Join now or Sign in with your favorite social networking sites.
As high school students everywhere are graduating and preparing to take that next step into the world of higher education, one question is first and foremost on the minds of many of them: Can I somehow pay for college with those cat videos I've been posting on the internet?
Unfortunately, footage of Sparkle playing the piano probably won't translate into cash for college. But The iPod Kid, Cooper's reviews of Apple products and other related gear have garnered him more than 68,000 subscribers to his YouTube account, placing him among the top 1,000 accounts out of more than 48 million. The 19-year-old's videos have been watched more than 6.3 million times, with his most popular video receiving more than 720,000 views. That's 719,950 more views than that video of Fluff dancing the hula ever got.
In 2008 Cooper was a 16-year-old high school student with a keen interest in technology and lots of time on his hands. Eagerly awaiting the release of Apple's second-generation iPod Touch, he managed to be the first person in Ohio — and one of the first in the country — to buy the device, which gave him the idea for his first video.
"I know people love to see unboxings of new products, and when I got home, I couldn't find any videos on YouTube of the new iPod," he said. Using his family's video camera that he suspended from a golf club and propped up with a stack of pillows, Cooper filmed his first video. Within hours, tens of thousands of people had watched his seven-minute "unboxing" segment, and by the next day the video had reached 100,000 views. It wasn't long before the teenager had a reputation as the go-to guy for tech advice.
"I had to go buy a new case or accessory every week, and being a 16-year-old with no job, it was pretty tough to do off of allowance," he said. But Cooper's hard work and tech savvy didn't go unnoticed. Three months after that first video, YouTube contacted him inviting him to become a partner, allowing him to imbed ads on his page to earn revenue and prompting him to create his own company – App-A-Day LTD. And thus "The iPod Kid" – and a college fund – was born.
What advice does this YouTube star have for others hoping to bankroll their college tuition via their video cameras? "Just enjoy what you do. Be honest — my reviews are never scripted, and I've turned down offers to endorse products I don't like. I respond to my commenters, and I give the people what they want," he said. And what's next for this business management and marketing double major? Along with plans to land a job with a tech company and someday starting another business of his own, Cooper says he would ultimately like to be the next Steve Jobs. Sounds like he might be well on his way.
Check out the latest video from The iPod Kid:
Photos: Powerbook, Jared C. Benedict, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic | Logo, Public Domain
Enterprising kid!
What a great account! I really admire Bill Cooper's gumption - just goes to show you that you never know what you can accomplish until you try. Am sharing this with my high school student daughter.
@Cynthia: Yes - I imagine it may inspire a wave of kids filming themselves opening things...
@Donna: I admire him too! Shared it with my high-school daughter as well – wouldn't it be great if all this time she's spending on the internet could someday pay for college? Hope springs eternal.