YouTuber Marques Brownlee breaks down how he makes money — and his response to critics of his negative reviews

• The YouTube vet Marques Brownlee has over 1,600 videos and 15 employees under his belt.
• YouTube has the best rev-share of any social platform, he told the Stratechery podcast.

Marques Brownlee, one of YouTube's premier tech reviewers — and a Team USA Ultimate Frisbee player — shared a fresh look into his enduring success.

In an interview on Ben Thompson's Stratechery podcast, Brownlee recounted launching his YouTube channel about 15 years ago.

More than 1,600 videos later, and with a team of 15 employees making the MKBHD brand hum, Brownlee has eclipsed 19 million subscribers on his flagship channel.

In 2020, Brownlee spoke to Business Insider about how he became a YouTuber while researching laptops to buy with his allowance money.

At the time, he told BI's Amanda Perelli that you don't need high-priced equipment to get started, and emphasized the importance of keeping regular working hours.

Brownlee recently nabbed a one-on-one interview with Tim Cook.

And unlike other YouTubers, whose careers have dipped over the years, Brownlee said he's stayed relevant because tech reviews — and not his personality — are the main draw of his content.

"I'm pointing the camera at the thing that has the pressure on it, which is the tech industry," Brownlee told Stratechery.

Multiple income streams on YouTube

Brownlee broke down three different ways he makes money on YouTube, which he said has "the most well-established revenue-sharing program of any of the social-media channels."

In terms of direct payments from YouTube, most come from ads running against his videos, Brownlee said. About 10% comes from YouTube Premium subscriptions, which YouTube also shares with creators.

Deals negotiated directly with brands that appear inside his videos are the most lucrative, Brownlee said, "but they also take the most work."

Initially struck by all the back-and-forth with brands and the lengthy approval processes, Brownlee said one employee on his team is now expressly dedicated to working the deals out.

Brownlee doesn't care how companies feel about his reviews

Finally, Brownlee touched on a recent controversy after his scathing review of Humane's Ai pin sparked debate about whether it could seriously harm the fledgling startup.

One critic felt the title of the Humane video — "The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed… For Now" — was irresponsible clickbait.

But Brownlee argued it was both "accurate and entertaining."

"And as long as it is both, I think we've accomplished our goal," he said.

Ultimately, Brownlee told Stratechery he doesn't pay attention to how companies feel about his reviews or how they affect the bottom line.