Oh yea been trying for years. mostly documenting the build im doing and going to events. And yea its extremely difficult to get traction. And when you got a 9-5 it gets in the way. Then dumping 40k into a car for minimal views is uh yea it sucks,but never made the channel specifically views either. Also progress builds suck for views. People want a full build in like 10 minutes and it just doesnt happen. Especially working a 9-5 were your just strapped for cash constantly and really slows down the build which makes it even harder. It also depends on which platform. If you chose a rare platform with not much aftermarket support you get minimal views. Like mitsubishi builds/ channels get lew views than hondas or if you got a widebody Gtr. Atleast from what i've noticed. And if you don't have optimal recording equipment hurts to. Not having a camera crew because no money limits your ability get certain shots which limtis your channel and so on and so far ad infinitum.
I stopped because I felt like I had to constantly one up myself to get noticed and in order to do that it would require money that I didn’t feel comfortable spending
Yeah, that's what I'm doing currently. I'm just uploading stuff that I think would be nice for other people to see. Namely video game footage and stuff like that. Most of my recent uploads are me doing some online storm chasing.
Track reviews always do poorly. At this point we just do track reviews for the fun of it, not for the views. Really wanted to comment that we've been on UA-cam for 18 years now and this is one of the best overviews on the automotive space I've seen in a while. Solid. 👍
in 2019~ i learning a lot and or seeing how i could be more ready for the hobby classes of tracking ( in the rob's/'s episode's shows how cooling like radiator's can make or rune your experience/day ( doesn't help i see it as a all-weekend/time-off-requested ( 2 to 8 hour's on track driving/entertainment/enjoyment, a lot like my golf-hobby and or cruise ship and or restaurants-fancy and the list go's on as the indyapolise/mecum's joke-go's ) deal and or 400+USD tickets for the track ( spectators aka pit-crew or wifeys add more $$ for miller's it was i think 90+ per-person last i looked in 2008 or 2019-era's and that's assuming they all fit inside the charger/same-car ) on top of anything broken or food or travel or hotel's ect, and currently im the le mon's and or drag&drive without trailering-ect and or technically apartments-dwelling types ) and or in my classes/case i probably was assuming that i needed more AC-air&boost/diff/transmission/brake/other-cooling-package than actually needed for a 20-120m track time on-kill-mode, but still handy to have if managed-well in a ~5k lb~muscle/fat-lolz car ) and or streetcar build setup's ( plus better defensive coaching/driving techniques, as current plan is avoiding the wreckage+no-ABS-ect as lap's/belts the most i got for now vs a 2024~model's ) and data-login ( one series showed how to adjust alinement's and why and or themed-car-types and or had thermal-cameras pointing at the tire's-ect and or mildly interesting the theory's that is could automatically adjusting/AI-learning on the fly ect ) as my vin roll'd off the line pre1970 and tire ( or engine management for that fact ) technology as one example has changed a lot sense 1950's/originally-plans ect currently im bummed out about salt lake city Utah shuttered the 1/4 / drag( now apartment's/skyscrapers or so im told as i haven't bothered to go to that part of the city after 2022~ ) and or vary intermittent activity for auto-X and or miller's-sports park, also didn't help that during covid-era/2019~ my charger got stolen-ect and or now a shell/more work than it was in 2017~era and me getting to daily-it ect in my 30's im not interested in taking the 60's-vin on the salt/speed-racing just to much effort and or iv gotten-soft with age, a beater-vin that is see as disposable( rust and grime ect ) and has the safety's already to go i might as it's still on my bucket-list of fun things to try but not for the red-hat after a couple of wrecks/twister's i might have got PTSD as anything past 60~mph i get subconscious nervous about, 2008~/19yo-me was fine with 230mph/though's-of-it
nobody wants to watch someone else drive a race track especially if they won't ever be able to do that themselves , couple that with the fact that it's extremely hard to film a track video and get more than a couple angles so the viewer is missing most of the action . that's why drag racing content does great because the viewer can see all the action and everyone thinks they can do it (they can't😂)
If the video is well edited with voiceover in post explaining complex and unique insights that are interesting to your average car enthusiast, it does well. Track reviews come off as poorly edited steaming VODs. I don't even watch them, and I drive on the track 😴
The "I used to watch you all the time" explanation is so real. I distinctly remember watching your videos when I was a teen and I was barely old enough to get my permit...I'm turning 29 this year. I would watch the Nessa Evo video DAILY, but then I graduated, got a job and my priorities in life drastically changed. But I promise you that the viewers that left years ago still come back once in a while to check in and see how you're doing. I know I do, and I still watch the Nessa videos from time to time, but these days I get to drive my own Evo X every day.
Same for me but the one I watched the most was the 1000hp Supra. For me, my tastes have changed as I got older. Back then, I used to admire big horsepower modded cars and while I still respect those cars, I prefer stock or OEM+ cars now for the most part. Some of the cars he reviewed (like the 350z with the fart tune from last year) is just not my thing anymore. I still stick around to watch his videos discussing car news though because I like hearing his thoughts about them.
Hit that nail on the head man. Turning 29, used to watch every video, now I just pop in from time to time. My favorite was the teal boosted Integra that became the intro sound 🤘🏻Used to build Hondas, now I just enjoy my stock WRX and going to motorsport museums.
I can relate to that. I followed him when he bought Smurf. I bought a 14 GT Premium and related to his content. I liked when he kept it simple. This is the first video of his I've watched in many years.
Very well said David, totally agree. People don’t realize the emotional turmoil, especially when a channel is struggling and you have family or significant others counting on you. Thanks for bringing awareness to this.
As a small-time content creator who makes (mostly) car stuff, I can definitely understand the struggles and frustration that was being said in this video. As of right now I make a lot of stuff on racing games, and even then that space can be tricky to break through with how competitive the gaming niche is. But as much as how temping it is to make a decent stream of income from making content, you also don’t want to become diluted from what you had enjoyed in the first place. Even I should be well aware of what I am getting myself into before the dice had rolled. However at the same time being able to make some people laugh and be entertained to make their day to a point where they become your most loyal followers is be biggest wealth that any content creator that can get! No matter how much views or money one would earn from videos alone.
Speaking on your interaction with fans, I 100% vouch you were great. I met you with my wife at an event, you crossed the street in front of my car and you walked up to my window and said how cool it was. Talked to you for a few minutes after that and it was the highlight of my day. She still talks about how you're the coolest youtuber IRL
Agreed. I gained a whole new level of respect for David when I met him at Ice Cream Cruise. I felt bad for bugging him and didn't know what to expect, but he came over, shook my hand, and showed me a couple of the cars there that he was going to be reviewing later. Easily my favorite part of ICC '25.
I am sure I'm not the only content creator thinking this... I felt like this was me talking in almost every point you made. Makes me feel a little less crazy - Thanks dude! 🤘
UA-cam is the hardest platform. Personally it has been a struggle to make this channel profitable. Years ago I started to rely less on the advertising revenue and to just focus on building and enjoying cars and sharing with others and the money would come later. Well I am still waiting on the money to come but I build some cool cars and have been able to share some crazy experiences.
Been making content since 2019, unintentionally stopped making full UA-cam videos in 2023 after my son was born, and only made tiktok and shorts. 2025 time to get back to full length videos
I think that breaking into YT, especially in the auto industry; is much harder than it was even a couple of years ago. There is so many people that it can be hard to break out and find tour own niche
The most notable thing I've observed in general is that people who get into things solely for money burn out FAST. If you want to be a UA-camr, you have to be passionate about being creative; brainstorming ideas, curious, open minded etc. My biggest regret is not pursuing motorcycle building as soon as I had my first job at 16; I squandered so much time and money in my teens and early-mid 20's because I was worried about failing, scared of looking stupid, and thinking that my skills aren't good enough. Your skills will never be good enough, you'll never be confident enough...if you want to do this for real, START NOW. Because the day where you're self assured, confident and not worried of other's opinions isn't going to come until you overcome adversity over and over again, and to get to that requires years and years of being on the struggle bus, making peanuts and having people roll there eye's when you tell them you're an aspiring UA-camr. Regardless of how much other content is out, there's ALWAYS room for Creative, Original works, so don't get discouraged if you truly are passionate. Money will always come if you're skilled and stay the course!
Business are open door prisons that suck out your life, If you dont have passion, you will realize that the money may not be worth giving your life away and when you start hiring someone for everything, its basically no longer your business
This is genuinely the best advice not about youtube but life in general. ever thought about giving motivational speeches on the side? cuz damn that'd be good!
This was cathartic to watch. Hearing someone relate to the realities of making car content. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, trying to build a car on a UA-cam timeline is so hard. Financially and mentally, but you kinda get sucked in. I recently had to check myself and reduce uploads to every week as I just couldn’t build fast enough without ruining my body. But I love making the videos and talking with people who share my passion. The whole thing is a learning process, figuring out the balance is the main thing and it changes at every stage of growth. Great video man! Thank you!
I think Mighty Car Mods his the balance just right. They do relatable builds, they do vlogs, they have their own shop space, they do track challenges, off road challenges... All while keeping a small staff. Yet somehow they're also incredible at filming and their production value is amazing. They have a solid lineup of sponsors and have become hometown heroes to Australia. Heck they even got their faces on WD-40 cans! I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into it, though. They must be constantly filming and working on cars and traveling. I get exhausted thinking about it!
As far as I know they both maintained incomes independent from UA-cam for a really long time (and by now they should have some decent cash unless something went horribly wrong at some point). I think that must have helped, that way they managed to consistently do stuff they really wanted to.
7:00 Zack Jobe was so smart to call the Donut series Money Pit, because it really set the stage for how those "build" type shows often go. The original Miata series was almost automotive UA-cam perfection: great title, a very common car that lots of people rally behind, mods that actually matter to people with the car, and informative commentary injected with lots of great insight and humor. It's my favorite series Donut ever did outside of Up To Speed and Science Garage (with Bart), and im so glad he's doing similar stuff over in the new BigTime channel with Uncle Jerry.
I started automotive UA-cam almost 7 years ago. I’m still not big and UA-cam famous. But it opened a lot of doors. I raced my car on NETFLIX, I built a RTR Mustang live at SEMA where I met you lol I’ve done a lot more, but I do it because I love it. Marketing, media, building my own cars etc. if the camera wasn’t there I would still do it because the cars are for me.
I agree, and even as a small UA-camr I have been able to meet so many people and have gotten opportunities I would have never had. I now have friends in California, Texas, NY, UK, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico... like that's just crazy to think about. I literally tell all my friends to start a UA-cam channel. It's just crazy that we have a platform like this to put ourselves out there in front of people that would have never known we existed otherwise...
@ and that’s the best part is the people and the stories and adventures. I think people get caught up in the idea of being famous for the sake of being famous rather than the genuine human connection of a shared passion. I made some friends in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and visited them my last trip. I plan on doing some drifting with my people out there; I LOVE the car culture in PR 😁
The thing is. Everybody wants to be different with their build. UA-cam brought a lot of crazy builds to light that none of us would have gotten to see. But things just kept getting crazier and it feels like there’s nothing original you can do that 1 would be any practical sense and 2 have to have 10s of thousands to accomplish to be different. And with current and future automotive tech. It feels like car culture as we knew it is dead.
I've been doing UA-cam since like mid 2018 and didn’t even hit 1,000 subs until the end of 2023. I'm a DIY channel mostly, just showing the things i do to my personal vehicles. Then i occasionally hit a car show and do shorts and sometimes videos of other people's vehicles. I recently did a partial cleaning and painting of my lowriders frame which did well. UA-cam's up and down for me. Sometimes I can do really well on a video or shorts and then other times views are low like now. Usually from November until it gets warmer outside views are like a roller coaster. This is a good video and I'm still watching at this point.
We are currently doing a Ferrari 458 Father and Son project rebuild. I must say I wish I watched this video a long time ago. You tube is a very hard beast to learn. Im a full-time firefighter so finding the time to get content out is hard. We still love it but doing a Ferrari as a first car may have been too big of a project. We are still building and we will see what the future brings us. Thanks for such a great video . Take care.
David, really appreciate you putting this video together. I'm in my first year (well, really first six months) in automotive youtube going from 0 to 2k subscribers and hearing this, so much of what you said has already rung true. The rest is a valuable warning about what's to come. I know you put this up maybe expecting it to not do as well as your usual stuff, so it means a lot to still put it out anyway for those of us that needed to hear it. (And if you need some history videos to fall asleep to, why not come over and watch some automotive history? ;) Seriously, thanks again.
Because I was once just a viewer and I met you at Atlanta speed way, fast forward 8 years! And you are now one of my closest friends and I've been there for special moments in your life...like your surprise engagement for your Dirty 30! Helping you get your BUSTED 240 to the shop when you first got it, and long long hours in the shop wrenching on cars all the way to getting my A$$ whooped in mortal kombat by you playing Sub-zero haha. God bless you and your family and your UA-cam channel without it we technically would have never met. Love you broski 🫡
Definitely spot on with all of the topics and points you made. Not only that but also worth mentioning is is how the ad revenue keeps going down for the same amount of views. It’s a grind for sure!
As someone who just began my own UA-cam journey with car content, for me its been something that has been natural. I don't want to say easy, but I have not stressed about this. I run a podcast talking about car news/industry and can relate to the waiting for the industry to have compelling news to speak on. However, my entire life has been me talking about automotive news, reading magazines, websites (daily), so this is second nature to me. I truly enjoy the podcasting portion of my channel and so far have made it to 80 episodes so far. The car build side landed on a GR Corolla because I was personally buying it for myself anyways. That has turned out WAY better than I could have imagined just from my standard filming and installing parts I want. Its turned into sponsorships and partnerships, and I am a channel in its infancy. I say this all the time: There is room for anyone who wants to put in the time and effort. I am not looking for some overnight success. I look forward to years 5, 6, 7, and 8. I love the journey. Its been a blessing so far, I can not complain about what I've been able to accomplish. Yes there are more goals, new changes, new content ideas, but this is working my creative side/mind and that I love doing. I continue to watch your channel and this was a good video to remind me to keep it going. Thanks for all the content you continually produce.
This was extremely relatable. The ranking system doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I have had some of my best videos start off as a complete flop 10 of 10 and they stay down there for a day or two before the proper audience is found. Likewise I have had 1 of 10s in the first few hours fall down to a 5 or so after a couple days because they flash quick and die out for some reason. I can't figure out why that happens.
I watch a lot of automotive You Tube creators, and Sarah-N-Tuned has expressed many of the same feelings that you have. For sure, it's a tough gig, but if you do it right, it can be rewarding. Best of luck to your continued success.
I am not a youtuber nor will I be , but after seeing this video and you basically putting the harsh reality out there about having a youtube channel, it makes me respect what you do WAY more (ive always had respect cor ehat you do here on your channel, but this brought it to another level.). I appreciate what you do for all us car enthusiasts out there and keep up the great work!!!! 👍
I know it’s not “fetch” but your content is being our friend man. That’s your hustle, being an awesome guy. Been a sub since 2013 or so. My favorite content of yours is these type vids and honest and wholesome reviews. We kinda grew up together in a way. Now I’m commenting on a UA-cam video… that’s more powerful than you think considering I was watching this on my tv and opened my phone to do this. lol
As a car content creator myself, 16:08 hits me really hard. I mean, you've FINALLY found the one thing you're remotely capable of doing in life and all of a sudden, you're the AH. You lose friends, it affects relationships, all because you love what you do. Edit: What's worse is that alot of people think you're slacking off or "not working". They don't ubderstand why I can't have a "nornal" job and a normal life
I felt every bit of the mental, time management, ranking system, emotional management stuff in my SOUL 😭 Awesome video dude! Love behind the scenes stuff like this and seeing all the direct similarities between the automotive stuff and the motorcycle stuff that I do 🤘🏻
So many good points. Automotive UA-cam is hard. Especially when you have a 9-5 that you enjoy. I can say that I don't envy any UA-camrs, I don't think I could deal with the stress of the highs and lows. But I appreciate the dedication and hard work you guys put in to make content for us.
I can't believe how many parallels between us... all of it down to including the history documentaries to sleep. This is spot-on. All of it. I'm 17 years deep now. Only difference is I've had a full time job the whole time parallel to it. Only advice I have is don't let social media be the focus of your financial success. Make it something you ALSO do. If you achieve it on social media parallel to that, then be happy. Many eggs. Many baskets. Edit: Ad revenue doesn't fund car builds.
Ive been thinking about doing some sort of content creation, in the automotive space, and this vid really put thungs into perspective, thank you for the info and personal perspectives 🙏🏼
The biggest thing that gets me is the emotional regulation. I have the habit of rethinking my content strategy after I try something new and the video doesn't do well. On the other side of it, I am REALLY blessed to have a supportive wife.
For what it’s worth I love the grip racing content! Also something I find interesting with this channel is that I started watching for the car reviews but now I tend to be more interested in these more commentary style videos, especially related to news in the automotive industry. Regardless this is one of my favorite channels and has been for a good number of years now, keep up the fantastic work!
Been a Car Content YTer for 5 years. It is difficult. I work every day... And I'm retired!!! Weird. There is SO much to learn and ppl have NO idea what it's like and how much effort it takes. You're right. I never stop too. It is such a challenge to me to improve. Ppl interested in doing YT videos should first begin with it as a hobby. Like you said, experiment a lot. Try not to take it too personally, especially when beginning. The Auto & Vehicle niche is also SO incredibly saturated... Anyway... rambling. Thanks for your thoughts. Keep after it! You have done a great job.
@ThatDudeinBlue Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. As a do everything myself automotive UA-camr I can 110% relate to everything you talked about in some way,shape or form. When I started a few years ago there wasn’t many “how to be a UA-camr” videos out and I had to learn how to video, edit and manage my time and travel with also having a family and it is not easy at all. The easiest part of it is the working on the cars part and the fabrication stuff…😆. But I enjoy it so much especially when I’m around a lot of people at the tracks and shops that I really wish I would have started along time ago. Thanks for the video and I’m sure I’ll see you around at some events 🤘
I’ve been doing it for four years now and it has definitely been difficult. I just now started to pick up in traffic around Nov 2023 and it’s so satisfying seeing a video grow in views like you never expected to.
I plan on starting a channel this year but it’s gonna be more for fun then money, if it gets bigger cool if not all good. PS when I got to meet you at Mustang week you’re such a great guy and down to earth. We didn’t have that omg it’s that dude in blue it was a genuine convo amongst friends like we always knew each other, never change.
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos. Your perspective on all of these things is so good. Especially your views about fan interactions! I'll be hanging out here more just because of your grounded values.
UA-cam is definitely hard work, i can only imagine how much work you are doing. Its helped me that i dont rely completely on car content, but admittedly, it's cause my "growth" to be slower...but thats cool with me...good video!
When UA-camrs start buying the supercars, the houses, the glamorous lifestyle, I do find myself watching them less. I feel a big disconnect and dont enjoy watching them as much.
It's a hard job man! I don't envy your work, but I am glad that you do it. You bring the most interesting cars and stories to the table. Been here for years, and I hope you keep cooking and keep it real.
Love the insight as always David. The clear relationship you've always kept with your viewers is very nice and what I enjoy most about your channel. I don't feel like I'm a "fan" of yours, but I very much do enjoy your content and have been subscribed for probably 8+ years now. Keep doing what you're doing man, being genuine is what has always kept me subbed 🤙🏽
I dabble in UA-cam and since I’m already in the automotive space with my blog, I figured it would transition well. It is DIFFICULT! As soon as I get on camera I struggle, whereas my articles come to me naturally. Your findings on UA-cam traction with different kinds of videos mirrors my experience on my blog as well. Very much working towards having the camera confidence that you do!
Loved this video man. I appreciate the authenticity, transparency, and insight you give. I’ve been a regular viewer of the channel since the beginning and you really are the same person now as you were back then (at least thru my lens). You and Doug are the only car UA-camrs I keep up with since I genuinely like you guys as people regardless of the content uploaded. This type of format for videos you’ve been uploading for a while now is always a treat to listen to since we know you just want to get in front of the camera and talk about what’s going on in your mind - and we appreciate it. I hope 2025 is another great year for you and I can’t wait to see what’s in store! Cheers from South Dakota 🤙🏻
Bro this video really hit home! I may not be a big channel but ive put years into it and i can honestly say its not for everybody no matter how good it looks on the outside. Everything you mentioned here is super relatable
Very nice video! I’ve been doing UA-cam for 5 years now. Lately I’ve been getting a little traction on a few videos. I definitely can’t wait to try changing thumbnails and titles for videos! I’ve never tried that or really heard about it . Glad your channel is doing well. I ran into you a few times and you definitely are a nice person who cares about his fans
This video is very useful; thank you for making it. You gave me an idea of where to start and what it's like building cars that don’t perform well and making videos too.
I always appreciate the honesty with your videos man. A lot of what you speak about is knowing what your business is within the car space. Getting that down is like 80% of the way through.
The bit about changing thumbnails and titles makes so much more sense now. I've been seeing this a ton lately and I could never figure out why creators were doing this. I watch a few different genres of content and I've seen it in all of them. Gotta cater to the algorithm lol. Unfortunately that's the world we live in with tik tok and short form content taking over and people don't have the bandwidth watching videos longer than 10 minutes before clicking off. Witch hurts watch time and thus the ranking of the vid.
I'm not the only person with a short attention span I'll watch a 2 hour long video about the things that interest me if it doesn't then I'll click off cause it's boring for me too watch.
Super appreciative to have a video like this! Thank you for being so forthcoming. No doubt I can definitely see how much work you put into this and also can feel how heart breaking it might be to be in this space sometimes. Thank you!
I’ve been around since you started, met you a few times since we had mutual friends and were at meets all the time (different car culture) You’ve grown a lot and your content has remained entertaining and I’ve always appreciated the amount of work you put into your editing. Proud of you man, and proud of how when you’ve had issues you’ve powered through and remained yourself. Hope you and the wife are well, keep killing it !
This has been the hardest thing for me to come to terms with. I have been trying to start a youtube on building my sn95 and it has been rough. I work swing shift 12.25hr shifts and still try to find time to make content but I got burnt out fast trying to do everything. So I have taken a break from it for a while and I'm hoping to start trying to upload to it soon. Also wanted to say you've been an inspiration for me to try and keep pushing forward with uploading and working on cars even when times are tough, so thanks!
UA-cam is not like it use to be. So many have become corporate or just for the views rather than for the passion and/or delivering quality to the audience. Kudos to you David for staying true.
Been years since I watched a UA-cam video all the way through.... I 100% agree. Automotive UA-cam is one of the hardest! Genre out in the UA-cam Space. Good to see the OG's keep pushing forward.
Thanks for making this video soooo much. I recently started having some of my socials blow up and my loved ones started to feel all that and I can relate with you and this just helps me feel like I'm not alone.
It's crazy how perfectly timed this video was for me, kinda gave me a reality check about automotive youtube that i needed. A really great introspective look into the behind the scenes that a lot of creator dont go into detail on.
Heyo, one of the grocery store encounters here and locals in Gwinnett! Appreciate your honesty in this and a lot of it you've said in the past too which really helped jumping into youtube. Thankfully with those expectations set the car stuff could stay as a hobby with no pressure to post or impress anyone, just an "I'll document this myself and see who tags along". That mentality seems to really draw focus on the creator themselves so it's more so each experience in a video versus the cars themselves. You, Dahm, Cleet, and Derek are all great examples of this! One day I'll submit some cars for your review stuff if you post another slot in Georgia or say something at Lanier, cheers!
I haven’t watched a lot of the guys stuff but I just subscribed after watching this. He seems like really good young guy, working his butt off to make it work. Much respect ✊
This video was very much needed. Thank you for providing so much info. As a small content creator that has decided to take UA-cam seriously this year, this video has given me the edge I need to keep going!
I honestly can't remember when i found your channel, but it's been at least a few years. You put into words part of why i like your channel so much. I love stories. I never even realized that's what your channel is really about because i figured your Niche was more about "here's a bunch of cool tuner cars." There's Throttle House with new cars, Redriven with used cars, and you with Tuner Cars. That's what i thought, but no, you tell a story and you do a damn good job. Cheers to you, David, and i wish you the best.
If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have started UA-cam as an automotive creator. The cost to create the videos is far more than the return you get unless you consistently get hundreds of thousands of views every video. I was lucky to have one of my videos go viral and that has given my channel a massive boost in growth. I've tried so many times to recreate my own success and it just doesn't happen. My journey has been nothing but hectic and stressful. There's so many times that want to pause and focus my energy somewhere else but I can't seem to get myself to commit to that idea because I do really enjoy making these videos. It's a hard job, harder than you ever thought it would be. I'm not sure if i will ever give it up, but i definitely found myself scaling back a lot and slowing down my productivity. I'll probably continue to scale back to give myself time to work on other areas in my business so i don't go crazy.
Thanks for the great video, David. I started an automotive UA-cam channel at the end of 2023 and got super lucky to get some growth right away. Wasn’t really prepared for it so I spent a lot of time this past year trying to figure out where to take the channel in 2025. This vid definitely has given me some ideas and inspiration, as well as some appropriate cautions. Thanks, man!
I agree with everything you're saying. The automotive space is small and competition is tough. I've been going at UA-cam for almost 3 years now and have been failing over and over and over. Trying to grow a UA-cam Channel and balance a "real job" really wears you out (both mentally and financially). I have a baller job and a cheap car but still find it tough. Best of luck to those that are trying to make it!
In regards to the emotional regulation ( 20:15 ) bit, a lot of channels, regards of the niche, really struggle with the idea of amount of effort not equaling amount of value (for the viewer). If you're sanding down a car body to prepare it for paint, switching from sandpaper to a single grain of sand is going to make it a TON of work, but that's not going to translate to views simply by merit of being difficult. There may be an idea there that can be used for novelty, but even novelty and difficulty combined won't always land the click and watch. Excellent video, David, you covered the topic very well!
I tried doing UA-cam a couple of times over the years but due to a mixure of my speech issues and not being able to get myself comferable infront of the camera, overall I did better then what I thought I would lol, It was harder then what I thought it would be and I learnt a lot from running my own channel. Me and my bf meet you once back in 2022 when we were on holiday in the USA, I ended up dragging him to a car show a day after we landed simpley because you said you be there and my bf isn't a car guy and wasn't excited lol. You looked dead tired and exhausted you spoke to us for 10-15mins and listened to this excited Australian who yelled out to you and you were friendly as. Keep up the good work :)
OMG! It was like you read my mind on the failed merch bit and the 10 out of 10 videos. Neither one doing well zaps my creative ability, then I dont make a video for a few weeks trying to get it back and lose my place in the algorithm. Your advice helps. I'm after a very small niche audience but one I think will grow after a while. Thanks for this, actually. Seeing a larger fish dealing with some of the same problems woke up some of my old ideas I was too frustrated to try.
Love both you and Ed’s content. If you got a super car you really loved that wasn’t just for content, I think many of your subscribers would like it. After watching you for almost all of your 15 years, you deserve it. If you want one get one!
I agree! Youre story telling is pretty good! We got our S3 8Y and your review of the blue S3 helped a lot! Liked your mention of MPG as one of the surprising benefit. Lol!
Emotional regulation is something I definitely have dealt with and still deal with. Sometimes I'll put a lot of effort(and money)into a video or reel and it'll get very little traction, but when I just shoot to shoot, the video does well. I had to get back to the beginning to where I just shot for fun and expected 0 views. It allows me to be free and just shoot what I know I would like to see as a viewer and hope others will enjoy it too. Sort of like when I work on my cars, I do what I like, and others seem to like it so I have to take the same approach to content making. Thank you for this video!
Dude you even hit the nail on the head with anything management where the company is open early and late and 7 days a week 😂. My life was summed up by this video… thank you for making that click with me 😅 also love the videos man definitely busy but I love finding the time to watch your stuff!
So much great info in this vid! Thank you!! I can't imagine the countless amount of hours that you have put into this channel. I always wanted to have a conversation about the tube/advice, but this is even better!
Man, Fast Lane Daily was great. I miss having it in the morning. Thanks for this video by the way. It feels genuine in how you give it to us straight about stuff not talked about often. I've been watching since your collab with Matt Maran (subaruwrxfan)
Damn I really needed this, I just ended up falling into trying vlogs with my buys because you don't see much stuff from my country but I decided since I was on my own journey with my projects why not try Journaling them. This video helped a lot not only for myself but for my entertainment because I always wanted to know what goes on with content creators at the time they are doing all these stuff. Like randy, Dustin etc
I don't do UA-cam but I'm an automotive writer and I remember the first time a fan recognized me and requested my autograph at an event. It was the best feeling, not only for myself feeling like I accomplished something (though my wallet said otherwise) but more so because I knew I had a positive impact on that dude's life.
Nice video David. After 3 years of auto youtubing as a hobby I don't know how you handle the stress of having to perform at high level 2 to 3 times a week and do it as a solo creator. That's a ton of work for one person and most channels that put out that much content have a team or at least subcontract out a good portion of the work. What you have accomplished is very impressive.
I think a lot of people (subscribers & creators) take channels like TDIB for granted. This was the 2nd automotive channel I found (before most if you were born). This and Chris Fix were my getaway. I dont know how to fix cars and love driving them. Soo many have come and gone, but you're still relevant. I'll always be a loyal subscriber (maybe not the ads tho). Congratulations on being a successful pioneer of the automotive UA-cam industry.
Great video and the best advice “don’t”😂 I have a day job that pays for all my bills. I work as a Foreman in a Diesel Shop but my heart is with the automotive industry which is why I’m subscribed to your channel. I’ve been watching UA-cam since forever but only uploaded my first video about two years ago. And I quickly discovered that I have no desire to become an influencer😅 too much work. But keep up the good work TDIB you definitely have one of the better channels on UA-cam and I will continue to support your channel so as long as the modified JDM and unique builds keep coming😎🤙🏾
Thanks for the awesome video, David, and for always keeping it real! Our UA-cam journey started as a way to share our Shelby Daytona replica build with family, but it’s grown into showing others what they’re getting into if they decide to build one of these component cars. My brothers and I do this purely for the fun of it, and with full-time jobs on top of that, so while it would be amazing if our channel blew up, we’re just happy we get the opportunity to share our journey. If people enjoy it, that’s just a huge bonus!
Thank you for emphasizing affordability/ease for YT builds if you're gonna do them. I literally saw an S14 with a Viper engine in it for sale for 30k over by me in NC like last week. Was going to be his "YT Build" but the channel didn't catch & he wanted to offload the project. Because the drift tax on an S chassis wasn't ENOUGH of a barrier to entry, no, we have to throw a drag-built 8L V10 in it, too.
David, I’ve been watching you since 2019. That year I bought my S197 which was inspired by you and a few others. Just last year I was thinking about getting a Fiesta ST, and after I watched your video on the S280 Fiesta ST I was absolutely sold and I’ve been enjoying my 2019 Fiesta ST with S280 and E-50 since then.
Have you ever given UA-cam a try?
If so what subject or topic was it?
@@ThatDudeinBlue Im a “GunTuber” and I love it but like all other communities there’s good, bad and ugly..it’s like high school unfortunately.
@@ThatDudeinBlue yes, i suck at it
Yes, RC cars, and I’m not taking it too seriously
@@Projectpompeiihey me too!
Oh yea been trying for years. mostly documenting the build im doing and going to events. And yea its extremely difficult to get traction. And when you got a 9-5 it gets in the way. Then dumping 40k into a car for minimal views is uh yea it sucks,but never made the channel specifically views either. Also progress builds suck for views. People want a full build in like 10 minutes and it just doesnt happen. Especially working a 9-5 were your just strapped for cash constantly and really slows down the build which makes it even harder. It also depends on which platform. If you chose a rare platform with not much aftermarket support you get minimal views. Like mitsubishi builds/ channels get lew views than hondas or if you got a widebody Gtr. Atleast from what i've noticed. And if you don't have optimal recording equipment hurts to. Not having a camera crew because no money limits your ability get certain shots which limtis your channel and so on and so far ad infinitum.
UA-cam is fun when you don’t take it too seriously. Once it becomes a revenue stream that the creator depends on, it gets pretty dicey.
Okay that username is an absolute W
I stopped because I felt like I had to constantly one up myself to get noticed and in order to do that it would require money that I didn’t feel comfortable spending
Funny, it's the same with racing cars.
Yeah, that's what I'm doing currently. I'm just uploading stuff that I think would be nice for other people to see.
Namely video game footage and stuff like that. Most of my recent uploads are me doing some online storm chasing.
@@ThatDudeinBlue You have to check out RC cars man, they're so much fun now
Track reviews always do poorly. At this point we just do track reviews for the fun of it, not for the views. Really wanted to comment that we've been on UA-cam for 18 years now and this is one of the best overviews on the automotive space I've seen in a while. Solid. 👍
Thanks man! I really appreciate that coming from another creator in the space.
in 2019~ i learning a lot and or seeing how i could be more ready for the hobby classes of tracking ( in the rob's/'s episode's shows how cooling like radiator's can make or rune your experience/day ( doesn't help i see it as a all-weekend/time-off-requested ( 2 to 8 hour's on track driving/entertainment/enjoyment, a lot like my golf-hobby and or cruise ship and or restaurants-fancy and the list go's on as the indyapolise/mecum's joke-go's ) deal and or 400+USD tickets for the track ( spectators aka pit-crew or wifeys add more $$ for miller's it was i think 90+ per-person last i looked in 2008 or 2019-era's and that's assuming they all fit inside the charger/same-car ) on top of anything broken or food or travel or hotel's ect, and currently im the le mon's and or drag&drive without trailering-ect and or technically apartments-dwelling types ) and or in my classes/case i probably was assuming that i needed more AC-air&boost/diff/transmission/brake/other-cooling-package than actually needed for a 20-120m track time on-kill-mode, but still handy to have if managed-well in a ~5k lb~muscle/fat-lolz car ) and or streetcar build setup's ( plus better defensive coaching/driving techniques, as current plan is avoiding the wreckage+no-ABS-ect as lap's/belts the most i got for now vs a 2024~model's ) and data-login ( one series showed how to adjust alinement's and why and or themed-car-types and or had thermal-cameras pointing at the tire's-ect and or mildly interesting the theory's that is could automatically adjusting/AI-learning on the fly ect ) as my vin roll'd off the line pre1970 and tire ( or engine management for that fact ) technology as one example has changed a lot sense 1950's/originally-plans ect
currently im bummed out about salt lake city Utah shuttered the 1/4 / drag( now apartment's/skyscrapers or so im told as i haven't bothered to go to that part of the city after 2022~ ) and or vary intermittent activity for auto-X and or miller's-sports park, also didn't help that during covid-era/2019~ my charger got stolen-ect and or now a shell/more work than it was in 2017~era and me getting to daily-it ect
in my 30's im not interested in taking the 60's-vin on the salt/speed-racing just to much effort and or iv gotten-soft with age, a beater-vin that is see as disposable( rust and grime ect ) and has the safety's already to go i might as it's still on my bucket-list of fun things to try but not for the red-hat after a couple of wrecks/twister's i might have got PTSD as anything past 60~mph i get subconscious nervous about, 2008~/19yo-me was fine with 230mph/though's-of-it
nobody wants to watch someone else drive a race track especially if they won't ever be able to do that themselves , couple that with the fact that it's extremely hard to film a track video and get more than a couple angles so the viewer is missing most of the action . that's why drag racing content does great because the viewer can see all the action and everyone thinks they can do it (they can't😂)
@@Mouthy_Truckeremphasis on they can’t 😂
If the video is well edited with voiceover in post explaining complex and unique insights that are interesting to your average car enthusiast, it does well. Track reviews come off as poorly edited steaming VODs. I don't even watch them, and I drive on the track 😴
The "I used to watch you all the time" explanation is so real. I distinctly remember watching your videos when I was a teen and I was barely old enough to get my permit...I'm turning 29 this year.
I would watch the Nessa Evo video DAILY, but then I graduated, got a job and my priorities in life drastically changed.
But I promise you that the viewers that left years ago still come back once in a while to check in and see how you're doing. I know I do, and I still watch the Nessa videos from time to time, but these days I get to drive my own Evo X every day.
Same for me but the one I watched the most was the 1000hp Supra.
For me, my tastes have changed as I got older. Back then, I used to admire big horsepower modded cars and while I still respect those cars, I prefer stock or OEM+ cars now for the most part. Some of the cars he reviewed (like the 350z with the fart tune from last year) is just not my thing anymore.
I still stick around to watch his videos discussing car news though because I like hearing his thoughts about them.
Hit that nail on the head man. Turning 29, used to watch every video, now I just pop in from time to time. My favorite was the teal boosted Integra that became the intro sound 🤘🏻Used to build Hondas, now I just enjoy my stock WRX and going to motorsport museums.
Same
@@Nirred96 Stock WRX... that sounds boring... coming from the guy with a 23 year old built WRX and a semi clapped out 21 year old (mostly stock) WRX 🤣
I can relate to that. I followed him when he bought Smurf. I bought a 14 GT Premium and related to his content. I liked when he kept it simple. This is the first video of his I've watched in many years.
Very well said David, totally agree. People don’t realize the emotional turmoil, especially when a channel is struggling and you have family or significant others counting on you. Thanks for bringing awareness to this.
As a small-time content creator who makes (mostly) car stuff, I can definitely understand the struggles and frustration that was being said in this video. As of right now I make a lot of stuff on racing games, and even then that space can be tricky to break through with how competitive the gaming niche is.
But as much as how temping it is to make a decent stream of income from making content, you also don’t want to become diluted from what you had enjoyed in the first place. Even I should be well aware of what I am getting myself into before the dice had rolled.
However at the same time being able to make some people laugh and be entertained to make their day to a point where they become your most loyal followers is be biggest wealth that any content creator that can get! No matter how much views or money one would earn from videos alone.
Speaking on your interaction with fans, I 100% vouch you were great. I met you with my wife at an event, you crossed the street in front of my car and you walked up to my window and said how cool it was. Talked to you for a few minutes after that and it was the highlight of my day. She still talks about how you're the coolest youtuber IRL
He’s authentic for sure, seems like dude who just loves cars and likes to make videos
Agreed. I gained a whole new level of respect for David when I met him at Ice Cream Cruise. I felt bad for bugging him and didn't know what to expect, but he came over, shook my hand, and showed me a couple of the cars there that he was going to be reviewing later. Easily my favorite part of ICC '25.
I am sure I'm not the only content creator thinking this... I felt like this was me talking in almost every point you made. Makes me feel a little less crazy - Thanks dude! 🤘
UA-cam is the hardest platform. Personally it has been a struggle to make this channel profitable. Years ago I started to rely less on the advertising revenue and to just focus on building and enjoying cars and sharing with others and the money would come later. Well I am still waiting on the money to come but I build some cool cars and have been able to share some crazy experiences.
Fingers crossed man, i hope it goes well 🫶
love your channel brother.
Been making content since 2019, unintentionally stopped making full UA-cam videos in 2023 after my son was born, and only made tiktok and shorts. 2025 time to get back to full length videos
@@CaswellCustomsHow has the short form content been going?
I think that breaking into YT, especially in the auto industry; is much harder than it was even a couple of years ago. There is so many people that it can be hard to break out and find tour own niche
Not really. You don't need millions of subs to make 10k a month. boo hoo your not making as much as so and so. Cool go work a different job then
This is true for UA-cam in general
If you didn't get big on youtube before the adpocolypse, the only way you're making it now is with heavy boosting from youtube itself.
@@SpaceRanger187 so where are your tens of thousands a month of you tube revenue bro?
The most notable thing I've observed in general is that people who get into things solely for money burn out FAST. If you want to be a UA-camr, you have to be passionate about being creative; brainstorming ideas, curious, open minded etc. My biggest regret is not pursuing motorcycle building as soon as I had my first job at 16; I squandered so much time and money in my teens and early-mid 20's because I was worried about failing, scared of looking stupid, and thinking that my skills aren't good enough. Your skills will never be good enough, you'll never be confident enough...if you want to do this for real, START NOW. Because the day where you're self assured, confident and not worried of other's opinions isn't going to come until you overcome adversity over and over again, and to get to that requires years and years of being on the struggle bus, making peanuts and having people roll there eye's when you tell them you're an aspiring UA-camr.
Regardless of how much other content is out, there's ALWAYS room for Creative, Original works, so don't get discouraged if you truly are passionate. Money will always come if you're skilled and stay the course!
Business are open door prisons that suck out your life, If you dont have passion, you will realize that the money may not be worth giving your life away and when you start hiring someone for everything, its basically no longer your business
Thank you because I want to do what you’re doing.
This is genuinely the best advice not about youtube but life in general. ever thought about giving motivational speeches on the side? cuz damn that'd be good!
This was cathartic to watch. Hearing someone relate to the realities of making car content. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, trying to build a car on a UA-cam timeline is so hard. Financially and mentally, but you kinda get sucked in. I recently had to check myself and reduce uploads to every week as I just couldn’t build fast enough without ruining my body. But I love making the videos and talking with people who share my passion. The whole thing is a learning process, figuring out the balance is the main thing and it changes at every stage of growth.
Great video man! Thank you!
I think Mighty Car Mods his the balance just right. They do relatable builds, they do vlogs, they have their own shop space, they do track challenges, off road challenges... All while keeping a small staff. Yet somehow they're also incredible at filming and their production value is amazing. They have a solid lineup of sponsors and have become hometown heroes to Australia. Heck they even got their faces on WD-40 cans!
I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into it, though. They must be constantly filming and working on cars and traveling. I get exhausted thinking about it!
As far as I know they both maintained incomes independent from UA-cam for a really long time (and by now they should have some decent cash unless something went horribly wrong at some point). I think that must have helped, that way they managed to consistently do stuff they really wanted to.
7:00 Zack Jobe was so smart to call the Donut series Money Pit, because it really set the stage for how those "build" type shows often go. The original Miata series was almost automotive UA-cam perfection: great title, a very common car that lots of people rally behind, mods that actually matter to people with the car, and informative commentary injected with lots of great insight and humor. It's my favorite series Donut ever did outside of Up To Speed and Science Garage (with Bart), and im so glad he's doing similar stuff over in the new BigTime channel with Uncle Jerry.
Randy from Savage Garage (RIP) was a rare blend of relatable and deep pockets. It’s a rare combo that when done correctly, is impossible to hate on
Hamilton collection and Triple F do the same for me. Pretty chill videos but theyre billionaires so they always have something cool to show off
I started automotive UA-cam almost 7 years ago. I’m still not big and UA-cam famous. But it opened a lot of doors.
I raced my car on NETFLIX, I built a RTR Mustang live at SEMA where I met you lol
I’ve done a lot more, but I do it because I love it. Marketing, media, building my own cars etc. if the camera wasn’t there I would still do it because the cars are for me.
I agree, and even as a small UA-camr I have been able to meet so many people and have gotten opportunities I would have never had. I now have friends in California, Texas, NY, UK, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico... like that's just crazy to think about.
I literally tell all my friends to start a UA-cam channel. It's just crazy that we have a platform like this to put ourselves out there in front of people that would have never known we existed otherwise...
@ and that’s the best part is the people and the stories and adventures. I think people get caught up in the idea of being famous for the sake of being famous rather than the genuine human connection of a shared passion.
I made some friends in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and visited them my last trip. I plan on doing some drifting with my people out there; I LOVE the car culture in PR 😁
The thing is. Everybody wants to be different with their build. UA-cam brought a lot of crazy builds to light that none of us would have gotten to see. But things just kept getting crazier and it feels like there’s nothing original you can do that 1 would be any practical sense and 2 have to have 10s of thousands to accomplish to be different. And with current and future automotive tech. It feels like car culture as we knew it is dead.
I've been doing UA-cam since like mid 2018 and didn’t even hit 1,000 subs until the end of 2023. I'm a DIY channel mostly, just showing the things i do to my personal vehicles. Then i occasionally hit a car show and do shorts and sometimes videos of other people's vehicles. I recently did a partial cleaning and painting of my lowriders frame which did well. UA-cam's up and down for me. Sometimes I can do really well on a video or shorts and then other times views are low like now. Usually from November until it gets warmer outside views are like a roller coaster. This is a good video and I'm still watching at this point.
Keep it up! we got this
@Yoyogarage you're right!! Thanks for the encouragement!! Man you get some good numbers on your views!!
@ UA-cam is brutal man, I had like 3k subs :/ maybe this year I will continue the hustle
@Yoyogarage wow that's not a bad amount! With the views you have, it's definitely worth it for you get back into it!!
We are currently doing a Ferrari 458 Father and Son project rebuild. I must say I wish I watched this video a long time ago. You tube is a very hard beast to learn. Im a full-time firefighter so finding the time to get content out is hard. We still love it but doing a Ferrari as a first car may have been too big of a project. We are still building and we will see what the future brings us. Thanks for such a great video . Take care.
David, really appreciate you putting this video together. I'm in my first year (well, really first six months) in automotive youtube going from 0 to 2k subscribers and hearing this, so much of what you said has already rung true. The rest is a valuable warning about what's to come. I know you put this up maybe expecting it to not do as well as your usual stuff, so it means a lot to still put it out anyway for those of us that needed to hear it. (And if you need some history videos to fall asleep to, why not come over and watch some automotive history? ;)
Seriously, thanks again.
Because I was once just a viewer and I met you at Atlanta speed way, fast forward 8 years! And you are now one of my closest friends and I've been there for special moments in your life...like your surprise engagement for your Dirty 30! Helping you get your BUSTED 240 to the shop when you first got it, and long long hours in the shop wrenching on cars all the way to getting my A$$ whooped in mortal kombat by you playing Sub-zero haha. God bless you and your family and your UA-cam channel without it we technically would have never met. Love you broski 🫡
I admittedly am one of those "I used to watch your videos" people, but have recently started back up, I'm enjoying these type of talking videos
Definitely spot on with all of the topics and points you made. Not only that but also worth mentioning is is how the ad revenue keeps going down for the same amount of views. It’s a grind for sure!
As someone who just began my own UA-cam journey with car content, for me its been something that has been natural. I don't want to say easy, but I have not stressed about this. I run a podcast talking about car news/industry and can relate to the waiting for the industry to have compelling news to speak on. However, my entire life has been me talking about automotive news, reading magazines, websites (daily), so this is second nature to me.
I truly enjoy the podcasting portion of my channel and so far have made it to 80 episodes so far.
The car build side landed on a GR Corolla because I was personally buying it for myself anyways. That has turned out WAY better than I could have imagined just from my standard filming and installing parts I want. Its turned into sponsorships and partnerships, and I am a channel in its infancy.
I say this all the time: There is room for anyone who wants to put in the time and effort. I am not looking for some overnight success. I look forward to years 5, 6, 7, and 8. I love the journey. Its been a blessing so far, I can not complain about what I've been able to accomplish. Yes there are more goals, new changes, new content ideas, but this is working my creative side/mind and that I love doing.
I continue to watch your channel and this was a good video to remind me to keep it going. Thanks for all the content you continually produce.
This was extremely relatable. The ranking system doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I have had some of my best videos start off as a complete flop 10 of 10 and they stay down there for a day or two before the proper audience is found. Likewise I have had 1 of 10s in the first few hours fall down to a 5 or so after a couple days because they flash quick and die out for some reason. I can't figure out why that happens.
Damn.. bringing up Fast Lane Daily took me WAAAAAAAAY back!!!! 🥹
I watch a lot of automotive You Tube creators, and Sarah-N-Tuned has expressed many of the same feelings that you have. For sure, it's a tough gig, but if you do it right, it can be rewarding. Best of luck to your continued success.
She's the worst. The way she talks😂
I am not a youtuber nor will I be , but after seeing this video and you basically putting the harsh reality out there about having a youtube channel, it makes me respect what you do WAY more (ive always had respect cor ehat you do here on your channel, but this brought it to another level.). I appreciate what you do for all us car enthusiasts out there and keep up the great work!!!! 👍
I know it’s not “fetch” but your content is being our friend man. That’s your hustle, being an awesome guy. Been a sub since 2013 or so. My favorite content of yours is these type vids and honest and wholesome reviews. We kinda grew up together in a way. Now I’m commenting on a UA-cam video… that’s more powerful than you think considering I was watching this on my tv and opened my phone to do this. lol
As a car content creator myself, 16:08 hits me really hard. I mean, you've FINALLY found the one thing you're remotely capable of doing in life and all of a sudden, you're the AH. You lose friends, it affects relationships, all because you love what you do.
Edit: What's worse is that alot of people think you're slacking off or "not working". They don't ubderstand why I can't have a "nornal" job and a normal life
I felt every bit of the mental, time management, ranking system, emotional management stuff in my SOUL 😭 Awesome video dude! Love behind the scenes stuff like this and seeing all the direct similarities between the automotive stuff and the motorcycle stuff that I do 🤘🏻
So many good points. Automotive UA-cam is hard. Especially when you have a 9-5 that you enjoy. I can say that I don't envy any UA-camrs, I don't think I could deal with the stress of the highs and lows. But I appreciate the dedication and hard work you guys put in to make content for us.
I can't believe how many parallels between us... all of it down to including the history documentaries to sleep. This is spot-on. All of it. I'm 17 years deep now. Only difference is I've had a full time job the whole time parallel to it. Only advice I have is don't let social media be the focus of your financial success. Make it something you ALSO do. If you achieve it on social media parallel to that, then be happy. Many eggs. Many baskets. Edit: Ad revenue doesn't fund car builds.
Jafro is a DSM GOD! Very informative and knowledgeable videos. Shootout to David too for going so long and keeping going. Yall are the best!
jafro 💪🏽 one of the best how to, knowledge channels out there 100%z
This was so insightful. You are a legend of the automotive UA-cam space thank you for continuing to create content!
Ive been thinking about doing some sort of content creation, in the automotive space, and this vid really put thungs into perspective, thank you for the info and personal perspectives 🙏🏼
The biggest thing that gets me is the emotional regulation. I have the habit of rethinking my content strategy after I try something new and the video doesn't do well. On the other side of it, I am REALLY blessed to have a supportive wife.
Fr
For what it’s worth I love the grip racing content! Also something I find interesting with this channel is that I started watching for the car reviews but now I tend to be more interested in these more commentary style videos, especially related to news in the automotive industry. Regardless this is one of my favorite channels and has been for a good number of years now, keep up the fantastic work!
Been a Car Content YTer for 5 years. It is difficult. I work every day... And I'm retired!!! Weird. There is SO much to learn and ppl have NO idea what it's like and how much effort it takes. You're right. I never stop too. It is such a challenge to me to improve. Ppl interested in doing YT videos should first begin with it as a hobby. Like you said, experiment a lot. Try not to take it too personally, especially when beginning. The Auto & Vehicle niche is also SO incredibly saturated... Anyway... rambling. Thanks for your thoughts. Keep after it! You have done a great job.
@ThatDudeinBlue
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. As a do everything myself automotive UA-camr I can 110% relate to everything you talked about in some way,shape or form. When I started a few years ago there wasn’t many “how to be a UA-camr” videos out and I had to learn how to video, edit and manage my time and travel with also having a family and it is not easy at all. The easiest part of it is the working on the cars part and the fabrication stuff…😆. But I enjoy it so much especially when I’m around a lot of people at the tracks and shops that I really wish I would have started along time ago. Thanks for the video and I’m sure I’ll see you around at some events 🤘
I’ve been doing it for four years now and it has definitely been difficult.
I just now started to pick up in traffic around Nov 2023 and it’s so satisfying seeing a video grow in views like you never expected to.
I plan on starting a channel this year but it’s gonna be more for fun then money, if it gets bigger cool if not all good. PS when I got to meet you at Mustang week you’re such a great guy and down to earth. We didn’t have that omg it’s that dude in blue it was a genuine convo amongst friends like we always knew each other, never change.
This is the first time I've seen one of your videos. Your perspective on all of these things is so good. Especially your views about fan interactions! I'll be hanging out here more just because of your grounded values.
UA-cam is definitely hard work, i can only imagine how much work you are doing. Its helped me that i dont rely completely on car content, but admittedly, it's cause my "growth" to be slower...but thats cool with me...good video!
When UA-camrs start buying the supercars, the houses, the glamorous lifestyle, I do find myself watching them less. I feel a big disconnect and dont enjoy watching them as much.
You get it man, and that's why I stick around with you. Keep it real. Wishing you much success in the future.
Totally agree with this video! Putting countless hours into a project and having it flop is heart drenching 😭
It's a hard job man! I don't envy your work, but I am glad that you do it. You bring the most interesting cars and stories to the table. Been here for years, and I hope you keep cooking and keep it real.
Love the insight as always David. The clear relationship you've always kept with your viewers is very nice and what I enjoy most about your channel. I don't feel like I'm a "fan" of yours, but I very much do enjoy your content and have been subscribed for probably 8+ years now. Keep doing what you're doing man, being genuine is what has always kept me subbed 🤙🏽
I dabble in UA-cam and since I’m already in the automotive space with my blog, I figured it would transition well. It is DIFFICULT! As soon as I get on camera I struggle, whereas my articles come to me naturally. Your findings on UA-cam traction with different kinds of videos mirrors my experience on my blog as well. Very much working towards having the camera confidence that you do!
Loved this video man. I appreciate the authenticity, transparency, and insight you give. I’ve been a regular viewer of the channel since the beginning and you really are the same person now as you were back then (at least thru my lens). You and Doug are the only car UA-camrs I keep up with since I genuinely like you guys as people regardless of the content uploaded. This type of format for videos you’ve been uploading for a while now is always a treat to listen to since we know you just want to get in front of the camera and talk about what’s going on in your mind - and we appreciate it. I hope 2025 is another great year for you and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!
Cheers from South Dakota 🤙🏻
Lots of seriously accurate info here that I have felt and experienced! Great stuff!
As a upcoming business owner this video actually helped out a lot and there was a lot I can relate to as well as not clocking off.
Bro this video really hit home! I may not be a big channel but ive put years into it and i can honestly say its not for everybody no matter how good it looks on the outside. Everything you mentioned here is super relatable
I really LOVE your car builds though!
Very nice video! I’ve been doing UA-cam for 5 years now. Lately I’ve been getting a little traction on a few videos. I definitely can’t wait to try changing thumbnails and titles for videos! I’ve never tried that or really heard about it . Glad your channel is doing well. I ran into you a few times and you definitely are a nice person who cares about his fans
This video is very useful; thank you for making it. You gave me an idea of where to start and what it's like building cars that don’t perform well and making videos too.
I always appreciate the honesty with your videos man. A lot of what you speak about is knowing what your business is within the car space. Getting that down is like 80% of the way through.
Been watching since 2011. Thank you for all of your content, David. For the record, the motorcycle swapped Miata video was a HOOT!
Biggest thing I’m learning is to stay consistent and keep uploading videos regularly
I just subbed man, keep grinding 💪
@ same to you!
I subbed back
I grew 10k last year just me and my g love making videos with my son and watching them back seeing him grow with me through the videos haha 😅
The bit about changing thumbnails and titles makes so much more sense now. I've been seeing this a ton lately and I could never figure out why creators were doing this. I watch a few different genres of content and I've seen it in all of them. Gotta cater to the algorithm lol. Unfortunately that's the world we live in with tik tok and short form content taking over and people don't have the bandwidth watching videos longer than 10 minutes before clicking off. Witch hurts watch time and thus the ranking of the vid.
I only see it with donut tbh. Took me a min to figure out but I have notifications off so it doesn’t even bother me
I'm not the only person with a short attention span I'll watch a 2 hour long video about the things that interest me if it doesn't then I'll click off cause it's boring for me too watch.
Super appreciative to have a video like this! Thank you for being so forthcoming. No doubt I can definitely see how much work you put into this and also can feel how heart breaking it might be to be in this space sometimes. Thank you!
I’ve been around since you started, met you a few times since we had mutual friends and were at meets all the time (different car culture)
You’ve grown a lot and your content has remained entertaining and I’ve always appreciated the amount of work you put into your editing.
Proud of you man, and proud of how when you’ve had issues you’ve powered through and remained yourself.
Hope you and the wife are well, keep killing it !
As a 5 year UA-cam automotive content creator man you nailed every aspect.
Glad to hear from another creator!
This has been the hardest thing for me to come to terms with. I have been trying to start a youtube on building my sn95 and it has been rough. I work swing shift 12.25hr shifts and still try to find time to make content but I got burnt out fast trying to do everything. So I have taken a break from it for a while and I'm hoping to start trying to upload to it soon. Also wanted to say you've been an inspiration for me to try and keep pushing forward with uploading and working on cars even when times are tough, so thanks!
UA-cam is not like it use to be. So many have become corporate or just for the views rather than for the passion and/or delivering quality to the audience. Kudos to you David for staying true.
Been years since I watched a UA-cam video all the way through.... I 100% agree. Automotive UA-cam is one of the hardest! Genre out in the UA-cam Space. Good to see the OG's keep pushing forward.
This video was actually super eye opening and makes me appreciate you even more, thank you for sharing it!
Thanks for making this video soooo much. I recently started having some of my socials blow up and my loved ones started to feel all that and I can relate with you and this just helps me feel like I'm not alone.
It's crazy how perfectly timed this video was for me, kinda gave me a reality check about automotive youtube that i needed. A really great introspective look into the behind the scenes that a lot of creator dont go into detail on.
Heyo, one of the grocery store encounters here and locals in Gwinnett! Appreciate your honesty in this and a lot of it you've said in the past too which really helped jumping into youtube. Thankfully with those expectations set the car stuff could stay as a hobby with no pressure to post or impress anyone, just an "I'll document this myself and see who tags along". That mentality seems to really draw focus on the creator themselves so it's more so each experience in a video versus the cars themselves. You, Dahm, Cleet, and Derek are all great examples of this!
One day I'll submit some cars for your review stuff if you post another slot in Georgia or say something at Lanier, cheers!
I haven’t watched a lot of the guys stuff but I just subscribed after watching this. He seems like really good young guy, working his butt off to make it work. Much respect ✊
This video was very much needed. Thank you for providing so much info. As a small content creator that has decided to take UA-cam seriously this year, this video has given me the edge I need to keep going!
I honestly can't remember when i found your channel, but it's been at least a few years. You put into words part of why i like your channel so much. I love stories. I never even realized that's what your channel is really about because i figured your Niche was more about "here's a bunch of cool tuner cars." There's Throttle House with new cars, Redriven with used cars, and you with Tuner Cars. That's what i thought, but no, you tell a story and you do a damn good job. Cheers to you, David, and i wish you the best.
If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have started UA-cam as an automotive creator. The cost to create the videos is far more than the return you get unless you consistently get hundreds of thousands of views every video. I was lucky to have one of my videos go viral and that has given my channel a massive boost in growth. I've tried so many times to recreate my own success and it just doesn't happen. My journey has been nothing but hectic and stressful. There's so many times that want to pause and focus my energy somewhere else but I can't seem to get myself to commit to that idea because I do really enjoy making these videos. It's a hard job, harder than you ever thought it would be. I'm not sure if i will ever give it up, but i definitely found myself scaling back a lot and slowing down my productivity. I'll probably continue to scale back to give myself time to work on other areas in my business so i don't go crazy.
Thanks for the great video, David. I started an automotive UA-cam channel at the end of 2023 and got super lucky to get some growth right away. Wasn’t really prepared for it so I spent a lot of time this past year trying to figure out where to take the channel in 2025. This vid definitely has given me some ideas and inspiration, as well as some appropriate cautions. Thanks, man!
I agree with everything you're saying. The automotive space is small and competition is tough. I've been going at UA-cam for almost 3 years now and have been failing over and over and over. Trying to grow a UA-cam Channel and balance a "real job" really wears you out (both mentally and financially). I have a baller job and a cheap car but still find it tough. Best of luck to those that are trying to make it!
In regards to the emotional regulation ( 20:15 ) bit, a lot of channels, regards of the niche, really struggle with the idea of amount of effort not equaling amount of value (for the viewer). If you're sanding down a car body to prepare it for paint, switching from sandpaper to a single grain of sand is going to make it a TON of work, but that's not going to translate to views simply by merit of being difficult. There may be an idea there that can be used for novelty, but even novelty and difficulty combined won't always land the click and watch.
Excellent video, David, you covered the topic very well!
I tried doing UA-cam a couple of times over the years but due to a mixure of my speech issues and not being able to get myself comferable infront of the camera, overall I did better then what I thought I would lol, It was harder then what I thought it would be and I learnt a lot from running my own channel. Me and my bf meet you once back in 2022 when we were on holiday in the USA, I ended up dragging him to a car show a day after we landed simpley because you said you be there and my bf isn't a car guy and wasn't excited lol. You looked dead tired and exhausted you spoke to us for 10-15mins and listened to this excited Australian who yelled out to you and you were friendly as. Keep up the good work :)
Well done video! hit the nail on the head in every aspect. 👏🏾
OMG! It was like you read my mind on the failed merch bit and the 10 out of 10 videos. Neither one doing well zaps my creative ability, then I dont make a video for a few weeks trying to get it back and lose my place in the algorithm. Your advice helps. I'm after a very small niche audience but one I think will grow after a while. Thanks for this, actually. Seeing a larger fish dealing with some of the same problems woke up some of my old ideas I was too frustrated to try.
Love both you and Ed’s content. If you got a super car you really loved that wasn’t just for content, I think many of your subscribers would like it.
After watching you for almost all of your 15 years, you deserve it. If you want one get one!
As another big automotive youtuber (500+ subs) I 100% agree with what you said about most of this stuff
I agree! Youre story telling is pretty good! We got our S3 8Y and your review of the blue S3 helped a lot! Liked your mention of MPG as one of the surprising benefit. Lol!
Emotional regulation is something I definitely have dealt with and still deal with. Sometimes I'll put a lot of effort(and money)into a video or reel and it'll get very little traction, but when I just shoot to shoot, the video does well. I had to get back to the beginning to where I just shot for fun and expected 0 views. It allows me to be free and just shoot what I know I would like to see as a viewer and hope others will enjoy it too. Sort of like when I work on my cars, I do what I like, and others seem to like it so I have to take the same approach to content making. Thank you for this video!
Dude you even hit the nail on the head with anything management where the company is open early and late and 7 days a week 😂. My life was summed up by this video… thank you for making that click with me 😅 also love the videos man definitely busy but I love finding the time to watch your stuff!
So much great info in this vid! Thank you!!
I can't imagine the countless amount of hours that you have put into this channel. I always wanted to have a conversation about the tube/advice, but this is even better!
That mention of Fast Lane Daily was a huge blast from the past! I miss early automotive YT. You, FLD, /Drive, Everyday Driver…those were the days.
Man, Fast Lane Daily was great. I miss having it in the morning.
Thanks for this video by the way. It feels genuine in how you give it to us straight about stuff not talked about often. I've been watching since your collab with Matt Maran (subaruwrxfan)
Damn I really needed this, I just ended up falling into trying vlogs with my buys because you don't see much stuff from my country but I decided since I was on my own journey with my projects why not try Journaling them. This video helped a lot not only for myself but for my entertainment because I always wanted to know what goes on with content creators at the time they are doing all these stuff. Like randy, Dustin etc
I don't do UA-cam but I'm an automotive writer and I remember the first time a fan recognized me and requested my autograph at an event. It was the best feeling, not only for myself feeling like I accomplished something (though my wallet said otherwise) but more so because I knew I had a positive impact on that dude's life.
As a small automotive UA-camr, this video is SO relatable. Thanks for making me feel seen.
Nice video David. After 3 years of auto youtubing as a hobby I don't know how you handle the stress of having to perform at high level 2 to 3 times a week and do it as a solo creator. That's a ton of work for one person and most channels that put out that much content have a team or at least subcontract out a good portion of the work. What you have accomplished is very impressive.
I think a lot of people (subscribers & creators) take channels like TDIB for granted. This was the 2nd automotive channel I found (before most if you were born). This and Chris Fix were my getaway. I dont know how to fix cars and love driving them. Soo many have come and gone, but you're still relevant. I'll always be a loyal subscriber (maybe not the ads tho). Congratulations on being a successful pioneer of the automotive UA-cam industry.
Great video and the best advice “don’t”😂
I have a day job that pays for all my bills. I work as a Foreman in a Diesel Shop but my heart is with the automotive industry which is why I’m subscribed to your channel. I’ve been watching UA-cam since forever but only uploaded my first video about two years ago. And I quickly discovered that I have no desire to become an influencer😅 too much work. But keep up the good work TDIB you definitely have one of the better channels on UA-cam and I will continue to support your channel so as long as the modified JDM and unique builds keep coming😎🤙🏾
Thanks for the awesome video, David, and for always keeping it real! Our UA-cam journey started as a way to share our Shelby Daytona replica build with family, but it’s grown into showing others what they’re getting into if they decide to build one of these component cars. My brothers and I do this purely for the fun of it, and with full-time jobs on top of that, so while it would be amazing if our channel blew up, we’re just happy we get the opportunity to share our journey. If people enjoy it, that’s just a huge bonus!
Thank you for emphasizing affordability/ease for YT builds if you're gonna do them.
I literally saw an S14 with a Viper engine in it for sale for 30k over by me in NC like last week. Was going to be his "YT Build" but the channel didn't catch & he wanted to offload the project.
Because the drift tax on an S chassis wasn't ENOUGH of a barrier to entry, no, we have to throw a drag-built 8L V10 in it, too.
David, I’ve been watching you since 2019. That year I bought my S197 which was inspired by you and a few others. Just last year I was thinking about getting a Fiesta ST, and after I watched your video on the S280 Fiesta ST I was absolutely sold and I’ve been enjoying my 2019 Fiesta ST with S280 and E-50 since then.
Thanks for this I’m working on getting all the stuff together to start a motorcycle build channel. I appreciate this.
I like getting most of my car news from you since you break it down pretty well and unbiased.