My YouTube channel died... Why is that??

Well... I just looked at my YouTube analytics, and it's not looking good. Down 30% in views over the last few months. What did I do wrong? Does the algorithm just hate me? Do I just suck? Well, let's talk about that.

The Rise / Introduction

Hello! My name is Reese Delaney. In 2019, I started a YouTube channel called CoveWolf. Like many small YouTubers, I initially created some poor-quality videos that didn’t receive any views. However, I soon discovered that making how-to tutorials for games like Minecraft and Fortnite was an effective way to attract viewers, gain subscribers, and generate revenue. My most popular video is titled *How To Add Minecraft Servers To Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch! (Bedrock Connect)*. This video gained popularity because it enabled Minecraft players to join custom game servers on consoles like Xbox and PlayStation. While connecting to custom servers is common for players on PC or mobile devices, it is not the standard for console releases, which is why my video went viral and helped many players. As of October 7, 2025, I have garnered over 3 million total views and more than 8,000 subscribers. Below, I will link to my top 5 videos, along with their view counts on my channel, to conclude this segment of the post. Feel free to check them out!

1. How To Add Minecraft Servers To Xbox, PlayStation, Switch! (Bedrock Connect) - 800K+ views!

2. *New Method* How to add Minecraft servers to PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch! *Updated 2024* - 224K+ views!

3. How To Stream From Xbox To YouTube FOR FREE! 2023 *Works On Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One* - 112K+ views!

4. How to fix Fortnite not signing into Xbox live! *Works 2022* - 93K+ views!

5. How to turn your Fortnite nameless account switch/ps4/xbox to an epic account - 86K+ views!

 

Below is a direct way to watch my most viewed video!

This video received over 800,000 views—amazing, isn’t it? 

The Decline

My channel's views and engagement have declined over time. It's become challenging to create new and engaging tutorial videos that people want to watch. Several factors contribute to this decline, one of which is the significant growth in the tutorial market for video game content, resulting in more intense competition. Additionally, coming up with fresh video ideas has proven to be challenging. Once a YouTuber experiences their "viral moment," it becomes hard to maintain that momentum, as the new expectation is often to achieve 100,000+ views per video, which is unrealistic for many uploads.

You might say, "Just try making different types of content". However, you will see why this probably isn't as easy as you think.

Why can't I recover?

To understand why my channel is struggling, it's essential to examine its traffic. If you're not familiar with channel traffic, it's a statistic that YouTube provides in YouTube Studio, which tracks how viewers discover your videos on the platform.

There are many ways to find a video. Think about how you discover new content on YouTube. You might come across videos through suggested content (often influenced by the algorithm) while browsing the YouTube homepage. Additionally, videos can be found through search queries or through links shared via third-party services.

The chart below displays the traffic and view distribution of my channel since its inception in 2019. As you can see, YouTube search is the primary source of my views, while external sources are the second most significant contributor to my channel’s traffic. Interestingly, suggested videos account for almost none of my views, indicating that my videos do not appear on the YouTube homepage and are mainly found through search. This observation is noteworthy, and when combined with another statistic, it reveals a deeper insight into what has happened to my channel.

The statistic below illustrates the differences between New Viewers, Casual Viewers, and Regular Viewers. New Viewers are individuals who have never watched a video on the channel before. Casual Viewers are those who have viewed the channel within the past year, but only in the last five months. Regular Viewers are individuals who have watched the channel for six months or more over the past year.

The data indicates that most of my viewers over the last 31 days are New Viewers. Although this statistic only reflects the last 31 days, it has remained fairly consistent throughout the channel's history.

What does this mean? I believe this statistic, along with the channel traffic data, suggests that my audience tends not to stick around for future content after they find the help they need from the specific video they searched for. Once they get the information they’re looking for, they tend to forget about the channel and move on. The consequence of this is that my new videos don’t perform well, since I lack a community or a regular audience. Unless I manage to create a truly viral topic, I risk not getting any views. As any YouTuber knows, coming up with viral ideas is challenging! This would also be true when trying to switch to different content. 

Conclusion

On my channel, viewers search for videos that address specific problems or solutions they are looking for. Once they find what they need, they typically move on, resulting in me having very few regular followers. As a result, I often end up with almost no viewers at the end of the day. Competing in the tutorial space can be tough, so I need to change my content strategy. However, without a dedicated audience, it will be challenging to make that shift.

I am very grateful for all the results I have achieved on the YouTube platform, and I am excited to see what the future holds. I am not quitting YouTube, even though it can be challenging moving forward. Overall, my experience with YouTube has been positive, and regardless of what happens next, I am prepared for it.