Internet star Ricky Dillon just opened up about his departure from YouTube. On Wednesday, January 8, the 27-year-old uploaded his first video of the new year. Titled “Why I Left YouTube,” the video was a way for Ricky to talk directly to his 3.2 million subscribers and explain where he’s been.

The social media star revealed that he decided to take a step back from filming and uploading to his own channel so he could make money as a freelance editor for other YouTube stars — like Ethan and Grayson Dolan. He explained that after a bout of financial troubles, it was time for him to do something other than YouTube in order to be financially stable.

“I don’t want to get too deep into it but I had a lot of tax issues and wasn’t doing too well financially. And in July, I made the decision to become a freelance editor,” he admitted. “I now edit for a lot of YouTubers that you may know and love and I really love it. In fact, it’s actually kind of nice to edit for somebody else because you don’t have to stare at your own face for eight hours!”

Later on, Ricky told viewers that taking a break from his own channel was the “best decision” he’s made for himself.

“I’m the most stable and content I’ve been in years. This year, I came to the point where I was like, ‘I can’t just do YouTube.’ It’s too risky, it’s stressful, it’s anxiety-inducing,” he said. “So this summer I hit a really low point with my finances and was like, ‘I need to do something else.’ I love YouTube…but I needed more than just this to earn money.”

Aside from working as a freelance editor, the YouTuber told fans that in 2020 he wants to “be happier and content” with his life. That’s not all! Ricky also announced that he would be releasing new music in 2020.

“I haven’t made a song in at least two years, pretty much three, but I do have some new songs in the works,” he said. “I’ve already started on several of them. I’m recording one of them really soon and I’m really proud of them.”

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