shatnershairpiece

I always like to highlight trolls and hilarious comments and marvel at the complete FOG of ignorance these people live in. Here's the winner for this week from Sept 15/26. He gets pinned to the top!

sonicedge4393

Reading the comments here, I get the impression that you're aware that the YouTube algorithm promotes ragebait content, and are now using it to make money off of it. It works well, but is this what you want to be remembered for?

Makes me sad to see someone with your talent use cheap tricks like this.

My response:

🤣 You must be new and have never seen my channel. Congrats! Your comment is so patently absurd in so many ways, I pinned it for its comedic value. Thank you!

If you think this is rage bait, you have not seen rage bait. This is real life, my street experience. How could that be a 'cheap trick'? It's REALITY. I didn't hire goons to act in these videos. All my videos are music from the street and encounters with the public. Been that way since 2015. The good, the bad and the ugly. Would you also call it a 'cheap trick' when I post a positive video of someone I meet and it gets a million views? I've never seen you comment on those.

I don't make money on youtube views. Average cpm rate on a video is maybe $4-5 per 1000 ad views, not ‘views’. YouTube takes 50%. This video tops out at 5000 views, (peanuts) then dies. I make a buck. 99% of my videos don't even pass 500 views. Last 2 months all 10 of my videos barely hit 300 views. Do you call that making money? 😂

Your comment on ‘making money’ reminds me of lot of people that think the mere idea of a musician on the street trying to make even $.25 or expecting a tip after being ‘used’ means they are ‘entitled’. "The nerve these buskers have!" Did you know that no one actually owes us any money? Did you know that legally I can’t go after these people in a court of law? 😂 I’ve been on the street for 10 years and I didn’t know any of this! These are the pearls of wisdom I have learned in the comments from 'experts'. The entire idea of a musician making any kind of money seems to be frowned upon. After all, it’s not a real job. 🤡 Can you imagine someone being so evil as to even consider what an algorithm is and what it can do and how to manipulate it to make that one dollar? 🤯 “ using an algorithm...” There must be some kind of law against that.

On top of this princely sum of a buck from YouTube, I'm dealing with myriad trolls like you on every video. It's a wonderful life, youtube. 🤣 You should be thanking me for NOT being AI.

Here's how it works: At one million views you start to make a few bucks. No one is making money off ad views anymore. Channels get sponsors. I have ZERO. I'm remembered for blazing improvised super solos, which is 99% of my 3500 video content. This is what I sell on bandcamp. I have many fans there and also patreon supporters who enjoy the music I make. Youtube is mostly for linking people to bandcamp to buy my music. I use my talent to make music and sell it. I’ve got 1000 emails from people who use my music for therapy, healing, headaches, sleep, road trips, study music, even nurses using it in hospitals. There's nothing SAD about that. You seem to have no idea how advertising works. 🎸

So I put the work into the video, usually half a day on editing, and get paid a buck from youtube. 🤑 Plus I deal with trolls like you and much worse as a bonus. For a buck. 🤣 Advertisers used to pay a lot more ten years ago but now that there are millions more videos uploaded every day, most of them AI, ad rates have dropped substantially. I am the longest running channel on youtube. Over 20 years and still posting. I wasn't even monetized at all for 15 of those years. If you think I'm sitting on a mountain of cash from this channel for making street videos, you need to do some basic research. YouTube pays my monthly Hydro bill or the equivalent of one day of my monthly apt rental cost. And 90% of that is from my paid subs on YouTube, not from views. LUXURY! 🥳

I am trying to cut down on this luxurious monthly amount lest I get confused with Elon Musk. For the sake of your contentment and happiness, I will try.

Your response is typical of people who have absolutely no clue what it’s like to run a YouTube channel. The only time the word ‘cheap’ can be applied is the amount of work I put into making a video and how little I get out of it from YouTube. It wasn’t cheap to buy my GoPro camera, wasn’t cheap to buy the bike that takes me to the busking spot, wasn’t cheap to buy the guitar that makes the videos, wasn’t cheap to buy the amp and the pedals, wasn't easy to make all the backing tracks.

Took quite a bit of effort to make the video over a 5 hour busking day in an east side cesspool and the incredible patience needed to deal with idiots, drunks, addicts, thieves, 99% apathy, then the work to cycle home and spend half a day processing the video to put it on YouTube to get those magical 5000 views and watch the money roll in. ONE DOLLAR made! 💕😂 It’s the Canadian dream! It will only take me about another hundred videos to make enough money to go see a psychiatrist and get my head examined for 15 minutes.

7 hours ago (edited) | [YT] | 20

shatnershairpiece

thesixmilliondollarguitar.bandcamp.com/?ui_context…

Bandcamp Friday starts Sept 4! This means you download my jams, and I don't get charged 15% fees. I get 100% of the sale. This happens first Friday of each month until the end of 2026.

I make nothing from youtube, so bandcamp remains my only income as a musician. These tracks are not AI, they are played in real time on a guitar with actual human hands. They are extended jams, completely improvised with zero editing. Use them for therapy, sleep, study, work, healing, anxiety relief, headache relief, meditation, focus, road trips, lower blood pressure, dopamine creation. Thanks for the support!

1 week ago | [YT] | 19

shatnershairpiece

My new FLOWING FRETS guitar channel is up and running.

youtube.com/@FlowingFrets

Go there for extended jam instrumental therapy with no ad breaks and static nature images through the entire jam. I make nothing on that channel, I need to hit 1000 subs by Feb 1 before I can get revenue. You can download each jam from bandcamp or leave a tip through the links.

As for this channel, I will keep posting street videos and shorts as well as paid jam requests. This will resume in Sept. I have not posted since mid July as everyone is on vacation and I needed a break.

4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 9

shatnershairpiece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COV2z...

Sub my new channel. I need to get to 1000 subs by Feb 1/2027. Pure music therapy. 1 to 2 hour guitar instrumentals. No ads, no interruptions, no me, no streets, completely free. Static nature images taken by my wife, Susanne. Put it on as background music for sleep, anxiety, headache relief, ADHD, post surgery recovery, road trips. Support by buying the track on bandcamp in superior quality. I make nothing from youtube views.

thesixmilliondollarguitar.bandcamp.com/album/in-fl…

1 month ago | [YT] | 9

shatnershairpiece

www.youtube.com/channel/UC4aU...

I have a new channel on youtube called FLOWING FRETS. All my extended studio jams are now going there. No video of me playing (distracting), only static nature image and audio for ultimate relaxation. Every track has a link to download the superior audio from bandcamp. (This is how I survive as a musician.)

Escape into the sound of pure, free-form instrumental guitar. Flowing Frets is dedicated to the art of the long-form solo, featuring 1 to 2 hour sessions that blend the soul of the blues, the energy of rock, and the atmosphere of ambient drama. This was performed live, by human hands on an actual guitar, with no editing. THIS IS NOT AI MUSIC. I have been playing since I was 10 years old. and have mastered the art of zen guitar and the endless solo.

Every note is completely improvised, designed to help you find your "zone." Whether you are looking for deep sleep, healing, or a soundtrack for your next road trip, these performances are crafted to provide a therapeutic space for:

Stress Relief & Healing: Let the music wash away the day.
Focus & Study: Instrumental layers to keep you in the flow.
Work & Concentration: The perfect backdrop for deep work.
Rest & Sleep: Gentle, evolving melodies for a peaceful night.
Pick a session, hit play, and let the frets take you where you need to go.

Each photograph on every video is taken by my wife, Susanne, who is an award winning photographer.

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 12

shatnershairpiece

Bandcamp Friday finally returns after 3 months off. It will continue in Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. I've uploaded many new jams in the last few months. Support improv and download some music therapy. Human performed music is extremely rare these days. These jams are great for relaxation, study, sleep, work, play, road trips, healing, ADHD, anxiety. Big news coming Sept 1.

thesixmilliondollarguitar.bandcamp.com/?ui_context…

1 month ago | [YT] | 5

shatnershairpiece

I've been releasing member only jams the last few weeks. Are any of you getting notified? Here is the latest, a 70 minute Hendrix tribute jam. I showed a clip of this today on youtube, but only members get to see the full jam. I was really happy how this one came out. I was in the zone. This father and son were seriously into it and I talked to him for 15 minutes, while still soloing.

https://youtu.be/Ll-NUViTG7M

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 10

shatnershairpiece

Just a reminder that you will be seeing a lot of short CLIPS of my LONG jams. These videos link to the full jams when you get a paid membership on youtube. I no longer post my long jams publicly for these reasons:

1) Youtube hates long videos, will not promote them. This is ongoing since 2022.
2) View times were one minute on a 60 minute jam. Pointless to post them.
3) This gives actual fans of my extended improv full access to all my best work with a low priced monthly membership. Everyone wins.

Since 2022, youtube focuses only on clickbait and shorts, pushing out any creator that dares to make longer videos with substance. So if you enjoy the improv, sign up for $5 a month. Get access to 1600 long videos, all my band gigs, all my guitar lessons. I value ONE paid sub more than 100,000 followers on youtube.

2 months ago | [YT] | 28

shatnershairpiece

New feature. COMMENT OF THE WEEK. I get so many comments, some good, some negative, some hilarious. I ban trolls every day. I've decided to highlight some of them as community posts as most people will never see these comments. This one is from a 'fan' who left the channel because I wasn't giving him everything for FREE anymore. It's odd because it's passive/aggressive. There is praise, but also a 'F you'. I included my reaction.

@noyes-v5b • 11 hours ago (edited)

Just read, I have to Join Patron Studio Level to see Hear your extended versions. No. If my attention is only worth clickbait, then why have I asked you for a PO Box, I would send heart and $oul, $weat of my brow. Extended versions were what I liked most. NOT JOINing Patreon. Sorry. Subscribed at Your YouTube Channel, and YES they are gone, NoW! Long Nights at the Window, with your Music, felt like with you. Especially after the Surgery. I will miss "Access" to YOUR 45 min, hour and half tunes. unsubscribing at tube we are all dead artists tribute wishers that was three years ago.


1 reply
@shatnershairpiece
• 11 hours ago

You can get access to 1600 super jam videos on YouTube with a $5 membership. I still have 500 long videos on youtube for free. The reason I want people to sign up on Patreon is because YouTube will take 30% of everything I make, even from subscriptions. Most people do not know this. This is why I recommend band camp and Patreon as the best way to support. You asked for a PO Box? I do not have a PO Box. And I would be crazy to hand out my address to a stranger on youtube. Do you want to pay for the PO box? It's about $50 a month. I appreciate that you wanted to send a tip, but it's not practical. If you want to tip, I have four online options: paypal, busk.co, bandcamp, patreon.

Problem is youtube is not an environment anymore for long videos. They only care about shorts. I have had to face this reality in the last few years. Of course I appreciate that you enjoy the long videos but you are very rare. I also have to consider the massive amount of time I’m spending on making these videos and putting them on YouTube. If they are only seen by a few people, is it it worth my time to work on them all day? It is a LOT of work. I make nothing from youtube views. I would rather these videos go where people are willing to subscribe to get access with a small paid subscription. 50 paid subs on patreon is worth more than 176,000 followers on youtube.

Take a look at the blues video I posted this morning. It is only six minutes. It was viewed for approximately one minute and barely got 100 views. imagine you see this reaction on every single music video you make. You would stop posting. People don’t even have the patience to watch a six minute video anymore so posting a 90 minute video is pointless. These videos no longer get any views. YouTube will not promote them or show them to anyone including my own subscribers. Long videos that I will show on YouTube now are paid jam requests. I just had one of these a week ago. Also, patreon has absolutely no ads and no copyright issues which are two huge problems on YouTube.

Sorry that you felt you had to unsubscribe, (thanks for the non support?) but youtube of today is not the YouTube of five years ago . It has gone downhill fast and no longer supports creative human made work. Half the videos on YouTube are now AI. how do I compete with that? Do you think I should spend 10 hours a day working for free? Do you think I live on air? I'm a musician. I'd rather have ONE paying monthly subscriber at $5 than 100,000 subs who expect everything for free. If you value what I do, get a membership. Don’t try to guilt me because I need to pay my rent.


He wrote again on another video! (He feels used. 🤣)


@noyes-v5b • 15 hours ago
The Edits, audio and visual up and at 1:23, Are Perfection! Masterful. Patience Artful. As Good as your Musicianship.
I also comment that your ability to sample loop create a backing track is wonderful. Does Really Make Listening Interesting!
I am a visual person as well. I watch all the details. robin Peace.
edit: no extended long jams on You Tube ANYMORE. You Made a conscious choice. money everybody need$ some. Even a sub to your check mark channel, I don't, STILL WON'T join Patreon. I feel used as you describe us as click bait. Long jams were your best. I don't sub to hear your channel complain about the locals. Will Miss the Long Jams, But Kiss the Patron ASS cause you don't have a PO Box. unsubscribed. miss the hour and half's at the window with you, bye. "dead tribute artist"


@shatnershairpiece
• 52 minutes ago (edited)
So you leave because you like my music but refuse to pay for it? You expect everything for free, for life. 🤣 That isn’t support. You think I should feel guilty because I expect to get paid for my work? I would trade all 170,000 of my YouTube subs for 20 paid subs on Patreon. Those are real fans and supporters. I still have 500 long jams on YouTube for free, but I guess that’s not enough FREE for you. I said I'm having to use clickbait now to get any views at all. This is the reality.

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 19

shatnershairpiece

thesixmilliondollarguitar.bandcamp.com/album/smoot…

65 minute soul jam in the style of Sade. (Photo by Susanne) Support improvisation and raise your dopamine levels!

3 months ago | [YT] | 22