---
title: 'Don''t Start VTubing in 2026 Until You''ve Watched This'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=e9FUM9yV064'
video_id: 'e9FUM9yV064'
date: 2026-08-06
duration_sec: 647
---

# Don't Start VTubing in 2026 Until You've Watched This

> Source: [Don't Start VTubing in 2026 Until You've Watched This](https://youtube.com/watch?v=e9FUM9yV064)

## Summary

This video offers practical advice for aspiring VTubers, debunking common misconceptions about debuts and the role of money in success. It emphasizes that VTubing is a skill that requires practice and community building, and provides guidance on how to properly commission artists.

### Key Points

- **Don't feel pressured to debut** [00:01] — Debuts are common among big VTubers, but they are expensive and time-consuming. For new VTubers, a fancy debut doesn't guarantee success and may even be counterproductive. Agencies like Hololive pay for debuts, but individuals don't have that financial backing.
- **Build an audience before debuting** [02:32] — A debut is only effective if you have an audience to introduce yourself to. If you don't have one yet, consider delaying your debut or doing a pre-debut. The speaker personally started without a proper debut until 8 months in.
- **You can't buy success** [02:57] — Spending thousands on models and equipment doesn't guarantee viewers. Success comes from treating VTubing as a skill, practicing, and putting in the hours. A nice model can multiply success, but 10 times zero is still zero.
- **Practical steps to improve** [04:14] — Practice talking to fill dead air, respond to chat, build a community, and have a presence outside of Twitch (clips, tweets, videos). However, reaching the top 1% of the top 1% is extremely unlikely, so focus on having fun and fulfillment.
- **How to properly commission artists** [06:13] — Respect the artist by paying on time, reading their terms of service, and communicating professionally. Respect yourself by voicing your thoughts and giving constructive feedback. Use the sandwich method: praise, critique, praise.
- **Check artist history and be clear** [09:20] — Research the artist's history to avoid scams. Provide clear guidelines and references to help the artist deliver what you want. The clearer your instructions, the better the outcome.

### Conclusion

The video concludes that new VTubers should focus on building skills and community rather than mimicking corporate debuts or spending excessively. Proper commissioning practices are essential for long-term success and positive relationships with artists.

## Transcript

important things that you need to know as a new VTuber. The third lesson is some reason. Let's get it. First up, don't debut. Or I guess it would be more accurate to say don't feel the need to debut. The words VTuber and debut go
together like a racer and a car or tuner and jar. Which it makes sense considering the fact that all the big VTubers do it. The Hololives, the Nijisanjis, and even some big indies. But that's also the exact
reason why you shouldn't debut as a VTuber. For everything to make sense, first. Debuts typically take a lot of time, a lot of resources, and a lot of money. The reality that every new VTuber needs to accept is that a big, fancy,
expensive debut will never guarantee you success as a VTuber. If anything, it might even do the opposite. For big corporate VTubers like Hololivers, it's the agency who pays for the debut, not the individual. Or at the very least,
pays for the important parts of the debut. Which also tend to be the most expensive. Like models, lore videos, and other essential assets like backgrounds average person does not have the financial capital that a corporation
does. So for those thinking of mimicking an agency VTuber, just stop, maybe. I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're not an agency VTuber. >> On top of providing financial support for their talents, agencies also handle
a lot of admin and production work that goes on in the background. This is why agency VTuber debuts are such massive spectacles.
corporation money to afford to do so. In fact, this level support is a big reason as to why people want to join agencies in the first place. But that's a topic for another video because I have some thoughts about that. But with all that
being said, don't let me or anyone else discourage you from having a debut if the assets and have the time and resources, go for it. Better yet, if you can make stuff yourself, do it. >> Fine.
production, because at the end of the day, the purpose of a debut is to simply get them invested in what you have to offer. Don't try to mimic the big corps pose just for the sake of doing it when you're just a silly little guy. There's
so much that you can do without needing to break the bank or your back, me be completely honest with you for a second. If you don't have an audience to introduce yourself to, then a debut is not going to be very effective.
>> Where the [ __ ] is everyone? >> So, either build one before your debut, or save your special debut for later when you do have one. Also, people forget that pre-debuts are still a thing. This is how I personally got
started. I didn't have a proper debut until 8 months after I became a VTuber. And while a debut does not equal success right off the bat, neither does money, which brings us to our next lesson. You can't buy success. There's this
mentality among some VTubers, especially the new ones. They assume that if they have the highest quality model with the highest quality assets and the highest quality equipment, that viewers will just come flooding in day one, and their
VTuber career is bound for success. When in reality, it's quite the opposite. Spending thousands of dollars on models and equipment can still keep you at zero viewers, except now you have a hole burned into your wallet. I don't know
food to eat than live on cup noodles just because I spent my entire paycheck on a VTuber model. In the same way that having the best shoes won't make just anyone a great basketball player, having a fancy and expensive model won't make
you a popular VTuber that people want to watch. At least, not right away. Money won't solve the problem. It's just a band-aid that'll peel off and run out. Solving the problem means treating the root cause, which is ultimately you.
Think of it this way. A nice model can potentially multiply success tenfold, but 10 multiplied by zero is still zero. In the words of Blue Lock's Jinpachi Ego, you first have to turn that zero into one. Being a VTuber, streamer, and
content creator is a skill like any other. And to improve at any skill, you have to practice, study, and put the hours in, right?
Here's a few things that you can do to start. Practice yapping. Keep talking to stream and leave as little dead air as possible. Respond to chat as much as you can. This is how you build a community. Get a presence outside of Twitch. Make
clips, post tweets, make videos. This will help get your name out there. But before you commit yourself to being the next Iron Mouse or the next Kenji, it would be a disservice if I don't slap you with a wet fish of reality. To reach
their level, you need to be the top 1% of the top 1%. So, unless you're willing to dedicate every fiber of your being, every hour in your day, and every space of your thought in your head to become exactly that, then you likely just won't
make it. That's just statistics and probability. to be enough, either. All that'll do is just make you internet famous for like,
what, a week? If even that. If you don't give people a reason to care past the people will just forget about you and you'll disappear into the shadows of obscurity. But the thing is, you don't need to reach that level to be
make this your full-time job and earn a living off it, then that's still in the realm of possibility without needing to become the top 1% of the top 1%. Is it going to be hard? Yeah, it's still going to be really hard, [laughter] but you
Stop getting into VTubing thinking you're going to be the next viral sorry to break it to you, but you're just not going to become that. So, I something more like this. Be a VTuber
because it's fun and because it brings you fulfillment. Stop focusing on the outcome of money and fame so much. The outcome is simply the natural result of the work that you put in mixed with a bit of luck. You put in work, you're
going to get good results. No luck is going to save you there. Look, this going to be tested in ways you never even thought about. So, be prepared and most importantly, have fun doing it. With two lessons out of the way, let me
give you one last practical lesson that for some reason nobody really teaches you about as a VTuber. And that is how to properly request commissions. But subscribe if you find this video useful so far. And don't forget to drop by my
streams. I'm currently streaming every single day this month 8:00 p.m. GMT+1. Now, back to the final session. Artists and their artworks are the backbone of the VTuber community. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are now. Unless
you're skilled enough to draw, rig, design, and do everything else, then you would likely need to commission someone else to do it for you. This isn't just limited to art by the way. This could be music, this could be video editing, or
even coding. So, with how integrated commissioning is for VTubing, a new VTuber should learn how to go about it properly. And I don't mean where or who to commission. There's already plenty of information about that. But more so how
tips that once you learn them, will not only result in better commissions for you, but the artists working with you will also thank you. Number one, respect the artist and yourself. Respecting the artist means paying on time, reading and
abiding by their terms of service, and communicating professionally. So, if commission. If you disagree with their terms of service, don't commission. They've set this up to protect themselves and to respect your time. And
professional communication means giving constructive feedback, being clear about what you want and need, and not leaving them on red. I've seen this on both sides by the way. Please stop leaving your clients or artists on read.
Secondly, to respect yourself simply means to not be afraid to voice your own thoughts. If someone sends you a work in progress that you don't vibe with, then the day, you are the one paying for the commission. I know you might want to
avoid confrontation, but there's no point in saying yes, that's fine to with it. You'll just end up with something you're not happy with and counterintuitive. Think of it this way. The artist is
them to. So, what's wrong with giving them a helping hand to better understand what you want out of their skills. Nobody can read minds, but we can communicate our thoughts and feelings. If you want an example, here's how I
usually go about giving feedback in a professional manner. First, I mention what I like. This is great. I love X because of this. Then, I mention what I don't like. But, I feel that Y could be a bit more like this and this.
Then, I close it off with something else that I like. However, Z is very well done. This is the sandwich method. The feedback is sandwiched between praise as to not make it too overwhelming. But, make sure this praise is actually
truthful and authentic. It isn't there just to stroke their ego. It's there to show the artist what you like so that they can keep on doing it. And the don't like so they know what to avoid and most importantly, how to fix it. If
fine. At least describe why you don't like it so that the artist can work with you on a potential solution. And make sure you try to do this early, too. Not when the artist is already rendering. Number two, check the artist history of
clients and vice versa. This will help prevent potential scams and or poor doesn't have a history, that's also fine. Just know that you're taking a bit research before committing to a commission. Number three, the clearer
the guidelines, the better the outcome. At the end of the day, the artist can guidelines you give them. The more information they get to work with, the something good. Otherwise, they'll just end up shooting in the dark and hoping
depend on the artist's preferred workflow, so again, please check their terms of service. So, let's recap. Number one, you don't need to debut like a corpo VTuber. Just do what you can. The purpose of a debut is to introduce
yourself to your audience, and therefore most effective when you already have an then you may want to delay it until later and focus on just getting started first. Number two, money won't buy you success. What determines your success is
first and foremost, you. VTubing is a skill, and like any skill, you have to practice and study to improve, turn that zero into one. Lastly, number three, learn how to commission properly. Do your research beforehand, respect the
artist, and respect yourself. Be clear about what you want, but do it professionally. You'll have a nicer experience and better results. If you next video where Flox and I talk about things we wish we knew when we started
VTubing, might be useful to you, too. Ciao.