“We are underpaid,” Ms. Kay says. “We are not only coming up with the commercial concept and tapping into a loyal audience, we are also doing marketing. We are doing all of these jobs for a relatively small fee.”

And those costs are going up as expectations rise for higher-quality videos. A year ago, Ms. Kay was among the first groups of creators to be tapped for a free fellowship at YouTube’s new production studios. There, she received training in topics as diverse as copyright infringement law and how to do better lighting.

The one requirement of the fellowship was that she produce a video with high production values. She made a psychological thriller called “My Better Half.” YouTube gave her free access to its studio space and sets and camera equipment, but she had to cover the costs of crew, actors and costumes. The costs stung: “You know you have to feed them, too,” she said of the crew.

To keep up with her daily channels and improve their visual quality, she has had to hire an editor, costing $500 to $700 a week when he works full time. It all adds up.

“My friends and I talk about it all the time,” she said, “But we think if we were coming to YouTube today, it would be too hard. We couldn’t do it.”