Best of times vs. worst of times

I have a modestly successful YouTube channel. It has about 3500 subscribers, and I post videos about keyboard patches I design on it.

Today I got an email that people last month watched 70,000 minutes. That’s approximately 1,166 hours of watching, or about 49 days of me droning on and on about geeky crap.

It’s hard to remember that this level of reach was nearly impossible for anyone but network moguls just 60 years ago. We’ve become used to access and distribution for basically free.  An artist from the 1970’s would have given a pinky toe for access to 3500 people a week, for free, without leaving their home.

How much did it cost me to build a media empire with this much attention? Nothing. The account is free, the distribution is free, and I’m using a phone that, while not free, I already had in my pocket.

It’s never been easier to reach people with your art. It’s never required less to really dig in and build something amazing in the studio. It’s never been simpler to consistently show up for an audience and build trust.

And it’s never been harder to stand out because everyone can do it.