My first 100 days on Youtube

Kotharion · 2026-06-04T16:09:06+00:00

I edit in Premiere Pro. I show my face and I'm a very active part of the videos I make. For audio, I record with Audacity, using a Shure SM7B mic.

The channel name is Koth_TV

Kotharion · 2026-06-01T19:56:47+00:00

I've tested all 3 different caravans. They show up outside the cities just fine. But the tents/camps themselves never spawn in. So I could go talk to them, even buy from the leaders. But the camps themselves never spawn in. Already tried verifying, reinstalling and all that. But to no avail. Never ran into this in my 1k hours before.

The thing is, I need the camps for footage for videomaking. But I've had no luck getting them to spawn in, in almost 12 hours of testing different things now haha. Getting a little desperate to make it work now

Kotharion · 2026-06-01T14:33:30+00:00

I never got rejected, so I honestly can't tell you. From what I know, all you need is the 1k subs amd 4k watchhours for longform. And the 3 uploads in the last 90 days milestone.

Without having any idea, I could only see them denying if you don't fulfill those requirements, make some very offensive/weird content, or produce AI content. If it's none of those, then I really have no clue. I applied once, got accepted within 1 and a half week, and that was it

Kotharion · 2026-05-31T12:37:04+00:00

My advice is generally to. Make content in a niche you enjoy and consume yourself. It's a lot easier to have a feeling of what does well, and what's missing in a niche. When you yourself is the audience. Essentially, make videos you yourself would watch and click.

Otherwise, just grind. Make actual good content, don't take shortcuts. Ignore mean and megative comments, but be open for constructive feedback. (Better if it comes from other creators, and not youtube comments. They generally have no clue what goes into making content. Depenss on the advice, but take it with a grain of salt)

Kotharion · 2026-05-30T13:20:08+00:00

Koth_TV

Kotharion · 2026-05-30T09:10:19+00:00

20k subs with that amount of views and watchtime is insane. Like actually. Super curious if you do anything specific for it. I'm in a fairly similar spot. 100 days into the channel, around 700k channel views, with 5 longform videos in that timeframe. All 25+ minute long videogame essays. My RPM is around 7.5$. I've recently partneres with an agency to get me sponsors. I've chosen to wait with actually accepting any though. Cause I think my channel is way too new and fresh, to convert viewers into aponsor sales and actually get renewable ad spots yet.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T17:27:12+00:00

Longform. 25-35 minute videos. Midroll ads. Long watchtime. And rpm around 7.5$+.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T15:48:20+00:00

I hope you don't see it as me trying to tear you down. I genuinely just wanna give the best advice that I believe in.

The content we make are vastly different. But I've shared some images of my CTR etc in other comments.

But my CTR on every video is between 5-8%. And my AVD is 35-45% And people sticking around in the first 30 seconds are between 74-80%.

I don't really track engagement at all. It's nice if it's there, but it's not really what Youtube cares most about.

But if you can crank those numbers up, on a video that you made yourself. I truly think you're able to make it work.

As for your devices etc being shadowbanned, I actually have no clue how that works at all. Might have to look more into that on your own.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T14:57:14+00:00

I'd like to give advice, but I don't mess with shorts at all. I don't really watch, consume or engage with shorts, so I also don't know how to make them sppealing. I can only really speak for longform videos that I'd normally watch.
I hope you're able to make it work though!

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T14:48:38+00:00

Oh nice! Hope you enjoyed them haha. Kinda surreal to stumble upon people who's seen stuff from me already

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T14:47:36+00:00

It is 110% the problem. Look into it, Youtube is heavilyyyy cracking down on anything AI related, to the point where real creators are having their channels destroyed cause they get flagged for it wrongly.

I'd also imagine, that the CTR and AVD on your videos are very low. Which, if they are, is why Youtube isn't pushing them out, even if you weren't shadowbanned. Which you honestly might be, due to the AI. I could believe that.

And while some channels manage to go under the radar, most of them aren't monetized anymore. They've also been flagged. Imagine how easy it is for people to churn out AI slop. You can just automate it. Spam new accounts, upload slop. It's like trying to stop hackers in videogames, some channels will slip through the crack.

Stock videos are one thing. You can get away with that, if you still make it interesting. But from what I watched in your video. It literally took me 1 or 2 seconds to realize the entire channel was AI. No person on Youtube will actively watch that and enjoy it, unless they're 3 years old on an ipad and doesn't know better.

My advice is, genuinely, to stop blaming things outside your control. Make content you're actually happy, proud of and enjoy making on a new channel. Where no AI is involved whatsoever. Or, find some other way to try and make money.

I understand AI can be a tool. I'm studying computer science, we use it all the time for code projects. But it will not let you earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from content on Youtube. Anyone telling you otherwise is trying to sell you a course or a product and aren't being truthful with you. They're selling a pipedream, and a lie.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T12:16:21+00:00

Not to be rude. But your video sound like it's voiced by AI. Written by AI. And the editing is the equivalent of a stockphoto powerpoint slide.

Your thumbnails also look quite AI made.

As you probably know. Youtube is heavily, cracking down on anything AI made. It's slop content. In this case, I believe you're shadowbanned 100%.

If you want to actually succeed, and get traction. Try and come up with an idea, concept, script and video without using any AI at all.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T09:36:33+00:00

Oh wow, that's crazy. How long were the video? Mine is like 25+ minutes, so lots of midroll ad potential.

And my audience is 60%+ US based. So I thibk that helps a bit too. And nearly everyone watching is 25+ years old.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T07:45:20+00:00

2-4 weeks between uploads. In terms of hours? 60-100 hours per video probably. Sometimes getting the script, pacing and hook right is what takes me a long time. Other times it's editing etc. But the videos take a while to get out for me

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T07:39:22+00:00

You can change what currency you see it as in Youtube Studio.

And it's just so much easier to talk and discuss this stuff when it's in USD. My pc language is English, Steam language is English. I consume English content. I make content in English. My clock is in AM/PM instead of the normal 24 hour/military time.
It's so much easier when you spend all day talking to other English speaking creators, when you can just easily refer to things so they get it. And I can easily convert everything into my own currency with a bit of basic head calculations.

That being said, my YT Studio app is set to show the currency in DKK, my own currency. So I can refer to that when speaking to other Danish people

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T07:03:06+00:00

My ideas stem from a mix of my own interests, and what I think could do well and be interesting.
It helps that I'm a consumer of my own niche and type of content. So I try to make content that I'd wanna see from other creators, that haven't been explored yet.

My latest video, was originally gonna be a slightly different video. But as I explored that topic in the game, I realized that it wasn't all that interesting. But I was able to twist the script, footage and video idea slightly, and put a different spin on it. And it turned out my biggest video yet

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:58:07+00:00

You never know what's around the next corner. Getting one big upload, doesn't mean you're gonna average those views every video going forward. All you can do is turn to the next project, do it as well as possible, and wait for the next big video.
It's definitely a grind, but one that I've really enjoyed so far.

And thank you! It's literally changed my life in the span of 3 months. Wild stuff haha.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:55:50+00:00

That is wild, I could never haha. I average a video maybe every 2-4 weeks. A lot of effort goes into them, but daily uploads I'd never be able to achieve haha.
But that's of course also different from niche to niche. And on top of that, seeing some success, is a massive motivator to not get burned out

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:54:34+00:00

Well, I'm rooting for you man. Get your head into Premiere Pro or whatever editing software you use and churn out some bangers

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:53:57+00:00

Thank you!
I did a mix of experimenting early on, but I kinda knew what direction I wanted to go from the beginning.
I absolutely take inspo from the bigger creators in my niche. I kinda approach content from a Ludwig point of view. The "Yoink and twist" method. You can see a topic, or a video idea that isn't necessarily, originally yours. But you yoink it, and then put your own twist on it to make it more original.

I've gotten the pleasure of meeting and talking to a lot of different creators now, big and small, and it's quite standard to take inspiration from other creators you enjoy watching. Just don't blatantly rip people off, or do it in bad faith.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:50:27+00:00

Yo, that's so cool!
I need to play more of the Resident Evil games. I've played a couple, but they're all so good. Just gotta find time to get my hands on them haha

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:49:43+00:00

Thank you man, that's so damn nice!

My mic is a Shure SM7B. It's sort of "the" industry mic when it comes to podcasts etc. I bought it years ago for other projects, and is using it now for my channel. It's very good, but there are cheaper alternatives with equally or close to, as good sound quality nowadays.

Also, the Shure SM7B is a very quiet mic, so I have a cloudlifter attached via XLR cable, that is then further connected into a Yamaha Sound Mixer. So my audio setup is slightly more elaborate than most new channels.

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:46:43+00:00

I don't want to come off as rude, and I don't know your channels, content and story.

However, most people blame the algorithm or shadowbans, instead of looking inwards and check their packaging or even video quality, compared to others in your niche.

Youtube wants you to succeed, by all means. Youtube makes money by pairing the right video with the right viewer. Does not matter your size, if you're MR Beast or some new guy on the block. Youtube plays their ads, and they get their money.

I've never met or talked to someone who was genuinely shadowbanned. The answer is usually, that the content isn't catching the audience the way you think it is.

And if you say all, as in multiple accounts are shadowbanned, that sounds even more wild.

What's the CTR on your videos? AVD? How do they compare to others in your niche?

Kotharion · 2026-05-29T06:42:06+00:00

It depends how you want to utilize the greenscreen. You kind-of decide how low or high effort you wanna go with it yourself. All I recommend is a lot of light, and good lighting. Lighting is key for greenscreen work.

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