DanTDM: How a YouTube Superstar Went From Shy Student to Internet Sensation

YouTube content creators are among the most influential voices in contemporary culture. DanTDM, one of youtubers the richest and most successful in the United Kingdom, has a net worth higher than many professional footballers.

The 31-year-old has turned his love of video games (and smashing virtual blocks in the popular game Minecraft) into a cultural brand.

The digital star, whose real name is Daniel Middleton, became youtuber most watched in the world and currently has more than 27.7 million followers on his popular channel.

While working at a supermarket, he started his online career with a channel about a trading card game, since as a child he always liked making “silly commercials or clay animations” with a video camera.

But he soon switched to Minecraft, a game where players place blocks and go on adventures, and its content turned out to be pure gold.

DanTDM’s channel, launched in 2012, has reached between 300 and 400 million views per month.

He is known for posting videos of himself playing Minecraft and creating stories around it while voicing his characters.

His initial success surprised him.

“I think I had a million subscribers. At that time I was getting between 10,000 and 20,000 subscribers a day,” DanTDM told BBC.

“And the views were just ridiculous. At one point, we became the most viewed channel on the entire site.”

But how did a boy from a small British town become one of the youtubers the most successful in the world?

From a shy boy to a digital celebrity

“I was very shy at school. I always sat and listened instead of being the speaker at school presentations.

“A lots of youtubers They are introverted by nature, but very creative. YouTube helped me come out of my shell more.”

DanTDM started commenting on his games as YouTube started to grow. He soon became his own production company and began spending long hours building his digital profile.

“I was lucky because I started at the right time. I also found a niche pretty quickly. Then YouTube grew exponentially during that time, a platform with so many eyeballs making money.”

He also explains that the development of his channel has been “a little bit addictive”.

“The good thing about YouTube is that if something doesn’t work, you just don’t do it the next day. There is no production schedule. You can change what you do everyday. It was so much fun trying new things every day and being creative. I love doing it.”

What was it like when you realized how much money you could make creating your content?

“I didn’t really use it. [el dinero], because I was shooting videos so I didn’t have time!” he joked.

But it wasn’t all roses.

In one of his videos, he revealed that he fell into severe depression during the pandemic isolation after becoming a father.

It was important for him to talk to his followers about his mental health.

“It was helpful for me to convey to them how I feel and why I don’t make as many videos.”

He also talks about the pressure of trying to create new material and admits he’s aware of the risk of burnout: “You have to have that space in your brain.”

The digital star adds that people have sent him messages telling him that his videos help them through difficult times and that YouTube and games distract them when they feel depressed.

“No bad words”

He is well aware of the responsibility he has towards his fans. The content of DanTDM was primarily intended for children and care was always taken to make it suitable for that population group.

“Obviously there is no blood, no foul language. I always thought, ‘What would happen if my grandmother saw these videos? If my parents saw this, would they be proud?’”

“I used to be very cautious, but now that I’m older… I feel more comfortable with the audience I’ve created. I don’t want to be so…absolutely antiseptic, I suppose.”

He has been married to his childhood sweetheart Jemma for ten years and has two young children.

As DanTDM’s original fanbase grew, he began to scale back his video production. He now hopes to explore other creative avenues with various side hustles, such as graphic novels and live performances.

He says he’s “very lucky” and “spends almost no time” in his office anymore.

“To be able to spend time with my children. I can still make videos every day, but what’s the point if you’re missing out on your kids growing up?”

Finally, do you think there should be as much regulation for online content as there is for television?

“It’s hard, because I think people should be able to create whatever content they want. But I think kids should be supervised at all times on YouTube.”