book, Online Video

His YouTube Rank Soared Today from #52 to #5 Most-Subscribed

22 Comments

Yesterday I was the #52nd most subscribed director on YouTube, but today I’m the #5th most subscribed comedian. How’d I do it?

Read that carefully. I changed my “channel type” from the default “director” to “comedian.” This is something I’ve debated because I don’t consider myself a comedian. But I do classify most of my videos as “comedy.”

Anyway, I thought you, dear reader, would be more impressed with Nalts as the #5th most subscribed comedian on the #1 online-video site (he bows humbly).

Now I have to hope that other directors don’t follow suit. And that real comedians don’t find YouTube. Stay the hell out of online video, Will Ferrell.

Revision Aug. 30: Charles Trippy copied my stunt, so I’m now number 6. Grrrr.

22 thoughts on “His YouTube Rank Soared Today from #52 to #5 Most-Subscribed”

  1. I think that I see you as more of a Director than a Comedian. In your most popular video, you are obviously more a a director than the comedic star. Your videos do typically have a comedic bent, but I think you care more about the production value a lot of the time; more so than a regular comedian would.

    Of course i’m more impressed with Nalts because of his concepts and his creations, not because of the label he chooses to afix to himself.

  2. I rarely look at the channel page, and if i do it’s to see who’s most subscribed of all time, regardless of type. I NEVER look at the other most subscribed lists because to be honest, how someone classifies themself is irrelevant to me. I usually only notice it when someone uses GURU because I think “what the hell is that supposed to mean??”

    I see Mark Day overtook you so that you’re behind him again. You better get out there and whore for some more subscribers!!

  4. If only there was a pets and animals account… lol

    I don’t want to do that because I’m allowed to make videos over 10 minutes, if I change my account type I lose that privilege forever 😛

  5. That’s nothing I’m the 86th least subscribed to of all time on YouTube (I think that’s how it works when you only have 86 subscribers?). I’m still trying for the least subscribed but it doesn’t count if you unsubscribe people yourself.

    I’m with tripplehelix on this one. I’ve thought about changing my directors account to GURU since I do more instructional/advice type videos than anything else but I don’t want to lose the ability to upload videos longer than 10 minutes.

  6. SIR NALTS,when R U gonna make a burping in public video? or have ya already? This is just slightly off topic,but i just renewed my drivers license online,they ask if you’ve had any changes in vision or health,and apparently they use your old file photo,unbelievable! Now if i can just find that do it yourself kidney transplant website!

  7. You are a comedian, an actor, and you are director and producer, but what makes you stand out is acting as comedian. You never give that away, you can let other people direct you and produce you, maybe than you become even a better comedian. You know the world behind the camera, that makes you a perfect partner for producers and directors. All that producing and directing was just a preparation for your career as comedian.

  8. Damn! What the hell did trippy do to you to make you rip him so bad on your channel page?? It’s hilarious!!! I love it!

    I know, he didn’t do anything. You’re just having fun. Scary fun.

  10. I think that’s a feature of Web 2.0, consumer-generated content – those labels don’t exactly fit. You are a director, sure, but a comedian as well as a performance artist. You have even done ‘guru’ videos before, because you know that a lot of people would be interested in that.

    Generally speaking, in order to be a success on YouTube, you’ve got to be funny. But I’m not 100% that actual stand-up would do so well up there (maybe it would, but who knows?) So I suppose a lot of the people on the ‘most subscribed’ list could classify themselves as a comedian if they wanted to.

  11. “Generally speaking, in order to be a success on YouTube, you’ve got to be funny.” —Rohan.

    Hahaha! I don’t see any evidence of that. Can you site examples? I mean, other than Kevin. I don’t mean to sound like the bitter old talentless bastard that I am, but my response to the most subscribed people on Youtube is generally not laughter…not the kind you’re talking about. My response is generally “huh?”

  14. Charles Trippy went and followed my little trick. Little bastard. That pushed me to #6 which is perceptually far lower than one point away from #5. I think I’d better form my own country and be number one. Does that have any bad side?

    Or maybe I should stop trying to game the system and just make good videos. Wait- Marquis raises a good point. That doesn’t seem to be the success criteria.

  16. Maybe they should try reading the YouTube blog for a change, so they can actually see what some of the feedback on the new comment system is. If they were really serious about things when they said “You Drive the YouTube Experience” they would start fixing all of the database problems and the comment system.

  17. Tisk Tisk Tisk Nalts. Usability shows that #6 is better in the 3 column layout of the comedian page (http://www.youtube.com/members?s=mv&t=a&g=2) you are the top of the second column now; you get more eyeballs seeing you; you are also ‘above the fold’.

    Should you go from Comedian to Guru (where you would be first) you have sold out.

  19. I pulled the same stunt about two months ago by changing to guru (my two featured vids were both in the Howto/DIY section, so it wasn’t totally off base). And while I showed up in the Most Subscribed GURUs of All-Time for about a week, after seven days that honor disappeared from my user page. I thought YouTube was wise to me so I switched back to being a small fish in the Directors pond.

    Let me know if you find the same thing happening. I’d like to know if that’s changed, as I’d love to go back to being on at least one of those lists. =)

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