Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Get vidIQ Boost for an exclusive price! vidiq.com/podcast
Check out our audio podcast! https://vidiq.ink/podcast
Auto-clip your long form into viral shorts- link.vidiq.com/podcast-to-shorts
Want a 1 on 1 coach? https://vidiq.ink/theboost1on1
We sit down with Derek from @CrimeWeeklyPodcast to unpack how a former detective and a powerhouse researcher build long-form true crime stories that viewers actually finish. We talk growth, trust, and monetization without losing sight of victims, accuracy, and the real mental weight of covering tragedy.
• how Crime Weekly structures multi-part deep dives and why long videos work in true crime
• Derek’s path from law enforcement to TV to building a YouTube-first brand
• choosing a co-host and why chemistry beats a perfect pitch
• why evergreen back catalog videos can surge years later
• what a mostly female audience expects and how Derek frames advice for safety and clarity
• handling know-it-all comments, correcting mistakes, and protecting a healthy community
• why memberships work, what ad-free really means, and the cost of running three uploads
• avoiding burnout with bulk recording, time off, and firm boundaries
• YouTube versus broadcast TV, red tape, lawyers, and creative control
Join our Discord! vidiq.com/discord
0:00 Cold open: why true crime is an evergreen business
0:55 Meet Derek from Crime Weekly (89M views, 350K subs)
1:43 What makes Crime Weekly different: the deepest dives
2:50 From police detective to Big Brother winner
3:27 How a COVID-era ID podcast was born
3:52 Sliding into Stephanie Harlo's DMs
4:56 The pitch that closed her: "what's your sign?"
6:04 The audio-only grind (and why it's so hard)
7:06 Buying back the IP and betting on YouTube
7:43 First YouTube episode and learning to look pro
9:08 Why crime can run 2+ hours (and the early numbers)
9:42 The leg up, and why it still wasn't a guarantee
11:38 Retention, the algorithm, and A/B testing titles
12:48 Trending cases vs staying in your own lane
14:23 Don't chase Netflix: passion over trend-chasing
15:21 Who's actually watching: a 90% women audience
16:13 Talking to that audience (and getting called out)
18:20 What the true crime crowd connects with and rejects
21:08 The membership play and going truly ad-free
24:13 Checking the real numbers live on the show
25:40 377 new members, +33%, and the cancellations
26:47 Why memberships work: expect to "see red" first
29:17 The 80/20 of views and the YouTube fireworks
30:12 Slow burners: how a 3-year-old case blows up
31:37 The secret to holding attention for 2 hours
34:35 The biggest YouTube misconception
36:00 Upload cadence, burnout, and bulk recording
38:07 Trolls, "draw to grow," and a healthy comment culture
39:47 The Detective Perspective channel
40:39 YouTube vs TV: the JonBenét 911 tape fight
45:03 Final advice: find your people, redefine success
Get vidIQ Boost for an exclusive price! vidiq.com/podcast
Check out our audio podcast! https://vidiq.ink/podcast
Auto-clip your long form into viral shorts- link.vidiq.com/podcast-to-shorts
Want a 1 on 1 coach? https://vidiq.ink/theboost1on1
We sit down with Derek from @CrimeWeeklyPodcast to unpack how a former detective and a powerhouse researcher build long-form true crime stories that viewers actually finish. We talk growth, trust, and monetization without losing sight of victims, accuracy, and the real mental weight of covering tragedy.
• how Crime Weekly structures multi-part deep dives and why long videos work in true crime
• Derek’s path from law enforcement to TV to building a YouTube-first brand
• choosing a co-host and why chemistry beats a perfect pitch
• why evergreen back catalog videos can surge years later
• what a mostly female audience expects and how Derek frames advice for safety and clarity
• handling know-it-all comments, correcting mistakes, and protecting a healthy community
• why memberships work, what ad-free really means, and the cost of running three uploads
• avoiding burnout with bulk recording, time off, and firm boundaries
• YouTube versus broadcast TV, red tape, lawyers, and creative control
Join our Discord! vidiq.com/discord
0:00 Cold open: why true crime is an evergreen business
0:55 Meet Derek from Crime Weekly (89M views, 350K subs)
1:43 What makes Crime Weekly different: the deepest dives
2:50 From police detective to Big Brother winner
3:27 How a COVID-era ID podcast was born
3:52 Sliding into Stephanie Harlo's DMs
4:56 The pitch that closed her: "what's your sign?"
6:04 The audio-only grind (and why it's so hard)
7:06 Buying back the IP and betting on YouTube
7:43 First YouTube episode and learning to look pro
9:08 Why crime can run 2+ hours (and the early numbers)
9:42 The leg up, and why it still wasn't a guarantee
11:38 Retention, the algorithm, and A/B testing titles
12:48 Trending cases vs staying in your own lane
14:23 Don't chase Netflix: passion over trend-chasing
15:21 Who's actually watching: a 90% women audience
16:13 Talking to that audience (and getting called out)
18:20 What the true crime crowd connects with and rejects
21:08 The membership play and going truly ad-free
24:13 Checking the real numbers live on the show
25:40 377 new members, +33%, and the cancellations
26:47 Why memberships work: expect to "see red" first
29:17 The 80/20 of views and the YouTube fireworks
30:12 Slow burners: how a 3-year-old case blows up
31:37 The secret to holding attention for 2 hours
34:35 The biggest YouTube misconception
36:00 Upload cadence, burnout, and bulk recording
38:07 Trolls, "draw to grow," and a healthy comment culture
39:47 The Detective Perspective channel
40:39 YouTube vs TV: the JonBenét 911 tape fight
45:03 Final advice: find your people, redefine success
