The main reason I watch reaction videos is because most of the people I know don’t listen to heavy music. So being able to enjoy new songs with other people that share my taste in music, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
@@fadence for the niche audience yes, random reaction videos are great. But for a video to perform well in TH-cams algorithm it needs a general appeal to the mass audience (example: the hype of Sleep Token garnished a lot of views for most reaction TH-camrs)
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts my dude. Continue to check in with yourself and ultimately follow whatever’s fun for you. That’s the thing that will ultimately bring sustainable joy irrespective of views etc. And to be clear: as you point out, that’s not necessarily just music you like, critiquing something you don’t like can also be a fun experience just like chatting through the latest happenings in the metal scene. Fill your cup with what brings you energy. The rest will fall into place. 💙
Reaction videos are definitely not dying, look back at the Kendrick-Drake beef. Or Gojira, even, just nothing too interesting has happened. Edit: Happy 100th comment on this channel lol
I appreciate these personal reflections. It’s interesting to know your POV. I have mass respect for what you do. I can see the work you put into it. It’s only natural to want to change things up. This is YOUR journey; we’re simply here for the ride. I love the Metal Roundup. As a passionate music lover, having an intelligent discussion about the current state of music is right up my alley. Looking forward to seeing your next chapters. ❤
I just love to hear you speak about different things, music or not! Honestly if this was just podcasts about life I'd watch/listen everything the same way. All of this to say, we just love your personality. At some point when you reach this amount of subs, of visibility, just do what you love and people will follow! It makes me so sad for Bogdan, take things easy bro
@METALBIRB I started to follow you because you have a great content. I always see you bringing different and cool bands, despite of genre! And it's cool to see you curating the songs based on your musical taste. This is what makes your channel different from others! Keep rockin'
Great video man! There was definitely a time when I was pushing hard to post every weekday, these days I'm having trouble getting one a week out. It just feels like there's less music coming out that I'm interested in this year. I've wanted to shift to checking out more old-school music that I've missed throughout the years. There's so much music out there that I haven't heard that people really love. I've also considered adding different videos that are still focused around music and alternative culture, but are less about single releases and reactions.
We are new to reacting on TH-cam. We started it as a fun way to listen to music and start a conversation. Some videos we make get nothing and some get a lot but I think all we care about is having fun doing it. We do get clowned for giving an honest opinion though but that doesn't bother us because we believe we can all have different opinions and just live with each other. We do get tired of just making reactions so we make sure to make a fun quiz video or something like that. So reaction channels aren't "dying" but making sure to throw in some conversational and fun videos helps so much.
Appreciate you sharing what you’re experiencing. It’s good to hear you channeling your time to the things which give you the most energy 💪🏽 Love the channel
Can't believe you have been on TH-cam for 5 years already. Amazing effort seems like only yesterday you just started posting, time flies. Reaction videos have definitely changed, it's more insightful and you definitely started that trend. Keep up the great work Metalbirb
Obviously I found you because of heavy music, but for the most part I stick around for you, not just the music. I’ve always loved your personality and how supportive and thoughtful you are. You gotta do whatever works for you and I’ll be here for it
I watch your reactions because I see not only how much work you put into it but how much thought and energy. I see how much you love music and I look forward to your thoughts. ❤
I agree and I think you have a great perspective. For me personally I think some of it has to do with the music itself. Like you said there’s only so many breakdowns we can hear for the past 5 years. It is becoming so saturated and it feels like bands are making songs for “TikTok moments”. They’ve seen how Lorna Shore and Sleep Token have blown up from having these viral moments in their songs that people gravitate to. I think it’s almost like we are desensitized to these heavy “TikTok moments” in songs. The breakdowns just don’t hit quite as hard anymore. It’s become a pissing contest to see who can get heavier and whackier during these parts of the songs and it’s just hope for that one viral moment. Then the rest of the song feels like a pop song with djent guitars. I feel like the art itself is a bit lost at least in the metalcore space. I just don’t connect with this stuff anymore the way I used to. Now I think there’s still bands out there that do it for me. For instance I think 156/Silence is fantastic. But the bands that do connect with me are outside of the Nu-metal djent breakdown core that’s popular now. I think this is a fad. Things will come full circle again. We see it in almost every genre of music. We get to the point where it just feels over produced and soulless then some bands come along making some raw sounding stuff. I think bands need to become less concerned about getting popular and trying to hard to achieve it. The difference between bands like Lorna Shore and Sleep Token vs the hundreds of core bands trying to achieve what they have is the fact that there was genuine soul in the songs they created. They didn’t create it to get viral. It just happened to do so. My advice to bands. Stop trying. Just write music from your heart that invokes emotion and let it speak for itself.
MetalBirb 🤝 Birb, always enjoy your vibe and analysis so more genres would be fun and also break me out of my shell so to speak when it comes to discovering things outside of the metal umbrella.
No matter what direction you take your channel, we will always be here for the ride. Even if changing direction means that some people drop off, you will just gain it all back with the new audience that rolls in. I am excited to see the future of this channel and your future on this platform!
I love your knowledge about music, its refreshing to hear you speak about bands and songs i love. Keep up the incredible work!! Have you heard Aurorawave’s music? ReggaeCore, the song kindness is with Fronz from Attila… very unique music❤
Bro I have been watching you for years. Ill never stop. As long as there is good music aka bangers there will always be people who will enjoy the visceral reaction to other peoples reactions. Keep doin what youre doin!
I'm gonna start to request more death metal on your live streams cause that genre is the most dearest to me also more 90's rap, jazz and obscure nu metal that most people haven't heard of
I'll be honest: I've not watched as many metal reactions as I used to back in the 20-23 period, and I'm getting a bit bored because most of the more prominent bands sound very similar. Then Again, I have always been a fan of broader music anyway, and metal has always been an addition to the music palette. I'll also be honest: pop artist gigs are just more fun, too. I know I've already shouted you out for this, but my fav song recently is that Giant Walker video that sadly only got 2.4 K views, and it says they're only on like 2K monthly listens on Spotify. For me some of the smaller bands are making some of the best music RN.
They're not dying. To be honest, it just became too much. Many of the reaction channels have begun posting daily, and there were a lot during lockdown. Many of those reactors forced themselves too much, some of them tried to please the crowd, some of them just posted the good reactions and ditched any form of criticism. Since mid/end 2022, the reaction scene is kinda shrinking itself "healthy". Even from my favorite reactors, I don't need my daily reaction. I'm totally fine with reactors posting one or two reactions a week. Or six in two days and then having a break of two weeks. It's not important to always be there - also, because it can be exhausting for those who watch (see PTB Empire for an example). Another thing is that many of the reactors _I_ liked started changing. The then authentic reactions became like fulfilling expectations, and some of them also started getting too exaggerated. Many reactors lost their authenticity and their honesty. Many reactors did just too much and it wasn't really healthy for them - so they quit or go on hiatus. It ate up their private life. That can't be good. I mean, I miss Truant, Rachelle and so many more. But if it starts hurting making videos, this will make you lose passion forever. I check my youtube subscriptions daily and I'm glad that I don't have to open 40+ tabs a day but just about 10 or 15. I am glad that many YTers of the metal(core) reaction scene started trying new things. I'm also glad that it's not just the "positive-only" thing that it used to be some time ago. Something's changing. Good.
I go through waves, the same as anything else. For a while, I'll be super into gaming for a few months. Now im trying to find more shows to watch. (Currently watching The Righteous Gemstones) There will come a day again when im like, "i wanna watch some reaction videos." I can't speak for everyone, but it's very hard to keep up with everything
Props for always being well spoken and honest about everything going on. I don't watch that many typical reactions anymore personally. I need for the reactor to have something else to offer whether it's humor, musical knowledge or just a personality that sits well with me.
Short answer, yes. Covid accelerated a lot of the growth for channels, and now this is over and people are back to normal. Those who found a short term boost in growth being a one trick pony don't know how to cope with the change, or aren't able to pivot from it effectively because they don't have the content creator mindset to adapt to changes in the market. With music reactions people are mostly there for the music the reactor is checking out and very little of those transfer into regular viewers over the lifespan of the channel. There's also been a lot of contradictions too in the past 6 to 8 months. Didn't you go on a massive tirade about copyright and making sure you're getting fairly compensated for your work? Yet now doing a big focus on TikTok's and Shorts, which get more views but substantially less revenue??? In the same vein you said in a video announcement you wanted to be more than a reaction channel, then said you're going grind and push out more reaction content... even though you said less than 2 seconds prior you wanted to be more than a reaction channel??? In that same announcement you mentioned talking head pieces were mostly a miss on your channel so were going to do less of them, now you're pushing for more them? Yes The Metal Roundup get substantially more views vs the amount of people subbed to the channel, which was always going to be the case... but they still perform poorly, considering you have 3 channels pushing their audience to them, with a combined sub count of 300K, and they're getting less than 1% of views.
In terms of content strategy, it's indeed better to concentrate on shorts, reels and TikTok right now, because the algorithm isn't saturated like for the older type of social media content "just yet". A mix of everything is obviously the best, but if the time consumed doesn't make sense, it's important to evaluate the strategy, just like what you're doing. Keep up the great work my dude. I'll support you no matter what you do.
I dive into reaction videos as a source of discovery (for bands and songs I don't know) or to see what other people think about songs I like. I feel like, yes, staying with popular/mainstream headliner bands will perform better in the algorithm but goes against the very nature as to why I click on a video in the first place (not to say that's what most do, just what I do). Staying to one genre or one subset of music is really restrictive and I support anyone looking to broaden their music horizons, but it might also come at the cost of finding a hidden gem band in your genre of expertise. It's tough seeing that people need to make a living (I can't fault them for just trying to follow the money) yet I feel like it will hollow out the music industry and kill off the small guys. That scares that crap out of me. I support you in whatever you choose to do.
I think the idea of trying to include different genres is a great idea. I don’t know any metalhead that listens to literally only metal and its subgenres. However, I get that some genres aren’t as “reaction-worthy” as metal is. I think you could take advantage of short-form content for that sort of stuff by maybe doing just a mini-album review. For example, I wasn’t able to catch the stream, but saw you listened to some of the new Four Year Strong album. I would’ve loved to hear your opinion on that album because I’ve been spinning it nonstop. There would be growing pains, but I think it could work to do album recaps; not everyone can be Anthony Fantano writing 12-minute album reviews. BTW, to Birb or anyone who caught the stream, what did you think of the FYS album?
Im gonna be honest and say that I mostly watch reactions from bands i know or at least bands I've heard of before. 99% of the time a reactor doesn't list the band name, i don't click on it. most reactors i subscribe to, i do because i like their personality/vibe edited to add, I always watch chatting and personal videos too! idk why I find those more interesting than clickbaity/random titles with no band names.
I definitely fell off of the reaction scene when it comes to my own content. I’ll post a reaction every once in a while but mostly I hone in on using short formed content to promote music now.
As an avid watcher of metal reactions (Yourself, Hardcore, Nath & Johnny mostly) for the last 10+ years. I'm always looking for both new bands and to see what reactors think of current songs from big bands (BMTH, Architects etc). Though I do find myself clicking on them much less when I don't know what I'm getting into. I rarely click on Bogdan's now because I feel like his brand pushes much heavier music from small artists that I don't know. I'll actually probably more likely watch a new release on Dreambound page because I know I don't have to sit through an intro and can get straight on with the song. With that said - Personally, I think I would prefer to watch normal reactions of Medium to Big sized bands (intro, song, thoughts). Then a long form video where you spend maybe 30-60+ mins checking out a bunch of new bands with chit chat on stream etc (something to put on in the background when gaming/cooking etc and maybe I can find a new band that way without clicking loads of videos). And then some alternate content like interviewing bands, or VODs that show more of you and your personal brand. Anyway, love the channel as always, maybe this sparks some conversation and ideas :)
My issue is that there's just too many bands now and it's almost overwhelming how much music is out there. I find myself listening to almost no new music after like 2022-2023.
I still watch reaction videos but not much metal these days. I started watching reaction channels primarily during covid and when I was working from home. Honestly I've gotten a little bored with metal and have been checking out other genres. One thing that irks me about TH-cam reactions and has caused me to stop watching a lot is when the person has their Twitch chat going and they're just talking to their chat the whole time. I find it a little distracting and it takes away from the music. Other times it can be entertaining but I'd just go to Twitch if I wanted that lol 🤷♀️
I would compare it to trailer for movies coming to cinema. When i watch a trailer (the short) i get an idea if I would like the whole thing (the reaction video). It's easy as that
I can't imagine how hard it must be to have a job that relies on authenticity, but also gets more money for a type of content presentation that a creator might not feel they can present authentically any more. Like putting "SONG OF THE YEAR?!?" in a title probably drives more engagement, but viewers can usually tell if the creator doesn't really feel that way in the video itself, which can hurt them in the long term if their videos keep displaying that contradiction. I'm glad Birb has always been honest about what interests him and what doesn't, and I think his channel will continue to succeed no matter what he puts out because people respond to being true to yourself more than doing the same thing passionlessly.
Reaction/analysis vids are all i watch recently (except for charismatic voice which i watched for yrs now), but it seems to be an over saturated space.
I agree. Reactions are not dying, but maybe people are just wanting change. I can speak from experience that since June, my views have been near 80% lower then normal. I don't know if that is because it is summer and no one is home on TH-cam or if people just gave up on my content. I did have also a copyright issue with a Ren song I reacted to a few months ago where suddenly it was taken down. Ren says he is working on fixing this issue for all reactors and mine has since been cleared so that also could be hurting my views right now. But I so have to state that being a diverse reactor, has its down sides. I mainly do metal reactions for new and old music, but because of that, when I do a rap reaction or another genre, the views are the lowest of the low. I am talking 10/10's. So don't be surprised if views on those reactions are shitty. I am also changing the way I edit shorts and vids to make it better and more entertaining for the viewer (it is a work in progress lol). I am more to say that TH-cam itself is not wanting to push reactions anymore as I see other massive channels go on the decline for views along with the fact that TH-cam likes to not take any accountability for issues with their algorithm and overall system as I have people saying that they have notifications on but yet do not get them and also vids not appearing in sub feeds. I ask TH-cam for help and all they do is victim blame and say it is my fault. It gets stressful a lot lately. I hate myself for not starting a reaction channel 5 years ago like most people did. I started in February of this year. So yes, I am still new but I am learning what to do and what not to do. You, Ohrion, Nik, AileenSenpai, among others are helping me by giving me inspiration on thumbnail styles and titles, but I even see lately that it still does not gain views for me. So although I agree, reactions are not dying yet, maybe we just have not found that "golden" change everyone wants in the scene. We just have to keep on pushing through until we do.
People attention spans can't often handle a full 10 minute video anymore. We are used to shorts and reels. Makes sense! Please don't go to just shorts only though!! I do watch most of your fullies! ❤
I dont like your thumbnails at all with your facial expressions.. You have the look like you just heard the best song ever created on every video.. Kinda makes it feel fake for me Bradley Hall ventured out and it worked out i think. He talks about relevant topics, deep dive in to bands etc
I personnaly listen review i am interest too. So yeah i am politicly engage and i don't want to give any attentions to some people you review sometime. I am sure i am not the only one listen content like this. If don't like something about an artist i am better to not listen that video because i will be angry about it, but something sure, i appreaciated the way you bring possitivity.
Something I've noticed is when you post shorts I can't find the band or artist anywhere when I'm first viewing the short. If the group was easily displayed that would give me a lot more incentive to add the song to my Spotify
Every short has the band and some name at the end of the video. Because this helps the video perform in the algorithm when they watch the video until the end. They also can be found in the description of the videos.
I think it’s because reaction videos went from hobby mindset to work mindset. The fact that you have to talk about marketing, output, trends, and data is the same process for any type of self-employed person. So it makes sense that it started out as fun and creative has now shifted to what gets views. I think if you can continue to find the creativity in maintain inspiration, you’ll be just fine, but if you lose that, I think that would be the downfall into boring, repetitive, and monotonous work.
Ok so for a short explanation think about how when u get on TH-cam u will click on shorts more and scroll through something that grabs your attention more as a case of your attention span but also if he does a video and a short towards that video then you’ll watch the short and get interested to know more and you will watch the videos but also shorts are easier and that why most new TH-camrs start with shorts before videos
It's something you're interested in for sure, and that can be a benefit but if your content, for you, isn't as exciting as it used to be it's going to reflect. I'm not saying you're less interested or interesting but the content community has changed in general and you might not want to or be able to adapt to the speed it's changing. Good or bad idk. I love reaction videos and I've seen a decline in quality honestly though. Less views and more channels. Reactors reacting to shit I like and enjoying the First Time this thing or Mind Blown to that. So fun. Is the music worse or are we (not me) evolving out of this sphere? I like it here but it's on a decline for sure.
It just got oversaturated at some point, and a lot of it was super low effort. Channels like yours, nic nocturnal, hardcore keem, ohrion.. there’s a unique personality and unique reason to watch. Too many of these other channels thinks all they have to do is just sit and watch. That’s just not interesting.
No I think there's just a drought of impactful popular releases. I haven't been excited about a metalcore/metal/progressive release in a really long time, so I haven't been watching reacts.
I must say mate reactions were fun at one point but it isnt what it was. For me i established a business and its consumed all my time. But i will admit for your own research the shorts on instagram i generally will watch. More often than not i go hunting for the full vid to realise its a stream vid haha. But i do appreciate the mentality against over saturation. Unfortunately Hardcore Keem is a victim of this as much as i love him
Music has no limits. If you want to try different genres im here for it. As a lover of all types of music i would love to see some more variety and get introduced to more music. Im not here for the reactions tbh im here for new music, sorry birb :D
To me why it is dying in metal it's because most of reactors aren't very open. Some love metalcore but hate deathcore, other cannot listen to smth not progressive and so on. I'm stilling waiting for a reactor that find good stuff in most of metal.
I think for me at least, it's just that 99% of reactions are all the same, you know the thumbnail were the persons mind is blown then just more of the same through the video. They just don't always feel genuine (not you just reactions in general) because nobody's gonna watch a channel that reacts like a normal human being. That and reaction content just kind of being low effort and kinda sorta theft. People bust asses on songs and videos then reaction channels just film themselves watching it and make bank
@@HellSpartanZLet him explore. Just cuz you're closed minded don't mean others have to be. You should check out some different shit yo. There's crazy good music out there you've never heard
@@ThisisStephennn good one but rap & pop & hip hop is just crap on repeat Everyone copying everyone with no real thought just because u like the crap of today doesn't mean everyone else does 😂
The main reason I watch reaction videos is because most of the people I know don’t listen to heavy music. So being able to enjoy new songs with other people that share my taste in music, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Totally relate to this 😅
I'm right there with you.
As a former North Dakotan, I feel the fuzzies too.
Same!
It really just depends if any good music is releasing lol
How arbitrary - I have lost count on the amount of fantastic new bands I've found through random reaction videos
@@fadence for the niche audience yes, random reaction videos are great. But for a video to perform well in TH-cams algorithm it needs a general appeal to the mass audience (example: the hype of Sleep Token garnished a lot of views for most reaction TH-camrs)
@@Jotchua I agree, you but said "good music" as if all smaller bands ONLY release garbage ^^
I think people just aren't that bored anymore post lockdowns. A lot harder to keep the glass of interest filled for viewers these days.
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts my dude.
Continue to check in with yourself and ultimately follow whatever’s fun for you. That’s the thing that will ultimately bring sustainable joy irrespective of views etc. And to be clear: as you point out, that’s not necessarily just music you like, critiquing something you don’t like can also be a fun experience just like chatting through the latest happenings in the metal scene. Fill your cup with what brings you energy. The rest will fall into place. 💙
Reaction videos are definitely not dying, look back at the Kendrick-Drake beef. Or Gojira, even, just nothing too interesting has happened.
Edit: Happy 100th comment on this channel lol
And I wish I covered the Drake-Kendrick beef haha… (I love Kendrick Lamar)
Thank you bro though for that crazy engagement 🙏🏼
@@METALBIRB Kendrick's the GOAT. And no problem, keep up the engaging content.
I appreciate these personal reflections. It’s interesting to know your POV. I have mass respect for what you do. I can see the work you put into it. It’s only natural to want to change things up. This is YOUR journey; we’re simply here for the ride. I love the Metal Roundup. As a passionate music lover, having an intelligent discussion about the current state of music is right up my alley. Looking forward to seeing your next chapters. ❤
I just love to hear you speak about different things, music or not! Honestly if this was just podcasts about life I'd watch/listen everything the same way.
All of this to say, we just love your personality. At some point when you reach this amount of subs, of visibility, just do what you love and people will follow!
It makes me so sad for Bogdan, take things easy bro
@METALBIRB I started to follow you because you have a great content. I always see you bringing different and cool bands, despite of genre! And it's cool to see you curating the songs based on your musical taste. This is what makes your channel different from others! Keep rockin'
Great video man!
There was definitely a time when I was pushing hard to post every weekday, these days I'm having trouble getting one a week out. It just feels like there's less music coming out that I'm interested in this year. I've wanted to shift to checking out more old-school music that I've missed throughout the years. There's so much music out there that I haven't heard that people really love. I've also considered adding different videos that are still focused around music and alternative culture, but are less about single releases and reactions.
We are new to reacting on TH-cam. We started it as a fun way to listen to music and start a conversation. Some videos we make get nothing and some get a lot but I think all we care about is having fun doing it. We do get clowned for giving an honest opinion though but that doesn't bother us because we believe we can all have different opinions and just live with each other. We do get tired of just making reactions so we make sure to make a fun quiz video or something like that. So reaction channels aren't "dying" but making sure to throw in some conversational and fun videos helps so much.
Appreciate you sharing what you’re experiencing. It’s good to hear you channeling your time to the things which give you the most energy 💪🏽
Love the channel
Can't believe you have been on TH-cam for 5 years already. Amazing effort seems like only yesterday you just started posting, time flies. Reaction videos have definitely changed, it's more insightful and you definitely started that trend. Keep up the great work Metalbirb
Obviously I found you because of heavy music, but for the most part I stick around for you, not just the music. I’ve always loved your personality and how supportive and thoughtful you are. You gotta do whatever works for you and I’ll be here for it
I watch your reactions because I see not only how much work you put into it but how much thought and energy. I see how much you love music and I look forward to your thoughts. ❤
I agree and I think you have a great perspective. For me personally I think some of it has to do with the music itself. Like you said there’s only so many breakdowns we can hear for the past 5 years. It is becoming so saturated and it feels like bands are making songs for “TikTok moments”. They’ve seen how Lorna Shore and Sleep Token have blown up from having these viral moments in their songs that people gravitate to. I think it’s almost like we are desensitized to these heavy “TikTok moments” in songs. The breakdowns just don’t hit quite as hard anymore. It’s become a pissing contest to see who can get heavier and whackier during these parts of the songs and it’s just hope for that one viral moment. Then the rest of the song feels like a pop song with djent guitars. I feel like the art itself is a bit lost at least in the metalcore space. I just don’t connect with this stuff anymore the way I used to. Now I think there’s still bands out there that do it for me. For instance I think 156/Silence is fantastic. But the bands that do connect with me are outside of the Nu-metal djent breakdown core that’s popular now. I think this is a fad. Things will come full circle again. We see it in almost every genre of music. We get to the point where it just feels over produced and soulless then some bands come along making some raw sounding stuff. I think bands need to become less concerned about getting popular and trying to hard to achieve it. The difference between bands like Lorna Shore and Sleep Token vs the hundreds of core bands trying to achieve what they have is the fact that there was genuine soul in the songs they created. They didn’t create it to get viral. It just happened to do so. My advice to bands. Stop trying. Just write music from your heart that invokes emotion and let it speak for itself.
MetalBirb 🤝 Birb, always enjoy your vibe and analysis so more genres would be fun and also break me out of my shell so to speak when it comes to discovering things outside of the metal umbrella.
No matter what direction you take your channel, we will always be here for the ride. Even if changing direction means that some people drop off, you will just gain it all back with the new audience that rolls in. I am excited to see the future of this channel and your future on this platform!
I love your knowledge about music, its refreshing to hear you speak about bands and songs i love. Keep up the incredible work!!
Have you heard Aurorawave’s music? ReggaeCore, the song kindness is with Fronz from Attila… very unique music❤
Bro I have been watching you for years. Ill never stop. As long as there is good music aka bangers there will always be people who will enjoy the visceral reaction to other peoples reactions. Keep doin what youre doin!
What I hate is reaction channels turning into videogames livestreams, for me that is insta unsubscribe
Or when they start talking about politics
months into metalcore. I learned so much from watching your content, Great work. I love the musical discovery aspect of the reaction space
I'm gonna start to request more death metal on your live streams cause that genre is the most dearest to me also more 90's rap, jazz and obscure nu metal that most people haven't heard of
I'll be honest: I've not watched as many metal reactions as I used to back in the 20-23 period, and I'm getting a bit bored because most of the more prominent bands sound very similar. Then Again, I have always been a fan of broader music anyway, and metal has always been an addition to the music palette. I'll also be honest: pop artist gigs are just more fun, too.
I know I've already shouted you out for this, but my fav song recently is that Giant Walker video that sadly only got 2.4 K views, and it says they're only on like 2K monthly listens on Spotify. For me some of the smaller bands are making some of the best music RN.
They're not dying. To be honest, it just became too much. Many of the reaction channels have begun posting daily, and there were a lot during lockdown. Many of those reactors forced themselves too much, some of them tried to please the crowd, some of them just posted the good reactions and ditched any form of criticism.
Since mid/end 2022, the reaction scene is kinda shrinking itself "healthy".
Even from my favorite reactors, I don't need my daily reaction. I'm totally fine with reactors posting one or two reactions a week. Or six in two days and then having a break of two weeks. It's not important to always be there - also, because it can be exhausting for those who watch (see PTB Empire for an example).
Another thing is that many of the reactors _I_ liked started changing. The then authentic reactions became like fulfilling expectations, and some of them also started getting too exaggerated. Many reactors lost their authenticity and their honesty.
Many reactors did just too much and it wasn't really healthy for them - so they quit or go on hiatus. It ate up their private life. That can't be good. I mean, I miss Truant, Rachelle and so many more. But if it starts hurting making videos, this will make you lose passion forever.
I check my youtube subscriptions daily and I'm glad that I don't have to open 40+ tabs a day but just about 10 or 15.
I am glad that many YTers of the metal(core) reaction scene started trying new things. I'm also glad that it's not just the "positive-only" thing that it used to be some time ago.
Something's changing. Good.
I go through waves, the same as anything else.
For a while, I'll be super into gaming for a few months. Now im trying to find more shows to watch. (Currently watching The Righteous Gemstones)
There will come a day again when im like, "i wanna watch some reaction videos."
I can't speak for everyone, but it's very hard to keep up with everything
Props for always being well spoken and honest about everything going on. I don't watch that many typical reactions anymore personally. I need for the reactor to have something else to offer whether it's humor, musical knowledge or just a personality that sits well with me.
Short answer, yes.
Covid accelerated a lot of the growth for channels, and now this is over and people are back to normal. Those who found a short term boost in growth being a one trick pony don't know how to cope with the change, or aren't able to pivot from it effectively because they don't have the content creator mindset to adapt to changes in the market. With music reactions people are mostly there for the music the reactor is checking out and very little of those transfer into regular viewers over the lifespan of the channel.
There's also been a lot of contradictions too in the past 6 to 8 months.
Didn't you go on a massive tirade about copyright and making sure you're getting fairly compensated for your work? Yet now doing a big focus on TikTok's and Shorts, which get more views but substantially less revenue???
In the same vein you said in a video announcement you wanted to be more than a reaction channel, then said you're going grind and push out more reaction content... even though you said less than 2 seconds prior you wanted to be more than a reaction channel???
In that same announcement you mentioned talking head pieces were mostly a miss on your channel so were going to do less of them, now you're pushing for more them? Yes The Metal Roundup get substantially more views vs the amount of people subbed to the channel, which was always going to be the case... but they still perform poorly, considering you have 3 channels pushing their audience to them, with a combined sub count of 300K, and they're getting less than 1% of views.
Thank you for the truth. Don’t blame you switching it up. ❤️🔥🤘🏼
Good video dude, I definitely feel the shift. Even if they're not 'dying' there is definitely a changing in the tides I have noticed.
In terms of content strategy, it's indeed better to concentrate on shorts, reels and TikTok right now, because the algorithm isn't saturated like for the older type of social media content "just yet". A mix of everything is obviously the best, but if the time consumed doesn't make sense, it's important to evaluate the strategy, just like what you're doing. Keep up the great work my dude. I'll support you no matter what you do.
I dive into reaction videos as a source of discovery (for bands and songs I don't know) or to see what other people think about songs I like. I feel like, yes, staying with popular/mainstream headliner bands will perform better in the algorithm but goes against the very nature as to why I click on a video in the first place (not to say that's what most do, just what I do). Staying to one genre or one subset of music is really restrictive and I support anyone looking to broaden their music horizons, but it might also come at the cost of finding a hidden gem band in your genre of expertise. It's tough seeing that people need to make a living (I can't fault them for just trying to follow the money) yet I feel like it will hollow out the music industry and kill off the small guys. That scares that crap out of me. I support you in whatever you choose to do.
I think the idea of trying to include different genres is a great idea. I don’t know any metalhead that listens to literally only metal and its subgenres. However, I get that some genres aren’t as “reaction-worthy” as metal is. I think you could take advantage of short-form content for that sort of stuff by maybe doing just a mini-album review. For example, I wasn’t able to catch the stream, but saw you listened to some of the new Four Year Strong album. I would’ve loved to hear your opinion on that album because I’ve been spinning it nonstop. There would be growing pains, but I think it could work to do album recaps; not everyone can be Anthony Fantano writing 12-minute album reviews.
BTW, to Birb or anyone who caught the stream, what did you think of the FYS album?
Im gonna be honest and say that I mostly watch reactions from bands i know or at least bands I've heard of before. 99% of the time a reactor doesn't list the band name, i don't click on it.
most reactors i subscribe to, i do because i like their personality/vibe
edited to add, I always watch chatting and personal videos too! idk why I find those more interesting than clickbaity/random titles with no band names.
i only come to metal birb to discover new music. i love his taste and reactions thats why.
Would love to see you do some R&B or rap! I love music in general so that would be a great switch up.
I definitely fell off of the reaction scene when it comes to my own content. I’ll post a reaction every once in a while but mostly I hone in on using short formed content to promote music now.
As an avid watcher of metal reactions (Yourself, Hardcore, Nath & Johnny mostly) for the last 10+ years. I'm always looking for both new bands and to see what reactors think of current songs from big bands (BMTH, Architects etc). Though I do find myself clicking on them much less when I don't know what I'm getting into. I rarely click on Bogdan's now because I feel like his brand pushes much heavier music from small artists that I don't know. I'll actually probably more likely watch a new release on Dreambound page because I know I don't have to sit through an intro and can get straight on with the song.
With that said - Personally, I think I would prefer to watch normal reactions of Medium to Big sized bands (intro, song, thoughts). Then a long form video where you spend maybe 30-60+ mins checking out a bunch of new bands with chit chat on stream etc (something to put on in the background when gaming/cooking etc and maybe I can find a new band that way without clicking loads of videos). And then some alternate content like interviewing bands, or VODs that show more of you and your personal brand. Anyway, love the channel as always, maybe this sparks some conversation and ideas :)
I don't need your content to be exciting in particular. I just appreciate you being honest ❤
No, they aren't. I get the same excitement watching you react to a new album-like the recent BMTH release-as I did watching you back in 2019.
My issue is that there's just too many bands now and it's almost overwhelming how much music is out there. I find myself listening to almost no new music after like 2022-2023.
I still watch reaction videos but not much metal these days. I started watching reaction channels primarily during covid and when I was working from home. Honestly I've gotten a little bored with metal and have been checking out other genres. One thing that irks me about TH-cam reactions and has caused me to stop watching a lot is when the person has their Twitch chat going and they're just talking to their chat the whole time. I find it a little distracting and it takes away from the music. Other times it can be entertaining but I'd just go to Twitch if I wanted that lol 🤷♀️
Quick! Someone react to this video! 😃
38 seconds ago damn, but I feel like reaction videos are still going super strong! Still seeing people get millions of views collectively
I would compare it to trailer for movies coming to cinema. When i watch a trailer (the short) i get an idea if I would like the whole thing (the reaction video). It's easy as that
I can't imagine how hard it must be to have a job that relies on authenticity, but also gets more money for a type of content presentation that a creator might not feel they can present authentically any more. Like putting "SONG OF THE YEAR?!?" in a title probably drives more engagement, but viewers can usually tell if the creator doesn't really feel that way in the video itself, which can hurt them in the long term if their videos keep displaying that contradiction. I'm glad Birb has always been honest about what interests him and what doesn't, and I think his channel will continue to succeed no matter what he puts out because people respond to being true to yourself more than doing the same thing passionlessly.
Reaction/analysis vids are all i watch recently (except for charismatic voice which i watched for yrs now), but it seems to be an over saturated space.
I agree. Reactions are not dying, but maybe people are just wanting change. I can speak from experience that since June, my views have been near 80% lower then normal. I don't know if that is because it is summer and no one is home on TH-cam or if people just gave up on my content. I did have also a copyright issue with a Ren song I reacted to a few months ago where suddenly it was taken down. Ren says he is working on fixing this issue for all reactors and mine has since been cleared so that also could be hurting my views right now. But I so have to state that being a diverse reactor, has its down sides. I mainly do metal reactions for new and old music, but because of that, when I do a rap reaction or another genre, the views are the lowest of the low. I am talking 10/10's. So don't be surprised if views on those reactions are shitty. I am also changing the way I edit shorts and vids to make it better and more entertaining for the viewer (it is a work in progress lol). I am more to say that TH-cam itself is not wanting to push reactions anymore as I see other massive channels go on the decline for views along with the fact that TH-cam likes to not take any accountability for issues with their algorithm and overall system as I have people saying that they have notifications on but yet do not get them and also vids not appearing in sub feeds. I ask TH-cam for help and all they do is victim blame and say it is my fault. It gets stressful a lot lately. I hate myself for not starting a reaction channel 5 years ago like most people did. I started in February of this year. So yes, I am still new but I am learning what to do and what not to do. You, Ohrion, Nik, AileenSenpai, among others are helping me by giving me inspiration on thumbnail styles and titles, but I even see lately that it still does not gain views for me. So although I agree, reactions are not dying yet, maybe we just have not found that "golden" change everyone wants in the scene. We just have to keep on pushing through until we do.
Well if you're looking for a really good prog album. Nospun - Opus!
People attention spans can't often handle a full 10 minute video anymore. We are used to shorts and reels. Makes sense! Please don't go to just shorts only though!! I do watch most of your fullies! ❤
I dont like your thumbnails at all with your facial expressions.. You have the look like you just heard the best song ever created on every video.. Kinda makes it feel fake for me
Bradley Hall ventured out and it worked out i think. He talks about relevant topics, deep dive in to bands etc
I personnaly listen review i am interest too. So yeah i am politicly engage and i don't want to give any attentions to some people you review sometime. I am sure i am not the only one listen content like this. If don't like something about an artist i am better to not listen that video because i will be angry about it, but something sure, i appreaciated the way you bring possitivity.
Haven't watched the video yet. But yes. Hahaha
Watched the video dude 😏
tbh its become so oversaturated that I tend to click "don't recommend channel" 9/10 i see a new channel crop up
Something I've noticed is when you post shorts I can't find the band or artist anywhere when I'm first viewing the short. If the group was easily displayed that would give me a lot more incentive to add the song to my Spotify
Every short has the band and some name at the end of the video. Because this helps the video perform in the algorithm when they watch the video until the end.
They also can be found in the description of the videos.
I think it’s because reaction videos went from hobby mindset to work mindset. The fact that you have to talk about marketing, output, trends, and data is the same process for any type of self-employed person. So it makes sense that it started out as fun and creative has now shifted to what gets views. I think if you can continue to find the creativity in maintain inspiration, you’ll be just fine, but if you lose that, I think that would be the downfall into boring, repetitive, and monotonous work.
Metalbirb becoming just Birb would be epic
I have thought about this many times dude lol
@@METALBIRBDo it!
Ok so for a short explanation think about how when u get on TH-cam u will click on shorts more and scroll through something that grabs your attention more as a case of your attention span but also if he does a video and a short towards that video then you’ll watch the short and get interested to know more and you will watch the videos but also shorts are easier and that why most new TH-camrs start with shorts before videos
I don’t really see much reaction videos anymore personally. Seems like it is dying.
Definitely not dying and even if they ever did I’ll still be watching your stuff 😂👏🏼🖤
It's something you're interested in for sure, and that can be a benefit but if your content, for you, isn't as exciting as it used to be it's going to reflect. I'm not saying you're less interested or interesting but the content community has changed in general and you might not want to or be able to adapt to the speed it's changing. Good or bad idk. I love reaction videos and I've seen a decline in quality honestly though. Less views and more channels. Reactors reacting to shit I like and enjoying the First Time this thing or Mind Blown to that. So fun. Is the music worse or are we (not me) evolving out of this sphere? I like it here but it's on a decline for sure.
It just got oversaturated at some point, and a lot of it was super low effort. Channels like yours, nic nocturnal, hardcore keem, ohrion.. there’s a unique personality and unique reason to watch. Too many of these other channels thinks all they have to do is just sit and watch. That’s just not interesting.
i don't think they are to me personally
If you like prog you should check out the new Opeth!!!
Hoppybirb Begins
No I think there's just a drought of impactful popular releases. I haven't been excited about a metalcore/metal/progressive release in a really long time, so I haven't been watching reacts.
I must say mate reactions were fun at one point but it isnt what it was.
For me i established a business and its consumed all my time.
But i will admit for your own research the shorts on instagram i generally will watch. More often than not i go hunting for the full vid to realise its a stream vid haha.
But i do appreciate the mentality against over saturation. Unfortunately Hardcore Keem is a victim of this as much as i love him
To add to this i actually will watch videos like this that arent reactions more haha.
I like your opinions on things regardless of a band playing
Excited for those non metal bangers Birb
Music has no limits. If you want to try different genres im here for it. As a lover of all types of music i would love to see some more variety and get introduced to more music. Im not here for the reactions tbh im here for new music, sorry birb :D
Cool video love that you have a ps5 thats Awesome 😊
next up: Reacting To “Are Reaction Videos Dying?”
deep cut finn mckenty reference, nice one. lol
To me why it is dying in metal it's because most of reactors aren't very open. Some love metalcore but hate deathcore, other cannot listen to smth not progressive and so on. I'm stilling waiting for a reactor that find good stuff in most of metal.
I think for me at least, it's just that 99% of reactions are all the same, you know the thumbnail were the persons mind is blown then just more of the same through the video. They just don't always feel genuine (not you just reactions in general) because nobody's gonna watch a channel that reacts like a normal human being. That and reaction content just kind of being low effort and kinda sorta theft. People bust asses on songs and videos then reaction channels just film themselves watching it and make bank
Not dying please 🙏🏻
love it dude ❣
Please listen to the new Eminem album. It's so good
Please do rap and hip hop please
😂 no plz
@@HellSpartanZLet him explore. Just cuz you're closed minded don't mean others have to be. You should check out some different shit yo. There's crazy good music out there you've never heard
@@ThisisStephennn good one but rap & pop & hip hop is just crap on repeat Everyone copying everyone with no real thought just because u like the crap of today doesn't mean everyone else does 😂
❤
R u doing a reaction to siamese new album birbs just wondering 😇
reaction channels shouldnt exist in the first place