At Youtube’s office in Stockholm, a stone’s throw from the central station, it is Michelle Kadir that decides.
– Today there are enormous opportunities for those who are young and creative, she says.
After having a meteoric career in Swedish music companies such as Universal, Sony and at Spotify, she is now the head of Sweden at Swedish YouTube. It has News24 written about before.
DO NOT MISS: Wanted to drop out of KTH – now she is YouTube’s top manager
“I have some tips”
She has a good grasp of what is rewarded and what is penalized for those who want to create moving content on the huge video platform.
And now she tells what young, new YouTubers today must do to succeed in their creative career.
– Firstly, follow your passion – what you are passionate about is what you will be good at, she says.
Top manager Michelle Kadir in her element. She loves music. Photo: Bilbo Göransson Who will be the next Jonna Jinton, Wilma Holmqvist or Marui Hermundsson?
Swedish creators who Jonna Jinton and Wilma Holmqvist has built an audience of millions on YouTube.
Mauri Hermundsson has also built a large following on the platform through, for example, the channel Uppdrag: Mat.
70 billion short films – a day
There are billions of users on Youtube. Every day, 70 billion YouTube clips are consumed only through the shorts format in the app and on the website, on all the continents of the earth.
It could be that you enjoy baking, playing games or singing karaoke.
– Upload regularly, so followers can expect new material to come.
She also believes that you should dare to be resourceful.
– Be creative in terms of content and form. Try again, and be patient. If you are passionate about your idea, viewers will surely find you over time, says Michelle Kadir.
“I love Green Day,” reveals Michelle Kadir, starting to sing on Basket Case. Photo: Bilbo Göransson Teenagers who compete with big media houses
Many new creators see the feed filled with studio footage and lavish videos. Succeeding as an individual videographer can seem impossible in competition with SVT, the BBC and Hollywood’s film industry.
But many of the people who have succeeded best on YouTube are people with a mobile camera in their living room, combined with a great interest in everything from baking, music or computer games to historical battles and film reviews.
– You no longer need any expensive camera equipment or advanced editing programs. Everything can be done directly on the mobile these days.
Reply to your comments
Once you’ve got your video out online, it might be wise to keep an eye on the comments section.
– Engage with your audience, respond to the comments you receive in the comment fields. You may not have many viewers yet, but show appreciation for the ones you do have. Interactions are what create a loyal follower base that will come back the next time you post a video, says Michelle Kadir.
If you go further back in time, you can see the Swedish YouTube celebrity Pewdiepie who became famous internationally by broadcasting videos of him playing computer games and commenting on the gruesome content, often in comic terms.
Michelle Kadir in the Google House rehearsal room. Photo: Bilbo GöranssonAlan Max – music
But recently, for example, Alan Max received a large impact for its content. He is a guy from Västerås who reviews music and meets, among other things, hip-hop celebrities whom he interviews.
– He is a good example of someone who took something he is interested in, created a channel with that content and is now the one who is invited backstage at Eurovision and the Grammy Awards, says Michele Kadir.
Advanced network of AI and humans
With a growing internet and increasingly advanced technology, it is becoming more important for both the tech giants such as YouTube and the users to be able to distinguish between reality and fiction, says Michelle Kadir.
Youtube has an advanced system of both algorithms, high-tech tools and a legion of tech-savvy people who review all material posted on the platform.
In this way, credible sources get a greater spread of their material, while others are restricted.
Four rules
– There are four basic rules that it can be good to know, she says.
The four rules deal with harmful, inappropriate or dishonest material.
Rule number one: Remove
If you do something that is downright criminal on YouTube, either the material or the entire account will be removed.
– In just one quarter, we removed 9 million videos and 20 million accounts, to ensure that what you see on the platform is safe.
YouTube has more than 20,000 people internationally who work together with AI technology to ensure that the platform is safe for users. Material that violates the law, for example, is removed immediately.
– It can be anything from incitement against ethnic groups to child pornography or other illegal things.
Rule Number Two – Raise
Trusted voices are raised when it comes to information and news events. When something serious happens like an earthquake, or an act of violence or an important election, YouTube highlights credible news sources with press ethics rules.
– Then we lift, for example, Aftonbladet or Expressen which reported on the incident, says Michelle Kadir.
But creators who create material that does not necessarily have news value but are still perceived as reliable sources are also highlighted.
– Like when, for example Anise Don Demina interviewed the then prime minister Magdalena Andersson. Then the dialogue is broadened with questions that do not come from traditional media houses, says Michelle Kadir.
Rule Number Three – Reward
Trusted creators are paid by YouTube, which shares the revenue from the ad views with the creators of the content.
One of the criteria for taking part in the revenue is, among other things, that you need to have reached over 1,000 subscribers combined with a certain number of views.
Rule number four – Reduce
Those who create material that does not violate the rules, but does not live up to YouTube’s standard in terms of honesty, get reduced exposure to new viewers and the risk of unreliable material gaining many viewers is minimized.
– There is material that balances on the border between what is okay and what is not. We minimize the spread of that, says Michelle Kadir.
The purpose of the rules is to reduce the risk, for example, of fake news, so-called fake news, being spread online via Youtube and Google’s platform.
AI-generated content – lift or diss?
Is there a risk that whoever uses AI-generated images or voices will be dissed by YouTube’s algorithms?
– Absolutely not. If you don’t break our guidelines, AI-generated or not, you should rather see AI as a huge opportunity for your creativity, says Michelle Kadir.
Creating animated content has never been easier, and whoever has an idea has more opportunities than ever to bring it to life thanks to AI. This means that the distance between idea and finished video can be shortened for the creators.
– It should be encouraged, concludes Michelle Kadir.
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Wanted to drop out of KTH – now she is YouTube’s top manager