There are many influencers who earn a living with YouTube, but probably only a few who have made it big with a single video.
The image is a stock photo by Gustavo Fring via Pexels.
What kind of channel is this? The YouTube channel Fireplace 10 hours was created on September 30, 2016. Two days later, on October 2, it posted its first and only video so far. It is called “Fireplace 10 hours full HD” and has been viewed more than 156 million times in the past decade. This could have made the owner a millionaire – although there is disagreement about that.
Made it big with a single video… or not?
What’s the deal with the video? “Fireplace 10 hours full HD” is, as the name suggests, a ten-hour video showing a blazing fire in a fireplace. The wood crackles, the atmosphere is cozy – ideal for running on the TV while celebrating Christmas with loved ones.
On X, a user recently shared an estimate claiming that the channel has surpassed the mark of 1.24 million US dollars in revenue after almost 10 years, commenting: “The brother has made it big.”
Why are there uncertainties? Part of it is due to the estimate itself. When you enter the channel on the analysis platform Social Blade, you get an estimate of $8,000 to $128,000 per year. This is likely due to the fact that the exact RPM of the channel is not known.
RPM stands for “Revenue per Mille” and describes the revenue per 1,000 viewers or ad impressions. This value depends on various factors and can fluctuate significantly. According to Dexerto, there are estimates that place the channel’s total revenue closer to $500,000 to $800,000.
It’s also unclear how the person behind the channel benefits at all. To be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program, a channel must have posted at least 3 videos and meet various milestones.
If a channel does not meet these criteria, YouTube reserves the right to monetize the videos anyway – in this case, the revenue goes to the video platform and not to the creator.
However, other users explain that this only applies to channels created from 2023 onwards. Therefore, Fireplace 10 hours should not fall under the stricter regulations for the Partner Program (YouTube Partner Guidelines via X).
Either way, YouTube channels that provide hours of background noise are extremely popular. The probably most famous among them is the LoFi-Girl. The eternal student only ended her 10-year study session last year, as reported by GameStar.
The opposite case was experienced by a YouTuber whose video received 92 million views but generated relatively little revenue. What this is about, he explained here:
YouTube: Musician has a video with 92 million views – reveals how little money he earned with it
