YouTube's subscribe button is there to ensure you don't miss a single video from your favourite creators and channels. Except, it isn't.

The video platform has had a long-running issue when it comes to getting content in to a user's subcription box. YouTubers began to refer to this as 'subscriber ghosting' as people were effectively subscribing to the content but not being notified when a channel uploads.

Ring the bell

YouTube now has a 'bell' button. If a subscriber wants to know when a creator has uploaded new content, they have to hit that button as well as subscribing. 

Creators on the platform have begun to notice and speak out about the extra step. Creator Insider released a video recently that brought notifications to light. A lead project manager at YouTube identified as Meghan made a comment on how notifications actually work.

“We don’t notify all of your subscribers,” Meghan says in the video. “We notify all of your subscribers who have rung the bell and then your most active subscribers after that, if they don’t ring the bell and they’re just subscribers, then we put them in an ‘occasional notification’ state, so that means they get algorithmically determined notifications,

“Your most active subscribers, users who are watching your channel and your livestreams, are going to get notifications as soon as you go live.”

This essentially means that subscribers will only be notified about new content if they actively check for it; the sub button doesn't guarantee an update.

Content problems

This notification issue is annoying for viewers, but a different kind problem for creators that don't upload daily or frequently. 

YouTube creator Jesse Wells expressed his frustration at the algorithm on Twitter, saying that the formula only worked for those that upload daily.

So because I want to make quality content twice a month I get screwed!! Your stupid system only works for daily!! Cause us to lose our minds making daily content!! Ahhh so frustrating https://t.co/jFtujPGm1L

— Jesse (@Jessewelle) March 23, 2018

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