I Don’t Think People Realise The Cash YouTubers Make

Whilst scrolling my news feed when I should have been on my way somewhere I saw a comment on a news article that drove me up the wall. I never get this pissed at people’s comments online, but this was trig-ger-ing. 

The article was about a “YOUTUBE STAR”, I didn’t click and read the story I just read the comments. (Does anyone else do that? I kinda live for the comments section. I never comment I just lurk and read comments like a stalker).

I digress, the top comment was what pissed me the hell off. It was liked multiple times and read:

“Please stop calling people who post stuff on YouTube and Instagram 'stars', and 'influencers'. 🙄 The right word is 'hobbyist'.”

Ah. Noooooo. Noooo way.

You’re wrong. Anonymous man. So very wrong. Just to be clear – the dictionary.com defines hobby as “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: their hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving”.

The “YouTube star” that was in the article was LIZA KOSHY, who, has 16 million subscribers on YouTube. 16 MILLION!! Without counting her TV roles, endorsements, merchandise and YouTube TV series. Liza Koshy is/was a full time YouTuber. 

Meaning she makes her main income, from her monthly YouTube revenue. She’s not doing YouTube as a hobby and working at Forever New. Nope. In fact, she's making bank!  

YouTube and Instagram is no hobby for a lot of people. It’s their full-time job.

In fact, so many kids are wanting to be “YouTubers” when they grow up, because it is a viable career now. Pending your content, audience, views etc. 

So, what happens is, you know the ads that roll before, under or during YouTube videos? You, as a creator, receive a portion of that. The more subscribers/views on your videos, the more potential revenue.

For example. I know people who have full staff to create their YouTube content, I know people who earn $40k a month from YouTube revenue. I know people who are 23 and own multi million dollar properties from YouTube revenue. It ain't no hobby for some. 

For others, it is.  I personally wish I had as much money as some of the top YouTubers, but alas, I only have 87k subscribers so depending on how many videos I release a month and how well they are viewed my income is at a hobby level and still have to work a “normal” job. 

But I think anyone who can build an audience of over a million followers on a platform like YouTube and make a consistent income… Is a star. (With the exception of a few.) It's hard work and a lot of people can’t do it. 

To that anonymous man, I hope this has shed some light on your comment. You probably won’t read this and if you do you’ll comment something like “this woman is an idiot” and then you’ll have written your first factual comment online.

Listen to Tanya Hennessy on Weekend Breakfast across the Hit Network! Catch up with the show here.