“It’s WAY easier to make money IRL”: Guitar YouTuber explains how much money influencers

While some influencers are living lavishly, overwhelmed with lush brand deals and flashy sponsorships, that’s not the case for everyone.

Guitar YouTuber Get Offset has recently taken to Threads to reflect on the reality of the day-to-day influencer. “I like how people think YouTubers are making easy money,” she writes. “It’s WAY easier to make money IRL. I can play one gig and get the same as my monthly ad revenue on YouTube.”

With so many budding influencers trying to ‘make it big’, it’s becoming increasingly tough to generate a living online. When one user chirps up claiming that Youtube videos are essentially “passive income,” Get Offset quickly corrects them. “You have to be so huge a channel to make more than fun money,” she explains. “My money is made from sponsored videos. This is an active hustle, not passive income.”

The narrative that having a video up on YouTube will generate a passive influx of money is a disservice to the effort YouTubers like Get Offset put in. “The VAST majority of my income via ad revenue comes from my most recent videos,” she adds. Old videos only benefit big creators, whose fans will regularly binge all their content. If Get Offset isn’t constantly creating, she wont draw in viewers.

The idea that being an influencer is ‘easy money’ is fuelled by those at the top. Back in January, Business Insider spoke to a slew of influencers – one of which made an average of $5,000 a month solely through affiliate links. In December of last year, The Washington Post also reported that the Creator Economy was sitting at roughly $250 billion, with some making over $100,000 per year.

But, again, the number of influencers making that amount is small. Not every influencer is a millionaire – many don’t even earn a living wage. As The Washington Post report, a survey revealed that 12% of creators make more than $50,000 a year. The illusion of wealth can often be created through the free products or experiences influencers may be asked to promote, but sometimes these freebies may be the sole payment. If you spot your favourite YouTuber modelling swimwear on a yacht, that doesn’t mean they can afford a yacht themselves.