Podcast Summary: The Think Media Podcast
Episode 464: YouTube Views Are Down 70% â Hereâs the Real Reason
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Sean Cannell (A) with co-host Nathan Eswine (B)
Main Theme & Purpose
In this episode, Sean Cannell and Nathan Eswine take a deep dive into the current ârecessionâ of YouTube views, addressing widespread reports of dramatic dropsâeven among veteran creators. They deconstruct why view counts are down (up to 70% in some notable cases), discuss the evolution of the YouTube landscape, and share their actionable âhard modeâ strategies for creators to thrive in today's more fragmented, competitive environment. The energy is practical, encouraging, and bracingly honest: YouTube isnât dying, itâs changing, and creators must level up their mindset, tools, and tactics to succeed.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Understanding the "YouTube Views Recession"
- Many established creators, even those with large followings, are experiencing a significant dip in views.
- âLiterally everyone, they're like, all of our views are down... These are like established creators, a lot of them are pretty big, they've been doing it for a long time.â (A, 00:46)
- The trend is widespread, but not universalâsome niches or individuals are still seeing growth.
2. YouTube: Not Shrinking But Evolving
- YouTube Shorts have exploded, now surpassing TikTok in daily views (~100 billion daily).
- YouTubeâs TV presence is also expanding rapidly.
- The creator economy is forecasted to 4x in the next seven years.
- âIt's not that YouTube is shrinking, it's that viewership is more divided than ever before.â (A, 00:53)
3. Case Studies Highlighting the Shifts
a. Gary Vaynerchukâs New Channel
- Even with a massive team and brand, Gary Vâs new vlog channel averages 1-2k views/Episodeâproving everyone starts at zero in new ventures.
- âIf Gary Vee and you want to start a new YouTube channel I think you should have realistic expectations⊠Even legends start from scratch now.â (A, 02:12)
b. Niche âDog Creatorâ
- Despite high production values, their views are down 50%.
- Potential causes: audience fragmentation, rise of AI content, Shorts, more competing creators.
c. Car Creator Community
- Across a creator meetup (e.g., SEMA Vegas), âliterally everyoneâ in attendance reported demonetizing views.
- Seasonality and niche still matter, but adaptation is key.
d. Linus Tech Tips
- A recent video received 300k views vs. the usual millionâa 70% drop.
- âBro, I would kill to get 300,000 views, that's a bad day for youâŠâ Suffering is relative and subjective.â (A, 06:27)
4. Core Mindset Shift: Hard Mode is Here
- YouTube is now like a âvideo gameâ thatâs ramped up the difficulty.
- Itâs not about âlosing viewsâ, but about views being redistributed in a grown, more crowded ecosystem.
- âYouâre not losing, youâre competing in a whole new category.â (B, 04:15)
Memorable Quotes
- âThe game of YouTube is won or lost on the day where you get up and you film when you don't feel like it.â (A, 01:25)
- âYouâre not losing, but you are competing in a whole new category.â (B, 04:15)
- âEven the best start over when the game resets. Don't compare your beginnings to somebody else's decade.â (A, 02:22)
5. Four Tips to Win on YouTube âHard Modeâ
[1] Upgrade Your Weapons: Tools & Strategy (~10:12)
- Assess and improve your tools (cameras, software, analytics, partnerships).
- Leverage YouTube analytics: "Start with data⊠What weapons you have currently" (B, 10:12)
- Try new platforms, features, or collaboration strategies.
[2] Strengthen Your Armor: Mindset & Consistency (~13:28)
- Adopt a resilient, long-term mindset. Expect slower, sustainable growth.
- Donât chase only hacksâbuild foundational habits.
- âIf you expect slower growth, that's going to help you stay patient, then if you stay patient it can help you focus on the habitsâŠâ (B, 13:28)
- âSome people, it takes ten days to recover. Some people, it takes ten minutes to recover.â (A, 15:01)
[3] Train With Allies: Community & Coaching (~18:22)
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Seek out mentorship, masterminds, accountability partners.
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Learn from âpeople already winning on hard mode.â
- âPlugging into community⊠I will go so much further if there's someone else with me.â (B, 18:22)
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Surround yourself with optimistic âwartime leadersâ, not cynics.
- âYouâre the average of the five people you spend the most time with.ââ(A, 22:35)
- Three types of allies: Someone ahead, a peer, and someone behind to mentor. (B, 23:54â24:31)
[4] Find the Bossâs Weakness: Unique Positioning (~28:12)
- Stand out with a different format, niche down, or pivot your content strategy.
- âYou weren't going to beat Goliath because you were better than Goliathâyou beat Goliath because you had an entirely different approach which was the slingshot, man.â (A, 33:07)
- Switch up content formatsâexperiment with man-on-the-street, video essays, interviews, livestreams.
- âIf you're adding to the noise, turn off this song.ââSwitchfoot lyric reference. (B, 33:23)
- Assess whether youâre simply adding noise to your niche or truly innovating.
Timestamps for Notable Segments
- 00:46â04:15: The âviews are downâ narrative, and the realities of new viewer distribution.
- 04:15â08:36: Case studiesâGary Vee, âdog creator,â car mod community, Linus Tech Tips.
- 08:36â10:12: YouTube as a video game: from âeasy modeâ to âhard mode.â
- 10:12â13:28: Four practical tips begin: Upgrade your weapons/tools.
- 13:28â18:22: Mindset and patience: strengthen your armor.
- 18:22â23:54: Community and coaching: training with allies.
- 28:12â33:23: Finding the âbossâs weaknessââunique positioning and importance of format.
- 33:23â34:29: Encouragement to experiment and adapt content format.
- 34:51â37:12: Selling Think Media's YouTube Creator Toolkit, but also reinforcing the toolkit/tools metaphor one last time.
Conclusion & Takeaways
- Fragmented Attention is the New Normal: Youâre not âlosingâ viewsâtheyâre simply spread across more creators, content types, and platforms.
- Resilience & Adaptation Win: Smart creators double down on high-leverage tools, community support, and strategic pivots rather than complain about changes.
- Level Up Skills & Systems: The era of âYouTube easy mode" is over. Success now follows the progression of a challenging video game: new skills, stronger armor, and better teamwork are needed each level.
- âHard mode is just going to reveal who's serious as we go into this next year.â (B, 37:12)
For the Serious Creator:
- Embrace the challenge.
- Reassess and upgrade your strategy, habits, and circle.
- Donât be afraid to innovate with format, style, or niche to find your own âbossâs weakness.â
- Most importantly: stick with it. Nobody succeeds without setbacks, but those who adapt and persist will ride the next wave.
Host Info:
Sean Cannell | Think Media
Nathan Eswine | Think Media
(For tools, coaching, and resources mentioned: thinkmediasale.com, viralvideocoach.com, vidiq.com/think)
Summary by Think Media Podcast Summarizer | Episode 464 | November 2025
