That's exactly why if I am sent something, I only agreed to do a product demonstration and not a review. One thing I'm always curious about when it comes to audio hardware is how the thing actually sounds. So a product demonstration video is probably the best way to hear and see how that product works. Leaving my opinions out of the video is key. For software, sound engineer creators raise awareness of the new software and possibly save people time on demoing it themselves. Better yet if the Creator is given Early Access then they will have a better idea of how the software functions and what use cases it's good for.
Agreed! I’ve done gear videos and plugin videos but I make sure to actually show the sounds, not just hype it up as the next best thing unless I actually love it. But the videos where I show off the sounds always have the least views since people just skip to the demo, so I stopped making them. Would rather give people useful info on the production business than be a showroom for gear at this point!
@@RealHomeRecording I agree. Product demonstrations are very useful. Giving the viewer a clear understanding of how something sounds and works is very valuable. Best shoot it out and compare it to it's competition or alternative solutions.
@@josuastangl7140 thank you for that last suggestion! I think comparing would keep the demo "fair" or at least giving alternatives assuming it's not readily available for comparison.
So glad you mentioned this. The world of "sponsored content", "NFRs", and "press packages" is the wild wild west. There are clear standards for it, but I'm noticing most creators and most BRANDS aren't really following the guidelines. Miranda and I were JUST talking about a specific company that reached out and wanted us to "show" their products in a handful of videos. They offered a shit ton of money and they just wanted the piece of gear sitting around in the background or gently being used passively in our content for a several month period. when we reached out saying that we didn't want to do it because it would be hard to disclose as an ad and they were like "oh we just want it to be in the video. it doesn't have to be 'disclosed as a sponsor'". I was instantly turned off. We also have had people want to sponsor our videos but they want us to say SUPER specific things about the products. I'm not doing that shit. I am all for taking sponsorships, but I'm only doing that for products I would gladly buy with my own money, things I would only use in REAL scenarios, and I'm always going to be 110% honest about the sponsored item (even if I have some nitpicks). People just need to disclose the sponsorship VERY clearly.
You guys piggyback off of the names and work of established musicians anyway so you really don't need that sponsorship money do you? 😂 In all seriousness though 100% agreed. People need to know up front that a sponsor deal is in place. If you live in the United States then it's actually a part of the regulations.
I stumbled on your video and I am so glad I did! I really thank you for being so honest - I think you and Barry Johns are two people who try to steer your audience in the honest direction, with information and letting us choose. I find it interesting, and maybe saddening? that companies are so un-confident about their products that they are bribing people. How do they honestly think they can really build a company that way and have it last? If your product sucks, the company will be sold for parts eventually. And as someone who is getting ready to launch a channel, I also have no plan to have ads in any of my content - but like you said, you are not solely dependent upon the ad income and that's the same for me, and for that I am grateful! Looking forward to checking out your other vids - keep up the great work. PS as a fellow writer, and lover of organization, I'mma buy that book! edit: to say - I gave in and got the 14 dollar monthly YT premium subscription because I HATE ads!
Adam, great video. I think a better title would be most pro audio companies have terrible marketing teams and don't know what they're doing. A decent chunk of my youtube business comes from ads, so you can take my advice or not. (also goes for anyone reading) If a brand hits you up, they want YOU. You have caught their attention in some for or another. So they send you some email with their great idea or offer. 1. If it's a company or brand who makes shit you already love and DO use all the time, then you reply with your terms. Set your terms according to what you want.. It's up to you, remember they came to YOU. If they don't agree - too bad. Keep cookin' bro - they'll be back. 2. If it's a brand you've never used before but you have HEARD OF so you're interested in trying the product. Tell them you have never used their product and need to test it out, get to know it and see if you actually like using it or not before coming to any agreement. (this is sometimes the greatest opportunity) If it's something you think will be a value add for your work as a producer/engineer or whatever but you've never had the opportunity to afford it - you now get to get your hands on one to see what you really think. If you like it then go back to the table with your terms, if you don't, send that shit back and say good riddance. 3. If it's something you're not interested in at all regardless of knowing about it or using tell them to go kick sand. Moral of the story is if they come to you - it's because they think you're better at getting attention then they are, they want to contract your creativity and strengths. That means the ball is in your court. Yes some folks are lazy with ads or mentions but it's the easiest thing in the world to say this video is sponsored by this shit in my hands right here - let's check it out.
Thanks Andrew! Def lots to ponder here. I’m not against doing ads or even integrations if it’s also true, but I’m not gonna tell everyone I like something that I don’t lol. And I will def keep cookin’ haha. Appreciate you!
I don't mind ads in videos. I respect that people need to get paid and pay bills but I hate getting lied to. Show me a sponsorship and I'll sit through it just so the channel gets more view time. I don't want to click on a video expecting something interesting and then have a loosely disguised ad. Thank you for being genuine and keep up the great work :)
Nothing worse than thinking you can learn something from a video and a few minutes in you realize you're just being sold a product. I think the best form of sponsorship deals are those when the viewer can 100% tell that the sponsored person is definitely using and also relying on a certain piece of gear. For example a band is sponsored by a company which makes microphones or wireless units and you can verify that this band uses and relies on this brand's products on every show. That's obviously difficult to do with for example an EQ plugin, because the viewers will never be able to look into every session and observe what a mixer's go to plugin is on sessions that are happening behind closed doors.
Thanks. I appreciate your honesty. There are a few UA-cam channels that I watch regularly that regularly that do a good job of reviewing products, etc...but I have never purchased anything related to the ads that were included in their videos. I have donated to the channels that are not monetized by UA-cam, if I find the content to be useful. Having the integrity to disclose a creator's affiliation with any products is important to me.
I've always wondered why a producer would claim to use a particular product on every mix while also using another from a different company "on every mix" as well. So it's lying for the money.
I just assume ALL product videos (demos, unboxing, comparisons) these days are ads. If I follow a creator, and they start talking about new gear, I stop watching.
Those kind of stuff are poisoning content on the internet. People are quick to bash you for turning down money. But I say I salute you for keeping your integrity.
They're salespeople. And the tides are turning. 'We' figured out they're not using shiny new EQ x which they tried to sell us last week, it's just ProQ like the rest of us. And we all figured out that the line "they did send it to me for free but they have no say in this video" just means "I like getting free stuff and because I would like that to continue, here's a 98% positive review". We also know the counter argument: "I only do reviews on stuff I like so of course it's all positive". Which is fair enough. But I like almost everything. Synth? Cool. Plugin? Cool. What's not to like? So I find that to be a bit of a hollow statement.
100%, you're right on the money. That phrase... "This video is not sponsored ... they sent me this ... they don't get to see the video beforehand ... all opinions are my own" Immediately lost all respect. It's just a sales pitch to also get the next thing for free. The really funny ones even dare to call these videos "reviews" haha
Oh! And a nugget for you from the marketer side. I try not to work with those folks who seem to sell/get excited about everything and don't like hearing that "gamechanger" and "iconic" stuff AT ALL. 🙄 Also at a recent copmany we did ads with 2 different music/audio MIDI folks on IG. We looked at the performance of the 2 ads and EVERYONE on the team had the same comment as to why one didn't do well while the other did. The losing ad was baiscally a guy raving on about the product as he showed the website while the winning ad showed a cool feature n an educational way. People can tell.
I pay for youtube premium, and use sponsorblock to block most integrated ads. I am sometimes interested in a creators own merch/products, but the third party stuff is never really that interesting or really even good. The ads just become annoying. Honestly when I see too much of an ad it can have the opposite effect on me and make me actively dislike your brand xD
Absolutely brilliant video! So just to put it out there, my perspective is that of a fellow audio content creator, an active participant in many audio related communities and a keen watcher of UA-cam across a diverse set of niches. This is a huge issue, and it's getting worse rather than better. Benn Jordan and Venus Theory have both talked about the kind of T&Cs some companies try and put around an "integration" type ad, and they are just insane. Like you, I can see how people are tempted to take them, when they are relying on it to pay the bills, but it doesn't put the companies in a very good light. The other related issue that you didn't touch on is the use of affiliate links .. it's one thing to just have general affiliate links in your descriptions, but once you put one in there for something covered in the video, that becomes murky, especially if it's not something you actually use all the time. I decided early on in my channel that I wasn't going to do affiliate links ever, or sponsored content / ad reads, and the most I would do is use an NFR copy of a plugin (clearly disclosed). Being able to be viewed as independent and unbiased is more important to me than generating income. I'd rather generate income via my own offerings (similar to yourself) and Adsense once that's a thing for me. The one thing being a content creator and seeing behind the curtain a bit has taught me is to be wary of every video that is promoting something. Especially in the flood of launch videos once the embargo lifts on a new plugin or piece of hardware. If something is presented as "game changing", I will cynically check the link for an affiliate code. It's an unfortunate reality of the world we live in. In terms of ad spots, the other niches are doing it much more creatively than ours (for the most part). You've either got to make the ad entertaining (Daniel Thrasher, Dana and The Wolf, etc) or show that you are a legitimate user and fan of the product (Katie Steckly, etc). There are also companies that seem to be absolutely everywhere in ads - betterhelp like you mentioned, distrokid, and so on. If the company is going that hard on paid advertising, it can be a red flag in itself that their product needs that rather than "selling itself"
All of this is on point!! I got an inquiry recently where I’d have to submit the script for the entire video AND the finished video for approval for their 1-2 minute “integration” like I’m sorry but I’m not doing that!!
I love that there is mass of these videos. It separates the strong from the meek. I do outside research, come across a few pieces of gear that will fit my workflow, then and only then do I look on UA-cam to see who has used that gear. I wouldn’t use UA-cam to window shop new gear. I would use it to get a well rounded opinion on gear you’re already researching.
The rise of integrations has been interesting to watch because it was also essentially the model for Les Paul and Mary Ford's show- everything old is new again.
Do you have videos on installing Arturia I installed and it says it’s crashed on Logic Pro I downloaded Arturias software center I created a file folder called Arturia on my Samsung t7 sdd external hard drive and I located to my hard drive I even placed my audio unit caches folder to desk top I followed the steps that was recommended to me from Arturia yet still having issues I even restarted my computer after downloading and still nothing yet it’s taking up space on my laptop which is Mac book pro m1max I don’t understand
I did they sent me information yet still having issues and they don’t have phone support was hoping to find UA-cam videos have not found one with the issue I have
N u call your self a engineer I’m sure you will get more views if you did a Arturia video about installing does and don’ts share your wisdom the people need u
100% agree, I'd ditched channels over "integrations", so much so that I instinctively avoid videos if the title smells of BS like "I found the best XYZ" or "how to instantly improve your mix/performance/voice/dingus". Like you, I don't begrudge people getting paid, go get that cheddar, but there's a way to do it while retaining one's integrity, and if the advertiser doesn't want to play ball, that makes them a fraud and the last thing a YT creator should be doing is allying with frauds.
Couldn't agree more. Separating the ad from the content shows integrity IMO so I applaud you for your choice. If we are talking about things we find disingenuous from youtube creators I have to mention I really can't stand the increasingly common practice of saying "I'll see you in the next video" Yeah yeah I know people will say they see your comments or whatever but it just sounds phony to me every time.
immediate subscribe for the honesty and telling BetterHelp to go kick rocks. I was having panic attacks and trying to set up an appointment and they advertised "same day services" and charged me a few hundred bucks upfront, and then I wasn't able to schedule an appointment. I'm surprised they haven't been hit with a class action lawsuit for false advertising (maybe not a bad idea, actually). BetterHelp is a garbage predatory company that lives on leeching off of vulnerable people who are suffering.
What these brands don’t get is that MOST people are smart enough to realize when they are being lied to. No creator should even consider it if they want to do this long term
Respect! I love that you're speaking about this and also putting some numbers out there. I think transparency like this is very important and much needed in this industry. Now I'm gonna check out your channel, I think this is gonna be good Edit: Subscribed, I love your channel already!
A perspective of someone who is an audio company, i want people from the industry to review/advertise my tools if they like them. This is way more engaging and professional than just making a feature list on the website. Of course lying is out of question. It would take months or years tho to organically reach a profitable amount of reviews + content without people advertising for money. I am 100% against scripted ads or lies. Id love to know how you guys think the best "fair" way for a company would be to advertise their products.
The most fair way would be to have us just do an ad read like normal. “This video is brought to you by Prototype Audio! Their new plugin “XYZ” is a “zyx” that does “thing it does” and you can get it now at the link in the description” I’d do those all day long because it’s honest and I don’t have to pretend I’ve been using it forever and that I just so happened to get an offer to promote it. That’s just me though, obviously everyone has their own preference, and if brands prefer doing integrations, that’s fine, I’m just not gonna do em.
I have had UA-cam premium for almost 10 years. I'm not use to ads. So for me the growing trend of in video ads is getting out of hand. Better Help. VPN this or that. Generic subscription platforms. It's all Bullocks. If you need ads in your videos to live then you're not making good content and business moves.
I imagine there is (at least from large corps) decent money spent on figuring out which ad forms generate the most profit, and sadly integration is probably near the top for some companies. I wish YT had an even more transparent ad system; the requirement for having the ad banner in the top left, during the beginning of a video, seems to be worked-around by some ad placers. The clickbait + failed promises (just essentially doing a 20 minute ad read) is pretty bad for the music space's health (and channels too; it's not sustainable and some don't realise that fact).
Massive respect to you, Adam. I really appreciate what you were saying. These integrations gross me out and put me off some content and their creators - some more than others. Sometimes the ads make sense, but most of the time they’re being shoehorned in for an extra buck and it’s a bummer. Subscribed.
I think the best advice I ever heard was if you don’t respect someone’s work why would you take their suggestions… knocked out about 90% of UA-cam channels 😂
@@ritchxmusic I hate to disagree here, but I do. Advertisers do get it. Social media is the place to be. Very cheap with a huge reach and very targeted. If I had something to sell, I would put my entire marketing budget on Instagram/Facebook ads and UA-cam sponsorships.
Yeah, I’ve been saying this as others for a long time now. It’s getting worse of course. UA-cam has turned into one huge infomercial source now. No matter what hobby you are into or stuff you are looking for , there are TONs of channels now that companies sponsor as their marketing. Makes sense. Companies have millions allocated for marketing. It’s not TV anymore but online.
As soon as they change from educational videos to almost only gear reviews, I unfollow them. Gear review UA-cam Videos are ok, to get an overview, but be careful. I remember when I watched a lot of review videos about a synthesizer. Somedays later, I went to an audio store and tested this synthesizer with my studio headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro) and was surprised how thin, low quality and different the synth did sound, incl. unwanted noise (tested official patch presets). This made me realize, the youtube gear reviewers made heavy processing to make this synth sound good, to sell the synth to their viewers/subscribers. I then tested other synths in this store. Went back the next day and bought one, which sounded way better and was even cheaper.
I have unsubscribed from some big creators because they got enthusiastic about mediocre gear. They might even use a microphone on their desk setup for awhile then I'll spot a shotgun mic overhead.
Reviews went from being passionate about something to a content creator being a sales representative. Then they sell you products that you never see them use in their own studio and say it’s the best thing out. They went from making music, mixing, producing etc.. to selling products and I never hear them promote any of there music or services they provide as much as reviewing and selling products. And when you think about it they spend so much time selling products that I highly doubt they make music because there’s no time.
It’s really done a number on the whole reviews world imo. Seems like you can’t talk about a product without people assuming it’s a sneaky ad at this point lol
Many payed ads or sponsorship segments in music production based UA-camr channel video's are so Fake and yes they are definitely liars most of the time. They say "This is the best thig ever a absolute game changer, I going to use this as My go to plugin from now on" then you never see them use is again outside of that paid promotional video.
Almost all, 99 percent of reviewers and brands are lying. In fact, most of the time, spec data is also a lie. A showroom was created so that people could experience and compare everything from low-cost to high-priced products. However, only 1% of people come to compare. Those who are using the equipment well and are satisfied are mostly busy making music. Public opinion and ratings on the Internet is not changed never. After all, everything is marketing and people are influenced by marketing.
I feel like review transparency died after the Andertons Cab Clone incident. To summarize it, Andertons (who is a licensed Mesa Boogie reseller) made a video about the first Cab Clone and were clear they didn't like the product and that it didn't sound good. Mesa then got in contact with them and demanded the video to be taken down and redone with a Mesa Rep instead of Rob Chapman. If Andertons didn't comply with those requests, Mesa would termine their contract. Lee was clear about the incident and why the video was taken down. Fast forward to more recent times and now Andertons makes videos about brands Lee is part owner and hide that fact even when doing comparisons against other gear. As per ads, I don't see them because I have access to UA-cam Premium. And even with UA-cam Premium, I still use an ad blocker.
sadly not something new... there has been a lot of surreptitious advertising in the gear space... either without disclosing anything or disclosing "some" form of sponsorship but still misrepresenting the relationship to the product in a parasocial way....
😍👏 Thank you, I have done marketing stuff w- "influencers" (UA-cam, social, artists/producers/mixers, edu) for music and audio brands for awhile now. "If" someone wants you to talk about something you don't like just for the $ then I am so happy that you say no to it. However, I don't think all "integrations" (BTW I haven't heard this name for it and it sounds all agency/sus to me) are bad are they? If the person really likes the product (usually software with me), knows how to use it (my approach when working with others) and they do a vid using it/talking about it (paid or not) that seems totally legit don't ya think? Also I'm work with small companies/friends atm who really don't have the $ for paid content stuff. So it's ALL ABOUT the person liking the stuff or not. Oh well. Based on your comments here I'll hit the old "Subscribe" button. Love the honesty.
No they’re not all bad, but a lot of them want you to make videos specifically to promote their product, and tell your audience that you use their software when you *don’t*. The file sharing one was specifically gross, they wanted me to make a video about how I send pitches to prospective clients and include their software in the list when I’d never even heard of it until their email. To me that’s just gross. Lots of others give you the talking points but also want to make it seem “organic” or require script approval/input on the entire video. To me that’s just not gonna fly lol
@@AdamSliger Thank you for your response. Nice to know not all the companies are being goofy. It does sound similar to what other folks have been getting. My best experience has been working with the person as, after all, THEY/YOU know your audience and how to make content that folks like. I do usually have some bullets to hit as sometimes that isn’t obvious particularly if you are paying them to do work that will live on the company channel vs. their own.
i only get angry when they do these weird things like having a duration bar thats faster at the begining and it slows down 75% through. actually makes me so mad i avoid watching their content. also FUCK better help. If you wanna do ads by all means do it, i dont think most of your viewers will mind, Ben Jordan is a great example of someone who doesnt compromise their morals for sponsorships
Respect and subscribed as soon as you dissed BetterHelp. It's so heartbreaking when some of my (formerly) fav UA-camrs shill for these predators, e.g. Rob Scallion and Mattias Krantz - and how they completely ignore it when they're called out on it, they won't even address it. And after years of being involved in the community it just feels like a slap in the face and just makes you... Well... Stop watching any content from them, even though you loved it otherwise. But how can you keep on supporting someone who so blatantly outed themselves as so deeply immoral, rotten? Like, I get it if they didn't realise at first and then researched them after all, took down the videos and reupload them without BetterHelp ads, make an apology video. But there was none of that, in some cases you get further, repeated ads of BetterHelp instead with some UA-camrs and it's just so disgusting...
Have you considered the possibility that BetterHelp is prioritizing giving people who advertise for them a better experience on the platform, making sure they get the help they need that they claim to provide, so these people advertising get a skewed perception of how good the platform really is? And can you be sure they've seen the comments calling them out on it? Big channels get a ton of comments, and they're usually busy with a bunch of projects, so those comments might slip past their radar. BetterHelp ads do frustrate me as well, but as far as condemning creators for it goes, I do think Hanlon's Razor applies: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
@@DrBuffaloBallsI have and it's still not an excuse when there were a couple waves of apology videos back in the day and there keeps on being a scandal after a scandal involving them every couple years and there's all the horror stories circulating. There's just no excuse to ignore all that. Also I can't say for sure they saw MY comments but when I'd comment on a couple videos since the one with an ad and also on community posts and saw others do that as well, and so on, there's again no excuse but they just choose to ignore the feedback they're getting. It's like people periodically have some amnesia, as soon as a scandal dies down theres a new wave of sponsored ads within weeks and it's just impossible that these people didn't hear of them if they're long-term UA-camrs, and if they're young then there's no way they didn't see the people's reactions. Ultimately they should pay more attention. It's not like I'd abandon a channel just after one ad on the same day, obviously you give the feedback repeatedly over some reasonable stretch of time, but you can't keep on doing that forever whilst inadvertently supporting them to support these crooks. Ultimately it's on these UA-camrs they didn't research the service better what they're like, they allowed themselves to be lied to - which is especially easy when you're getting that sweet sponsor monies that if you hear something bad you turn the blind eye. That's just not acceptable and I hope more people start boycotting UA-camrs who do BetterHelp ads. Even if it was stupidity and not malice, someone still needs to make the stupid ones realise, and when they start losing subscribers maybe they will start looking at the feedback they're getting and connecting the dots. As a viewer you don't have any other option how to fight that BetterHelp blight.
Ads are very very annoying but ppl need to always remember, UA-cam is a free to use Platform ads are their life line. So gotta live with it it's marketing, I think anyone who thought ads were genuine to begin with 😂 😂 😂 yeah right.
You’d be surprised how many beginners come on here, search something up, and drop $$$ on the stuff that’s recommended. There’s a reason they do ads this way!
@@AdamSliger Yup that's why I say ads weren't genuine to begin with, it's all meant to entice & convince you to spend $$$, At the end of the day the easy folk will fall for the trap whilst the more sensible folk will do tons of research before pressing buy. Coming fr a business background I understand that for profit companies aim to make profit.
Would you include Ricky Tinez as one of these creators ? I don't know i don't have the eye for spotting this but i feel like there are a lot of convenient placements with him, especially stuff like Tracklib that he keeps repeating he uses a lot. Also i have this feeling that he's just better at disguising it with this persona of "I don't know what i'm doing i just wanted to make a track before i hit the sack" but everything is obviously prepared and a lot of his "happy accidents" seem too grotesque.
Dawg I gotta be honest idk if I’ve ever seen Ricky’s content. This video is much more about brands asking creators to be dishonest for money than it is about any one creator!
Just make a code word for true or false for your followers and then you can pretend that every product is good but you can use the secret word to let us know if it’s true or false.
Better Help sells their customers data yet only pays $300 for an ad spot. As for ads in general, I'm so tired of every UA-camr pushing scam products. It seems as if every company that advertises on UA-cam is incredibly dishonest if not an outright scam.
Many gear channels are just shameless adds for gear. No A/B comparison with comparable gear, no mention of the price relative to other things on the market. At least certain channels disclose when they are paid outright to make videos
I think some commenters are misinterpreting what you are saying in your video. What you are talking about seems to more of a lot of the shady and bad companies that want to pay UA-camrs to do a review (which they will under pay) and the company tells you how to make the video. UA-camrs with ethics won't do videos like that. Then there is the thing of the paid shill UA-camrs. So many people believe that because a UA-camr is paid for a review that they are a shill. That isn't the case at all. It's a very odd place to be. Companies are going to send new gear out before it comes out to have reviews done. That is just how it is. It's up to the UA-camr how they handle it. If they are too hard on the gear but they are honest, they might not get the gear early again. Getting the gear early is important because it drives those early views. I have never been paid for a gear review but I have been sent a few cheaper pedals before to review. I clearly stated that I got it for free but that didn't affect my review. The only way for someone to review gear in an unbiased manner is for the person to buy all the gear themselves or have the money come from crowdfunding like patreon for example. That is the only way for a review to take place. But the drawback from that is is that UA-camr isn't going to get the gear before all the other UA-camrs who are getting it from the companies ahead of time.
This makes me so sad. I mean- it makes sense but it doesn't suck any less. Call me naive but I thought trust meant something. Y'all gotta make money, we all do, and YT doesn't pay out enough to the creators in the first place, so I get it. But I feel like anyone who uses their platform and doesn't disclose who pulls the strings lacks integrity.
Stop lying! You haven't been offered anything from audio companies. I can tell, just by the way your room looks with that cheap, don't do a damn thing with frequencies, foam panels on the wall.
This isn’t the room I work out of. It’s a room that’s set up for filming. The room I work in is treated with R19 and OC703 on almost every surface, and it’s reserved for working on music. This room is set up for content like this.
Intergrations are not good 😢
That's exactly why if I am sent something, I only agreed to do a product demonstration and not a review.
One thing I'm always curious about when it comes to audio hardware is how the thing actually sounds. So a product demonstration video is probably the best way to hear and see how that product works. Leaving my opinions out of the video is key.
For software, sound engineer creators raise awareness of the new software and possibly save people time on demoing it themselves. Better yet if the Creator is given Early Access then they will have a better idea of how the software functions and what use cases it's good for.
Agreed! I’ve done gear videos and plugin videos but I make sure to actually show the sounds, not just hype it up as the next best thing unless I actually love it. But the videos where I show off the sounds always have the least views since people just skip to the demo, so I stopped making them. Would rather give people useful info on the production business than be a showroom for gear at this point!
@@RealHomeRecording I agree. Product demonstrations are very useful.
Giving the viewer a clear understanding of how something sounds and works is very valuable.
Best shoot it out and compare it to it's competition or alternative solutions.
@@AdamSliger Respect. I think education is needed more than gear in this space
@@josuastangl7140 thank you for that last suggestion!
I think comparing would keep the demo "fair" or at least giving alternatives assuming it's not readily available for comparison.
So glad you mentioned this. The world of "sponsored content", "NFRs", and "press packages" is the wild wild west. There are clear standards for it, but I'm noticing most creators and most BRANDS aren't really following the guidelines.
Miranda and I were JUST talking about a specific company that reached out and wanted us to "show" their products in a handful of videos. They offered a shit ton of money and they just wanted the piece of gear sitting around in the background or gently being used passively in our content for a several month period.
when we reached out saying that we didn't want to do it because it would be hard to disclose as an ad and they were like "oh we just want it to be in the video. it doesn't have to be 'disclosed as a sponsor'". I was instantly turned off.
We also have had people want to sponsor our videos but they want us to say SUPER specific things about the products. I'm not doing that shit.
I am all for taking sponsorships, but I'm only doing that for products I would gladly buy with my own money, things I would only use in REAL scenarios, and I'm always going to be 110% honest about the sponsored item (even if I have some nitpicks). People just need to disclose the sponsorship VERY clearly.
Yeah these brands are out of pocket for sure. Putting creators who need the $ in a weird spot. Appreciate ya!
You guys piggyback off of the names and work of established musicians anyway so you really don't need that sponsorship money do you? 😂
In all seriousness though 100% agreed. People need to know up front that a sponsor deal is in place. If you live in the United States then it's actually a part of the regulations.
Be cool dawg
@@AdamSliger 😎
OMG yes , I stop following so many gear channels because they felt more like infomercial channel for cheap gear or way too expensive gear.
I stumbled on your video and I am so glad I did! I really thank you for being so honest - I think you and Barry Johns are two people who try to steer your audience in the honest direction, with information and letting us choose.
I find it interesting, and maybe saddening? that companies are so un-confident about their products that they are bribing people. How do they honestly think they can really build a company that way and have it last? If your product sucks, the company will be sold for parts eventually. And as someone who is getting ready to launch a channel, I also have no plan to have ads in any of my content - but like you said, you are not solely dependent upon the ad income and that's the same for me, and for that I am grateful!
Looking forward to checking out your other vids - keep up the great work. PS as a fellow writer, and lover of organization, I'mma buy that book!
edit: to say - I gave in and got the 14 dollar monthly YT premium subscription because I HATE ads!
appreciate ya!!!
Adam, great video. I think a better title would be most pro audio companies have terrible marketing teams and don't know what they're doing. A decent chunk of my youtube business comes from ads, so you can take my advice or not. (also goes for anyone reading)
If a brand hits you up, they want YOU. You have caught their attention in some for or another. So they send you some email with their great idea or offer.
1. If it's a company or brand who makes shit you already love and DO use all the time, then you reply with your terms.
Set your terms according to what you want.. It's up to you, remember they came to YOU. If they don't agree - too bad. Keep cookin' bro - they'll be back.
2. If it's a brand you've never used before but you have HEARD OF so you're interested in trying the product. Tell them you have never used their product and need to test it out, get to know it and see if you actually like using it or not before coming to any agreement. (this is sometimes the greatest opportunity) If it's something you think will be a value add for your work as a producer/engineer or whatever but you've never had the opportunity to afford it - you now get to get your hands on one to see what you really think.
If you like it then go back to the table with your terms, if you don't, send that shit back and say good riddance.
3. If it's something you're not interested in at all regardless of knowing about it or using tell them to go kick sand.
Moral of the story is if they come to you - it's because they think you're better at getting attention then they are, they want to contract your creativity and strengths. That means the ball is in your court. Yes some folks are lazy with ads or mentions but it's the easiest thing in the world to say this video is sponsored by this shit in my hands right here - let's check it out.
Thanks Andrew! Def lots to ponder here. I’m not against doing ads or even integrations if it’s also true, but I’m not gonna tell everyone I like something that I don’t lol.
And I will def keep cookin’ haha. Appreciate you!
I don't mind ads in videos. I respect that people need to get paid and pay bills but I hate getting lied to. Show me a sponsorship and I'll sit through it just so the channel gets more view time. I don't want to click on a video expecting something interesting and then have a loosely disguised ad.
Thank you for being genuine and keep up the great work :)
Appreciate ya
Nothing worse than thinking you can learn something from a video and a few minutes in you realize you're just being sold a product.
I think the best form of sponsorship deals are those when the viewer can 100% tell that the sponsored person is definitely using and also relying on a certain piece of gear.
For example a band is sponsored by a company which makes microphones or wireless units and you can verify that this band uses and relies on this brand's products on every show.
That's obviously difficult to do with for example an EQ plugin, because the viewers will never be able to look into every session and observe what a mixer's go to plugin is on sessions that are happening behind closed doors.
Thanks. I appreciate your honesty. There are a few UA-cam channels that I watch regularly that regularly that do a good job of reviewing products, etc...but I have never purchased anything related to the ads that were included in their videos. I have donated to the channels that are not monetized by UA-cam, if I find the content to be useful. Having the integrity to disclose a creator's affiliation with any products is important to me.
I do everything in my power to avoid ads, and I typically avoid gear reviews unless it's something I actively searched for.
Same, I'm allergic to ads or having my time wasted with something I wasn't looking for.
I've always wondered why a producer would claim to use a particular product on every mix while also using another from a different company "on every mix" as well. So it's lying for the money.
I just assume ALL product videos (demos, unboxing, comparisons) these days are ads. If I follow a creator, and they start talking about new gear, I stop watching.
Those kind of stuff are poisoning content on the internet. People are quick to bash you for turning down money. But I say I salute you for keeping your integrity.
🤝🤝
They're salespeople. And the tides are turning. 'We' figured out they're not using shiny new EQ x which they tried to sell us last week, it's just ProQ like the rest of us. And we all figured out that the line "they did send it to me for free but they have no say in this video" just means "I like getting free stuff and because I would like that to continue, here's a 98% positive review". We also know the counter argument: "I only do reviews on stuff I like so of course it's all positive". Which is fair enough. But I like almost everything. Synth? Cool. Plugin? Cool. What's not to like? So I find that to be a bit of a hollow statement.
Everything is cooler when you got it for free let’s be real
100%, you're right on the money.
That phrase...
"This video is not sponsored ... they sent me this ... they don't get to see the video beforehand ... all opinions are my own"
Immediately lost all respect.
It's just a sales pitch to also get the next thing for free.
The really funny ones even dare to call these videos "reviews" haha
@@AdamSliger Exactly. Let's be real, if I got a crappy FX pedal for free, I'd like it. Heck, even if I paid for it. I like gear. It's fun.
Unfortunately it's more valuable for some people to sell their integrity than to maintain it
Thank you for telling Better Help to kick rocks.
Oh! And a nugget for you from the marketer side. I try not to work with those folks who seem to sell/get excited about everything and don't like hearing that "gamechanger" and "iconic" stuff AT ALL. 🙄 Also at a recent copmany we did ads with 2 different music/audio MIDI folks on IG. We looked at the performance of the 2 ads and EVERYONE on the team had the same comment as to why one didn't do well while the other did. The losing ad was baiscally a guy raving on about the product as he showed the website while the winning ad showed a cool feature n an educational way. People can tell.
They def can!
Oh! And erase the “MIDI” here. I Can’t type too well 😂
@@KordTayloryou're probably the first person to accidentally add MIDI to a youtube comment where it actually would have made sense 😂
I pay for youtube premium, and use sponsorblock to block most integrated ads. I am sometimes interested in a creators own merch/products, but the third party stuff is never really that interesting or really even good. The ads just become annoying. Honestly when I see too much of an ad it can have the opposite effect on me and make me actively dislike your brand xD
This video brought to you by La Croix. And I have some on my desk too! Thanks for making this. Great info. :D
It’s a must-have studio tool…mainly because it’s not diabetes in a can like most canned drinks.
Absolutely brilliant video!
So just to put it out there, my perspective is that of a fellow audio content creator, an active participant in many audio related communities and a keen watcher of UA-cam across a diverse set of niches.
This is a huge issue, and it's getting worse rather than better. Benn Jordan and Venus Theory have both talked about the kind of T&Cs some companies try and put around an "integration" type ad, and they are just insane. Like you, I can see how people are tempted to take them, when they are relying on it to pay the bills, but it doesn't put the companies in a very good light.
The other related issue that you didn't touch on is the use of affiliate links .. it's one thing to just have general affiliate links in your descriptions, but once you put one in there for something covered in the video, that becomes murky, especially if it's not something you actually use all the time.
I decided early on in my channel that I wasn't going to do affiliate links ever, or sponsored content / ad reads, and the most I would do is use an NFR copy of a plugin (clearly disclosed). Being able to be viewed as independent and unbiased is more important to me than generating income. I'd rather generate income via my own offerings (similar to yourself) and Adsense once that's a thing for me.
The one thing being a content creator and seeing behind the curtain a bit has taught me is to be wary of every video that is promoting something. Especially in the flood of launch videos once the embargo lifts on a new plugin or piece of hardware. If something is presented as "game changing", I will cynically check the link for an affiliate code. It's an unfortunate reality of the world we live in.
In terms of ad spots, the other niches are doing it much more creatively than ours (for the most part). You've either got to make the ad entertaining (Daniel Thrasher, Dana and The Wolf, etc) or show that you are a legitimate user and fan of the product (Katie Steckly, etc).
There are also companies that seem to be absolutely everywhere in ads - betterhelp like you mentioned, distrokid, and so on. If the company is going that hard on paid advertising, it can be a red flag in itself that their product needs that rather than "selling itself"
All of this is on point!! I got an inquiry recently where I’d have to submit the script for the entire video AND the finished video for approval for their 1-2 minute “integration” like I’m sorry but I’m not doing that!!
I’m subscribing to your channel just based on the transparency of this video alone. Very well done. How can I support your channel?
Thank you! Just enjoy the vids!!!
DropBox is definitely lying to us, saying 95% 2 minutes remaining but it's actually 3 minutes. SMH
You forgot to mention the $$$ La Croix paid you to put their sparkling water in the background.
Caught me
It’s really a promotion for Jack Conte’s band Pamplemousse!
Subscribe to his Patreon for more!
I love that there is mass of these videos. It separates the strong from the meek. I do outside research, come across a few pieces of gear that will fit my workflow, then and only then do I look on UA-cam to see who has used that gear. I wouldn’t use UA-cam to window shop new gear. I would use it to get a well rounded opinion on gear you’re already researching.
The rise of integrations has been interesting to watch because it was also essentially the model for Les Paul and Mary Ford's show- everything old is new again.
Lets be real, no one buys anything they see in ads/commercials except for new fast food items/deals.
Relevant username
Do you have videos on installing Arturia I installed and it says it’s crashed on Logic Pro I downloaded Arturias software center I created a file folder called Arturia on my Samsung t7 sdd external hard drive and I located to my hard drive I even placed my audio unit caches folder to desk top I followed the steps that was recommended to me from Arturia yet still having issues I even restarted my computer after downloading and still nothing yet it’s taking up space on my laptop which is Mac book pro m1max I don’t understand
Honestly I’d email them!
I did they sent me information yet still having issues and they don’t have phone support was hoping to find UA-cam videos have not found one with the issue I have
I can’t help you unfortunately but I hope you find the answer!!
N u call your self a engineer I’m sure you will get more views if you did a Arturia video about installing does and don’ts share your wisdom the people need u
are you integrating for La Croix instead?
I wish
100% agree, I'd ditched channels over "integrations", so much so that I instinctively avoid videos if the title smells of BS like "I found the best XYZ" or "how to instantly improve your mix/performance/voice/dingus". Like you, I don't begrudge people getting paid, go get that cheddar, but there's a way to do it while retaining one's integrity, and if the advertiser doesn't want to play ball, that makes them a fraud and the last thing a YT creator should be doing is allying with frauds.
Nice video and appreciate the transparency. The same is true for ‘Tubers who “review” cameras, lenses, and “cinematic” gear.
You mean the $40 lens isn’t going to change my life?
Couldn't agree more. Separating the ad from the content shows integrity IMO so I applaud you for your choice. If we are talking about things we find disingenuous from youtube creators I have to mention I really can't stand the increasingly common practice of saying "I'll see you in the next video" Yeah yeah I know people will say they see your comments or whatever but it just sounds phony to me every time.
Haha I have def said that when I get to the end of the script and feel like I need to say something else
immediate subscribe for the honesty and telling BetterHelp to go kick rocks. I was having panic attacks and trying to set up an appointment and they advertised "same day services" and charged me a few hundred bucks upfront, and then I wasn't able to schedule an appointment. I'm surprised they haven't been hit with a class action lawsuit for false advertising (maybe not a bad idea, actually). BetterHelp is a garbage predatory company that lives on leeching off of vulnerable people who are suffering.
Facts, sorry you had to deal with that!!!
What these brands don’t get is that MOST people are smart enough to realize when they are being lied to. No creator should even consider it if they want to do this long term
I unsubscribed from lots of UA-camrs because of this.
Respect!
I love that you're speaking about this and also putting some numbers out there.
I think transparency like this is very important and much needed in this industry.
Now I'm gonna check out your channel, I think this is gonna be good
Edit: Subscribed, I love your channel already!
I appreciate that!!!
A perspective of someone who is an audio company, i want people from the industry to review/advertise my tools if they like them.
This is way more engaging and professional than just making a feature list on the website. Of course lying is out of question.
It would take months or years tho to organically reach a profitable amount of reviews + content without people advertising for money.
I am 100% against scripted ads or lies. Id love to know how you guys think the best "fair" way for a company would be to advertise their products.
The most fair way would be to have us just do an ad read like normal. “This video is brought to you by Prototype Audio! Their new plugin “XYZ” is a “zyx” that does “thing it does” and you can get it now at the link in the description” I’d do those all day long because it’s honest and I don’t have to pretend I’ve been using it forever and that I just so happened to get an offer to promote it. That’s just me though, obviously everyone has their own preference, and if brands prefer doing integrations, that’s fine, I’m just not gonna do em.
I have had UA-cam premium for almost 10 years. I'm not use to ads.
So for me the growing trend of in video ads is getting out of hand.
Better Help. VPN this or that. Generic subscription platforms.
It's all Bullocks.
If you need ads in your videos to live then you're not making good content and business moves.
Appreciate your integrity!
I imagine there is (at least from large corps) decent money spent on figuring out which ad forms generate the most profit, and sadly integration is probably near the top for some companies. I wish YT had an even more transparent ad system; the requirement for having the ad banner in the top left, during the beginning of a video, seems to be worked-around by some ad placers. The clickbait + failed promises (just essentially doing a 20 minute ad read) is pretty bad for the music space's health (and channels too; it's not sustainable and some don't realise that fact).
Massive respect to you, Adam.
I really appreciate what you were saying. These integrations gross me out and put me off some content and their creators - some more than others. Sometimes the ads make sense, but most of the time they’re being shoehorned in for an extra buck and it’s a bummer.
Subscribed.
Appreciate ya
I could go for a La Croix right about now...
Yeah I've been annoyed by this for a while. Any sort of creative medium is loaded with those kinds of ads it's hard to watch
I think the best advice I ever heard was if you don’t respect someone’s work why would you take their suggestions… knocked out about 90% of UA-cam channels 😂
Thanks for bringing this up, we need more people doing this -^^-
I hope you sell so many of those producer books! Thanks for being real
Thanks, appreciate you!
Great video man ! Thank you for your honesty, and all of your nice videos
I appreciate that!
advertisers are a bit delusional, they don't get it
@@ritchxmusic I hate to disagree here, but I do. Advertisers do get it. Social media is the place to be. Very cheap with a huge reach and very targeted. If I had something to sell, I would put my entire marketing budget on Instagram/Facebook ads and UA-cam sponsorships.
Yeah, I’ve been saying this as others for a long time now. It’s getting worse of course.
UA-cam has turned into one huge infomercial source now. No matter what hobby you are into or stuff you are looking for , there are TONs of channels now that companies sponsor as their marketing.
Makes sense. Companies have millions allocated for marketing. It’s not TV anymore but online.
As soon as they change from educational videos to almost only gear reviews, I unfollow them.
Gear review UA-cam Videos are ok, to get an overview, but be careful.
I remember when I watched a lot of review videos about a synthesizer. Somedays later, I went to an audio store and tested this synthesizer with my studio headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro) and was surprised how thin, low quality and different the synth did sound, incl. unwanted noise (tested official patch presets).
This made me realize, the youtube gear reviewers made heavy processing to make this synth sound good, to sell the synth to their viewers/subscribers.
I then tested other synths in this store. Went back the next day and bought one, which sounded way better and was even cheaper.
I believe it! I’ve def seen reviews where the finished song is amazing but it sounds nothing like the product out of the box.
Bless you.
Not sure how this came up in my feed. (I **do** do audio.)
But I'm subscribing on the basis of this video alone.
Hope you enjoy the channel! Thank you!
Never seen one of your videos, but based on this I'm subscribing to you.
appreciate ya
Nothing worse than some shill giving audio examples and the sponsored example is 10db louder 🤦♂️
I have unsubscribed from some big creators because they got enthusiastic about mediocre gear. They might even use a microphone on their desk setup for awhile then I'll spot a shotgun mic overhead.
The moment you said no adds, youtube put an Adds
Classic
Reviews went from being passionate about something to a content creator being a sales representative. Then they sell you products that you never see them use in their own studio and say it’s the best thing out. They went from making music, mixing, producing etc.. to selling products and I never hear them promote any of there music or services they provide as much as reviewing and selling products. And when you think about it they spend so much time selling products that I highly doubt they make music because there’s no time.
It’s really done a number on the whole reviews world imo. Seems like you can’t talk about a product without people assuming it’s a sneaky ad at this point lol
Many payed ads or sponsorship segments in music production based UA-camr channel video's are so Fake and yes they are definitely liars most of the time. They say "This is the best thig ever a absolute game changer, I going to use this as My go to plugin from now on" then you never see them use is again outside of that paid promotional video.
Almost all, 99 percent of reviewers and brands are lying.
In fact, most of the time, spec data is also a lie.
A showroom was created so that people could experience and compare everything from low-cost to high-priced products. However, only 1% of people come to compare.
Those who are using the equipment well and are satisfied are mostly busy making music. Public opinion and ratings on the Internet is not changed never.
After all, everything is marketing and people are influenced by marketing.
I feel like review transparency died after the Andertons Cab Clone incident. To summarize it, Andertons (who is a licensed Mesa Boogie reseller) made a video about the first Cab Clone and were clear they didn't like the product and that it didn't sound good. Mesa then got in contact with them and demanded the video to be taken down and redone with a Mesa Rep instead of Rob Chapman. If Andertons didn't comply with those requests, Mesa would termine their contract. Lee was clear about the incident and why the video was taken down. Fast forward to more recent times and now Andertons makes videos about brands Lee is part owner and hide that fact even when doing comparisons against other gear. As per ads, I don't see them because I have access to UA-cam Premium. And even with UA-cam Premium, I still use an ad blocker.
That Victory Amps stuff was wild lol
sadly not something new... there has been a lot of surreptitious advertising in the gear space... either without disclosing anything or disclosing "some" form of sponsorship but still misrepresenting the relationship to the product in a parasocial way....
I had no idea. This is very disheartening tbh.
Thank you for that, subbed for sure!
Earned a sub for not being a shill.
😍👏 Thank you, I have done marketing stuff w- "influencers" (UA-cam, social, artists/producers/mixers, edu) for music and audio brands for awhile now. "If" someone wants you to talk about something you don't like just for the $ then I am so happy that you say no to it. However, I don't think all "integrations" (BTW I haven't heard this name for it and it sounds all agency/sus to me) are bad are they? If the person really likes the product (usually software with me), knows how to use it (my approach when working with others) and they do a vid using it/talking about it (paid or not) that seems totally legit don't ya think? Also I'm work with small companies/friends atm who really don't have the $ for paid content stuff. So it's ALL ABOUT the person liking the stuff or not. Oh well. Based on your comments here I'll hit the old "Subscribe" button. Love the honesty.
No they’re not all bad, but a lot of them want you to make videos specifically to promote their product, and tell your audience that you use their software when you *don’t*. The file sharing one was specifically gross, they wanted me to make a video about how I send pitches to prospective clients and include their software in the list when I’d never even heard of it until their email. To me that’s just gross. Lots of others give you the talking points but also want to make it seem “organic” or require script approval/input on the entire video. To me that’s just not gonna fly lol
@@AdamSliger Thank you for your response. Nice to know not all the companies are being goofy. It does sound similar to what other folks have been getting. My best experience has been working with the person as, after all, THEY/YOU know your audience and how to make content that folks like. I do usually have some bullets to hit as sometimes that isn’t obvious particularly if you are paying them to do work that will live on the company channel vs. their own.
i only get angry when they do these weird things like having a duration bar thats faster at the begining and it slows down 75% through. actually makes me so mad i avoid watching their content. also FUCK better help.
If you wanna do ads by all means do it, i dont think most of your viewers will mind, Ben Jordan is a great example of someone who doesnt compromise their morals for sponsorships
I love Benn’s videos! Def a good example to follow!
Respect and subscribed as soon as you dissed BetterHelp.
It's so heartbreaking when some of my (formerly) fav UA-camrs shill for these predators, e.g. Rob Scallion and Mattias Krantz - and how they completely ignore it when they're called out on it, they won't even address it. And after years of being involved in the community it just feels like a slap in the face and just makes you... Well... Stop watching any content from them, even though you loved it otherwise.
But how can you keep on supporting someone who so blatantly outed themselves as so deeply immoral, rotten? Like, I get it if they didn't realise at first and then researched them after all, took down the videos and reupload them without BetterHelp ads, make an apology video. But there was none of that, in some cases you get further, repeated ads of BetterHelp instead with some UA-camrs and it's just so disgusting...
Have you considered the possibility that BetterHelp is prioritizing giving people who advertise for them a better experience on the platform, making sure they get the help they need that they claim to provide, so these people advertising get a skewed perception of how good the platform really is? And can you be sure they've seen the comments calling them out on it? Big channels get a ton of comments, and they're usually busy with a bunch of projects, so those comments might slip past their radar. BetterHelp ads do frustrate me as well, but as far as condemning creators for it goes, I do think Hanlon's Razor applies: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
@@DrBuffaloBallsI have and it's still not an excuse when there were a couple waves of apology videos back in the day and there keeps on being a scandal after a scandal involving them every couple years and there's all the horror stories circulating. There's just no excuse to ignore all that. Also I can't say for sure they saw MY comments but when I'd comment on a couple videos since the one with an ad and also on community posts and saw others do that as well, and so on, there's again no excuse but they just choose to ignore the feedback they're getting. It's like people periodically have some amnesia, as soon as a scandal dies down theres a new wave of sponsored ads within weeks and it's just impossible that these people didn't hear of them if they're long-term UA-camrs, and if they're young then there's no way they didn't see the people's reactions. Ultimately they should pay more attention. It's not like I'd abandon a channel just after one ad on the same day, obviously you give the feedback repeatedly over some reasonable stretch of time, but you can't keep on doing that forever whilst inadvertently supporting them to support these crooks. Ultimately it's on these UA-camrs they didn't research the service better what they're like, they allowed themselves to be lied to - which is especially easy when you're getting that sweet sponsor monies that if you hear something bad you turn the blind eye. That's just not acceptable and I hope more people start boycotting UA-camrs who do BetterHelp ads. Even if it was stupidity and not malice, someone still needs to make the stupid ones realise, and when they start losing subscribers maybe they will start looking at the feedback they're getting and connecting the dots. As a viewer you don't have any other option how to fight that BetterHelp blight.
WTF is this, someone is being honest on the internet? well I never!
Ads are very very annoying but ppl need to always remember, UA-cam is a free to use Platform ads are their life line. So gotta live with it it's marketing,
I think anyone who thought ads were genuine to begin with 😂 😂 😂 yeah right.
You’d be surprised how many beginners come on here, search something up, and drop $$$ on the stuff that’s recommended. There’s a reason they do ads this way!
@@AdamSliger Yup that's why I say ads weren't genuine to begin with, it's all meant to entice & convince you to spend $$$,
At the end of the day the easy folk will fall for the trap whilst the more sensible folk will do tons of research before pressing buy.
Coming fr a business background I understand that for profit companies aim to make profit.
7:03 literally
Would you include Ricky Tinez as one of these creators ?
I don't know i don't have the eye for spotting this but i feel like there are a lot of convenient placements with him, especially stuff like Tracklib that he keeps repeating he uses a lot. Also i have this feeling that he's just better at disguising it with this persona of "I don't know what i'm doing i just wanted to make a track before i hit the sack" but everything is obviously prepared and a lot of his "happy accidents" seem too grotesque.
Dawg I gotta be honest idk if I’ve ever seen Ricky’s content. This video is much more about brands asking creators to be dishonest for money than it is about any one creator!
Congrats on 10k!
Thank you!!!
Just make a code word for true or false for your followers and then you can pretend that every product is good but you can use the secret word to let us know if it’s true or false.
lmao
Better Help sells their customers data yet only pays $300 for an ad spot. As for ads in general, I'm so tired of every UA-camr pushing scam products. It seems as if every company that advertises on UA-cam is incredibly dishonest if not an outright scam.
As soon as I see or feel the "ad vibe" I'm out !
Many gear channels are just shameless adds for gear. No A/B comparison with comparable gear, no mention of the price relative to other things on the market. At least certain channels disclose when they are paid outright to make videos
when I see an Ad, I never buy anything from that company, ever, simple as that.
Same.
Your so chill, I think your AI, keep it up bro, your like a music production Jack Sparrow compass 💪😎👊
Appreciate that 💪
For every Adam, there are 99 shills. Keep shining, mate!
🤘🤘
I think some commenters are misinterpreting what you are saying in your video. What you are talking about seems to more of a lot of the shady and bad companies that want to pay UA-camrs to do a review (which they will under pay) and the company tells you how to make the video. UA-camrs with ethics won't do videos like that.
Then there is the thing of the paid shill UA-camrs. So many people believe that because a UA-camr is paid for a review that they are a shill. That isn't the case at all. It's a very odd place to be. Companies are going to send new gear out before it comes out to have reviews done. That is just how it is. It's up to the UA-camr how they handle it. If they are too hard on the gear but they are honest, they might not get the gear early again. Getting the gear early is important because it drives those early views.
I have never been paid for a gear review but I have been sent a few cheaper pedals before to review. I clearly stated that I got it for free but that didn't affect my review.
The only way for someone to review gear in an unbiased manner is for the person to buy all the gear themselves or have the money come from crowdfunding like patreon for example. That is the only way for a review to take place. But the drawback from that is is that UA-camr isn't going to get the gear before all the other UA-camrs who are getting it from the companies ahead of time.
The recent "nano cortex game changer" videos have made me throw up in my mouth so many times!! Thank you sir i am subscribing to you
Just realized I'm already subscribed to you, probably because of your awesome content.
Ay thank you!
This makes me so sad. I mean- it makes sense but it doesn't suck any less. Call me naive but I thought trust meant something. Y'all gotta make money, we all do, and YT doesn't pay out enough to the creators in the first place, so I get it. But I feel like anyone who uses their platform and doesn't disclose who pulls the strings lacks integrity.
👍
PREACH
You are a nice guy
You too!!!
💙💙💙
show us who u work with that dose this stuff or at least tell us somthing
J e s u s
Stop lying! You haven't been offered anything from audio companies. I can tell, just by the way your room looks with that cheap, don't do a damn thing with frequencies, foam panels on the wall.
This isn’t the room I work out of. It’s a room that’s set up for filming. The room I work in is treated with R19 and OC703 on almost every surface, and it’s reserved for working on music. This room is set up for content like this.