šŸŽ¬ Part-Time YouTube


In the summer of 2017, I decided to start a YouTube channel. Fast forward to now, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Like everybody does I started from the ground up: with 0 subscribers and 0 views. It took a year and a half for me to reach 100,000 subscribers. And now, as of April 2021, my channel has 1.55 million subscribers and I make over £100,000 ($130k) each month, with 5-10 hours of effort each week - which in all honesty is bloody ridiculous and I didn't think would ever be possible.

If you'd like to do the same - start up a YouTube channel, have a creative outlet, build an audience online and create a business from doing so - then I reckon this is the page you're looking for.

All posts by date

How to overcome the fear of getting started

April 13, 2023

The unfamiliar is scary territory to be in. Whether we’re trying to ride a bike or want to start a blog, doing something new can be uncomfortable. This article explores the fear of getting started. That initial hesitation is natural. It could be the slightest tinge of self-doubt or even crippling fear. But it’s all […]

The Ultimate Guide to YouTube

February 21, 2023

Introduction šŸ‘¶Ā My YouTube Story Starting a YouTube channel is hands down the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. It all started for me in 2017. When I was in my final year of medical school at Cambridge University and training to be a doctor. Inspired by my favorite YouTuber Peter McKinnon, I decided […]

Part-Time YouTuber Academy: Cohort 7 Update

October 21, 2022

Really excited to say that theĀ Part-Time YouTuber Academy (PTYA) is backĀ and we’ll be launching Cohort 7 of our flagship course onĀ Monday 31st October 2022 at 1600 GMT. Here’s a breakdown of everything that’s changed between this Cohort and the last, with some of the thoughts behind the changes we’ve decided to make this time round. […]

9 Lessons from 4 Years on YouTube

October 1, 2021

In this article, I wanted to share 9 lessons I’ve learned over the past 4 years of being a YouTuber. Lessons that have not only helped me improve as a YouTuber, but also helped more generally in my life. I’ve been on YouTube for around 4 years, and in that time I’ve made over 350 […]

The ABCs of Idea Generation

September 10, 2021

One of the first bottlenecks you’ll probably come to when starting a YouTube channel is the fear of running out of content ideas and idea generation in general. A fear you’ll get to a point where you’ve got nothing new or interesting to offer to your audience. “What if I run out of content ideas?” […]

My Top 10 Tips for Aspiring YouTubers

August 27, 2021

Starting a YouTube channel is, hands down, the single best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve met hundreds of incredible people, built an income-generating machine, and enjoyed every step of the way. So in this article I’m going to share my top 10 tips on how to get started on YouTube. šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø 1. […]

How to Film YouTube Videos on Your Phone

August 20, 2021

When starting a YouTube channel many of us think we need a ton of fancy gear and a super expensive camera before we begin filming. But, in reality, this isn’t necessary. If you’re on a budget or just want to give this YouTube thing a go, all you really need to get started is the […]

The PD Matrix: Finding Your YouTube Niche

July 30, 2021

If we want to succeed as a YouTuber, people often say that you shouldĀ niche down to blow up. In other words, they say that having a narrow content niche is the single most worthwhile thing when it comes to building our YouTube audience. To an extent, these people are right. For example, let’s say you […]

YouTube Gear for Different Budgets

May 21, 2021

If you’re starting or growing your YouTube channel, you’ve probably heard the phrase ā€œgear doesn’t matterā€. This is true, to an extent. You don’tĀ needĀ fancy camera equipment to succeed on YouTube. But there’s no denying that production value does help. It’s not the most important thing, but if your videos can look and sound good, you’reĀ stacking […]

Triple Your YouTube Ad Revenue

April 23, 2021

One of the many great reasons to start a YouTube channel is to make some money. And perhaps the easiest way for us to do this is to begin displaying ads on our videos (through the Adsense programme). This article explores how you can triple your YouTube Ad Revenue. But how we actually increase the […]

šŸŽ‰ Getting Started

Over on YouTube I regularly talk about different aspects of running my channel: tech, how much money I make from YouTube, Q&As. And on this website I've also written a few helpful articles, such as on finding the right niche, monetising your channel, and buying the best gear.

Below I've linked a couple of videos to get you started. If you're starting from the ground up, I'd probably recommend you jump into the 'How To Film YouTube Videos Using Your Phone' first.

ā€Œā€Œā€ŒAs you can see, you don't have to wait for a fancy camera to start filming and find out if you like making YouTube videos. If you decide to take YouTube more seriously I recommend taking a look at your video quality, light, sound, and framing so your content stands out. Investing in my kit was one of the best decisions I made.

If you're not sure what gear to buy check out my article on 'YouTube Gear for Different Budgets'. Or, you can see the gear I've used throughout my YouTube journey on my Gear page.

šŸŽ¬ Become a YouTuber

If you're thinking of starting a YouTube channel, my advice is always to start today.

The best way to get started is by learning what you can about YouTube. To fast forward the process I have two courses which will help:

Video Editing with Final Cut Pro X - From Beginner to YouTuber | Ali Abdaal | Skillshare
Video Editing with Final Cut Pro X - From Beginner to YouTuberIn this class, you’ll learn everything you need to get started with Final Cut Pro, and how to tak...
Part-Time YouTuber Academy
Learn how to grow your YouTube channel from 0 to 100,000+ subscribers and transform it into a sustainable, income-generating machine. Without quitting your day job šŸ˜‰

The Part Time YouTuber Academy is a four week live, interactive course where you'll have classes with me every week. It works on a cohort basis, but the link above (and this one here) goes into way more detail about how it works. Or, you can check out our interviews with PTYA alumnus and read about how their YouTube channels have changed since taking the course:

PTYA Case Studies
I’m Ali. I’m a doctor, YouTuber and podcaster. On this site we explore the strategies and tools that help us live happier, healthier, more productive lives.

I'd also recommend you sign up for my FREE 7-Day YouTuber Crash Course below, where I teach you why and how to set up a successful (Part-Time) YouTube channel straight to your inbox: