Although this community is more about generating sales leads than numbers of subscribers, I frequently get asked: ’ how many uploads is this actually going to take?’ So VidIQ pulled the data of 200,000 channels created in 2025, all of which crossed the 1,000-subscriber line, broken out by what they actually upload. The answer is more useful than a single number, and it pushes back hard on the conventional shorts-first advice. The Median Numbers, By Format Channels that were at least 95% long-form hit 1,000 subs at a median of 46 uploads. Channels that were at least 95% Shorts hit it at a median of 90. And the format that looks like the smartest play - posting both, covering all the bases - took the longest: 108 uploads, with more than a third of "true hybrid" channels needing over 200 uploads to get there. Long-form was 4.7x more effective at converting a view into a subscriber than Shorts on our own channel data. Why Hybrid Is the Slowest? When viewers land on a channel that posts a long-form one week and a Short the next, they have to decide what they're actually subscribing to. So does the algorithm. Both end up unsure who the channel is for, and both stop pushing it confidently. The hybrid bucket only worked when channels were heavily long-form-leaning and built a clear "content bridge" between formats - meaning their Shorts and longs covered the same topics for the same viewer. The Channels That Got There in 31 Uploads? Aviation Tech hit 1,000 subs in 31 uploads. Their Shorts and longs covered the exact same topics - a Short about the F-35, then a long-form video about the same plane. Compare that to a channel like Scary Stories 666: 219 uploads to the same milestone, because their Shorts and longs felt like two different channels. Thanks to VidIQ for this analysis.

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YouTube announced that its AI-powered likeness detection tool, previously available to a small and select group of creators, extends to actors, athletes, musicians, and other public figures who might be impersonated. Including figures don’t even have YouTube channels. The expanded rollout was coordinated with major talent agencies CAA, UTA, and WME and works similarly to Content ID: it scans uploaded videos for simulated faces, then gives rights holders the option to request removal or flag the content for a privacy policy violation. Parody and satire are, of course, permitted. Audio detection is on the roadmap. Why It Matters The practical implication for most working creators is straightforward: if your content uses footage, images, or AI-generated representations of celebrities or public figures, that content is now subject to automated detection and potential removal by the rights holder. The reach of the system has meaningfully expanded in a single update. The broader story is about precedent. YouTube is building Content ID for faces. The architecture that made it possible for major labels to manage their catalogs at scale is now being adapted for likeness rights, and that’s a significant structural expansion of who can control what appears on the platform. Creators building in adjacent niches — commentary, reaction, parody, fan content — should watch this one closely, because the enforcement boundaries are still being drawn and they’re being drawn quickly. Thanks to Tech Crunch for the above...

I’m Enock — based in the UK. I’ve worked with video and storytelling for 25+ years. I’m currently using YouTube as a place to test and organise ideas, and exploring how content can be structured more effectively for different audiences. Happy to share observations from that side, and keen to learn how others here are approaching YouTube for business.

Long termLooking for a video editor with a proven track record who wants to help me start a new YouTube channel evolved around a journey of becoming a UFC champion as the bigger purpose of the channel. With a 1-2 year build up before entering. We'd work on 1 to 2 long form videos per month. I've had multiple successful businesses beforehand and my goal is to leverage what I've learned to hire incredible trainers, and create compelling stories that lead me towards being a better fighter. Titles could include (will definitely improve them though): 5 weeks to my first professional boxing fight (never trained before) I trained with Khabib's wrestling coach for 30 days 30 days to my first professional muay thai fight 30 days from white belt to black belt (then actually competing in a black belt competition) Training for my first MMA fight with George Saint Pierre etc. I love the editing style of these 2 channels: a combination between Magnus Mitdbo and Dimitrious Johson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Dz26FboU4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9UYRS6hdg0&t=176s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfbhvDu88oc Am very open and want to approach this as us being a team. Start date: A.S.A.P.