About the Youtube subscriber count...

[DiabolusInMusic]

Yes to all that but it's even simpler than it seems. People prefer pretty girls. It's been tested and demonstrated in people of all ages and genders and sexual orientations. People are more inclined to pay attention to, listen to, and like attractive women. It's just how it is.

Here is from the comment section of the above Rage cover:

I literally only clicked on this video because this chicks is extremely attractive
Dear lord this is the sexiest thing I've ever seen.
Definitely the dream girl
I want to be reincarnated as her next bass guitar.

These are all the positive top comments:

Talent is unisex
This is fantastic. Definitely one of the strongest female string players i've ever seen.
OMG. Now I wanna learn that song on bass. Sad thing I don't even own a bass.
Now that's what you call funk. Holy shag!

Now while I do agree that people love a pretty women the fact is that most people love a pretty woman because they want to fantasize about her sexually.

 

[dxb]

For it to make sense, just multiply the view/subscriber count by boobies.

 

[JW_Manhattan]

Is she trying to educate or to entertain?

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Hmmm... more like melons to melons...

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Is this thread for real?

 

[COLDGLU]

She's really cute, so people click her videos.
Her cuteness is an extra bonus when you see her play.
It's like a double woah!

 

[iTzPrime]

I have made my opinion (a strong one) about my question on the Youtube subscriber count of bass players on Youtube.

Let's take a VERY prolific and multitasking our own TB member, JLoch86.
We have TAB, we have a standard notation, with visible fingering .

Subscribers - 883.
View attachment 1067448

We have a seriously PRO, and also a TB member, Joe Hubbard.
Very interesting and important bass lessons from a Pro Bass player.

Subscribers - 3,011.
View attachment 1067450

Let's cut to the chase.

Let's take a look at a "Youtube sensation" - a bass player - Marta Altesa.
NO LESSONS!
NO TAB!
NO STANDARD NOTATION!
But...

Subscribers - 255,160.
(P.S. Views also - 7,783,224(!???...))

View attachment 1067452

Could ANYBODY explain to me that very UNUSUAL PHENOMENON of the SUBSCRIPTION count?
Are you, the bass players getting MORE INFO from Marta's Youtube Channel?
What's in that INFO???

The first one has tabs and notation for a lot of niche songs without the ability to download any of them. A lot of people want the download in order to not always want to play and pause with the recording --> very niche product

The second one has a title screen that looks like it's from the 2000's and annoying transitions. He makes bass lessons and there are a lot of bass lessons out there (Scott and Janek are the ones that come to my mind) , which is a very saturated market --> not as extrem but still a niche product

Now we look at marta altesa. She has a nice background that doesnt disturb from her playing, she covers songs really well with a nice tone, she looks like she is having a blast and she is pretty.
Due to not being learning content, her "niche" becomes a lot bigger (Davie504 also comes to mind). Now having a pleasent bass tone, and being pretty without showing waayyy to much cleavage, was at the time something new.
Sure there are some girls that showed a lot of cleavage and were mediocore, but some more descrete, pretty girl with awesome chops and nice looks was the thing back then.
Nowadays there are a lot more - and most of them have a rather small subscribercount because the niche is already filled.

Without a doubt, these three make awesome content, the ones for learning, and the other one for entertaining. The difference is the situation of the "market" (youtube saturation) and the presentation.

Joe Hubbard seems to be an extremly awesome teacher , but he seems to lack in presentation (bright, distracting background, 2000s style intro and transitions) - compared to other bass teachers.

JLoch86 also have awesome content, but the font ( red with yellow shadows) seems to cringy, and his songs are rather "niche" - and not really known among younger (10-20 years) bass players who just started.


Having so much content available you just take the ones that have the best content and the best presentation, and . A lot of factors play into success, but one of the most important is presentation, which Marta got ( no distracting background, well known songs, well dressed, make - up , and a good tone) , and which someone like Joe Hubbard despite awesome content doesn't have (strange transition, outdated intros, distracting background) .

I have no doubt that Joe Hubbard can have more subscribers than Marta (Scott's Bass Lessons have more), but presentation is extremly important.

 

[Spidey2112]

Dudes like chicks, man.

A pretty simple concept, and yet we are finding ways to discuss this, ad nauseum.

 

[JimmyM]

Thanks for the laugh, Who! This is one great thread!

 

[Whippet]

Dudes like chicks, man.

They like breasts better. Bigger the better.

Are these women in a band or just playing along?

 

[Wesley R]

A booking agent in Las Vegas once explained (definitely not original) Sex sell, Money talks, and Elvis is still the king, of course that was 1980.

 

[JW_Manhattan]

Is this thread for real?

Pinch, or gently thump 'em.

Report back your findings.

 

[Brock adcock]

I think most people including the op can see why this happens. I mean come on its just the way the world works. I feel your pain... it's sad. Don't worry about those who want to see cleavage. Just play

 

[foolforthecity]

This one has a higher subscription count:

My personal fav teacher. Although I'm fearing my ADD forces me to watch repeatedly and I'm still not sure how much I'm learning

 

[GnarwhalNick]

I was literally just watching a Spectre Sound Studios video where Glenn talks about this exact same thing, although with guitarists not bassists. He compared the video views count and subscription list of two YouTube guitarists who both had good chops, with one difference. One was a blind male guitarist that shreds, the other was a good looking lady. Guess who has more views/subscribers? Here's the video:

While some create YouTube accounts for attention and ad revenue (I mean who wouldn't want that?), I feel like the women in question are just like any other person who uploads covers, they do it for fun. They get more attention because obviously people would much rather watch a video with a good looking girl in it no matter what the subject matter is. After a while if they have a substantial amount of views and followers, the logical next step is to get paid (just like every other YouTuber who posts any type of subject matter, and once again, whats so bad about getting a little money on the side?). Don't fault Marta or any other woman musician on YouTube for having more followers than anyone else, it's a little petty...

And as for posting tabs and lessons and all that, some people just want to watch because well, they want to watch a video. An example for me is Adam Neely. I love watching his videos because he goes above and beyond the typical musician YouTuber, and he's fun to watch. But sometimes when he gets technical about bass playing, dipping into theory and technique and some of the deeper parts of music, I get turned off. Not because he's not smart or I hate theory and technique, but his knowledge of music is so far above mine that my mind goes in circles trying to understand what he's saying until it shuts off and I either skip ahead a little bit or switch over to another one of his videos.

Some people want to watch a simple video, no need for lessons/tabs/standard notation. For some people, whether they've ever touched a musical instrument or not, watching a video of a woman playing bass is simple enough for them. I don't understand why this is such a difficult concept for some to understand lol

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Marta got - no distracting background

...no distracting background... as ANYTHING that is NOT related to MUSIC?

Did you see her videos?

Now we look at marta altesa.

OK.

Are these women in a band or just playing along?

No, Marta is NOT in the band, and she did not even perform with Justin Timberlake at the Oscars last night, but...
I doubt that Marta has anything to worry about.
Marta is LAUGHING ...

Within 4 hour period, she acquired 159 more subscribers, that's why Marta is laughing all the way to the bank.

You go MARTA.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

My personal fav teacher.

Do you know any courses, "How to listen to Music with your eyes"?

Revision 1.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

Can you explain your excessive use of capitalization? It makes it harder to read and does nothing to increase my understanding of your content.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Here is Flea (!!!) with his Bass DVD (Full).

Subscribers - 9,473.

 

[nerkoids]

Honestly, their videos don't do much for me.

Sure, they're pretty, they're good at playing covers, but I don't like their basses (Just something about MM pole pieces that totally turn me off) or their sound.

Also, something to consider -- YouTube is sort of a vast wasteland with occasional oases that one can find after searching high and low. Learning resources for bassists exist mostly away from such a site like Youtube (hence, this site, etc...)

I'll bet the grand majority of folks watching those videos aren't even musicians.

 

[Bassnomer]

I tend to watch covers more than lessons, and it I think most people do the same...