Austin Evans, 29, is a technology YouTube content creator with over 5.4 million subs and north of 1Bn views. He now oversees a successful media company – Overclock Media, based out of Los Angeles – that focuses on irreverent tech content including PC builds, product reviews, gaming and competitions. His advice? Consistency, resilience and continued evolution.
In computing terminology, overclocking is the practice of increasing the clock rate of a computer – in short, custom tuning your PC. It’s an apt name for one of the most dynamic content creators in the U.S., Austin Evans, who has seen his passion for tech burgeon into a media company that in terms of audience engagement outstrips many bigger media peers.
The story began when, aged 16 and growing up homeschooled in Missouri, Austin created his own YouTube channel featuring technology reviews. Speaking to Business Insider a few years ago, Austin described his journey, “In 2008, the iPod Touch debuted, and I wanted to review as many of its applications as I could. So I created a YouTube video doing just that. When I started, I immediately remember hitting 100 subscribers and seeing positive comments on my videos. So I kept making more and more videos, with an upload a day.”
Millions of subscribers later and Overclock Media has grown into a company of eleven that continues to post content which resonates with its tech and gaming audience. Sponsors include brands such as Toyota, Microsoft, and Intel.
As my content evolved, so has the team behind it all. We now have a team of editors, camera operators, and writers including my creative director, Ken Bolido. As YouTube has evolved, so has the way that I enjoyed creating videos. I consider my reviews now more entertainment tech than reviews.
Austin Evans, Overclock Media
- So how has Austin kept Overclock’s momentum going?
- What is Overclock’s niche in a crowded and competitive tech media space?
- What advice has he got for this generation’s new breed of content creators?
We spoke to him via Google Meet to find out more…
Key Takeaways and Time Stamps:
4.04: “It took me a year to get YouTube partnership status, and don’t forget I’d got rejected twice beforehand. I was sixteen or seventeen at the time, and was spending all my time on this, coming up with ideas, etc. My first month’s paycheck was $400-$500 bucks which was great for a seventeen year old.”
5.42: “YouTube is constantly evolving so don’t get too precious about formats, content or series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pivoted my content focus, it’s always been evolving.”
11.08: “We run three channels…and they are always evolving. Monetisation includes Google AdSense, as well as branded content and partnerships with brands….we’re in a good, stable place.”
17.20: “Iteration is the most important factor – make stuff, try it out, don’t be too precious with any idea. Don’t commit to anything that doesn’t work – just drop it. Learn from all your experiences.”
