, it should be obvious since any online trade school is a scam. On the outside looking in, it does sound like it could be a good idea if executed properly, they just don't do it right. You sign up for online classes, they send you a ton of high quality tools and then the classes are basic beginner stuff you can find on RUclips. There isn't anything that SDI teaches their students that you cant learn from buying the tools yourself and following RUclips tutorials.
Someone that's really busy like Brandon Herrera for example, probably just either never looked into it and thinks it sounds like a good idea from the outside looking in, or just doesn't give a fuck and wants the money.
The FINAL exam has you build an AR.... It's not worth paying for
@@ThinLineDefenseCo yeah, I've seen literal children build Ars. definitely not worth the time or money.
I love that you covered this topic
good on you guys for making this video
Next topic is talking about terrible rifle setups using yours as a case study
@@BrassFacts yes please 🤣🤣
@@BrassFacts mine's the definition of poor and dumb
The most flagrant a greasy behavior that I find abhorrent is "get entered to win" raffling guns or products.
lots of that now. It's a bit weird.
@@BrassFacts it's gross and unethical imo
And 99% of the time a fake person wins
wow. you guys just dropped a knowledge bomb on me with leviathan group. thank you for this.
Whoa! I never knew about Leviathan before. It's absolutely wild just how many channels are tied to them.
You’ve literally given me potentially life saving information, in addition to the hundreds of hours of entertainment. I don’t have a problem at all with you guys making money so you can continue doing this. I hope you do! The only thing is I hope you continue to be clear about any bias when doing reviews.
I will never play RSL but I don't mind if content creators take their money. I just skip the ad and the creator gets compensated for their work.
VPN companies are trash. Ex-IT guy here. Somebody made VPN infrastructure and throws brands on top of the infrastructure. One bad PR hits like getting hacked or leaving a customer database unsecured, they dump that name and restart a new one. NordVPN had issues in the past, one incident was they're in the business of renting servers from worldwide data centers. Someone gained access to a management console on a management network, accessed a NordVPN server and dumped the contents of the VPN server running in a container which included the configuration files on the server
Thank you both for bringing up SDI.
As someone who went through a course at SDI..... The only value I got from it was my Aero AR10, and now I have an 80% lower jig to be used with a router.
Do your research guys. There are cheaper options that will actually send you a benchtop mill/lathe combo, and teach you ACTUAL milling, heat treating and, well, gunsmithing.... Wish I had found that out sooner.
As you've been through the SDI mill, who would you go will if you could do it over?
@@MrNpc81 the one I was recommended after was something that starts with an R, and it’s in California, can’t quite remember. I’m just going to do machining classes and go from there. The other part of classes is the legal aspect of it all, so I would still recommend going to an actual gunsmithing school for THAT. SDI did an alright job on that side, it was mostly the hands on learning that they just completely dropped the ball on.
I can't speak to SDI vs other programs, and it may be different in gunsmithing, but have worked in small scale manufacturing before and no to little experience is better than bad habits 100% of the time. The company I worked for had a no hire policy on 3 local welding programs because teaching them from scratch was easier and cheaper than dealing with all the wrong shit they learned.
@@justadudewithopinions6209 I can’t even say that SDI taught wrong shit, it just didn’t really teach you shit. Everything we went over in those classes, I knew beforehand, including all of the law stuff you were taught in there. I could have spent 1/2 the money and gotten out of another program with the LITERAL tools and knowledge to start my own business, but all I got from SDI was an 80% arms router jig for AR10/15 lowers, and an Aero M5 builder’s kit.
The best example is can give is the scope lab, where they sent us all a $50 AIM Sports scout scope, and a $30 brownells ring lapping kit, or the finish lab, where we got a bottle of cold blue, and a hydrodip kit
Thanks a ton for doing this video, I have kinda sorta put together the pieces over the years, but man is it tough and only after watching probably an unhealthy amount of gear reviews. Having a somewhat insider compile all the data in one place as a word of caution to newcomers is SUPER valuable to the community. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for teaching me new information about how the industry works. I’m most thankful for channels like yours and Hop’s simply because of the transparency and honesty regardless of profits gained or lost. Keep up the good work. Much love from Texas!
This breakdown is great tbh. It’s amazing how much people think you make from RUclips when they pay 1/10th the ad revenue to gun guys.
This stuff costs me everything, I don’t make money-I lose it every single time. And I will still get called a schill if I have a good or bad experience with a product…
Calling out the companies for refusing to work with people because we make not always positive reviews is really what needs to happen. We do tend to only try out products we think may be good, but that’s because I have to buy them, which makes it suck more when they suck…
That must be incredibly frustrating to be called a shill while taking money out of your own pockets to make reviews. Companies who can't take criticism just can't handle the free market so they have to try and be sketchy and manipulate people.
@@man78924 PSA can't take criticism
YT is no different than any other low barrier to entry, high rewards at the top industry. 95% of channels never make more than 3 videos, 99% never make more than 20 videos, only 1 out of every 500 channels ever gets monetized. I don't have data beyond that but probably only a very small percentage of monetized channels ever make a living from it. In contrast if you tell people you are a RUclipsr they think you are a multi millionaire. You make a one or two videos, they go viral, you make millions and retire famous, that's what they seem to think anyways. The reality is very different!!!
I appreciate your transparency. RUclips used to be a place of learning and sharing information and now it seems that so many channels are nothing more than long form commercials. Your channel is a clear exception to this.
I really appreciate it when creators film their ad section completely separately from the rest of the video. Makes it very easy to skim past it. Do the raid shadow legends bits, get your bag.
I really like your guys' no-nonsense style of reviews and critiques. I think that being transparent is important and I appreciate how much you value us as viewers. Lastly thanks for sticking to ads and sponsors that you guys use and genuinely like.
That clip at 14:50 got me 😂. Love this topic as no one else has said or broken it down like you did.
You know the topic is interesting when I sit through the ad just to hear how you pitch it, after hearing that you can pitch it however you choose. Nice work, ass facts.
I keep coming back cuz you be putting out interesting stuff I’m not finding elsewhere and here is another fine example… Well done 👍
This was amazing. Great work. You guys answered so many questions I had on this niche subject. Thank you and I wish you all the best. Thanks for your complete honesty
I have really enjoyed these style of videos. Hop casually talking comes across so differently than just a direct product "review" and he legitimately has some of the best and well said points out in this type of media. I went over and subscribed on Nova to get more.
BF, i have been following you for a while and appreciate the evolution. keep it up.
Great, concise info! Plus the b-roll is always great
This is why I love your channel and actually trust your reviews. You're honest about relationships and income, and if you're honest about, surely you are about how an optic performs or a piece of kit feels, etc.
Keep up the awesome work! ❤
Legit I'm glad to have you guys doing this content. There's a genuine nature to both of you and your work that is hard to find, and worthy of attention. You're real people with real opinions, it matters and I hope the best for you.
Just in dabbling in journalism for sports, if you come off as overly negative toward the athletic department you're watching/interviewing coaches/recruits for, they shut you out. That simple. When you're dealing with access, stuff can have you out the door fast if you're not at least careful. Sometimes you can get away with being tough but fair, a lot of times you have a hard time doing that and maintaining access. It's super annoying- even if I don't like journalists that much they'd ask tougher questions if they could actually do so without getting told to beat it. It does bias coverage.
Thank you for yet another informative and seemingly very truthful video. I appreciate your content! Hopefully you and Hop can continue to make these great videos for all of us to learn from and enjoy. 👍
The quality of your content is 10/10. We get insightful dialogue on the industry, and the B-roll gives us gems like @14:48.
You and Hop are my favorite and most trusted reviewers because how honest you are. I really feel I am making an informed decision when I watch your videos on product I want to purchase.
Great video. The industry insight you shared is very enlightening. Thank you for this.
I have always been skeptical of alot of the reviews of certain channels.
I am fortunate enough to have a shooting locations on private property. The benefits of having your own gun range is the ability to see, experience and compare a variety of firearms.
I appreciate you and hops honest approach to your reviews...i want to also thank you for that. At 50yrs of age, I value your two opinions more than alot of the "bigger" channels out there.
Keep up the excellent work fellas.
Thank you for calling out Sonoran Desert Institute as bullshit. It cheapens anybody that pushes it.
This is one reason why I love both of your channels. I feel like you’re the most upfront channels around.
Immediately thought of that Flannel goof.
Poor folks wjo fall for it. Love the info you spread out and share.
Good content. Way to be honest as possible without throwing fellow guntubers under the bus. I appreciate you two. Please stay true to the game for us average guys who don't contribute to patreon.
This was super interesting and only adds to the credibility of you and Hop. The two of you and D34 are my favorite channels
Very illustrative. I was not aware of the amount of back room dealing involved in this field.
What a level headed discussion. Refreshing to hear.
Love this channel, and this kind of video is exactly the reason why. Kudos to you guys for laying it out to us.
And btw, yes compliance with laws is needed and being upfront about connections as well. But people should also stop whining about it.
If the content is free, you‘re the product. And that saying is now really old already, so everyone should have caught up to internet reality
This is one of the most insightful videos on the subject (one of the only I can recall) that exposes that there are Ad/Merketing people for an organic set of marketing people (RUclipsrs). To me, there are several people doing RUclips who should be designing and manufacturing products rather than looking for “easy” dollars. Hop and Brass Facts are 2 of the people who I think would do very well at product design and development. A lot of other people don’t have the brains for it, pure and simple. They can do reviews and opinions on things they could never create, whereas some of the more cerebral and visceral minds can actually offer something to the market in hard goods.
getting fancy guns to review for free from the manufacturer, even if they have to give it back later, is its own form of payment
They address that in the video when they talk about journalists (in many fields) choosing to lessen a negative comment so as to keep their "early access" in good standing with a company/manufacturer. Companies however should understand that by putting their product out for review by these people that the expectation is an unbiased review.
A company cannot expect exposure + advertising without also accepting criticism. That's a fact. And I feel like Hop and Brass Facts both give companies chances to make right when they have issues BEFORE they even put out a video! As a viewer, their opinions carry more weight. Their videos to me are closer to what I should expect my experience to be as a consumer. Other channels are purely entertainment (with the understanding in the back of my mind, that my experience would likely be different with the same product). Like demo ranch and garand thumb. Entertaining. NOT = to my experience as a consumer.
Depends. Speaking as someone working on his CPA, the IRS won't recognize it as taxable income. Whether it goes to the individual as a gift or to their LLC/Sole Propietorship as a goodwill equipment/inventory transfer (i.e. a "sale" no liability to pay). The only instance where a gun can be considered income is if its won via a raffle or giveaway.
Outside of tax reporting? It's called consideration and definitely can be considered as payment.
I disagree- we mention if a gun is free, but I would note that I don’t consider a gun payment because I’m still spending $1000 on ammo to make the video… which means I am mad if it still doesn’t work
@@DeskPop that is what we call a loss, but a gun can still be considered as a form of payment. You just happened to net out negative at the bottom line.
@@Visual217 going back to the video and the original comment though... My, albeit limited, understanding is that anyone reviewing a product (not just guntubers) are not "compensated" by simply receiving a product on loan to review. While you can argue "it's a form of payment" in and of itself, you be hard pressed trying to tax someone for being "paid" in joy/entertainment by simply trying a product. After all, they do not keep the product.
Really cool video concept, thanks for making this. My favorite guntubers.
This is why I like you guys, thanks for giving us regular folks a peek under the hood of what you might assume would be an unbiased dream job. Fight the good fight!
Super good stuff, dudes. Really pulling back the curtain on the Wizard. 👍🏻
The 3rd party bias makes sense since I got the notifications Turned on for brassfacts and didn't find this video till 3 days off but grandthumbs video about the 223 mp5 was recommended top of the list Everytime I refreshed. Not to mention every gun toober all of sudden is a avid brassfacts viewer cause the topic at hand.
Needed this you guys especially brass facts seem pretty cool
my favorite gun guy on youtube just uploads edits of himself larping in the woods with music. he did a couple reviews at one time but it was more of a "i got this for $300 at a pawn shop and i'm going to make it my primary weapon" vibe.
Good on you both for showing transparency and keeping integrity in this industry. 👏 the
This is honestly a really important and insightful video. I feel like guntubers that are viewer funded to a significant extent should be more transparent about their revenue. After all, as a supporter I‘d lien to know how much of my support goes towards production vs. personal finances.
Random gunfire and range shenanigans in the background of these kinds of podcast vids greatly enhances it even when I mostly listen to them in the background.
Also Brock and Hop, props to maintaining your integrity and not giving into getting a free shitty microtech OTF knife.
Great video, thanks for what you and Hop do.
I agree with most of what both of you presented. Id just add 3 things:
When you pay for a product you are expecting the value to be represented in that purchase and it may be that in not actually spending your personal money on a product can soften the critique.
Many reviews, understandably so, are based on personal likes and preferences. There are many guntubers that place a negative or positive view on a product and hold it as the final verdict not understanding that other consumers may have a different preference.
And finally in certain aspects, in my personal and very limited opinion, it seems as if some guntubers dont understand who watches gun reviews. Reviewing products that are more in the price range of a small private military than an average American citizen. I understand that every "content creator" has their niche and there is amarket for such products but i get a little nervous if i see that a guntuber only reviews the 3000 and up ar or 2011 and NEVER has anything negative to say.
Well thanks for the video. Btw one of the guntubers that i find that are brutal in the reviews are gunthots. Somebody please kidnap them and force them to make more videos.
Yeah shout out to Nutnfancy for casually ripping into companies for decades. Glad to know you guys got your start watching him too!
Great video guys, this was the whole reason I started my own channel is because I felt misled by other gun tubers. Recently I bought a website I am hoping to get up and running by 2025, that should remove the anecdotal or bias issues when it comes to gun purchasing stuff. My goal is that I reduce the amount of buyer's remorse. Last year I spent 25k on expenses for the channel and I made $352. I try to watch channels that I know are being honest like you guys, and 1911 syndicate.
In the end is that sustainable? I have seen a lot of channels try the "gun review" thing only to tap out financially once they get in the four figures of subs. I think the whole "gun review" thing on YT is a flooded market of a bunch of channels doing the same thing, for high expenses, for little reward. The average person cannot sustain a $25K loss with $352 in revenue for long. IMO, the smart way to potentially make it sensible is have your own gun store/FFL and review your own inventory, especially interesting used guns. Also it would allow one to promote their own business at the same time. People trying to do it on their own IMO it will never work for 99.999% of them.
Never have a paid for subscriptions to guntubers before you and Hop. I did the top tier on subscribe star because you guys easily put out the best content. I also like Barrel & Hatchet and the new off shoot trex arms channels from his brother Issac.
Most likely the best guntuber video I've ever seen. Just awesome and careless. Best wishes 🙏
I recently was told by a company I put a review together for that I was one of the only guntubers they sent gear to that didn’t require a fee for a review. I’m glad to hear I’m not alone on refusing to accept payment for a review. I appreciate the transparency this video conveys. My channel has been very stagnant on growth (the algorithm really hates me and I wish I would have had my current production value before it hated me to have grown a bit more in the golden days of RUclips) and it’s nice to see a perspective of a larger channel. Keep up the good fight. Hit your boy up if you and Hop ever want to shoot some Texas hogs.
Venture and Americana Pipedream are legit. Love to see people pushing surplus in a world full of shiny spotless clean vests and carriers.
both also make interesting videos about subjects and their products, sprinkled with some humor to top it off.
Venture with surplus gear and Americana with historical militaria (i guess that's what we can call it?)
The fact modern people have problems with sponsorships or advertising on media are fools. It’s been that why since the first town crier encouraged travelers to visit Lars the blacksmith. The idea media (any media) is non-bias is farcical. I think it’s a sign of our sad educational system. People don’t understand the human condition. Salesmen will always talk up the product. As a buyer it’s your responsibility to educate yourself on the item. It’s been that way since the beginning of time when Ed the caveman sold Joe the caveman a elk bone necklace.
Technically falls under the "embedded ad" category, but the "buy worthless item for raffle entry" category regrettably seems to be gaining traction. Not sure if it's better or worse than pay-to-advance addictive "games", online classes that are either not necessary or not sufficient get into the industry, VPNs worse for privacy than Tor for free, overpriced earbuds, beard shavers, ball shavers, fake titles of nobility, partially prepared food, or whatever else is popular.
I don't blame creators for getting sponsored by stupid companies (as long as it's not literally fraud) but i applaud those that decide against it.
Edit: talking openly communicated sponsorships. Lile the stereotypical raid shadow legends, manscape, sdi, etc. Not stuff like the leviathan group bought reviews shit.
Great information here; thanks much for "keeping it real."
Thank you for sharing the numbers
I apprecite your honesty, legitimately. I am however glad I didn't sign the contracts I was offered when they were offered. That said, all of these things are what is wrong with our "community." I get you have expenses, I have them too, and I know you made different choices, which is honestly fine. Your transparency is nice, but the financial compensation is always going to be something that taints any review you do. Some channels more than others.
You’re literally the only reviewer i can think of at the time of writing that I have trust in these days.
@@hannibalbarca2939 I appreciate that, thank you.
I'm glad to hear something honest about SDI. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered signing up for some of their courses, but I was never fully sure how valid they are.
If you are interested in gunsmithing, become a machinist first. Then see if it still holds true.
Honestly I like yours and Hop's videos because y'all say some brutally honest things. Another cool thing y'all do is pay lip service to niche ideas instead of just ignoring them and acting like your ideas on a gun are the only right way.
Thank you for this video brother. Trying to learn on here. I am a homeless marine veteran trying to make a difference in this little business I am trying to create.
I unsubscribed from Backfire once he started personally advertising an imitation Japanese Chinese made kitchen knife that was made out of pot steel. Not even knife steel. If you’re trying to sell me a pos knife on your gun channel, how do I know your view on firearms isn’t BS as well.
"Talon Sei" censors comments that aren't complimentary of the item he's shilling for.
"Honest Outlaw" pretends to run giveaways but you have to buy merch to enter. That is a *raffle*.
@@DinoNucci Forgotten Firearms and 9hole reviews use the same raffle company. It must be a very good deal lol.
@@Merril_39 yup.
@@Merril_39they do raffles 😵💫
@@Merril_39yeah, you can actually enter for free if you look hard enough
Thanks for this video fellas, it’s very interesting to see some of the inner workings of what goes in to being able to bring us content. I appreciate the candid-ness.
Side note: the jacket you’re wearing at 6:13 looks great for for doing fieldwork in the fall/winter in my location. Do you happen to know if it’s available online, Brass?
Wait, so you don't have a OnlyFans?!?
No, but the dog does............
Another Bias point to keep in mind that i've seen in regards to the topic around 9:30 is that often times companies that provide products will be 100% willing to take a malfunctioning item back and repair/replace which can bias the review (I've seen multiple videos on other channels that start with "the initial one I got sucked but after sending it back for repair I had to reconsider my previous review" whereas if you buy that with your own money thats going to have a much harsher tone since you're the one who had to deal with your own property having issues)
I run a small firearms blog and I basically pay for everything out of pocket, minus one item. Its much easier that way. The only issue is that it requires you keep a day job and things happen much more slowly since you're spending all of your own money and you're at the mercy of your day job. In the end, I have lost my ass, but I still do it when my day job affords me the time. Its fun to network and make connections, but you definitely need to be mindful of what your doing and how you're conducting yourself. Its especially easy to end up being roped into feeling like you must give a positive review of something in the beginning when everything is new and exciting and you want to play with all the cool things. The most important thing is maintaining your integrity and being transparent about what goes on behind the scenes.
Glad to see you both always being honest amd telling how it really is and if a company like aero precision is okay but ive had some other guntubers act like other budget lpvo like monstrum is so good for the money so tryed and honestly had one break roght away then sent another one that was defective so after two bad seeds in a row was honestly thinking how they thought thos optic wasnt garabage or if they never really put it through the paces