The Complete Guide to Rumble for Content Creators

Rumble has exploded in popularity over the last couple years as a YouTube alternative embraced by conservatives and critics of big tech platforms. With its hands-off approach to moderation and instant monetization, Rumble has attracted millions of viewers and high-profile pundits.

But what exactly is Rumble all about? Is it really just a right-wing YouTube clone or something more? This in-depth guide will give you the rundown on Rumble and everything creators need to know to find success there.

A Brief History of Rumble

Rumble was founded in 2013 by tech entrepreneur Chris Pavlovski as a video platform focused on serving creators first. Unlike YouTube, Rumble offered instant monetization through a revenue-sharing model as soon as an account was approved.

Growth was steady but modest over the first few years. Then in 2020, Rumble really took off as backlash grew against social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter over allegations of anti-conservative bias and censorship.

With Rumble positioning itself as a free speech alternative, audience size boomed leading to over 71 million monthly active users as of January 2023.

Analyzing Rumble‘s Meteoric Growth Statistics

Let‘s take a closer look at Rumble‘s massive growth trajectory in recent years based on monthly active users:

As you can see, Rumble was rather obscure just a few years ago. But it has absolutely exploded over the past two years in particular as backlash against Big Tech censorship reached fever pitch, driving content creators and viewers to alternative platforms like Rumble.

We can break down monthly user growth even more granularly year-by-year:

2021

2022

This hypergrowth shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon as Rumble continues gaining mainstream visibility and credibility.

Key Events Driving User Surges

Rumble‘s massive uptick in users correlates directly with specific events over the past couple years that prompted creators and viewers alike to defect from Big Tech in favor of alternative platforms.

Some standout examples include:

• Twitter permanent ban of President Trump in 2021 that outraged the right
• YouTube crackdown on COVID "misinformation" that impacted creators documenting vaccine injuries and questioning official narratives
• Facebook and Instagram bans on some conservative influencers and pundits
• Twitter suppression of 2020 Hunter Biden laptop story that confirmed bias allegations

These series of incidents collectively damaged public trust in entrenched social media titans and fueled adoption of up-and-coming free speech-friendly competitors like Rumble.

As censorship and cancel campaigns continue unabated, we can expect the Rumble lifeboat to keep welcoming disaffected creators and audiences forced to abandon sinking mainstream ships.

Rumble’s User Base Breakdown

Rumble‘s user base skews heavily American with 60% coming from the US according to data from SimilarWeb. After the US, Canada accounts for 9% of users.

In terms of demographics, Rumble also caters to a predominantly male audience. Over 70% of users are men compared to just 28% that are women.

When it comes to age, Rumble appeals most to adults between 25-54 years old. The 25-34 demographic makes up close to 24% of users. 35-44 and 45-54 each account for around 16% and 15% respectively.

Beyond basic demographics, we can also break down various Rumble user psychographics showcasing different viewer interests and values:

News Junkies

This group spends hours consuming the latest headlines across politics, world events, economics and more from their favorite pundits.

Free Speech Crusaders

Moderation and cancel culture backlash brought this crowd to Rumble seeking uncensored discussion.

Conspiracy Theorists

No topic is too fringe or taboo for this user segment skeptical of institutions and official narratives.

Alternative Health Advocates

The COVID pandemic saw cures and treatments like Ivermectin hotly debated on Rumble.

Fed-Up Boomers

Older Americans feeling displaced in today‘s culture frequent Rumble to hear their values voiced.

This diversity explains the variety of content thriving on Rumble now from commentary to comedy, crypto to cooking shows.

What Content Gets Views on Rumble

Early on, Rumble was all about right-leaning political punditry and Fox News-style commentary targeting the anti-mainstream crowd. But as more creators joined seeking alternatives to YouTube, all kinds of content found an audience.

Today, while news and political shows rank among the most watched videos, Rumble features everything from comedy to music, sports, gaming, animals and more.

Dan Bongino and Steven Crowder attract millions of loyal followers for their outspoken conservative takes. But funnymen like JP Sears and creators covering gaming, finance and survival skills also thrive on Rumble.

In many ways, Rumble now mirrors the content variety of YouTube. Users simply have more tolerance for opinions outside the mainstream liberal consensus that dominates Big Tech.

Top Content Categories on Rumble

News and political commentary still claim the biggest share of views, but many niches thrive on Rumble including:

• News & Political Shows – 20%
• Comedy & Parody – 18%
• Technology – 10%
• Finance & Business – 8%
• Gaming – 7%
• Health & Wellness – 5%
• Cryptocurrencies – 4%
• Conservative Talk Radio-Style – 3%
• Conspiracies & Hidden Truths – 3%
• Outdoors & Survivalist – 3%

This diversity shows that all kinds of creators have found their people on Rumble beyond just politics.

How to Make Money on Rumble as a Creator

One of Rumble‘s biggest selling points from day one has been helping creators monetize their content. They offer one of the most generous revenue sharing programs around.

Creators keep 60% of all advertising earnings just for maintaining an account in good standing. Rumble only takes a 40% platform fee. Demonetized? Don‘t worry – the 60/40 split still applies to all users.

Rumble also pays a $50 bonus for every new video approved and uploaded to the platform. Popular videos selected for featuring on the homepage earn an additional $100 bonus.

For comparison, YouTube requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over 12 months before making channels eligible for its Partner Program and ad revenue sharing. Rumble does away with all the prerequisites. Upload videos and make money instantly.

Just How Lucrative is Rumble for Top Creators?

While Rumble keeps specific user earnings data tightly guarded, some of its top creators have hinted at impressive payouts from the platform:

• Dan Bongino stated he expects over $10M in Rumble earnings in 2024 between his shows and equity.
• Ben Shapiro claims to have received multi-million view counts for some Rumble videos.
• Russell Brand shared he earns over $250k simply from Rumble YouTube embryonic ad revenue.

Anecdotes like these suggest Rumble‘s hands-off, creator-first approach allows talent to truly thrive financially. Lacking Big Tech gatekeepers and red tape provides more monetization latitude.

Of course most creators won‘t match the view volumes of established personalities right away. But Rumble provides multiple income streams to incentive uploading consistently high-quality content.

Rumble vs YouTube – Key Differences

While often portrayed as just a YouTube clone for conservatives, Rumble differs from YouTube in a few key ways:

– Strict no censorship policy – Rumble refuses to moderate opinions, only illegal content
– Instant monetization for all creators – no subscriber or view count required
– Shorter videos preferred – typical viral videos average 5-10 minutes in length
– Smaller community feel – comments and shares drive more engagement

However, the similarities make Rumble easy for creators familiar with YouTube to transfer over to:

• Video focus – supports all the same video formats
• Channel structure – claim a unique channel URL
• Video analytics – get insight into views, geography, etc
• Comments – enable viewer discussion on videos

YouTube maintains vastly larger reach thanks to Google affiliation. But for creators tired of unpredictable crackdowns skewing recommendations, Rumble presents a compelling alternative.

How Does Rumble Stack Up to Other YouTube Alternatives?

Rumble stands out from other video sharing competitors emerging in recent years in a few key regards:

– BitChute – more of a video hosting service than platform for creators
– Odysee/LBRY – utilizes blockchain and cryptocurrency, smaller reach
– Brighteon – focuses heavily on extreme conspiracies and religious content

Rumble strikes the best balance of positioning itself as a free speech haven while maintaining mass appeal to attract prominent creators and investors.

No platform can compete with Google‘s dominance. But Rumble carving out a successful niche bands creators together against arbitrary Big Tech censorship.

Getting Started on Rumble – Quick Tips

Ready to dive into Rumble but not sure where to begin? Follow these tips to hit the ground running:

• Claim your channel URL – create a custom URL making you easy to find
• Optimize titles and descriptions – use targeted keywords to improve search visibility
• Cross-promote new uploads – share to Twitter, Facebook, etc to maximize views
• Engage with your niche – comment on relevant videos to get on viewers‘ radars
• Stay consistent – regularly upload videos to build subscriber loyalty

It may take time to see results, but sticking to the basics ultimately pays off on Rumble and YouTube alike.

Profiling the People Behind Rumble

Who are the key influencers shaping Rumble‘s success? Let‘s meet some of the main players:

Peter Thiel – the billionaire tech investor and entrepreneur provided $2 million in seed funding for Rumble through his VC firm. He praised Rumble‘s dedication to free expression.

Chris Pavlovski – Rumble‘s founder and CEO former ran a company specializing in video solutions for enterprises before focusing full-time on Rumble. He stands firmly against censorship.

Nanci Tessier – as Editor-in-Chief, Tessier decides what content gets featured placement on Rumble‘s homepage and ensures quality control.

Harmeet Dhillon – the high-powered attorney successfully represented James O‘Keefe after he was banned from YouTube and also advises Rumble on navigating speech issues.

This dream team combining business acumen, free speech advocacy and connections puts Rumble in a strong position going forward.

Rumble‘s Future Remains Bright

While Rumble still has a long way to go to catch YouTube in total size and mainstream awareness, this upstart has already established itself as a go-to outlet for video creators tired of Big Tech gatekeeping to have their voices heard and content rewarded.

With powerful backers, passionate leadership and a growing community of millions of users clearly signaling their preference for authentic free expression over censorship, expect Rumble to continue thriving as video‘s free speech alternative.

The future looks bright as this platform shift gives creators unprecedented sovereignty over their online presences rather than depending on the whims of Silicon Valley overlords.