It’s impossible not to notice the massive drop in views over the last four weeks.
I’m a creator who has been uploading videos daily for the past five years. I’ve uploaded more than 1,500 long-form videos, so I’ve already experienced multiple ups and downs on this platform. And because of that experience, I genuinely feel like what we’re seeing right now is not a “normal” decline.
A lot of the time, YouTube runs internal tests with its recommendation system, and that completely alters channel metrics. And I want to make something clear: this post is not me asking “what am I doing wrong?” — it’s me confirming that there have absolutely been visible platform changes during these past few weeks.
For example, I’ve noticed changes on TV devices where thumbnails are now much larger and displayed differently. On mobile devices, Shorts and external ads also seem to be prioritized far more than traditional thumbnails like before. Honestly, I think this could be one of the biggest reasons why long-form traffic has dropped so much recently.
On top of that, both as a viewer and as a creator, I’ve been analyzing something else that feels concerning: many videos are now automatically launching with auto-dubbing enabled. I genuinely wonder if this is affecting how the algorithm interprets and recommends videos across different languages and regions.
But aside from that, there’s another point that I personally believe might be the biggest factor of all.
I don’t have definitive proof yet, and that’s exactly why I’m making this post to talk with other long-form creators: audience-type metrics — new viewers, returning viewers, and loyal audience — seem to have shifted dramatically. In my case, and from what I’ve observed in many other channels, new viewers have fallen off a cliff during the last four weeks.
And that says something important: many channels, including mine, currently seem to be surviving almost entirely thanks to the loyal community and subscribers we built over the years.
This post is not about complaining. It’s about discussing metrics and sharing what many of us are seeing happen across the platform. Because sometimes it can honestly feel overwhelming when every metric seems to be working against you.
There will always be someone saying: “it’s your thumbnails” “it’s retention” “it’s your content”
And yes, those things absolutely matter. But after five years of uploading daily, over 1,500 videos published, and deeply understanding my niche, I know how to recognize when something inside the platform itself is genuinely changing.
I’m not saying YouTube is “killing channels” or anything dramatic like that. I understand the platform works in waves and sectors, and it doesn’t affect everyone equally. But it’s impossible not to notice how many channels have experienced heavy declines lately.
And that’s really why I’m making this post: to tell creators who are probably frustrated watching one upload perform worse than the next that they’re not alone.
Hopefully this rough patch improves soon, like these phases usually do eventually.
I’d genuinely like to hear what other long-form creators think. Have you noticed similar changes during these past few weeks?