Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
Folks who tune in to Adi Fishman’s YouTube videos might get the idea that creating content on the platform is all fun and games. Fishman has built a presence hinged on lighthearted, trendy content: pranks on his brother (who’s Tal Fishman, creator of the massive Reaction Time channel) and girlfriend, many, many challenges, and collabs with friends like Infinite and other members of creative collective Free Time. But what seems easy breezy on the surface is the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes, Fishman says.
For the creator, who’s 19, YouTube is a full-time job and then some. He uploads at least two videos per week, and sometimes puts up as many as six in one seven-day span. His videos often involve topics and challenges popular on YouTube at the given moment — which, Fishman says, is the result of constantly tracking what’s trending on the platform, and adjusting his content strategy to match. His creative philosophy is that YouTube is constantly changing, and creators who aren’t fleetfooted can get left in the dust after viewers move on to new trends.
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Fishman’s strategy has worked in his favor: in a little over a year, he’s amassed more than one million subscribers on YouTube (where he nets an average of around 10M views per month), as well as 454K followers on Instagram and 55.6K on Twitter.
Of course, it’s the first of those Fishman is here on Tubefilter celebrating, so we won’t delay any longer. Check out our chat with this up-and-coming creator below.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to hit one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?
Adi Fishman: It feels amazing. It’s such a rush to know that I can positively affect the lives of one million people. I say this a lot, but I love my fans. I absolutely love them, I feel so close to each supporter and I try to be as active to my following as much as I possibly can.
Tubefilter: Tell us a little about you. Where are you from? What did you get up to in ye olde days before YouTube?
AF: I’m from Los Angeles! Before YouTube, I was in high school!
Tubefilter: What made you decide to start a YouTube channel?
AF: My brother played a huge part in my choice to start a YouTube channel. He persuaded me to make a channel with him called Tal and Short when I was in eighth grade, and we produced comedy skits. Ever since then, I’ve loved the whole process of video creating.
Tubefilter: You’ve hit 1M subs and a little over 69M views in just a year of making content. That’s an impressive growth rate! How did you find and build your audience so quickly?
AF: I do a lot of research on YouTube, and try to follow the trends that are happening. I’m always wanting to adapt and change my content based on what everyone wants. I believe that’s what has helped me grow so fast!
Tubefilter: Your videos hit a lot of topical subjects and often involve trendy challenges and formats (like 24-hour vids, etc). How do you make your videos stand out despite all the noise in these categories?
AF: Well, there are many other creators in the same space with similar mindsets. I differentiate myself by putting my own twist on my content. I believe that I have a unique personality, which causes people to click on my videos.
Tubefilter: How do you come up with video ideas and keep your audience coming back for more?
AF: I use YouTube as my biggest inspiration for video ideas, bouncing off ideas of all sorts of content. But, sometimes I run dry and I use the internet’s “word of the day” as a start for a concept. After I figure out a concept, I form it together to make a video I believe would be interesting and fun to watch!
Tubefilter: Have you evolved or tweaked your content over this past year to respond to trends you noticed among viewers/subscribers? Or have you stayed consistent with your video strategy?
AF: Oh yeah! I used to vlog my daily life, then turned my content to be based off challenges. Now, I dabble in all sorts of trends and topics. YouTube is constantly changing, and if you don’t adapt to what viewers want to watch, it’ll slow your growth!
Tubefilter: What’s your production process like? How long does the average video take you to make, from conception to posting?
AF: I start off by thinking of the video idea. After that, I plan where I want to film and the shots I think would look the best. Then I film and send it to my editor. My editor sends it back to me within 24 hours, and I review it to make sure it\s up to par. An average video takes me about 10 to 12 hours from beginning to it being publicly posted.
Tubefilter: When did you start noticing your audience really picking up? Was there one specific video that attracted a lot of attention?
AF: I started noticing my videos attracting more people around April 2019. There wasn’t one specific video that made me get to where I am now — it was just me uploading consistent content that made viewers stay tuned.
Tubefilter: What else do you get up to in your daily life? You produce a lot of videos—is YouTube your full-time job?
AF: YouTube is definitely my full-time job. There’s a lot of grunt work that has to be done behind the scenes, which many people don’t know about. But I have the best job in the whole world. I don’t even consider it a job, as it’s more of a hobby to me.
Tubefilter: What’s your favorite part of making content specifically for YouTube?
AF: I like the positive feedback I receive from creating content and being an influencer. Many people DM me daily telling me how I’ve helped them, and that alone is my absolute favorite part about all of this.
Tubefilter: What’s next for you and your channel? Any plans looking to the future?
AF: I just want to continue creating content that people will love. There are big plans for the future, but everyone will just have to wait and see!
You can add yourself to the ranks of Fishman’s more-than-a-million YouTube subscribers at his channel YouTube.com/AdiFishman.
