The comedian’s move to shift away from the Google-owned video-sharing platform could signal the start of other creators shifting away from the said platform who tries to pander to legacy media.
Everyone who knows podcast certainly knows Joe Rogan. He is an American comedian who has been spending more than one decade in producing his show called Joe Rogan Experience. He began his career with just videos of himself as well as his fellow comics filming the breeze and smoking weeds before and after their gigs.
Joe Rogan on YouTube Moves
Ten years later, he now owns one of the biggest and most popular talk shows in the world. Even presidential candidates and the biggest Hollywood stars line up just to join him in his show. Rogan and his show have an enormous effect on people that he was able to affect Tesla stock’s price when he had Elon Musk as a guest.
In the light of all the fame, it is probably no longer surprising that Spotify swayed Rogan into their platform and away from YouTube after offering him a cheque for allegedly $100 million. To put it in a clearer context, the offer is more than Howard Stern, Dr. Phil, Ryan Seacrest, Rush Limbaugh, and Ellen DeGeneres, who were all valued by Forbes Magazine last year in the top five World’s Highest-Paid Hosts.
Rogan is so popular that all his arena tours are always sold out. He and Netflix also have a long-running deal to screen his specials and his color commentator role for the UFC. These, along with Spotify’s $100 million offer, made him a staggeringly rich man. You can actually be the next YouTube star by buying views reviews.
The Shift From YouTube to Spotify
Ever since Joe Rogan Experience first aired, YouTube has been its home. His channel called PowerfulJRE has over eight million subscribers as well as monthly views at around 400 million. Yet, despite Rogan’s huge success on the video-sharing platform, he still decided to leave and shift away to a different platform. He will still continue on updating his YouTube channel where he publishes 5-15 minute clips from his show. However, his flagship multiple hour shows will be exclusive only on Spotify.
According to Rogan, one of the reasons why he shifted away from YouTube was the way it censors both his and other creators’ content. Back then, he often complains about his shows being demonetized by YouTube.
YouTube’s Demonetization Process
Demonetization is a process where YouTube strips away advertisements from a video. A demonetized video is no longer eligible to make any money from their videos posted on the platform. The reason why YouTube demonetizes certain videos is that the advertisers it features on a video will be unhappy seeing that the video they are in is deemed as problematic.
Last October 2019, Rogan stated that YouTube scrambles for control. In addition, it wants to control the way individuals communicate. He also noted that YouTube wants to make money, so they incentivize creators who they can profit from. For instance, if a YouTube video does not contain any bad language or controversial topics, it becomes more appealing to the eyes of advertisers. Rogan added that for these advertisers, videos similar to what he uploads are a limited advertisers option.
For the likes of Rogan, demonetization is like a disease that afflicts them for no valid reason. Rogan seems to end up demonetized simply because he has the right of center guests on his videos. He was demonetized for the said reason despite interviewing and stating that he would have given his vote to Bernie Sanders if only he had won the democratic nomination. He was also vocal with his support from Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic congresswoman.
Several influencers also called out the platform for its politically motivated censorship. Some of these influencers are Steven Crowder who is a conservative comic and talk show host, Carl Benjamin– a British YouTuber, and another talk show host named Dave Rubin. All of them appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience.
Rogan’s Shift May Be the First of Many
Rogan’s move to leave YouTube should become a wake-up call to the platform. He is one of the most outrageous and most visible artists on the platform. Moreover, his shift from YouTube to Spotify is probably the first of many similar moves. Crowder has now released his videos on BlazeTV while Rubin partnered with author Jordan Peterson and has already put up his a social network of his own called Thinkspot. Similarly, Benjamin also announced that he will be leaving YouTube and intends to set up his very own platform.
YouTube Decides to Prioritize Its So-called Authoritative Sources
Along with the move to penalize content creators with wrong thinking, YouTube also decided that it will prioritize what is coined as “authoritative sources.” This means that the platform biased its algorithms to prioritize mainstream news outlets like BBC, Fox News, and CNN rather than individual creators. The news angered independent content creators who contributed to building YouTube’s popularity. It also annoyed viewers who use YouTube in order to escape from the MSM.
Conclusion
In the coming years, Rogan’s decision to move from Spotify to YouTube will be seen as a landmark moment in media history. Seeing that they will have more earning potential, many content creators will more likely shift away from YouTube while it resumes pandering old media giants.
A vast majority of individuals who watch content on YouTube are young people who look for something fresh. On the other hand, the average age of people who watch news outlets like CNN and BBC is 60. This means that if YouTube will continue to prioritize its authoritative sources, it will not only lose its content creators but also its viewers. So, if the video-sharing platform wants to keep its stellar talent, then it has to stop trying to force its viewers to accept its California liberal West Coast values to them. Moreover, it should also remain true to its original mission, “Broadcast Yourself.”
Date: June 15, 2020 / Categories: YouTube, / Author: Joy P
