Why Throw Away a Successful Channel?

I think a lot of us are perfectionists. Many people make the mistake of waiting to start their channel until they think they have the perfect equipment and can make stellar videos, but the same problem also occurs with existing YouTubers. After seeing how bad their old content might seem compared to the stuff they're able to put out now, many just want a fresh start, so that people coming to their channel see someone who's got their stuff together from day 1.

I get the principle but honestly it's fine to improve as you go along, the only people who will unsubscribe or dislike your channel for those constant changes are the people who enjoyed your old lower qualities more than your current ones, and those aren't the people you want in your audience anyway - so it's just filtering out people you don't need in your sub base at worst. In most cases you won't lose anyone though, and everyone will in fact be pleased to see the positive changes.

Another reason is an entirely new direction. Perhaps you've got 100k subs but you're a gaming channel and now you want to make movie reviews. Well in this case a new channel is justified, but I still wouldn't ditch the old channel. See it as an untapped resource that you have that most people don't, 100k subs who like gaming. Your job is to either keep those subs and continue the gaming channel, OR, find a strategy for bringing as many of them to your new movie review channel. For example, start making game reviews on that channel instead of Let's Plays, then steer them towards your new channel, continuing a few occasional game reviews on there amongst the movie reviews.

Tl;dr don't let the old channel go to waste. Even if you do start afresh, compile a strategy to move as many of those old fans over to the new channel. :)
 
I don't know, I guess If wasn't seeing what I wanted, I wouldn't throw it away, I would try to improve.... but I can see if you're going for a whole new genre then maybe
 
For me I've contemplated the new channel thing from feeling "stuck" and like I can't do the things with it I really want to-ever. Like I'm a beatboxer, play some piano, singer and musical theatre performer of some six active years, cosplayer, etc. but this channel is only popular for animation-at that a very specific niche of animation. Therefore I feel like I'm "wasting" all my other skills and potential opportunities for growth and audience. Like I'd be super happy if I could sing covers and whatnot in-between the long gaps it takes to animate-but given my audience base they'd probably be confused as heck when they're so used to Looney Tunes gags with women. I also feel like my username has "trapped" me a little bit as Google brings up things I'd rather not have crossover into a more mainstream view.

Alas, you're right though. I cringe thinking about rebuilding the 5 million views, or going through all the grinding of starting over again. I've had several alternate channels as a just in case but I've never used them. I'd rather keep trying to make the impossible transition (right now I've got songs recorded that I'm going to animate, hoping that can warm people up).

No matter what though I would absolutely NEVER delete it. If worse comes to worse I'll begin posting to a new channel in-between the 5k-10k sub range.
 
I did it cause due to Youtube's copyright BS, I had to take down and re-upload videos putting everything out of order (this was before they had the option to keep the video and just remove the song). My OCD-ness made me restart everything, now in order. And my fanbase followed me to the new channel.
 
@Cromartie like @JesusGreen said going into a different direction is definitely one of the few valid things that justify opening a new channel. You could thing about using your music in your animation videos though and thus have a reason to also post it separately on your channel.
 
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