Summary of A FAREWELL TO YOUTUBE SUB COUNTERS SET TO BREAK WITH API CHANGE
### Summary This article discusses the impending obsolescence of YouTube subscriber counters due to an API change in August. These devices, often built using Arduino wrappers and RGB LED matrices by creators like [Brian Lough], will display rounded numbers (e.g., 510k) instead of exact counts. While some hardware may be salvageable with code updates, others will require physical modifications as the new API restricts precise data access.
Parts used in the YouTube Subscriber Counter Project:
- Arduino
- YouTube API
- RGB LED matrix display
Of all the things you never would have guessed you’d need just ten years ago, a YouTube subscriber counter would probably rank highly. You would have guessed that the little hits of dopamine accompanying each tick upward of a number would be so addictive?
As it turns out, lots of people wanted to keep a running total of their online fans, and a bewilderingly varied ecosystem of subscriber counters has cropped up. All of them rely on the API that YouTube exposes for such purposes, which as [Brian Lough] points out is about to change and break every subscription counter ever made. In the YouTube sub counter space, [Brian] is both an enabler – he built an Arduino wrapper to fetch YT sub counts easily – and a serial builder of displays for other YouTubers. The video below shows a collection of his work, many based on RGB LED matrix display, like the one used in his Tetris-themed sub counter. They’re all well-built, nice to look at, and sadly, destined for obsolescence sometime in August when the API changes.
The details of the API changes were made public in April, and for the subs count it amounts to rounding the count and displaying large counts as, for instance, 510k as opposed to 510,023. We’re confident that [Brian] and other display builders will be able to salvage some of their counters with code changes, but others will probably require hardware changes. Thanks, YouTube.
Source: A FAREWELL TO YOUTUBE SUB COUNTERS SET TO BREAK WITH API CHANGE
- Why are YouTube subscriber counters becoming obsolete?
The YouTube API is changing in August, which will break every subscription counter ever made. - How does the new API affect the displayed subscriber count?
The API now rounds the count and displays large numbers as abbreviations like 510k instead of 510,023. - Who is mentioned as a key builder of these counters?
Brian Lough is highlighted as an enabler who built an Arduino wrapper and various displays for other YouTubers. - What type of display technology is commonly used in these projects?
Many of the counters described use RGB LED matrix displays. - Will all subscriber counters need hardware changes?
No, while some can be salvaged with code changes, others will probably require hardware changes. - When will the API changes officially take effect?
The details were made public in April, but the changes will impact counters in August. - Can existing counters continue to show exact numbers after the update?
No, the new API rules force rounding, preventing the display of exact figures like 510,023. - What resource did Brian Lough create to help fetch YouTube sub counts?
He built an Arduino wrapper to fetch YouTube sub counts easily.
