Ahhhh, Carla. Weird to feel like I want to give you a hug but at the very least, I'm giving you a salute as the band plays. Discovering your YouTube channel unlocked cooking for me. You exposed me to new ingredients, techniques, and made me finally see the pure creativity of food. I don't want to make this comment ~about me~ but truthfully, your channel was the door I walked through to get a culinary certificate from Kendall College in Chicago. You changed lives!
This transparency is essential to other creators. The collective we are witnessing the internet eat itself. Art is dependent on ads which are dependent on tech companies which could care less about art. As you stated, reaching and honing your audience directly is the only true way to make money off of one's creative pursuits. I'm happy to hear you have other irons in the fire and looking forward to what's next. I'll preorder the 3rd book the minute I can.
“we are witnessing the internet eat itself” This exactly! It’s so frustrating to see great, creative ideas and people squeezed out by The Algorithms(tm) and get replaced by AI slop, bots just talking to other bots.
Anyway, I will selfishly miss your show Carla, which taught me so much and made me a more confident and creative cook. But so much respect for your decision and being so open about this process. Looking forward to your new book!!!
fascinating and maddening. it seems harder and harder for me to find food shows by experienced, entertaining chefs in an ecosystem that only seems to reward amateurs, gimmicks, and viral whatever. so I sit in bed watching vintage jacques pepin, hungry.
You got me! I've finally paid to subscribe. I've never made the plunge before, simply because I'm a chronic recipe scroller with decision paralysis but who cares.
This may seem like I'm going completely off course but as a Palestinian viewer of yours, your open support is why I'm here and am excited to pay to subscribe. I'll admit, I did not watch every Youtube video and my bookshelf is missing a Carla Lalli Music original (will remedy that soon) but as I've had to take a step back and reevaluate what it means to engage with content creators these days, you have stood out to me. Watching a well produced food video at the end of the day, is one of my favorite things to do but these days, I can't happily watch content from people who refuse to see me. Your consistent and open (emphasis on open because you're not vague about it and that's an important thing to note) has genuinely made a difference for me. It's helped me realize that I don't have to give up on this side of the internet, that I can put my money towards someone and their recipes without regret. That authenticity and drive to put things out in the world that genuinely bring you joy, is received. Your honesty in this post is refreshing and I look forward to the many delicious recipes to come.
Carla — thanks for letting it all out. I have wondered how you’ve managed all of this work. The numbers just do not add up for YouTube, or Instagram, or TikTok. Social media and food media love to call us “creators” but it’s more like we are the exploited, tossed around by the algorithms. The wear and tear on you and your family doesn’t matter to the platforms that want to suck you dry as they keep people’s feeds full.
It’s hard to know where we can go to keep doing work that gives us joy. You’re a survivor in this industry, which you’ve been in for a long time.
I wish we were neighbors so I could have you over to share some cooking and a meal. 🫡 sister
My roomies and I have spent years watching you (yelling “THERE’S NEW CARLA!”, making us all gather together) and we’ve learned SO much. We now own a pressie-downie and a fancy pepper grinder…we will never have a Leo season without a freezer full of Hola Ciao. We will continue to support you here and buy your books and make your food for guests and sing your praises. We are fans for life ♥️
Echoing what everyone else has said, but I really appreciate your transparency and vulnerability here. I’ve often wondered about how creators make money on YouTube, and have definitely made my own sets of assumptions about whether a creator “needs” my paid subscriptions off platform—I’m not proud of that, but I don’t think I’d evaluated those feelings in detail until reading your post. It also all feels inextricably connected to the intense drive on these platforms for more more more—more eyeballs, more virality, more gimmick, more clickbait. A constant growth mandate that demands more of you no matter your talent or the number of people who find consistent value in your work. (Not to get crabby and turn it into a social critique.) I remember this from working in tech—it was always about growth and never about retention, and it was relentless.
Anyway it just feels unfair to you. I really was picturing that the next natural evolution would be a cooking show. I hope no matter what that that you’ll continue to incorporate mixed media somehow, even if just through short videos here. You’re an incredible teacher, and when I think of my favorite moments from your videos, I think of things like you describing how you know when the meat is done because you can hear the sound of its sizzling change. So cool, so informative, so hard to capture solely in words! Thank you for everything you taught us and yay for still being able to enjoy your work here on Substack.
doing Back to Back really taught me how important it was to be super specific and made me a better writer and a better explainer of things, and I love that part of my job. Thank you for including this detail. I love knowing the messages got through
Absolutely understand why you're moving away from YouTube and I don't blame you one bit. But also, selfishly, I'm going to miss your videos, my husband and I watch them regularly and love watching you cook and talk, and your backyard and your neighbors, and all your recipes. Just bought a potato ricer to make your pommes aligot! (Tangentially, maybe, I want to mention that we've noticed YouTube lowering the video quality on videos that are a year old or older recently, making them really low res when I know they weren't before, so that's another reason why I COMPLETELY understand why you'd want to move away from YT.) This was such a great article and I love that you included the numbers; I gasped at some of those figures, definitely not what I would have expected. But the bottom line here is you're doing what you want and need to do, massive love and respect to you for that, and we'll follow you wherever you go xx
Thank you for the beautiful and detailed post. I love watching your cooking videos. I usually learn something, and if nothing else I’m among the soothed and amused. I wish so much more of the world were as transparent and honest. Glad to be here on Substack. Can’t wait to pre order this book.
I already own both cookbooks and will order the third as soon as I'm able, but so many of your Youtube recipes have become standards in my repertoire: I now keep tteok and shrimp in my freezer at all times because of the kimchi butter shrimp, and I regularly make all of the recipes from the chickpea episode.
As someone who works in content marketing I understand completely why you'd step away from Youtube, but I will miss your kooky joie de vivre every week.
Thank you for your bravery in transparency. You have always felt like a breath of fresh air when it came to both cooking and content. And as sad as I am to miss your videos every week, it’s not about me, it’s about you. Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world and I can’t wait to see the new book (in 61+ days). Here’s to bigger and better things (triumphant trumpet sounds).
I’ve followed ya from BATK to YouTube to Substack, your podcast with Rick and your podcast here, your books (yeehaw to the third one next year)— each with its Ups and Downs™️ and at the end of it all, I find you to be fabulous. Really loved the time I spent learning from you.
We, the audience, are not entitled to more of you than you’re willing to share; but what you give to us has always landed from a place of authenticity and charm and craft that I’m not too pressed about how ya do it. Take care of yourself! We’re committed to whichever way it unfolds because if you are making it, it’s gonna rip.
Ahhhh, Carla. Weird to feel like I want to give you a hug but at the very least, I'm giving you a salute as the band plays. Discovering your YouTube channel unlocked cooking for me. You exposed me to new ingredients, techniques, and made me finally see the pure creativity of food. I don't want to make this comment ~about me~ but truthfully, your channel was the door I walked through to get a culinary certificate from Kendall College in Chicago. You changed lives!
This transparency is essential to other creators. The collective we are witnessing the internet eat itself. Art is dependent on ads which are dependent on tech companies which could care less about art. As you stated, reaching and honing your audience directly is the only true way to make money off of one's creative pursuits. I'm happy to hear you have other irons in the fire and looking forward to what's next. I'll preorder the 3rd book the minute I can.
THIS!!! Art is dependent on ads which are dependent on tech companies which could care less about art.
I don’t know why but I’m crying happy tears reading this random dude’s comment on this random woman’s article about YouTube analytics.
Thanks for sharing Jake! Sounds like Carla has done some beautiful good in this world.
Looks like I’ll be buying a cook book!
“we are witnessing the internet eat itself” This exactly! It’s so frustrating to see great, creative ideas and people squeezed out by The Algorithms(tm) and get replaced by AI slop, bots just talking to other bots.
Anyway, I will selfishly miss your show Carla, which taught me so much and made me a more confident and creative cook. But so much respect for your decision and being so open about this process. Looking forward to your new book!!!
fascinating and maddening. it seems harder and harder for me to find food shows by experienced, entertaining chefs in an ecosystem that only seems to reward amateurs, gimmicks, and viral whatever. so I sit in bed watching vintage jacques pepin, hungry.
you know what's good? the episodes of Great Chefs of the World that are on YT. The BEST
This is so true. Hopefully we move pass this era and people start recognizing substance again.
You got me! I've finally paid to subscribe. I've never made the plunge before, simply because I'm a chronic recipe scroller with decision paralysis but who cares.
This may seem like I'm going completely off course but as a Palestinian viewer of yours, your open support is why I'm here and am excited to pay to subscribe. I'll admit, I did not watch every Youtube video and my bookshelf is missing a Carla Lalli Music original (will remedy that soon) but as I've had to take a step back and reevaluate what it means to engage with content creators these days, you have stood out to me. Watching a well produced food video at the end of the day, is one of my favorite things to do but these days, I can't happily watch content from people who refuse to see me. Your consistent and open (emphasis on open because you're not vague about it and that's an important thing to note) has genuinely made a difference for me. It's helped me realize that I don't have to give up on this side of the internet, that I can put my money towards someone and their recipes without regret. That authenticity and drive to put things out in the world that genuinely bring you joy, is received. Your honesty in this post is refreshing and I look forward to the many delicious recipes to come.
i appreciate this so much, thank you
This is the tea everyone needed to know. ❤️
i quite literally wrote a long form investigative journalism piece about myself
Im hear for it!
Carla — thanks for letting it all out. I have wondered how you’ve managed all of this work. The numbers just do not add up for YouTube, or Instagram, or TikTok. Social media and food media love to call us “creators” but it’s more like we are the exploited, tossed around by the algorithms. The wear and tear on you and your family doesn’t matter to the platforms that want to suck you dry as they keep people’s feeds full.
It’s hard to know where we can go to keep doing work that gives us joy. You’re a survivor in this industry, which you’ve been in for a long time.
I wish we were neighbors so I could have you over to share some cooking and a meal. 🫡 sister
Thank you Andrea!! 🫶🫶🫶
Thanks for your transparency. For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the content you made and cooked some really delicious meals as a result!
it's worth a lot!!! the recipes are not going to stop <3
My roomies and I have spent years watching you (yelling “THERE’S NEW CARLA!”, making us all gather together) and we’ve learned SO much. We now own a pressie-downie and a fancy pepper grinder…we will never have a Leo season without a freezer full of Hola Ciao. We will continue to support you here and buy your books and make your food for guests and sing your praises. We are fans for life ♥️
I’m so excited to see what’s next for you! I’ll come wherever you are forever.
Echoing what everyone else has said, but I really appreciate your transparency and vulnerability here. I’ve often wondered about how creators make money on YouTube, and have definitely made my own sets of assumptions about whether a creator “needs” my paid subscriptions off platform—I’m not proud of that, but I don’t think I’d evaluated those feelings in detail until reading your post. It also all feels inextricably connected to the intense drive on these platforms for more more more—more eyeballs, more virality, more gimmick, more clickbait. A constant growth mandate that demands more of you no matter your talent or the number of people who find consistent value in your work. (Not to get crabby and turn it into a social critique.) I remember this from working in tech—it was always about growth and never about retention, and it was relentless.
Anyway it just feels unfair to you. I really was picturing that the next natural evolution would be a cooking show. I hope no matter what that that you’ll continue to incorporate mixed media somehow, even if just through short videos here. You’re an incredible teacher, and when I think of my favorite moments from your videos, I think of things like you describing how you know when the meat is done because you can hear the sound of its sizzling change. So cool, so informative, so hard to capture solely in words! Thank you for everything you taught us and yay for still being able to enjoy your work here on Substack.
doing Back to Back really taught me how important it was to be super specific and made me a better writer and a better explainer of things, and I love that part of my job. Thank you for including this detail. I love knowing the messages got through
A beautiful reply. Thank you.
Absolutely understand why you're moving away from YouTube and I don't blame you one bit. But also, selfishly, I'm going to miss your videos, my husband and I watch them regularly and love watching you cook and talk, and your backyard and your neighbors, and all your recipes. Just bought a potato ricer to make your pommes aligot! (Tangentially, maybe, I want to mention that we've noticed YouTube lowering the video quality on videos that are a year old or older recently, making them really low res when I know they weren't before, so that's another reason why I COMPLETELY understand why you'd want to move away from YT.) This was such a great article and I love that you included the numbers; I gasped at some of those figures, definitely not what I would have expected. But the bottom line here is you're doing what you want and need to do, massive love and respect to you for that, and we'll follow you wherever you go xx
Echoing everyone else, but this was such a great read! It's really interesting to see the economics of it all and how you think through all of it.
Thank you for the beautiful and detailed post. I love watching your cooking videos. I usually learn something, and if nothing else I’m among the soothed and amused. I wish so much more of the world were as transparent and honest. Glad to be here on Substack. Can’t wait to pre order this book.
I already own both cookbooks and will order the third as soon as I'm able, but so many of your Youtube recipes have become standards in my repertoire: I now keep tteok and shrimp in my freezer at all times because of the kimchi butter shrimp, and I regularly make all of the recipes from the chickpea episode.
As someone who works in content marketing I understand completely why you'd step away from Youtube, but I will miss your kooky joie de vivre every week.
for the love of tteok!!!!
Love this transparency!!
Thank you for your bravery in transparency. You have always felt like a breath of fresh air when it came to both cooking and content. And as sad as I am to miss your videos every week, it’s not about me, it’s about you. Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world and I can’t wait to see the new book (in 61+ days). Here’s to bigger and better things (triumphant trumpet sounds).
Carla!
I’ve followed ya from BATK to YouTube to Substack, your podcast with Rick and your podcast here, your books (yeehaw to the third one next year)— each with its Ups and Downs™️ and at the end of it all, I find you to be fabulous. Really loved the time I spent learning from you.
We, the audience, are not entitled to more of you than you’re willing to share; but what you give to us has always landed from a place of authenticity and charm and craft that I’m not too pressed about how ya do it. Take care of yourself! We’re committed to whichever way it unfolds because if you are making it, it’s gonna rip.
tysm Kaitlyn <3