YouTube star Jack Vale is heading to VHX to separate the haters from the real fans
Jack Vale has more than 1.3 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, Jack Vale Films, and his videos often see view counts in the hundreds of thousands or millions.
Vale owes plenty of his success to YouTube, but like a lot of social celebrities who gained fame through the platform, he also feels that YouTube is limiting him – perhaps unnecessarily. The main complaint from these celebrities is that YouTube does not enable them to capitalize – i.e. monetize – to the extent that they can elsewhere.
This is where VHX, the five-year-old platform, has found its niche.
The concept is simple but compelling: YouTube has the scale to enable creators to build followings quickly; VHX then enables these creators to speak only to their true fans.
With VHX, fans get direct access to their favorite creators via paid subscriptions or one-off specials. Vale, for example, will charge five dollars per month and his fans will get different, better-produced, videos than the ones that can be accessed for free on YouTube. Vale thinks that this model “makes all the difference in the world” in terms of how it will impact the quality of his content output.
Many other YouTubers feel the same. In the last year, groups like Black&Sexy and Between Women have joined the platform.
Also, with the recent release of its API, the company has made it even easier for both independent creators and larger companies to use its technology to build custom apps and SVOD services.
For more on VHX and why it’s so compelling as a YouTube supplement (or alternative) for creators, we exchanged emails, which are neither edited nor condensed, with Vale:
Found Remote: You have done a great job developing a fan base on YouTube. Why not continue to focus on continuing to build this audience via YouTube?
Jack Vale: Great question. Make no mistake, I will still be uploading new content as usual on YouTube. However, this is very limited income source. On VHX I'll be producing new, higher quality content in addition to what I'm already doing. More sketches, films, prank shows, etc. Productions that are only possible with a bigger budget. I'm a fan of family-friendly entertainment so my plan is to rally the people/fans around me who share this vision, join together and produce great content where a higher budget is required. So, nothing is changing on my YouTube channel.
FR: How do you think the income you're generating via VHX will impact the quality of the content you're producing?
Vale: It will make all the difference in the world. I have done the best I can with my YouTube channel given the limited resources I have. There comes a point where you just want to step up your game and show people what you can do. That's where I'm at. Actors, producers, directors, etc...they all get paid. And if they are smart (and most of them are), they use a large portion of their income to make the best quality content they possibly can. And their work gets better and better as their career grows over time. I will be using my monthly subscription fees to buy equipment, secure locations, hire actors for series, writers, etc. It will be an entirely new Jack Vale experience.
FR: VHX is certainly a good way to speak more directly to loyal fans, but how will you continue to appeal to people who don't know who Jack Vale is and those not yet willing to pay for a subscription to your content?
Vale: I will continue to upload videos as usual on YouTube. I deeply appreciate the opportunity YouTube has given me over the years and recognize it's tremendous power to reach so many people. You can use this power in so many ways. For example: I started my YouTube channel as a way to promote my little fart gag toy, The Pooter. 4 uploads in, and it caught the attention of a TV show that aired on NBC prime time. That's when I first became aware of the incredible power of YouTube. When the show aired, orders for my product started pouring in. That was in 2008. I absolutely LOVE YouTube and ALL of my subscribers there, which is why nothing will change. At the same time, I will have to understand now, that I will be primarily using it for the benefit of circulating my videos, making my fans happy, gaining new fans, etc. while knowing that I'm not generating enough income from it directly to really expand my long term goals. I believe that my true fans understand that I can only make videos for free (or with low budgets) for so long. There is a misconception out there about how much money "YouTubers make" and it's wrong. Not in every case, but most of the scenarios are wrong. I want to connect on a more personal level with my fans...the ones who truly appreciate the content I create. This is why I'll be personally emailing every person who signs up for a paid membership and following them on Twitter so we can connect directly.
FR: Outside of monetization, what does VHX enable you to do that other platforms don't?
Vale: Know who my real fans are. That said, I know that I do have a lot of "true fans" who might not be able to afford $5. a month and I understand that. But it will still allow me to separate the haters from a lot of the real fans. YouTube is a free for all and let's be honest, certain videos may not have had as many views if it weren't also for the haters :) However, if you put the same scenario on the street which would never happen, I would much rather have someone walk up to me telling me how much my videos mean to them, than to hear someone yell "You Suck!" And that's one of the differences between the VHX platform vs a free for all platform. Hopefully no one will pay for the service, just so they can tell me I suck. Lol. Also, I love VHX's easy to use platform.
FR: Outside of YouTube and now VHX you also have a show on HLN, "Jack Vale: Offline." How do you decide which content works best for each platform?
Vale: "Jack Vale: Offline" did incredibly well for HLN. It was their first original series and when articles came out, they said it was a hit, a success for the network, etc. It did so well that they gave us an early pick up for a second season. However, our production company was Relativity Media and they filed bankruptcy so HLN backed away from the show. Currently, I'm developing 2 TV shows and a new web series for the membership platform. As much as I love TV, I also love being my own boss and being in charge of the content that goes live. On VHX, I'll be uploading funny content you haven't seen me do a lot of on YouTube. See, my YouTube audience has gotten used to pranks so it can be difficult to cross over into other creative shows. I never set out to be a "prankster". I just love comedy. So basically, I'm going to keep doing what I've always been doing on YouTube, and bringing as many people as I can with me to JackVale.Com to watch my new content too. :) And by the way...some of my favorite and best YouTube videos are on VHX and you can watch them ad free. Eventually, they will all be there.