Dan & Phil Part 81: Now what?

[kavat]

I was surprised at the membership thing, I must say. I've seen it mostly for smaller channels or those who do more ambitious content that take a lot of time (that the algorithm doesn't favor), instead of using Patreon. I never thought they would have to do that, but as you say, if they're ditching younow I guess that money needs to come from somewhere else. And they did have sponsorship enabled for the gaming channel when they did live streams there, so I guess it's not that wild.

.Edit for conspiracy addition: At 7:00 he says "Check it out, I'm in my new home" I think I'm gonna have to join you on that hill guys

[somethingsketchy]

I probably won't rewatch this video that many times, but I've been in such a bad headspace recently that even this sort of filler-y video made my mood skyrocket, so thanks, Phil!

[sarmstr2]

I don't know if I agree that the "join" thing is for youtubers on their way out. Just a quick scroll through and I see Crankgameplays, Jacksepticeye and PewDiePie (I know, I know) all have it listed.

I did have to switch over to Chrome to even see the button. It wasn't even visible to me on Explorer.

[thestigdrivesamini]

I have several thoughts that I can’t quite articulate yet. I love the casual cussing and the more relaxed vibe. He seemed far more Phil than AP. The bed discussion was a bit forced and cringe- I’d rather he just not mention it but I guess that would only fuel things.

The new set is nice and basic..definitely something he can change up easily which is nice. There’s no space for collabs so I wonder how he’ll handle that when the time comes.

His hair is a bit shorter than usual, but he’s still distractingly pretty like I had to watch it twice because I wasn’t listening to anything he was saying pretty

I bought the membership because despite my moral feelings about it, they own my ass and I’m trash (see above comment). I’ll end up getting it for Dan too if he does it.
Starving us for content and then dangling future videos is a cruel and effective way to get that money boys

I’m more excited to see what he does next now that we’ve gotten the obligatory change video out of the way

[alittledizzy]

All the jokes about Capita£ester aside, I don't really like this new join the channel thing. Also I'm not understanding properly what is it about? Yeah, they have to make money somehow, but it just sounds like something a desperate youtuber at the end of their career would do, and Phil ain't there yet. Their content being free is a big part of their appeal, I guess they really aren't looking new subscribers anymore. Feels like a beginning to an end.

It definitely not just a dying youtuber thing. I was over at my neighbors house this week when their son was begging them to let them become a member for Dude Perfect, who have 38 million subscribers. It kind of reminds me of subscriptions on Twitch, where you can still get the main content for free, but you get added emojis and badges, a little extra content, and an extra way to support people you like.

Yeah, the Dolan twins also just started memberships, so definitely not a dying youtuber thing. I think more like a feature youtube is either pushing or somehow incentivizing people to use moreso than it might have been before.

[rizzo]

Starving us for content and then dangling future videos is a cruel and effective way to get that money boys

damn. didn't think of it that way. they're good. i hate them.

i'm forming a theory wherein this membership business is gonna replace solo liveshows, so that they can focus on only doing joint liveshows in some capacity. phil (and potentially dan) will then have his pick of questions to answer instead of on-the-spot stuff and we'll all get the joint content we constantly crave.

[ratlad]

ok i now understand the membership thing more. if yt is pushing it while taking away AdSense, then i don't see why people are getting upset over it. he's not forcing anyone to give him money,,,this still is his job.

[fieldoflovers]

I'm really glad Phil mentioned how much he needed a break/how exhausted he was. I think in the gaming channel going on hiatus and no new videos I had kind of forgotten why the break was necessary but going to the hospital after a year of constant travel and work, its good he acknowledged his need for a break. It was a necessary and good reminder.

The video itself was very cute, i had fun watching it all the way through and I liked that he seemed to be in a good mood and not "performing" too much for the camera. Also I like the new background, though its curious how tight of a shot it is, its almost as if someone wants to avoid speculation about where they're filming (which is fair enough tbh)

also i really hoped we had some way of knowing what dan thought about the new aesthetic? like i'm sure he likes it but he's so good at compliments i want a detailed one!

[Catallena]

Finally we've been fed! And yet I'm still hungry.

Ok so, first up; he's now a person who says things like bitch on main.

Secondly, the new aesthetics and filming space. I'm mostly positive. The bed is finally gone, which is the most important thing because I'll never have to look at the eye sore that is that IKEA duvet cover ever again. And the lava lamp, the dino lamp, the candle holder, the plant, and even lion are all nice things. But the camera angle does make it all look a bit cramped and that makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. Also he still has his brightness turned up to eleven (that why that statue thing blends into the wall you dummy!) which doesn't do the new set any justice either. Still a massive improvement over the previous set so 4 fake cacti out of 5 will gladly appreciate in upcoming era

BUT WHERE IS IT?? I'm a nosy bitch who likes knowing things, so this will drive me up the wall for the foreseeable future. Filming flat? If so, still in the same broom closet or elsewhere? Or is the filming flat dead and is it somewhere in the living flat? And where exactly?? It does sound very echo-y. If only he'd show us a bit floor but he probably knows that's what ratted them out previously.

Then we have channel memberships. Capita£ester's only true aesthetic remains money. Nah, but with YouTube's Adsense now being unreliable as hell and them knowing that the phandom is loyal and willing to spend some money it does make sense. I mostly wonder if Dan will do this too? If he does, I'd advice against turning them on right for his first video. Openly asking people to give you money after almost a year of absence is nagl. I agree with dizzy that doing this on a joined channel like DAPG with liveshows would bring in more cash.

As for the video itself, it wasn't the best thing I ever watched but it was some classic AmazingPhil stuff, and it satisfied my craving. For now. There was more of a relaxed vibe and his way of speaking was more natural as well, so that's a good change. I would have liked for him to go more in depth about the change a la Why I Changed My Emo Hair, but honestly didn't really expect it anyway. We haven't unlocked that level yet until the next move.

I'm hoping for more food soon. Dan where are you?? I miss DAPG so much omg.

[rikonee]

That's a nice video. I mean, it's basically what we expected.

First of all, Phil looks really good and I just love how more relaxed he sounds.

I like the background too and it has a lava lamp (yay!). I wish he would turn down the brightness a little and set the camera further away, but still pretty okay.

It's nice to see Frugal Phil in action tho. Him talking about how the shelf is a steal, not gonna buy something because it's 260£, and stuffs is just really funny to me. Also he said that the stuffs took longer than expected to come, so that probably explains the delay of the vid.

Overall, nothing groundbreaking but I like it. I would be disappointed if someone doesn't make a dick reference counter in Phil's vid lol.

Starving us for content and then dangling future videos is a cruel and effective way to get that money boys

I didn't understand the whole membership thing until I saw this. Secure those bags, boys.

[alittledizzy]

lmao

[autumnhearth]

One thing I realized while watching is that the format/nature of this video does explain why there was a longer wait time between tweeting and the vid being filmed and going up, as it was obviously filmed in parts. I mean he still could have had the announcement and call for suggestions together, but maybe he just likes to let us know about his haircuts in advance. I came here to sort of apologize but only ended up complaint, oops. I’m excited for these little (perhaps quarterly) Q&A’s and it makes sense that they would replace Phil’s solo liveshows. Wow, he didn’t want to be seen as spending too much money on the items in the background, but for the doge it’s all worth it. Also it has been pointed out that the lion on the shelf is a clone. I’m just going to assume this is so that Phil can keep the real Lion closer to him.

[hello9217]

I thought this is where he's filming

[autumnhearth]

^Nah. That was his solo liveshow space, round the curve is the kitchen, I doubt they would move their stuff, including Bryony’s painting and set up a camera and lighting right in their main living space, where they spend the majority of their time. That was the whole point of the “downstairs” other flat. I was very ready for them to give up the filming flat after we found out DAPG was going on hiatus. But the video sounds like it’s in a room with tile floors, that big house plant was last seen in the baking kitchen, as was the transparent chair he sat on. It’s the simplest solution. This is the hill I’m willing to die on apparently (even though I know it doesn’t matter).

[flarequake]

Ooh, good spot that that’s one of the new lions, when I was watching all the old videos I noticed mine has a longer mane and slightly diamond-shaped nose, though the pose is the same and they both have a rope tail.

Once it had been a few days after his first tweet and we realised he was redoing the background already, I got that the delay was probably just him waiting for stuff to arrive, but a tweet to be clear would be nice in all that time. Haircut was the priority to tell us about, I guess, good opportunity for a fluffy animal picture after all

[Philena]

I'm with you, @autumnhearth. I think it was right against the wall where my arrow is pointing

I guess I can't call myself a true phil stan, because I won't be getting a monthly subscription atm. Kinda disappointed with his first video, tbh. Hoping the future will be better. For both of them.

Of all of their content, the only thing I truly miss are the joint instastories.

[CapriciousCrab]

well, that was a surprise

I liked the video but tried to keep my expectations low so as not to get disappointed. It was very much a Phil vid but with a little less persona and a few dick mentions. Ok, more than a few dick mentions lol. His decor is cute and I really want that dino lamp!

I can't figure out where exactly he's at in the flat but the acoustics are pretty shit-it sounds empty and echoey-but the baking kitchen makes sense.

[knq]

The option to become a member for a monthly fee is certainly interesting! I like seeing Phil try new things out, so I’m curious to see where that goes. He didn’t do much to ‘sell’ it imo, but I think there are a lot of fans who’d be happy to sign up for the icons just to ‘stand out in the comments’ and get to submit questions Phil might actually read.

I’m not too sure about Phil’s ability to deliver on those Q&A videos every ‘few months.’ Because that’s not a real specific schedule in the first place. He’s not as bad as Dan, but he did spend a good while promising people sunglasses, shoutouts, a gaming console, and a painting through Rize without delivering (to my knowledge). Their usual policy of not promising anything makes me doubt their ability/willingness to carry through.

If they were still renting the filming flat for the first half of the AP video where Phil was in the AP room I doubt he’d have moved out by the second half! I think they could be letting the filming flat go but I agree that they haven’t yet and Phil’s probably in the slounge.

I liked the video but I’m also kind of sad just because it’s not DAPG. It’s pleasant enough but it doesn’t make me laugh out loud or smile til my face hurts, and that’s why I enjoy Dan and Phil’s content. I guess main channel vids have never really been my thing.

[alittledizzy]

well, that was a surprise

I actually think your shoutout was my favorite part of the video. I legit clapped out loud when I saw your name on the screen!!

[Ablissa]

I still need to catch up on the discussion here, but I wanted to ask something before I sleep.

How much do you all reckon he'll be making off the membership thing? How many people out of his 4,2 mil subscribers are likely to sub? Is it likely he might get like 10k+ members?
I wonder if there are numbers like that for other youtubers that use this function?

(also - I really don't think it means his channel is dying. So many youtubers are using it now. With youtube being a hot mess for the last ~2 years, they have to make money in other ways and I won't blame them for it.)

[alittledizzy]

I still need to catch up on the discussion here, but I wanted to ask something before I sleep.

How much do you all reckon he'll be making off the membership thing? How many people out of his 4,2 mil subscribers are likely to sub? Is it likely he might get like 10k+ members?
I wonder if there are numbers like that for other youtubers that use this function?

(also - I really don't think it means his channel is dying. So many youtubers are using it now. With youtube being a hot mess for the last ~2 years, they have to make money in other ways and I won't blame them for it.)

Dolan twins have 8.9 million subscribers - one of their member perks is access to weekly bloopers for their weekly videos. The blooper links go up as an unlisted video. Right now the view count for their last one (exactly one week ago) is 22,748. And that's accounting for the fact that the link spread on twitter, since it's just an unlisted video and anyone can share it. (Which, yes, is how I found it.) I feel like there are two ways to look at it, because on one hand that means that an incredibly small percentage of their 8.9 million subs actually became members - but on the other half even if you said half those views are from people who got the link when it spread around that means that means they're pulling 50k a month from memberships.

You can draw your own conclusions about how that compares to what Phil might make. Dolan twins are some of the hottest on youtube right now but phandom is incredibly dedicated and I could see Phil still getting between 5-10k people willing to hand him five bucks a month just out of loyalty/those shiny cactus emojis/the chance at having a question seen.

[autumnhearth]

@Philena it could be there though that low register looking thing does stick out a bit. I was thinking it was this section white wall to the left of their old sofa, the one with the subscriber milestone plaque and the piranha plant bouquet on the standing shelves. Putting this super flattering screenshot of Phil from Week in the Life under the cut.

@knq I agree with the timeline for filming not matching up with moving. They clearly still had the filming flat last week when Phil filmed the first part, they probably still had it at the beginning of this week, so it would make sense to set up his background in a space designated for filming (and with the biggest objects needed close by: lights, camera, plant, chair). Whenever they move or even if they do it in stages he can just put that stuff in front of a different white wall (or even say he decided to paint the wall. Boys please paint your walls when you buy a home) and only those of us sensitive to accoustics will be able to tell something changed (I’m not saying that with any kind of tone of superiority, I realize this is ridiculous and I am annoyed with myself for caring).

[Puffy]

My current theory is that getting people to get member subscriptions probably circumvents possible issues if YouTube eventually get people to move over to ad-free streaming (I don’t know if this is the same for everyone but every time I open YouTube it asks me if I want a free premium trial). Also considering the rate of demonitisarion and the amount of people who use Patreon to supplement or serve as their actual income when they are open to frequent demonitisarions (sfx content or even all the horrible stuff that was happening to LGBT creators, etc) it makes sense for YouTube to want to secure future funds from people likely to jump onto another platform or not really care about views or their algorithm if they can use another platform to direct viewers to Patreon. At one point during the drought I was saying to my bf that if they did a Let’s Play series on DAPG through Patreon and asked for even 1-2£ a month (probably realistically more) they could do more in-depth videos that might be niche for some viewers but still get their views and still get guaranteed revenue on those videos. I have a half-thought formed about the future of content creation and all the stuff going down with Conde Nast and buzzfeed and paywalls and stuff but I’m not sure what those thoughts are (it’s 3am). I think deppy are smart and will put out feelers to try make sure they’re exploring every avenue for when content consumption does invariably change into whatever form it’s going to evolve into while also maintaining the status quo in terms of how they work for as long as possible.

Sorry for the ramble I’ll probably look at this tomorrow when I’ve slept and wonder what the heck I was trying to say

[sapienveneficus]

I've enjoyed reading everyone's reactions to the new video. I like that there's such a variety of opinions on this board.

I didn't like the video, and I've been trying to work out just why that was. Reading all these comments has actually helped me sort out my thoughts. Going into the video, we knew he'd be changing up his background. I think I was expecting something like "Why I Changed My Hair," with older footage/photos, a few fun stories, and then some sincerity/vulnerability at the end. This video didn't deliver any that for me which was disappointing. I found the waffling about the bed at the beginning to be cringey. Someone else said this above and I completely agree, he should have just said, "I'm getting too old to be sat on my bed in front of a camera." After getting that out of the way, I think he really missed an opportunity by not showing old pictures or footage of his bedspread over the years. He could have thrown in a funny story about picking it out all those years ago, and maybe how he was teased for holding on to it for so long. Or he could have gone into the history of YouTubers sat in front of their beds (starting with Lonely Girl 15) and then gotten into how the platform is changing and he's changing, etc.

I wanted the video to be sincere but also funny, and, for me, it wasn't really either. Even when he switched over to looking for new items to buy, the pacing felt too slow. It needed to be a bit faster with some silly music in the background. It would also have been great to hear Dan judging his choices in the background. That would have broken things up a bit, added a little levity. Then, at the end, I think the camera was set up too close to his face. It may be to carefully frame the shot (I think someone's guess about him filming the slounge is right), but being that close up made me a little uncomfortable. And what was up with that music at the end? It was so somber. It made the end of the video feel a bit depressing.

Long story short, I think the subject matter he chose for his first video of the year was solid, but I think he dropped the ball when it came to execution. This isn't one I would rewatch.

[lesterchuu]

the video was a bit...meh, but i didnt hate it. rather than a proper video, it felt more like a ~prologue~ and im thinking that his insta where he said "my first video" made so much sense now. i feel like it didnt need to be on the same level of impact as "why i changed my hair" because this is just phil letting us know that theres no turning back now. the hair video was the wrecking ball demolishing his old branding, this video is him renovating the "brand" to reflect a closer truth to him.

i didnt cringe as much on the why he wants to get rid of the bed part because i kind of was expecting hed say something along those lines...but i sure do love how he started off with saying "many reasons" then his mind immediately "blanked out"...then he just used the easiest to share reason. in my opinion, its kind of a character progress. all those years of internalized censoring, to the point he cant even show his big parts of his personality, needs time and effort to unlearn. my guess was the reason he blanked out was simple because he cannot say the "biggest" reason...yet. so he chose to use an easier one.

also, im gunna have to adjust my tinhat here people. theres something really fishy about phil going "im in my new home"....um.....like, excuse me, thats illegal. how dare you say that. phillip michael lester, you need to sToP playing us like fools.