Is Stolen Content Ever a Good Thing?

Oct 28, 2021

01:21:10

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It seems obvious that someone stealing your content is a bad thing. After all, they’re getting the views, the revenue, and the subscriptions. Most of the time that’s true. But after Kevin had his Vsauce2 YouTube content ripped and re-uploaded on TikTok, it got more complex.

Vsauce3 Jake and several of the Baby Gang alerted Kevin to the theft, and… then there was a surge in YouTube views. The other guy got 17 million views from stolen content, but Kevin’s seeing it as a glass half-full scenario.

Why? In a weird way, it was a proof of concept that his YouTube videos could be broken down into multiple parts and uploaded to TikTok. He didn’t have to take the time or money to try it, especially after a few social media campaigns with lackluster results. Thanks, thief!

It’s an age-old debate, whether there’s any validity to “exposure” in creative life. There’s a lot more to it than even we gave it credit for.

A brand new patron asks Kevin why God is dead before a brief discussion of TikTok monetization and what it’s like to make art different from what you’re known for.

Thanks to everyone who showed up for the live recording, and a special thanks to the Patrons who make this show possible each and every week!

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CREDITS:

Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor

Produced and Edited by Ben Webster → https://twitter.com/benwebsterTCU

"Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite

Theme by Mega Drive → http://megadrivemusic.com

Opening Animation: Kidmograph