I feel you. RUclips is becoming more like a hassle in the creative aspect. No wonder why many youtubers stop making videos and leaving this platform for good.
And then you make a long video with almost no cuts and no one watches it its worst if you just started you and you get that one comment that says "this video was nice good job" that's how you know they didn't even watch 1 minute of your 30 minute video
This video felt very retention edited though... Still filled with loads of flashy effects, text pop ups, cuts every 3-7 seconds, slidey animations, zoom in and out etc etc etc. Potentially, this could have been slowed down a tonne, just to better demonstrate the trend towards this "new" (old) editing style
I think the fact that the video has under 100k views while being obviously retention edited further shows his point that retention editing is falling out of favor.
You had one good quote in this video: "retention editting often comes at the cost of connection" I think it's a good one to keep in mind cause it CAN be true. But I'm honestly not convinced 100%. And if I'm being honest that's simply because every video I see claiming that retention editting is dead, including this one, has hundreds of cuts to b-roll, reframing the shot size every few seconds and so on. All of those tools by the argument presented SHOULD be irrelevant yet they continue to be used even while claiming retention editing won't work for long. How am i supposed to take the video seriously when it doesn't take its own point seriously enough to do that. That being said, I want to emphasize that I think SOME of the editting in this video did enhance the subject matter and was useful. So it's probably, in my opinion, more helpful for creators to keep in mind that not all editing provides value to the video and value to the viewer. Instead of clinging on to this crazy narrative that retention editting it totally bad, it's much more accurate to keep that first quote in mind to hopefully not neglect or reject editting that can keep a viewer hooked, but take a second look at if it's necessary or if it presents a barrier to connection before implementing it.
Thanks! Popped into comments solely to confirm I wasn't the only one thinking this, "those tools by the argument presented SHOULD be irrelevant yet they continue to be used even while claiming retention editing won't work for long" Frankly, as a PT creator with a FT job, I don't have time to keep up with this level of editing, as it is. Best I can do is a few bells/whistles just to spice things up.
Yeah, I was pretty put off that the video started with “At the beginning, I was so obsessed with making something happen every four seconds” still had something happening every four seconds. He mocks constant cuts while putting them in his video. But he got me to watch 4:49 of his video before going into the comments to see if anyone else had the same issue, so I guess it worked?
I know that I’ve said this before and I will say it again. I’ve gotten to a point where I’m just straight up getting tired of the fast paced editing that’s taking over every single content creation platform. In fact there’s times where I’ve felt like quitting because of the unfairness of that. It’s nice how there’s still some hope that the authenticity of RUclips is not dead yet! Especially when creators like myself can have a place here on RUclips.
And that’s exactly what SHORTS is. A quick “hey look at me!” Video designed for short attention spans. RUclips trying to emulate Tik Tok was a mistake in my eyes. I’ve always been a long form content creator. I’m about engaging the audience and hanging out. This trend never suited my style and I’m glad things are shifting.
Shorts is good but you shouldn't do both long form and Shorts at once do them on separate channels with each channel being featured in the features tab
tbh, I've seen a really high amount of growth from shorts. I used to be stuck uploading long form videos with 0 - 10 views but then I started uploading shorts and since they're getting pushed like crazy, I'll get varying view counts from 100 to up to 10k views. Not all of them go to the original videos that they're cut from but some do and I'm finally gaining subscribers after being stuck at 500 for seemingly years.
I agree. Retention editing is exhausting. Everyone does that same type of editing style which is boring. I am a video editor and I like to keep it simple. B-Roll with voiceover, simple graphics, animations and music in the background. People don't care about fancy transitions, animations, etc. that took the editor 5 hours to make first 10 seconds of a video. People care about the information and value the video provides to them.
the irony that this video is "retention edited" and performing so well in the algorithm that it got shoved in my face 2 weeks after upload..... Way to commit to the bit lmao
This makes me estatic to hear since starting my channel this is how I've always made my videos. Either laid back funny horror gameing well I just talk to the camera or spooky paranormal activity where I'm authentic with my reactions and honestly since I started letting my mental health show more and more in my videos I've started to really really enjoy being able to just let the content speak for itself. Or leave in some dead air to show off just how atmospheric the game I'm playing is so everyone understands why I jump as big as I do or get as scared as I am
Thank you! I have recently picked up editing for video clients. Someone who supposedly edited for the channel that can get up to 1 million views said they would teach me somethings. but the editing they do is retention editing and personally, it just doesn't fit for me. I have been editing for years but I never been the one to overedit. I only add elements when I feel they are necessary i rather have the video create a story and use elements to enhance the story but I recently started to feel like after watching some youtube videos that I dont belong in this market. So im glad im not the only one who doesn't really like retention editing.
So true. Now with all those impersonal videos - automated with text to speech it's even worse. I generally skip off those videos straight away because they are nothing B-Roll bombs anyway. No heart and no soul.
THANK YOU! I've been doing videos for years on RUclips and my style has always been more of a calm one. (My viewers have joked that my channel was the "Bob Ross" of diecast car customizations. 🤣)I've been holding out that eventually the overproduced sugar rush videos would eventually exhaust other people as much as they exhaust me. I haven't gone "viral" by any stretch yet, but it's refreshing to hear that my style where I want to create meaningful videos and share myself through my craft with my audience would win out in the long run. I feel like this is RUclips going back to its roots by, ironically, having such a strong AI algorithm that it can finally tell who's doing more meaningful videos and who is just "gaming the system" with frustrating teases and filler to maximize ad revenue. Great video and an excellent explanation of this new trend. Let's hope it sticks around so we can spend less time editing and more time "creating."
You say all this but has been primarily my editing style for awhile now, refinement but relaxed and straight forward. No over the top editing but still quality. Yet I can guarantee you the growth has been painfully slow.
@@juanchopestudios I once made a video talking a bit about Vidiq being kinda scammy. I like their product, works very well. But their youtube videos are all based on selling you false confidence and big promises. At end of the day all it really comes down to is Good thumbnail - Title - make lots of content to be discovered - Quality. They often like to do videos on "look at this guy who got a million subs in 1 year" but fail to mention they had lots of money to make what they did and spent a year or more on literally just making that video. Its not so simple as just "do this and be big"
As the old saying goes, "What's old is new again." Per your description, Sam Sulek's videos sound just like what RUclips uploads were like when it was first launched in December 2005. (I created my first RUclips account in early 2007.) RUclips was basically created for vlogging. The vloggers and the audiences they quickly gained blew RUclips up in a very short period of time. (Check out, "The History of Vlogging" by Dan Sanchez) I created my account because I wanted my favorite music videos in categorized playlists to watch whenever I felt like it.
Interesting, what you're describing here is what I was doing for my channel from the getgo. I'm a screenwriter and film editor, I launched a video essay channel breaking down stories but I didn't want to compete with the retention editing style channels because they always seemed just exhausting to me. I screenwrite my videos, and I edit them like I would a movie. Even treating audio cues as if they were diegetic in a movie. So far it paid off, after 6 months I got 2400 subs and over 80k views. Bear in mind, these are long videos, between 30mins and 1 hour and retention curve is always a nice hockey stick. As you said, the old style got tiring.
I recently started a channel and I’ve been noticing the best thing to do is just have fun and don’t worry about the views. I just wish I could get more interaction for comments but it’s only the begging and the people that have joined really interact we almost talk every day
5:50 I HAVE THAT PROBLEM!! I always have a different feeling editing than when I film and it makes it so much harder to finish. Now i have a growing list of 49 videos i gotta finish
Thanks for the video, your editing is amazing!! I am a throwback @KaceyAnnReynolds to the old school style of why people started to watch You Tube to begin with.... To learn, have fun, and connect.... The earliest person to emulate this style was Julie Child, she drank wine, made a lot of mistakes, and made French cooking seem easy..... My goal is to be the "Julia Child" of healthy living/weight loss/reverse aging.......I work full-time and editing is not my joy, but talking to my camera is my joy.... I am a health coach and retired teacher, so I have learned to be entertaining while teaching people to be more healthy.... This was easy for me because I had previously taught middle school, and you have to be silly to keep their attention!!
Good advice, but as always I'm often left wondering how I can apply this to a gaming channel? Do I make my edits longer? With less cuts, leaving all the awkward silences in? Or is there a happy medium for gaming channels to start trying?
Great vid, John. It's incredible seeing how some creators are going back to a more simple approach to videos. Sometimes viewers will just appreciate how you talk about and/or explain things even with hardly any edits. I guess it's a testament to the power of the spoken word.
i think my work is the closest thing to the opposite of retention editing , which seems to be causing me some difficulty in growth , but i think staying true to your own identity is the most critical aspect of anyone becoming who they're going to be 🔮
This is awesome. As an independent musician, I was struggling with how to get some content out without compromising who I am. This video definitely helped.
I love ALL of this so much!! This more authentic/less hype style of editing is all exactly how I have gone about my first year of videos...without knowing I was accidentally ahead of the trend lol
Thank Christ for that! I get a headache watching some videos, and trying to mimic that is a fool's errand and in any case beyond my skillset. It takes me long enough to edit out my hesitations and mistakes! In any case, my audience skew older and I'm guessing they have zero patience for jazzy editing. Phew.
I'm really glad you made this video. I've struggled with Editing in the past, and now that I'm learning what the editing program can do, I see many different philosphies as to HOW you should edit. I This video was quite helpful, thanks!
Jesus Christ this is the video I've been looking for, let's hope this year is easier for me since I always have trouble editing obnoxious retention editing.
Thats great advice and honestly, I'm happy that this style of video is becoming more popular. People need time to unwind and process things. This overwhelming, fast talking stuff... the world is already full of it, if you ask me 😄
This is exactly how I have been shooting for ages. Like a chill hang conversation, between me and the viewer. Peeps have pointed out how they like it, many many times. Perhaps the winds have blown in my boring favor?!
Noticed this a while ago too, and basically only use edits that I draw myself and make them into animations. I even make thumbnails from screenshots of the video. Good information ☺️
Something I realized a while ago while making videos is not including extra reaction gif clips, music, images, and noises all the time and let my own words carry the video. Found myself being able to come back and enjoy my own videos later as a time capsule of myself rather than what was funny then and made things more personal and lifted a lot of my work load. This video reminded me of that so thanks❤
Yes, as an editor I think clients think that if you edit a video to death with tons of mega attention getting tricks then it will get more views, and they want you to copy and stick rigidly to styles the have seen other successful people using, but actually it is the content that holds the attention and interest. Not that it can’t be well-edited, but it doesn’t have to be over the top.
Love it!! Since I'm super new , like now new, to content creating I needed this. I was so nervous about the whole retention editing etc and here the landscape is changing to something I think I'm more comfortable with. Now if I can only find the niche (me and better half just have too many fun things we into) but we started with just small travel vid. Thank you so so much for this. It's the first video talking about this edit style that I watched. You nailed it.
I've been authentic with my audience for years, but my retention still sucks. I'm not sure how to keep the audience engaged with my content beyond what I'm currently doing, which are mostly storytelling, some visual effects, transitions, a mix of different music, etc. nothing crazy, but apparently not enough to keep them engaged in the video. I really thought it would be the "general interest" in the idea of what I was filming that would get people watching, or else why click on it? It's counter-intuitive for them, and counter-productive for me, my channel and the signals it's sending RUclips.
The problem I have is how everyone told all these people to be just like them and now people are begging for authenticity.. the copycat issue is the real issue. Some people’s favorite creator is following someone else’s rubric.
I feel like many people saw the fall of the overly edited videos because there is so much of it already and it became more apparent when Mr.Beast came into the picture and made it his own style and people jumping on the train because it’s “successful” and loses the whole point of being a content creator and that’a why I want to make authentic videos that have quality in it, still in the process lol
Great video overall, many things I disagree but one major is that if You want to make a living off of RUclips & social media, it's not about what You want but about what the market wants. You will make 10 videos and see 1 or 2 will work much better than the others. Make more of these. It's 70% the theme of the video, 20% is the story, 10% is the editing. And it is 80% what the market wants, 20% what You want. Choose a topic you like and make videos about what people are interested if You don't want to get stuck.
The thing about retention is an overcomplicated nightmare! I had edited some videos and it was hard to do it, thinking if this video can attract and retain the viewer. The graph, on the other hand, doesn't help either despite the books I read and watched videos about it and how well is getting received. One example, in 2021 I uploaded a video about the Latin American furry fandom and how they dealt with the pandemic. Throughout the 2022 until some furry con, the video caught the attention and I got 4k views because of the good response.
6 месяцев назад+1
Authentic and part of a story. Tell a story. If the story is compelling I would put up with bad audio even. And no one puts up with bad audio.
Painful is gracious lol. He was annoying to watch. You could tell he projected himself differently. I hope he continues to just be himself instead of the other version he created
A few months ago, on my main channel, I posted an unedited video, just talking about my feelings with a specific game while playing it. It was the most watched video on my channel, even with a normal retention rate. The next videos were highly edited, full of effects and humorous. They had high retention but low views. Watching this video I understood why. Thanks.
I had a 1 million view video and it really has a message people connected with! Went from 300 subs to 2300 in 28 days! And still going. Thanks for the tips
The editing should work to make the video entertaining, fast pace vs slow pace is just a matter of how interesting the initial idea of the video is. If the idea is not super interesting and you just found a way to package it nicely fast/ medium pace is better. If the idea is super interesting or you’re a very unique person slow pace works, but in the case of just minimal editing like Sam and many other special people that just have the X factor over time the channel loses a lot of performance if it doesn’t provide actual value. Imo if done well the only ones who know a video is retention edited are other RUclipsrs cause the audience will just think is an interesting video
When I made my first videos I followed "no rules" coz I did not know there were any! After trying "edit YT retention style" my view time has decreased so much! Might be my target audience can take longer and more authentic edits so I will try to go back to that
I haven't heard the term "retention based editing" but ugh yes it's so rampant on RUclips, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and it's exhausting to watch, not to mention click-baity. With the rise of AI I think it's brought back the need for authenticity, or face-to-camera videos, because that can't be copied and auto generated.
I watch videos from half a dozen different niches and the creators I like best are the ones with simple editing. The quality of the content means so much more to me than a flashy video with garbage content.
I've been doing youtube for 10 years. I've seen how audiences shift over time and my style of content just never fit into that mold. I'm really hoping there comes a time where short films or cinematic series that arent produced by an established entity can make it out there. Not giving up any time soon. My time will come.
LoL we just recorded a large street party which was very noisy, thousands of people, cutting scenes every 12 seconds on average and people seem to like it. The music is whatever is being played live, nothing we can control. How else would you make an event like this so authentic it feels like you are there? We always strive to improve 🙂
I edit for a small 200 subscriber gaming channel and tried this method and it didn’t really work. So tried a more laid back approach and it makes it feel so much better.
I honestly love simplicity and calming videos with also movie quality editing but not attention grabbing annoying fast transitions. For me i like to edit like a full tv series that has the nessecary parts
I am in this exact situation (not this channel) . After watching this video, my next video scheduled to go live tomorrow I spent 20 mins editing, mostly just cutting out the dead air, but other then that nothing else. No zooms , no fast paced. I want to see if my audience is also over stimulated. I'll report back on how it went.
As usual, content is king. You can't sustain on just flash you need quality content. Organically growing is slower but more sustainable and better, your audience likes you
That's pretty much my videos, they aren't flash and bang, they are just taking you along with me on photography adventures...hopefully they resonate with some people. 📷😎
If retention editing is dead, then why did you just do it? I tried it a few times for gaming, it was a huge waste of time editing all the extra stuff in there. I would spend hours doing extra editing and get no return on it. Then when I get behind, I would upload a video with minimal editing, and it do way better. I think it all depends on what type of content you are making. You say its dead, but you still do it and doing it for your type of videos is a must to compete with others making similar content like you.
Interesting fact. The same actually goes for night life. Nightclubs are dying out and "social drinking" and other types of bars are becoming a lot more popular.
After reading a lot of comments and watching the video, the big thing I gather is that a lot of people, nowadays, edit for views and not for the message or the content. Having been an editor myself for a long time in marketing and content, you learn that you have to edit for the audience but also for the message and feeling of the video. I think RUclips especially, people see a video work, want to copy the formula to get the same success and not put enough attention or effort in to the message itself. They see that Mr. Beast gets millions of views and it must be because of his editing. No, it's his content and engagement delivered by his personality. Same thing with Casey Niestat, yes, he has great visual storytelling, but he himself is also a fantastic storyteller. Some videos, Like this one, I could tab away and not even watch and just listen to what you are saying. Which isn't a bad thing. If I am watching for information, I don't always need to be visually entertained. If I am watching a tutorial, I don't need it to be big and flashy. If it is a story, maybe we need the quick edits, maybe we don't, it all depends on the subject matter. Editing is an emotion, it is a formula, but there is a big human element that is still a factor in it that we can't forget. There are a few people like that where you can just listen and the visuals are not as important since they are very charismatic.. Not bad, just depends on the content being delivered. This is why podcasting was such a big medium, we don't always need to be drawn in by big visuals or fast cuts if the charisma and information is there. Which your information is great by the way. I guess what I am saying is after editing for a long time, you learn how to edit for the information being delivered, the medium through which its being consumed and the audience for which it is being delivered to. It also depends on the platform as well, I know that there is no one size fits all or simple answer. As editors, as creators, we should always be adapting and evolving. The videos I made 10 years ago do not look the same as they do now, I have learned better ways to shoot and communicate through my edit. The videos then fit the time and environment but now they would not stand with my audience or style. We are ever evolving as is our audience so we should never stop learning, growing and gleaning from others.
There is a huge difference between the bodybuilder channel and the Riza channel though... one barely worries about videography at all and one has extremely thought out videography and has creative direction behind the editing. I think your point about "speaking your truth" and being natural on camera is one thing that both channels share... and each channel also has brought something unique forward, in different ways, but both speakers seem to be genuine.
I would like this video more without the whoosh sound and zoom every few seconds. Generally nice advice though. The general desire to create content for the low-attention-span generation, fueling the and maintaining the problem, creates very tiring content. I want to learn, laugh or be entertained by someone/people as though I am inviting them into my home. Lots of rapid cuts and stock clips of things to needlessly demonstrate a point, rather than clear speaking can break the bond between the viewer/listener and the presenter. On that note, youTubers - if you have to edit two halfs of a sentence together - rerecord the whole sentence :D
This very video uses retention editing and I’m watching it. It definitely does work. I think it depends on what you’re trying to get across to the viewer as to what editing style works best.
This is both relevant and not, but I'm someone that uses the YT app to *listen* to video essays when I'm working. This doesn't work for all content, but I spend a *lot* of time with channels whose videos are almost exactly as good if you're not looking at them, which is not as easy as it sounds. Again, this isn't possible for all types of videos, but it does mean I am not going to need to tune into a lot of visual editing to like it, and also don't like to be bombarded with a ton of audio effects, in this particular case. Make sure to focus on good content!
I wonder if this return to less edited format is in part influenced by the popularity of streaming and VODs I've also notices channels getting praise for being "like old school youtube". People are getting sick of the corpo side of youtube.
I've seen so many "LESS is MORE" advice videos this month and it makes alot of sense.. Plus it's now faster for me to edit my videos - it's a Win - Win for sure..
I just went through the VidIQ 'growth plan', you know when you ask the question about 'which of these thumbnails would you click on?' then show Mr Beast with another person as an option, so I chose the other person, because I absolutely hate the Mr Beast fake face gimmick with a passion, I've never watched a single video of his, & won't... yeah, about that... it really doesn't help that you then tell me I'm wrong for MY CHOICE, and marked me as incorrect for it! Therein lies the problem with all this. We're all different. Perhaps what YT should do is just put content in front of viewers based on the subject they are interested in, rather than gimmick. I'm a gardening channel, so just stick my content in front of the millions of gardening, homesteaders, smallholders, vermicomposters, etc, so they can choose. It's amazing to me that we're told 'make content for people, not algorithms', yet the algorithm tries to micro-manage us before we can even get in front of our people!
I’m telling you he tells no lies… I’m barely getting monetized after two years because I put so much time in editing and trying to entertain. Was until I kept it simple and connected that I saw over a 1000 subs in six months
I guess I'm glad I'm ahead of the curve because I prefer the personal slower editing over the try hard stat pumping retention editing style which I just found obnoxious to watch
if you're reading this right now, there's no better time than now. Don't think its not gonna work cuz it will, you just need to unleash that inner artist and be consistent. It will work out for you!
I hate to say this but, I'm still convinced luck has quite a bit to do with at least how big Sam Sulek is getting for example... I tried what he does on my channel and those videos were by far my worst performing videos. I also play a lot of video games on the channel and one dude commented on one of them that I should add more editing... Maybe it depends on the audience. Maybe my channel works for people who are younger and probably don't have as high of an attention span and therefore, my "authentic" videos don't do well. Or maybe my format just was not good enough or people just don't like me lol. Because of these setbacks I am completely revamping my channel and making sure only to post videos that are gaming videos. The broader niched channel that I actually want to do is performing terribly so from now on, I'm picking the gaming lane because from my experience, it does so much better than the authentic lane. I've been consistently posting for 9 months on this channel... Sorry for shedding such a dark light on things but I believe this is a reality for a lot of creators out there. Do what you love on RUclips at the expense of your performance. Perform well on RUclips at the expense of not doing what you actually want to do...
The videos I subscribe to and watch every video are mostly just someone talking about something I'm interested in, in a genuine and not sensational way. No fancy editing.
Honestly this is so nice to hear, especially as someone who is very new to this platform. I've barely uploaded cuz I was paranoid about keeping good retention, and even though I tried my hardest to replicate Mr. Beast's ADHD style editing, it wasn't working. I'm glad RUclips seems to be changing for the better :)
it takes months to make videos like that. I only made one and it took me a month to do it. I was disappointed with results because it didn't hit 100k views it only hit 1.6k views. That is why I kind of gave up on that. Waste of time.
Casey Neistat made the most amazing story driven video not too long ago and it didn’t need crazy amounts of editing because it just told such a good story. I’ve been readjusting my editing not only because retention editing seems crazy excessive, but also because it is really tiring to do as well.
We are approaching a time where the public eats up garbage ai assisted content and then disrespects 50 hours of editing, a sad time. The overall landscape has dumbed down.
As someone doing tutorials for fellow game devs how do i do 4 without laboring the point? I want to help others by making tutorials people want but i feel like talking about myself isn't very helpful for them
I'm glad the hype for over-edited videos seems to be falling by the wayside because they're exhausting. They're exhausting to edit, and ironically they're exhausting to watch. I can only handle so many youtubers screaming at me and cutting the video literally every minute as they fight for my attention. It will probably work for younger audiences, but personally my favorite videos to watch are the ones that almost feel like a cozy livestream.
WOW Your soooo right. I wanted to bring the public info on wood working in a professional environment...not a professional editing suite production. My videos get out information I think the public wants over fancy edits and there are comments indicating apparently we are on to something. Check out my theory if you prefer info over bells and whistles... GREAT VIDEO!
Man the retention grabbing editing is so lifeless and makes youtube feel like a job just to keep people watching
Yea, makes youtube feel less like a hobby and more like a lowkey stressful job
I feel you. RUclips is becoming more like a hassle in the creative aspect. No wonder why many youtubers stop making videos and leaving this platform for good.
Agreed
agreed and its so exhausting trying to keep up with that when editing your own videos is hard as it is
And then you make a long video with almost no cuts and no one watches it its worst if you just started you and you get that one comment that says "this video was nice good job" that's how you know they didn't even watch 1 minute of your 30 minute video
This video felt very retention edited though... Still filled with loads of flashy effects, text pop ups, cuts every 3-7 seconds, slidey animations, zoom in and out etc etc etc. Potentially, this could have been slowed down a tonne, just to better demonstrate the trend towards this "new" (old) editing style
It feels like those channels showing the formula to "gain 1 million subscribers" when they barely have 100 or 200...
@@vonrust8980 LOL omg I forgot about those videos
I think the fact that the video has under 100k views while being obviously retention edited further shows his point that retention editing is falling out of favor.
Yeah I actually thought this was a satire of the ‘no more retention editing’ conversation, due to the large number of effects, punch ins etc 😅
this is the most bruh video ive ever bruhed
You had one good quote in this video: "retention editting often comes at the cost of connection" I think it's a good one to keep in mind cause it CAN be true. But I'm honestly not convinced 100%. And if I'm being honest that's simply because every video I see claiming that retention editting is dead, including this one, has hundreds of cuts to b-roll, reframing the shot size every few seconds and so on. All of those tools by the argument presented SHOULD be irrelevant yet they continue to be used even while claiming retention editing won't work for long.
How am i supposed to take the video seriously when it doesn't take its own point seriously enough to do that.
That being said, I want to emphasize that I think SOME of the editting in this video did enhance the subject matter and was useful. So it's probably, in my opinion, more helpful for creators to keep in mind that not all editing provides value to the video and value to the viewer. Instead of clinging on to this crazy narrative that retention editting it totally bad, it's much more accurate to keep that first quote in mind to hopefully not neglect or reject editting that can keep a viewer hooked, but take a second look at if it's necessary or if it presents a barrier to connection before implementing it.
As a bit of an edit the tips in the second half of this video are sort of what I mean. Selective editting is a good way to phrase that
That's just the way it is. See what the RUclips gurus say and do the exact opposite.
Done Please 💜🤍
Thanks! Popped into comments solely to confirm I wasn't the only one thinking this, "those tools by the argument presented SHOULD be irrelevant yet they continue to be used even while claiming retention editing won't work for long"
Frankly, as a PT creator with a FT job, I don't have time to keep up with this level of editing, as it is. Best I can do is a few bells/whistles just to spice things up.
Yeah, I was pretty put off that the video started with “At the beginning, I was so obsessed with making something happen every four seconds” still had something happening every four seconds. He mocks constant cuts while putting them in his video. But he got me to watch 4:49 of his video before going into the comments to see if anyone else had the same issue, so I guess it worked?
I know that I’ve said this before and I will say it again. I’ve gotten to a point where I’m just straight up getting tired of the fast paced editing that’s taking over every single content creation platform. In fact there’s times where I’ve felt like quitting because of the unfairness of that.
It’s nice how there’s still some hope that the authenticity of RUclips is not dead yet! Especially when creators like myself can have a place here on RUclips.
“Authenticity is not dead yet” - I love it
@@RUclipsOrganicMarketing But the "yet" is so haunting
this!
And that’s exactly what SHORTS is. A quick “hey look at me!” Video designed for short attention spans. RUclips trying to emulate Tik Tok was a mistake in my eyes. I’ve always been a long form content creator. I’m about engaging the audience and hanging out. This trend never suited my style and I’m glad things are shifting.
Numbers wise, shorts have been quite sussesful so I wouldnt call them a mistake even if I personally didn't like them
@@mikestar104lots of bad ideas still made a lot of money
Shorts is good but you shouldn't do both long form and Shorts at once do them on separate channels with each channel being featured in the features tab
so true
tbh, I've seen a really high amount of growth from shorts. I used to be stuck uploading long form videos with 0 - 10 views but then I started uploading shorts and since they're getting pushed like crazy, I'll get varying view counts from 100 to up to 10k views. Not all of them go to the original videos that they're cut from but some do and I'm finally gaining subscribers after being stuck at 500 for seemingly years.
I agree. Retention editing is exhausting. Everyone does that same type of editing style which is boring. I am a video editor and I like to keep it simple. B-Roll with voiceover, simple graphics, animations and music in the background. People don't care about fancy transitions, animations, etc. that took the editor 5 hours to make first 10 seconds of a video. People care about the information and value the video provides to them.
the irony that this video is "retention edited" and performing so well in the algorithm that it got shoved in my face 2 weeks after upload.....
Way to commit to the bit lmao
The over edited videos really were overstimulating. Sometimes it’s just nice to have another voice in the room.
This makes me estatic to hear since starting my channel this is how I've always made my videos. Either laid back funny horror gameing well I just talk to the camera or spooky paranormal activity where I'm authentic with my reactions and honestly since I started letting my mental health show more and more in my videos I've started to really really enjoy being able to just let the content speak for itself. Or leave in some dead air to show off just how atmospheric the game I'm playing is so everyone understands why I jump as big as I do or get as scared as I am
Thank you! I have recently picked up editing for video clients. Someone who supposedly edited for the channel that can get up to 1 million views said they would teach me somethings. but the editing they do is retention editing and personally, it just doesn't fit for me. I have been editing for years but I never been the one to overedit. I only add elements when I feel they are necessary i rather have the video create a story and use elements to enhance the story but I recently started to feel like after watching some youtube videos that I dont belong in this market. So im glad im not the only one who doesn't really like retention editing.
So true. Now with all those impersonal videos - automated with text to speech it's even worse. I generally skip off those videos straight away because they are nothing B-Roll bombs anyway. No heart and no soul.
THANK YOU! I've been doing videos for years on RUclips and my style has always been more of a calm one. (My viewers have joked that my channel was the "Bob Ross" of diecast car customizations. 🤣)I've been holding out that eventually the overproduced sugar rush videos would eventually exhaust other people as much as they exhaust me. I haven't gone "viral" by any stretch yet, but it's refreshing to hear that my style where I want to create meaningful videos and share myself through my craft with my audience would win out in the long run. I feel like this is RUclips going back to its roots by, ironically, having such a strong AI algorithm that it can finally tell who's doing more meaningful videos and who is just "gaming the system" with frustrating teases and filler to maximize ad revenue. Great video and an excellent explanation of this new trend. Let's hope it sticks around so we can spend less time editing and more time "creating."
You say all this but has been primarily my editing style for awhile now, refinement but relaxed and straight forward. No over the top editing but still quality. Yet I can guarantee you the growth has been painfully slow.
@@juanchopestudios I once made a video talking a bit about Vidiq being kinda scammy. I like their product, works very well. But their youtube videos are all based on selling you false confidence and big promises. At end of the day all it really comes down to is Good thumbnail - Title - make lots of content to be discovered - Quality. They often like to do videos on "look at this guy who got a million subs in 1 year" but fail to mention they had lots of money to make what they did and spent a year or more on literally just making that video. Its not so simple as just "do this and be big"
As the old saying goes, "What's old is new again."
Per your description, Sam Sulek's videos sound just like what RUclips uploads were like when it was first launched in December 2005. (I created my first RUclips account in early 2007.) RUclips was basically created for vlogging.
The vloggers and the audiences they quickly gained blew RUclips up in a very short period of time. (Check out, "The History of Vlogging" by Dan Sanchez) I created my account because I wanted my favorite music videos in categorized playlists to watch whenever I felt like it.
Interesting, what you're describing here is what I was doing for my channel from the getgo. I'm a screenwriter and film editor, I launched a video essay channel breaking down stories but I didn't want to compete with the retention editing style channels because they always seemed just exhausting to me. I screenwrite my videos, and I edit them like I would a movie. Even treating audio cues as if they were diegetic in a movie. So far it paid off, after 6 months I got 2400 subs and over 80k views. Bear in mind, these are long videos, between 30mins and 1 hour and retention curve is always a nice hockey stick. As you said, the old style got tiring.
I recently started a channel and I’ve been noticing the best thing to do is just have fun and don’t worry about the views. I just wish I could get more interaction for comments but it’s only the begging and the people that have joined really interact we almost talk every day
5:50 I HAVE THAT PROBLEM!! I always have a different feeling editing than when I film and it makes it so much harder to finish. Now i have a growing list of 49 videos i gotta finish
Thanks for the video, your editing is amazing!! I am a throwback @KaceyAnnReynolds to the old school style of why people started to watch You Tube to begin with.... To learn, have fun, and connect.... The earliest person to emulate this style was Julie Child, she drank wine, made a lot of mistakes, and made French cooking seem easy..... My goal is to be the "Julia Child" of healthy living/weight loss/reverse aging.......I work full-time and editing is not my joy, but talking to my camera is my joy.... I am a health coach and retired teacher, so I have learned to be entertaining while teaching people to be more healthy.... This was easy for me because I had previously taught middle school, and you have to be silly to keep their attention!!
Good advice, but as always I'm often left wondering how I can apply this to a gaming channel? Do I make my edits longer? With less cuts, leaving all the awkward silences in? Or is there a happy medium for gaming channels to start trying?
i find it so hard to compete with retention editing and it take forever! i love making people smile and find it sucks the soul out of the video
Great vid, John. It's incredible seeing how some creators are going back to a more simple approach to videos. Sometimes viewers will just appreciate how you talk about and/or explain things even with hardly any edits. I guess it's a testament to the power of the spoken word.
i think my work is the closest thing to the opposite of retention editing , which seems to be causing me some difficulty in growth , but i think staying true to your own identity is the most critical aspect of anyone becoming who they're going to be 🔮
This is awesome. As an independent musician, I was struggling with how to get some content out without compromising who I am. This video definitely helped.
I love ALL of this so much!! This more authentic/less hype style of editing is all exactly how I have gone about my first year of videos...without knowing I was accidentally ahead of the trend lol
Thank Christ for that! I get a headache watching some videos, and trying to mimic that is a fool's errand and in any case beyond my skillset. It takes me long enough to edit out my hesitations and mistakes! In any case, my audience skew older and I'm guessing they have zero patience for jazzy editing. Phew.
Edit to the context of your content.
yes 100%
I'm really glad you made this video. I've struggled with Editing in the past, and now that I'm learning what the editing program can do, I see many different philosphies as to HOW you should edit. I This video was quite helpful, thanks!
Jesus Christ this is the video I've been looking for, let's hope this year is easier for me since I always have trouble editing obnoxious retention editing.
Thats great advice and honestly, I'm happy that this style of video is becoming more popular. People need time to unwind and process things. This overwhelming, fast talking stuff... the world is already full of it, if you ask me 😄
This is exactly how I have been shooting for ages. Like a chill hang conversation, between me and the viewer. Peeps have pointed out how they like it, many many times. Perhaps the winds have blown in my boring favor?!
Noticed this a while ago too, and basically only use edits that I draw myself and make them into animations. I even make thumbnails from screenshots of the video. Good information ☺️
Something I realized a while ago while making videos is not including extra reaction gif clips, music, images, and noises all the time and let my own words carry the video.
Found myself being able to come back and enjoy my own videos later as a time capsule of myself rather than what was funny then and made things more personal and lifted a lot of my work load.
This video reminded me of that so thanks❤
Yes, as an editor I think clients think that if you edit a video to death with tons of mega attention getting tricks then it will get more views, and they want you to copy and stick rigidly to styles the have seen other successful people using, but actually it is the content that holds the attention and interest. Not that it can’t be well-edited, but it doesn’t have to be over the top.
Love it!! Since I'm super new , like now new, to content creating I needed this. I was so nervous about the whole retention editing etc and here the landscape is changing to something I think I'm more comfortable with. Now if I can only find the niche (me and better half just have too many fun things we into) but we started with just small travel vid. Thank you so so much for this. It's the first video talking about this edit style that I watched. You nailed it.
I've been authentic with my audience for years, but my retention still sucks. I'm not sure how to keep the audience engaged with my content beyond what I'm currently doing, which are mostly storytelling, some visual effects, transitions, a mix of different music, etc. nothing crazy, but apparently not enough to keep them engaged in the video. I really thought it would be the "general interest" in the idea of what I was filming that would get people watching, or else why click on it? It's counter-intuitive for them, and counter-productive for me, my channel and the signals it's sending RUclips.
The problem I have is how everyone told all these people to be just like them and now people are begging for authenticity.. the copycat issue is the real issue. Some people’s favorite creator is following someone else’s rubric.
I feel like many people saw the fall of the overly edited videos because there is so much of it already and it became more apparent when Mr.Beast came into the picture and made it his own style and people jumping on the train because it’s “successful” and loses the whole point of being a content creator and that’a why I want to make authentic videos that have quality in it, still in the process lol
_"If it's not fun, why bother?"_ - Reggie Fils Aime
Glad we're seeing some fun shine in the eyes of RUclips.
This more relaxed style of editing is what I prefer to watch and make.
Great video overall, many things I disagree but one major is that if You want to make a living off of RUclips & social media, it's not about what You want but about what the market wants. You will make 10 videos and see 1 or 2 will work much better than the others. Make more of these.
It's 70% the theme of the video, 20% is the story, 10% is the editing.
And it is 80% what the market wants, 20% what You want. Choose a topic you like and make videos about what people are interested if You don't want to get stuck.
The thing about retention is an overcomplicated nightmare!
I had edited some videos and it was hard to do it, thinking if this video can attract and retain the viewer.
The graph, on the other hand, doesn't help either despite the books I read and watched videos about it and how well is getting received.
One example, in 2021 I uploaded a video about the Latin American furry fandom and how they dealt with the pandemic. Throughout the 2022 until some furry con, the video caught the attention and I got 4k views because of the good response.
Authentic and part of a story. Tell a story. If the story is compelling I would put up with bad audio even. And no one puts up with bad audio.
Definitely agree that your former edits, while good, were painfully over the top and overdone. This style is much better imo!
Painful is gracious lol. He was annoying to watch. You could tell he projected himself differently. I hope he continues to just be himself instead of the other version he created
A few months ago, on my main channel, I posted an unedited video, just talking about my feelings with a specific game while playing it. It was the most watched video on my channel, even with a normal retention rate. The next videos were highly edited, full of effects and humorous. They had high retention but low views.
Watching this video I understood why. Thanks.
I'm so glad to hear that you like my editing style.
I had a 1 million view video and it really has a message people connected with! Went from 300 subs to 2300 in 28 days! And still going. Thanks for the tips
The editing should work to make the video entertaining, fast pace vs slow pace is just a matter of how interesting the initial idea of the video is. If the idea is not super interesting and you just found a way to package it nicely fast/ medium pace is better. If the idea is super interesting or you’re a very unique person slow pace works, but in the case of just minimal editing like Sam and many other special people that just have the X factor over time the channel loses a lot of performance if it doesn’t provide actual value. Imo if done well the only ones who know a video is retention edited are other RUclipsrs cause the audience will just think is an interesting video
When I made my first videos I followed "no rules" coz I did not know there were any! After trying "edit YT retention style" my view time has decreased so much! Might be my target audience can take longer and more authentic edits so I will try to go back to that
I haven't heard the term "retention based editing" but ugh yes it's so rampant on RUclips, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and it's exhausting to watch, not to mention click-baity. With the rise of AI I think it's brought back the need for authenticity, or face-to-camera videos, because that can't be copied and auto generated.
I watch videos from half a dozen different niches and the creators I like best are the ones with simple editing. The quality of the content means so much more to me than a flashy video with garbage content.
I've been doing youtube for 10 years. I've seen how audiences shift over time and my style of content just never fit into that mold. I'm really hoping there comes a time where short films or cinematic series that arent produced by an established entity can make it out there.
Not giving up any time soon. My time will come.
LoL we just recorded a large street party which was very noisy, thousands of people, cutting scenes every 12 seconds on average and people seem to like it. The music is whatever is being played live, nothing we can control. How else would you make an event like this so authentic it feels like you are there? We always strive to improve 🙂
I can't stand retention editing, as a video editor, when I see it, it drives me nuts, it's exhausting.
Well, hell, if we're coming out of the crazy fast editing Era, my Minecraft channel should take off like a bat out of hell!
I edit for a small 200 subscriber gaming channel and tried this method and it didn’t really work. So tried a more laid back approach and it makes it feel so much better.
I'm not going to give up when it comes to my RUclips channel. Will continue to thrive and upgrade. 😊
And I LOVE authentic videos. I just love it 😊❤
Thank youuu!
I honestly love simplicity and calming videos with also movie quality editing but not attention grabbing annoying fast transitions. For me i like to edit like a full tv series that has the nessecary parts
I am in this exact situation (not this channel) . After watching this video, my next video scheduled to go live tomorrow I spent 20 mins editing, mostly just cutting out the dead air, but other then that nothing else. No zooms , no fast paced. I want to see if my audience is also over stimulated. I'll report back on how it went.
As usual, content is king. You can't sustain on just flash you need quality content. Organically growing is slower but more sustainable and better, your audience likes you
Viewers want remarkable not repeatable. Thank you for sharing....I will replicate some of these points in my documentary videos moving forward
That's pretty much my videos, they aren't flash and bang, they are just taking you along with me on photography adventures...hopefully they resonate with some people. 📷😎
If retention editing is dead, then why did you just do it? I tried it a few times for gaming, it was a huge waste of time editing all the extra stuff in there. I would spend hours doing extra editing and get no return on it. Then when I get behind, I would upload a video with minimal editing, and it do way better. I think it all depends on what type of content you are making. You say its dead, but you still do it and doing it for your type of videos is a must to compete with others making similar content like you.
Interesting fact. The same actually goes for night life. Nightclubs are dying out and "social drinking" and other types of bars are becoming a lot more popular.
After reading a lot of comments and watching the video, the big thing I gather is that a lot of people, nowadays, edit for views and not for the message or the content. Having been an editor myself for a long time in marketing and content, you learn that you have to edit for the audience but also for the message and feeling of the video. I think RUclips especially, people see a video work, want to copy the formula to get the same success and not put enough attention or effort in to the message itself. They see that Mr. Beast gets millions of views and it must be because of his editing. No, it's his content and engagement delivered by his personality. Same thing with Casey Niestat, yes, he has great visual storytelling, but he himself is also a fantastic storyteller.
Some videos, Like this one, I could tab away and not even watch and just listen to what you are saying. Which isn't a bad thing. If I am watching for information, I don't always need to be visually entertained. If I am watching a tutorial, I don't need it to be big and flashy. If it is a story, maybe we need the quick edits, maybe we don't, it all depends on the subject matter. Editing is an emotion, it is a formula, but there is a big human element that is still a factor in it that we can't forget. There are a few people like that where you can just listen and the visuals are not as important since they are very charismatic.. Not bad, just depends on the content being delivered. This is why podcasting was such a big medium, we don't always need to be drawn in by big visuals or fast cuts if the charisma and information is there. Which your information is great by the way.
I guess what I am saying is after editing for a long time, you learn how to edit for the information being delivered, the medium through which its being consumed and the audience for which it is being delivered to. It also depends on the platform as well, I know that there is no one size fits all or simple answer. As editors, as creators, we should always be adapting and evolving. The videos I made 10 years ago do not look the same as they do now, I have learned better ways to shoot and communicate through my edit. The videos then fit the time and environment but now they would not stand with my audience or style. We are ever evolving as is our audience so we should never stop learning, growing and gleaning from others.
There is a huge difference between the bodybuilder channel and the Riza channel though... one barely worries about videography at all and one has extremely thought out videography and has creative direction behind the editing. I think your point about "speaking your truth" and being natural on camera is one thing that both channels share... and each channel also has brought something unique forward, in different ways, but both speakers seem to be genuine.
Exactly!
I would like this video more without the whoosh sound and zoom every few seconds. Generally nice advice though. The general desire to create content for the low-attention-span generation, fueling the and maintaining the problem, creates very tiring content. I want to learn, laugh or be entertained by someone/people as though I am inviting them into my home. Lots of rapid cuts and stock clips of things to needlessly demonstrate a point, rather than clear speaking can break the bond between the viewer/listener and the presenter. On that note, youTubers - if you have to edit two halfs of a sentence together - rerecord the whole sentence :D
This very video uses retention editing and I’m watching it. It definitely does work. I think it depends on what you’re trying to get across to the viewer as to what editing style works best.
This is both relevant and not, but I'm someone that uses the YT app to *listen* to video essays when I'm working. This doesn't work for all content, but I spend a *lot* of time with channels whose videos are almost exactly as good if you're not looking at them, which is not as easy as it sounds. Again, this isn't possible for all types of videos, but it does mean I am not going to need to tune into a lot of visual editing to like it, and also don't like to be bombarded with a ton of audio effects, in this particular case. Make sure to focus on good content!
I wonder if this return to less edited format is in part influenced by the popularity of streaming and VODs
I've also notices channels getting praise for being "like old school youtube". People are getting sick of the corpo side of youtube.
I've seen so many "LESS is MORE" advice videos this month and it makes alot of sense.. Plus it's now faster for me to edit my videos - it's a Win - Win for sure..
@@juanchopestudiosYES 100% Great advice for sure!! Stop chasing algorithms and be yourself, that will be what your subscribes want and expect!
6:32 that clip of you rapping made me smile
I just went through the VidIQ 'growth plan', you know when you ask the question about 'which of these thumbnails would you click on?' then show Mr Beast with another person as an option, so I chose the other person, because I absolutely hate the Mr Beast fake face gimmick with a passion, I've never watched a single video of his, & won't... yeah, about that... it really doesn't help that you then tell me I'm wrong for MY CHOICE, and marked me as incorrect for it! Therein lies the problem with all this. We're all different. Perhaps what YT should do is just put content in front of viewers based on the subject they are interested in, rather than gimmick. I'm a gardening channel, so just stick my content in front of the millions of gardening, homesteaders, smallholders, vermicomposters, etc, so they can choose. It's amazing to me that we're told 'make content for people, not algorithms', yet the algorithm tries to micro-manage us before we can even get in front of our people!
I’m telling you he tells no lies… I’m barely getting monetized after two years because I put so much time in editing and trying to entertain. Was until I kept it simple and connected that I saw over a 1000 subs in six months
My shorts were getting decent amount of views, and all of a sudden... BARELY NOTHING!. Frustrating and kinda makes you lose motivation :(
Don’t give up ! Drop a shirt every night and then do a vertical live and I will see you later at the top 🔌
I guess I'm glad I'm ahead of the curve because I prefer the personal slower editing over the try hard stat pumping retention editing style which I just found obnoxious to watch
This is one of my favorite channels at the moment. You guys are on fire, VidIQ. Thank you very much! ❤😎
That thumbnail hooked me (RETENTION EDITING IS DEAD)
good job on the video John, did you make the thumbnails?
if you're reading this right now, there's no better time than now. Don't think its not gonna work cuz it will, you just need to unleash that inner artist and be consistent. It will work out for you!
I hate to say this but, I'm still convinced luck has quite a bit to do with at least how big Sam Sulek is getting for example... I tried what he does on my channel and those videos were by far my worst performing videos. I also play a lot of video games on the channel and one dude commented on one of them that I should add more editing... Maybe it depends on the audience. Maybe my channel works for people who are younger and probably don't have as high of an attention span and therefore, my "authentic" videos don't do well. Or maybe my format just was not good enough or people just don't like me lol. Because of these setbacks I am completely revamping my channel and making sure only to post videos that are gaming videos. The broader niched channel that I actually want to do is performing terribly so from now on, I'm picking the gaming lane because from my experience, it does so much better than the authentic lane. I've been consistently posting for 9 months on this channel... Sorry for shedding such a dark light on things but I believe this is a reality for a lot of creators out there. Do what you love on RUclips at the expense of your performance. Perform well on RUclips at the expense of not doing what you actually want to do...
The videos I subscribe to and watch every video are mostly just someone talking about something I'm interested in, in a genuine and not sensational way. No fancy editing.
Any advice for faceless channels?😅
This is something I think about ALL the time, and I totally agree. Emotional storytelling, told simply, will be next.
Why is that because the viewer trend is changing people start insulting the outgoing trend.... Just absorb the info & use it to your advantage.
I don’t even see this dudes edits anymore he’s so good 👊
Honestly this is so nice to hear, especially as someone who is very new to this platform. I've barely uploaded cuz I was paranoid about keeping good retention, and even though I tried my hardest to replicate Mr. Beast's ADHD style editing, it wasn't working. I'm glad RUclips seems to be changing for the better :)
it takes months to make videos like that. I only made one and it took me a month to do it. I was disappointed with results because it didn't hit 100k views it only hit 1.6k views. That is why I kind of gave up on that. Waste of time.
Would the same work for gaming videos or nah?
Casey Neistat made the most amazing story driven video not too long ago and it didn’t need crazy amounts of editing because it just told such a good story. I’ve been readjusting my editing not only because retention editing seems crazy excessive, but also because it is really tiring to do as well.
We are approaching a time where the public eats up garbage ai assisted content and then disrespects 50 hours of editing, a sad time.
The overall landscape has dumbed down.
As someone doing tutorials for fellow game devs how do i do 4 without laboring the point? I want to help others by making tutorials people want but i feel like talking about myself isn't very helpful for them
I like Vsauce's editing style a lot, it's perfectly in between raw video and super flashy video...
as a tiny creator who has two channels and only barely 200 subs, this made me feel secure in what im doing so thank you
Once again, I am so happy that I almost never fall into the trends of things...I can keep on going in the same way I always have...anonymity!
Dudes the MVP of vidIQ right now, great content every time
I really hope that trend will die. Of course we can adopt some retention styles but long term it doesn't feel vital to consume like that
I'm glad the hype for over-edited videos seems to be falling by the wayside because they're exhausting. They're exhausting to edit, and ironically they're exhausting to watch. I can only handle so many youtubers screaming at me and cutting the video literally every minute as they fight for my attention. It will probably work for younger audiences, but personally my favorite videos to watch are the ones that almost feel like a cozy livestream.
Merci beaucoup ! Je vais essayer d'appliquer ça, je débute, c'est le moment de commencer du bon pied !
Rention editing still has an impact on the younger audience, but it is important to know your demographic and what they specifically want.
WOW Your soooo right. I wanted to bring the public info on wood working in a professional environment...not a professional editing suite production. My videos get out information I think the public wants over fancy edits and there are comments indicating apparently we are on to something. Check out my theory if you prefer info over bells and whistles... GREAT VIDEO!
as for your thumbnails, the third one looks good