Marc Cuniberti One of the most popular participation and viewing platforms is YouTube.
It is owned by Google and is the second most viewed web visit site surpassed only by its Google search.
YouTube is headquartered in San Bruno, California, founded by three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim– in February 2005. Google bought the site in November 2006 for US$1.65 billion.
A bargain considering its popularity. YouTube features just about everything a person would want to see. From how-to videos to science, comedy, advertisements, news coverage, and a variety of oddities and knick-knack clips that run the gamut of imagination.
Many videos are slammed up by people just for grins, or to share information. Some strive to be YouTube stars or audition for fame, while others just want to help people.
I have always wondered just how the most popular channels come to be, how much they make and how they make it. Instead of Googling what makes YouTubers tick and ring the register, I turned to Nevada County YouTuber Juan Browne, who operates the Blancolirio channel with over 373,000 subscribers. I was made aware of his channel years back when he had about 35,000 subscribers.
Browne focuses mainly on aviation and related topics but will venture into other events and information such as weather-related topics including wildfires, motorcycling, living in the mountains, and other areas of current interest. It’s safe to say however, his main thrust is aviation, its events and mishaps, both minor and major, with an emphasis on aviation safety.
Browne is a U.S. Air Force-trained career pilot and now flies for a major airline as the first officer on wide-body passenger jets.
YouTubers start by enrolling on YouTube and creating an account. Browne started his Blancolirio channel in 2010 but it really didn’t take off until the 2017 spillway failure at the Oroville Dam in Oroville, California. His first video on the spillway failure had over 400,000 views and subscribers soon jumped from 4000 to 40,000. Browne soon discovered the spillway event required his full-time attention producing videos detailing the progress of the repair.
The next big leap in subscriber growth transpired in 2020 with NBA star Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash.
Browne, who covered the event in multiple videos, soon found his expertise as a career pilot and attention to factual detail made for much-needed answers to complex questions surrounding aviation disasters. His coverage increased to over 200,000 subscribers after the Kobe Bryant series and currently stands at 373,000.
With his steady coverage of aviation events and other related topics, Blancolirio continues to grow at a rate of a few thousand a month.
Turning videos into cash currently starts by exceeding 500 subscribers and 3000 hours of video viewed in the last 12 months. After flipping the switch, turning on monetization, and providing bank information to YouTube, you will receive your share of the previous month’s ad revenue on the 21st of each month. Ad revenue varies depending on your content, the type of ad attached to your video, and the season in which they are broadcast. The holiday season is generally the most lucrative.
Doing the math on the Blancolirio channel, one million views in a 30-day period yields about $5,000 for that month. Browne’s channel receives on average between two to three million views per month. Browne also uses the Patreon subscription service where subscribers to his channel can provide additional support and in return, view most videos ad free plus view additional content. The Blancolirio channel has approximately 3000 Patreon supporters paying anywhere between two to ten dollars per month. YouTube can demonetize a video (will not generate revenue) for violation of YouTube guidelines which may include copyright infringement or inappropriate content as determined by YouTube.
In conclusion, YouTube is an example of how following one’s passion can result in a paycheck and on occasion, like Juan Browne, quite a healthy one. Keep in mind, however, to garner such wages, Browne produces two to four videos a week. Definitely not an endeavor for the indolent.
“Watching the markets so you don’t have to”
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This article expresses the opinion of Marc Cuniberti and is not meant as investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities, nor represents the opinion of any bank, investment firm or RIA, nor this media outlet, its staff, members or underwriters. Mr. Cuniberti holds a B.A. in Economics with honors, 1979, and California Insurance License #0L34249. His insurance agency is BAP INC. that can be contacted at (530)559-1214. Email: [email protected]
