--- title: 'YouTube in 2026: Why 90% of Channels No Longer Grow After the Update' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=1FmBum5Dwfo' video_id: '1FmBum5Dwfo' date: 2026-08-05 duration_sec: 490 --- # YouTube in 2026: Why 90% of Channels No Longer Grow After the Update > Source: [YouTube in 2026: Why 90% of Channels No Longer Grow After the Update](https://youtube.com/watch?v=1FmBum5Dwfo) ## Summary The video explains how YouTube's algorithm has fundamentally changed by 2026, shifting from quantity-based promotion to quality and viewer intent. The creator argues that channels relying on easy, AI-generated content are failing, while those that create difficult, personality-driven content and understand the algorithm's focus on solving viewer problems will succeed. ### Key Points - **Old Success Doesn't Guarantee Future Growth** [00:01] — A channel created 6 years ago would be successful then, but the same actions now would lead to monetization disaster due to changed YouTube and Google algorithms. - **Algorithm Changes in Google and YouTube** [00:28] — Fundamental changes in algorithms occurred not just in YouTube but in Google itself. YouTube now looks at channels completely differently, and without knowing these rules, channels are doomed to failure. - **Monetization Withdrawals and AI Content** [00:53] — A series of monetization withdrawals followed at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026. Channels using neural networks to produce content were de-monetized, even faceless channels making $100,000 a month. - **Quality Over Quantity** [01:20] — Previously, the golden mean between quality and quantity was advised, but now quality is definitely more important. Videos may be less frequent, but if they are high quality, they will eventually be recommended. - **Niche Selection: Difficulty Equals Promotion** [01:48] — Ask if any schoolchild can create the content. If yes, the niche is oversaturated. Content that is easy to make is harder to promote, and difficult content is easier to promote. - **Example: AI Reconstruction Niche** [02:39] — A 4-month-old channel on AI reconstruction (e.g., London in 1700) gained 167,000 subscribers and earns around $50,000 per month, despite being fully AI-generated. - **YouTube Prefers Human-Created Content** [03:04] — YouTube's algorithm understands that many neural networks exist and gives preference to those who create content with their own hands. AI should be an enhancement, not the basis. - **Warm Up Your Account and Show Your Face** [03:30] — Using an active, warmed-up account and showing your face in a short video (1-3 minutes) linked to your content is much cooler and helps with monetization. - **AI is Not the Foundation** [04:09] — AI is a cool addition and boost, but the basis comes from your head, analysis of YouTube, and then layering neural networks on top. - **YouTube's AI Guesses Viewer Intent** [04:22] — YouTube and Google are implementing neural networks to guess the viewer's intentions, not just promote videos. The algorithm tries to understand why the person is here and what they want. - **Retention and Problem-Solving** [05:02] — YouTube now evaluates how well the viewer solved their problem. If a viewer searches for 'how to cook scrambled eggs', clicks, watches, and leaves, that's great. If not, it's a red flag. - **YouTube Looks at Target Audience** [05:43] — YouTube no longer looks at channels in a vacuum. It looks at who the target viewers are, what audiences they intersect with, and the target viewer's profile. Avoid non-targeted promotion. - **Avoid Non-Targeted Promotion** [06:14] — Boosting views or sending videos to non-target audiences hinders the algorithm's understanding of who the target viewer is. - **Negativity Hurts Promotion** [06:27] — YouTube now tracks negativity. If a video evokes mainly negative emotions, it will be promoted reluctantly. Scandalous content is an exception because it gives food for thought, not discomfort. - **Adapt or Stay in the Past** [07:18] — Algorithms are changing, and those who adapt will stay afloat. YouTube is focused on understanding people, their interests, and intentions. If you don't consider these factors, you compete with the algorithm itself. ### Conclusion To succeed on YouTube in 2026, creators must prioritize quality over quantity, choose difficult niches, incorporate human personality, and understand that the algorithm now prioritizes viewer intent and problem-solving over simple metrics. ## Transcript YouTube channels. It would seem like a success, yes, but it was created 6 years ago. And if I did all the same things right now, any monetization would be a disaster. And the problem is not in niches, content, or even competition. The problem is that YouTube no longer operates under the old rules and a lot has changed. But the fundamental changes in algorithms occurred not even in YouTube, but in Google itself. Now, in 26 , YouTube looks at channels completely differently. If we don't know these basic rules, then the channel is most likely doomed to failure. It simply won't be recommended, even if our videos are objectively good. So, in this video, I'll break down what's changed, why things don't work the way they used to , and how I recommend you act right now. Enjoy watching. Well , let's go. I think it's no secret to anyone what a series of monetization withdrawals followed at the end of 25 and the beginning of 26. And there are stopped worrying about quality, gotten to the neural networks, started producing that are indistinguishable from the previous ones, and think they've found the magic money button. But it was not to be . And even faceless channels that were making $100,000 a month were quickly de-monetized. And I saw these statistics myself. The thing is that algorithms change. And if a year ago more important on YouTube: quality or quantity?” I would say: "Guys, the golden mean." Don't strive for perfectionism or the conveyor belt. Do something in the middle afloat. But if I were asked this question now, I would definitely answer quality. We may not do it so regularly, we may make videos less frequently. But if our videos are we will inevitably, sooner or later, get can ask yourself to figure out whether a niche is good or not is : "Can any schoolchild create this content when they get home from school?" If the answer is yes, then the niche is so-so . There's no need to even analyze it, simply because it's easily been in the YouTube dump for a long time now. The same music for meditation, the same hype niches, the same stories that were invented with the GPT chat, voiced by another neural network and posted three videos a day on the channels there. Yes, it worked before, but now it doesn't work. And if the content is made simply, you should a priori understand that there will be many people who want to see it. And the doors that are harder to open have fewer people willing to go through them. That's why now, when choosing a niche, I initially strive to go where it's more difficult. And I say this: content that is easy to make is harder to promote, and content that is difficult to make is , accordingly, easier to promote . So take note of this. I also want to show one example of a niche. This is the niche of AI reconstruction. What did London look like in 1700, for example, what did New York look like, and so on. The channel, by the way, is 4 months old. He gained 167,000 subscribers and earned around $50,000. Only now he has an amount in this range per month. And what I want to note is that the content is as neural as possible. That is, the script is neural, and the voice-over is neural, and the photographs are created by neural, and ultimately are also brought to life by it. But we have many creators resort to this, and even I add as much personality as possible to my channels . What's the point? For YouTube, it's crucial that the content is not real people behind it. Because the algorithm understands perfectly well that there are a lot of neural networks now of course, he will always give preference to those who create content with their own hands. So even if neural networks predominate in our content, cool enhancement to the foundation of your video, but not the basis of the content you create. Well, if you've been active on YouTube for a long time, your account will, so to speak, be warmed up, you 're an active YouTube user, and it would also be better to use such an account . And if we also have a face, the ability to record a short one- or three-minute video where you, you create content, and publish this video accessible via a link, that's much cooler than without all of that. Therefore, keep in mind that there are a huge number of channels like the one in the example, and all of them are monetized. And so don't even tell me that AI is n't being monetized right now, but it needs to be used correctly. Don't waste this very cool addition and boost to our channel now, but it's not the foundation. The basis comes from our heads, from our analysis of YouTube. Only then are neural networks and their capabilities layered on top of this. Also, one of the big changes from Google that has spilled over to YouTube is that video platform, no matter how loud that sounds. This is the mistake is to think that YouTube still decides whether to promote a video or not based on tags, descriptions, titles, retention, and so on. Of course it does. This has always influenced and will always influence. But there are some adjustments to this. YouTube and Google are now actively implementing neural networks into their the task of artificial intelligence is not to promote videos, but to guess the viewer's intentions. The algorithm tries to understand as quickly as possible why the person is here and what they want from this video. He wants to solve his problem, figure something out, his time. Therefore, today the same video can be promoted perfectly to one audience and completely ignored by another. Not because it's bad the audience and the content they consume. And speaking of retention. It used to be incredibly important, and it's no less important now, but YouTube has become much smarter, and now it evaluates how well the viewer has solved their problem. For example, if we search for how to cook scrambled eggs, YouTube sees that we click on the first video, watch it, and exit YouTube. Most likely, the problem the video is that the viewer had a problem, went to YouTube, solved it, and left. For YouTube, this is great. But if our video isn't stretched and doesn't solve the problem, then that's a red flag for YouTube. And this radically changes our approach to the structure, also one of the key things is that YouTube no longer looks at channels in a vacuum. He looks first and foremost at who the target viewers of our videos are, time from our channel, what audiences these viewers intersect with, and target viewer is in general. After all, the faster YouTube can understand who the how old they are, what their interests are, the easier it will be for them to promote our channel. That's why you should immediately avoid boosting views, sending videos to brothers, or any unsystematic promotion to non-target audiences. This We're only hindering the algorithm's understanding of who our target viewer is by directing unnecessary audiences at them. Well, another one of my favorite topics about hate. It has always been accepted to say that both likes and dislikes have a positive effect on growth, and that both negative and positive comments have the same effect on growth. But it's not like that now . YouTube is now learning to track negativity. If you understand that the main emotion that the video evokes is mainly negative, he will be reluctant to promote such content. If a video has a lot of negativity, complaints, and bad reviews, then YouTube doesn't want to determines this, he will cut off views of a video similar to the plan. He makes a simple, obvious conclusion. People feel uncomfortable here. By the way, this does not apply to any scandalous videos, revelations, etc., because this is content that people like to watch. This is content that gives people food for thought, not discomfort. So how can we summarize everything that has been discussed so far? Algorithms are truly changing now, and those who can adapt will always stay afloat, while those who are not ready to change, alas, will remain in the past. Now, YouTube also has great metrics like CTR, retention, dynamics, and conversions, but YouTube is more focused on understanding people, their interests, intentions, why they come to YouTube, and what they want from it . And if we build a channel without taking all these factors into account, we are competing not with other channels, but with the algorithm itself, which simply won’t want to helpful, please give it a like and leave a comment with your thoughts. If you want to not only know that the algorithm has changed, but also intelligently adapt content that delivers results, follow my step-by-step instructions. There I went into detail about how I achieved all my results, how YouTube has personally impacted my life, and how I can help. Even if you apply a third or a quarter of what I say in the instructions, it will already speed up your path greatly. Follow the final bid or the first link in the description, and or the first link in the description, and we'll see you in the instructions. Yeah.