YouTube - Softonic English

Can I realistically have a career as a YouTube content creator?

Making money on YouTube sounds like the dream, but can it be a reality?

We’ve all thought about doing it: Quitting your job and becoming YouTube sensation.

That’s exactly what Nick a.k.a. Sacred/SacredAlmighty decided when he was 16.

“I just remember watching old let’s play-style videos back in 2009 and thought ‘I could do this too,'” Nick said. “I was always fond of video games and ended up meeting friends real quick once I started.”

At the age of 22, Nick has about 150,000 subscribers on his main YouTube channel, and more than 22,000 followers on Twitch. His content is focused on gaming with a heavy concentration on Pokémon games.

Although being a content creator wasn’t Nick’s first choice of career, he can’t imagine pursuing a different career at this point in his life.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 16 and I know everybody has a normal job, but I genuinely don’t see myself being happy working and doing anything else for right now, at least,” Nick said. “I used to always want to be a police officer growing up but lord knows where that road went.”

No guaranteed success

Nick does not have a job outside of being a content creator. He supports himself through the money he makes from YouTube and Twitch.

“Being able to pay bills and buy gifts with money is something that I didn’t expect to have in the first place,” Nick said. “I didn’t see YouTube or Twitch becoming a thing at 16, but here I am.”

Although Nick has found success in his career, he does stress the unlikelihood of becoming the next sensation.

“No matter how much money or time you put into this you’re not guaranteed to become the next PewDiePie or Markiplier,” Nick said. “You can’t quit your job and blow up; that’s not the case at all. There are so many other people that have put hours into this, more than me, and haven’t gotten a scrap of anything. I spent the past six to seven years doing this and I just now hit where I am, and there’s so much work to do. “

According to estimates in a Medium.com post, less than 1% of content creators can financially support themselves solely off their channel.

Learning how to make videos

Some channels with millions of subscribers have content teams who help out with production. However, most of them started as solo efforts. A great example would be JonTron.

The work that goes into building a channel includes audio recording, video editing, and even marketing. This makes just picking up becoming a content creator a bit difficult to do.

“There are so many things you can do in Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere that you just can’t pick up immediately,” Nick said. “You have to sit down for hours and pay attention to frames, transitions, and making sure the video is presentable. Audio always has to universally be sound enough for every device that YouTube is on so everyone hears it correctly. ”

Adobe Premiere Pro Download now ►

Sony Vegas Pro Download now ►

How much money can I make?

The actual money you can make is not quite as high as you might imagine. Your average content creator is making about $0.0042 per view. This money comes from advertisers. Let’s say you publish a video that gets about 50,000 views. On average, you will only make maybe a few hundred dollars for that video.

Reaching 50,000 views per video is a nice goal, but it probably isn’t going to happen for your first few years on YouTube.

Even if you make a video that gets hundreds of thousands or even millions of views, that doesn’t necessarily mean your video will make thousands of dollars.

Abiding by YouTube

In order to become a partner on YouTube and monetize your channel, you need to abide by the company’s rules:

Your content is advertiser-friendly.
You created the content or have permission to use it commercially. See Fair Use
You are able to provide documentation proving you own commercial rights to all audio and video content.
Your content complies with the YouTube Partner Program policies, YouTube’s Terms of Service, and Community Guidelines. YouTube reserves the right to disable monetization for accounts that do not follow their guidelines.

Becoming advertiser-friendly is easier said than done.

Even if you are allowed to have ads on your videos, you aren’t really making a killing. If a viewer stops the video before a certain point or has ad block enabled, then the content creator makes nothing from advertisers.

“However many views the ads on your video get decides the pay,” Nick said. “Some people expect to quit their job, work towards monetization, and make big money but that’s not the case. There will be slow days and you’ll inconsistently make money. For some people, that’s the scary thing versus their normal $10 an hour job.”

Back in 2017, YouTube experienced what many have since dubbed, “The Adpocalypse.” During the Adpocalypse, several advertisers boycotted YouTube after their ads automatically played on a racist video. Afterward, YouTube began demonetizing videos that weren’t deemed advertiser-friendly. YouTube did release a video teaching how to remain advertiser-friendly, but many content creators are still having issues to this day:

The problem is that many videos are being flagged without having any non-advertiser-friendly content. One person even commented on this video saying that their gardening videos were flagged.

Here’s where things get a bit hairy. Becoming advertiser-friendly might not be what your audience wants. When the first Adpocalypse hit, H3H3 Productions released a video talking about how their videos weren’t being monetized. The things that led to their videos being demonetized were types of humor that attract their millions of viewers. Removing the humor means losing those viewers.

In this comes the debate of what YouTube needs to do. Channels like H3H3 don’t have PG content. However, their content is not toxic/racist, so they should be allowed to have advertisers. Gaming content is similar. Playing a game from the Mortal Kombat franchise can attract viewers, but the amount of blood and gore can get your video demonetized.

What YouTube should be doing is monitoring videos for toxic/racist content, but allow YouTubers to exercise creative liberties based on things like content and comedy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that change is coming soon.

Basically, if you aren’t planning on having PG content, then you need to explore other platforms to help earn money.

How to film yourself for a YouTube gaming channel

Read Now ►

Partnering with Twitch

Twitch

Because YouTube pay is both sporadic and unreliable, many content creators also stream on Twitch for some added income.

Twitch partners can make money from sponsors, fan donations, paid subscribers, and ad revenue. A Twitch subscription costs $5 per month, but Twitch takes 50% off the top.

Those numbers may still sound better than YouTube. You may be thinking, “Why don’t I just become a Twitch partner and forget YouTube altogether?” Well, that’s not the best idea. For many content creators, YouTube is their biggest platform where they have their biggest audience. Even Pewdiepie who has nearly 100 million subscribers on YouTube has only about a million on Twitch.

If you have a YouTube channel, but you want to gain additional revenue on Twitch, plugging your Twitch stream on YouTube is your best bet.

Twitch Download Free ►

How long can I realistically do this?

Old people using a phone

YouTube is a young platform that has already undergone so many changes. The website launched 14 years ago. In that time it went from being a place to share “fail” videos, to the supporter of full-time careers.

Some may think that being a YouTube content creator isn’t a viable option for later in life, but that’s not necessarily the case. As YouTube grows older, so does its audience. In fact, a July 2016 statistic shows that the average YouTube viewer is an adult with kids.

“I always think about when is it my time to gracefully bow out, or maybe that won’t be the case and I become some huge, rich YouTuber,” Nick said. “Maybe I can hire someone that can manage full time, hire some editors, or whatever. It just depends on the decisions I make now that set me up for that point in time.”

So should I do it?

Sacred Kingdom Hearts 3

If you are going to start, start young. It is much easier to put in the time and effort when you are still in high school and you don’t have adult bills to pay. Starting when you’re older means that you need to do this along with a fulltime job that pays the bills.

“If you’re looking to get rich and spend money then just don’t bother,” Nick said. “This is a creative space, an escape for some, and overall a place where everyone is trying to be the next big thing. If you’re gonna come here, prepare for trial and error and accept that you might not get really big, but have fun while you’re doing this.

PewDiePie shuts down ‘Subscribe to PewDiePie’ meme

One of YouTube’s biggest stars backpedals after his fans go too far.

PewDiePie, or Felix Kjellberg, has become a household name. At over 95 million subscribers, he is YouTube’s most well-known content creator. Early on in his YouTube career, PewDiePie was almost strictly a YouTube gamer, focusing on Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Happy Wheels, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead series.

YouTube Download Free

In the past few years, PewDiePie has strayed from the gaming path a bit, exploring some of the more trendy content being released, like his meme reviews or LWIAYT (Last Week I Asked You), in which he asks his subscribers to submit specific memes to his Reddit page, and laugh challenges.

While some argue that PewDiePie’s humor should be perceived as dark or nonsensical, some of his content has stirred up controversy – like when he used Fiverr, a freelancing website to ask two men in India to hold up a banner that read “Death to all Jews.” He said he just wanted to see if they would really do it, and seemed shocked that they did.

While streaming a game of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, during a particularly rage-filled moment, he yells a racial slur. That, with all of the publicity around the Nazi jokes that his followers insist were made in jest, caused a lot of PewDiePie’s future projects to fall through, including a show with YouTube called “Scare PewDiePie” which had a second season that had already been filmed.

Reddit: The Official App Download Free ►

Most recently, PewDiePie has been in competition with T-Series, another YouTube channel that posts Bollywood videos, on who can get the most subscribers. Named the “Subscribe to PewDiePie movement,” it started by PewDiePie himself making jokes in his videos and asking his fans to spread the word so that his channel could remain on top. Soon, this movement grew and swept the world, with fans and other popular YouTubers doing things like putting up billboards and flying planes with “Subscribe to PewDiePie” signs trailing behind them. Then the movement took a turn when the shooter in the Christchurch mosque attacks referenced the movement on his live stream just before he entered the mosque.

After some silence on the topic, PewDiePie has finally come forward to release a video addressing the horrific incident, and calling for an end to the meme.

In it, PewDiePie thanks his fans for the amazing support, but then said that “when 90 million people are riled up about something, there are bound to be degenerates,” referencing the mosque shooting and saying that he did not respond for a while after the attack out of respect for the families and victims. He concluded with a statement that while the movement was intended to be positive, that he doesn’t want hate to win and that the end of the meme has been long overdue.

What do you think about PewDiePie’s statement?

YouTube under fire for toxic content

YouTube continues its endless battle against toxic content, but are they doing everything they can?

Last year, a popular YouTuber named Logan Paul published a video on YouTube showing a man who committed suicide. To make matters worse, the video appeared in YouTube’s “trending” tab until it was pulled off the site.

With the memory of the stunt still fresh, many have been asking how this could have happened, and if the problem with toxic content has improved.

Unfortunately, the toxic YouTube trend seems to be growing. Why?

YouTube Download Free ►

YouTube may be looking the other way

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is currently under fire for not doing more to combat false, toxic content. In an exclusive interview for Bloomberg News, an unidentified source who worked with her said, “Her view was, ‘My job is to run the company, not deal with this.’”

The article goes on to say that YouTube employees would propose methods of tracking and removing toxic content, but would get shot down.

There is also evidence of YouTube allowing toxic content to stay active because of popularity.

In late 2017, YouTube deleted a channel called Toy Freaks. The channel starred a father and his two daughters in uncomfortable situations.

Before being taken down, the channel had amassed more than 8 million subscribers and more than half a billion cumulative views. The channel had been on YouTube since 2012.

Although YouTube deleted the channel, the company was chastised for allowing it to last that long.

The YouTube algorithm works against it

A huge issue in the minds of many YouTube content creators lies in YouTube’s algorithm. Problems with the algorithm include videos not appearing in sub-boxes, and popular videos not “trending.” However, the major issue concerning the algorithm has been the lack of answers from YouTube.

The algorithm has also proven to heavily work against YouTube by allowing toxic content into the trending tab. In early 2019, the channels Jake Paul and RiceGum made videos promoting a gambling site. Both RiceGum and Jake Paul have millions of underage subscribers. RiceGum’s video made it to YouTube’s trending tab.

Popular channels such as PewDiePie, The Game Theorists, H3H3 Productions, and Markiplier have spoken about the algorithm. They have not received much satisfactory feedback, as the issues keep arising. Markiplier released a video discussing the issue here:

Pedophelia and sexual videos aimed at kids

YouTube has a system of flagging inappropriate content in videos. The videos are typically either removed entirely or prompt the viewer to sign in to confirm their age.

Patrick Copeland is a former director at Google. Recently he criticized YouTube on his LinkedIn after his daughter watched a sexually explicit video. The video was aimed at children and featured Snow White.

Copeland writes: “How is this a good thing for anyone, let alone young children? Most companies would fire someone for watching this video at work. Does YouTube think it’s ok to host and recommend extremely sexist and misogynistic videos that include rape? This is worrisome especially when it comes to young kids. Especially mine. Unbelievable!! Going to block this domain.”

It was recently discovered that pedophiles are using the YouTube comments section to timestamp frames of children.

Disney and Epic Games removed their advertisements from YouTube as a result. YouTube responded to the issue by removing the comments section on videos the company deemed at risk of predatory behavior.

Various content creators have called the new policy discriminatory. Special Books by Special Kids is a channel that creates videos featuring children with disabilities. The channel lets them tell their stories in an attempt to educate the public.

All of the videos on this channel have had the comments section disabled. The creators recently released a video discussing how the new policy has negatively affected their channel:

Conspiracy videos

About 400 measles cases have been confirmed in the U.S. this year — the second highest level the disease has reached since 2000.

The high volume of measles cases has been attributed to anti-vaccination groups. They have created anti-vaccination conspiracy videos that have millions of views on YouTube.

To give YouTube some credit, they are trying to solve the problem. YouTube has moved to demonetize anti-vaccination videos and channels to discourage misinformation.

YouTube also now combats toxic conspiracy videos by including links to Wikipedia pages giving the facts on the issues.

YouTube is one of the world’s most popular websites, but unless it can find a way to clamp down on disturbing content, it could risk losing the audience it’s spent building for 14 years.

Top 6 YouTube Food Vloggers

Love food? Add these YouTubers to your subscription list.

In the last few years, YouTube has seen a huge influx of food-related content being uploaded.

Food ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), has become extremely popular. In these videos, creators focus on sounds like the tapping of the side of a soda can, crinkling fast food burger wrappers, or chewing crunchy foods in order to give viewers a heightened sense of pleasure. Mukbang videos are still going strong; the word Mukbang is Korean for “eating broadcast,” and this trend of recording yourself eating large amounts of food while having a conversation with an audience originated in South Korea.

While those videos are more trendy, a true staple of food content on YouTube is the good old food vloggers. There are many on the platform, and while some travel the world to introduce audiences to rare and unknown cuisines from other countries, others prefer to stay closer to home and encourage people to visit mom and pop restaurants and dive bars from their college days. Check out some of our favorites from both categories.

Best food vloggers on YouTube

1. Strictly Dumpling

Mike Chen is one of the most popular food YouTubers around. At over 2 million subscribers, his Strictly Dumpling channel is chock full of delicious content from all over. Our favorite videos (and some of his most well known) are his 7-11 and convenience store series. In a lot of Asian countries, the convenience stores are known for having near top quality dishes, both packaged and hot. Sushi from a 7-11 may seem crazy, but we’re definitely willing to give it a try.

2. Mark Wiens

Not only does Mark cover Michelin star restaurants, he also enjoys giving his audience a glimpse of the cuisine that you’ll have if you’re hosted by a family in a small village on the outskirts of countries that aren’t often vlogged. Most of the places Mark goes are in Asia, and along with describing in detail what our tastebuds would be experiencing, he also likes to sneak in some tips for safe travel.

YouTube Download Free

3. Best Ever Food Review Show

The name says it all. Sonny is an American whose goal is to try and take viewers along for trips to places that aren’t usually in tourist pamphlets. Sonny’s silly humor reels us in and keeps us watching as he tries foods that even the natives won’t touch. His spicy challenges are painful to watch and eating poisonous pufferfish in Japan had us wondering if we’d ever see another upload from him – you have to be licensed to prepare it! We might pass on that one.

4. Shu

Shu is a London based food and travel vlogger and when not taking viewers around to quaint bars, cafes, and restaurants, gives a bit of insight into what it’s like being a freelancer. Her editing style is very relaxed with a quirky aesthetic, so if you’re into making Pinterest boards of pictures of cups of coffee in cute mugs, flaky pastries, and sunny beach vacations (as most of us are) then you should really give her videos a watch.

5. Kara and Nate

Kara and Nate are a couple from Tennessee who, after getting married, decided that they wanted to travel the world. They had only planned for one year, but that grew to four years on the road and a ton of funny, fascinating food and travel videos were created. They’ve tried the food (both delicious and a little suspect) from every place that you can think of, and have a goal of traveling to 100 countries by 2020.

6. Simon and Martina

This duo is one of the first food and travel vloggers on YouTube. After moving to South Korea from Canada to teach, they decided to start filming their food and culture adventures in a country that is the home of K-Pop and Mukbangs and called their business Eat Your Kimchi. After rubbing elbows with a lot of Kpop singers and actors, they decided to relocate to Japan and have been living there and recommending only the most delicious and magical food experiences that Japan has to offer. They go on vacations from time to time so there are a lot of European travel vlogs to watch as well.

Now that you’re good and hungry, try out some of the cuisines that you’ve seen from these YouTubers. What are you waiting for? Buy that plane ticket!

YouTube gives up premium video fight

YouTube gives up its fight with Netflix. So what happens to “Cobra Kai”?

Fear not; you will still be able to crane kick with Daniel-san on “Cobra Kai.”

YouTube is surrendering to Netflix and Prime Video in the paid-streaming race. According to reports from Bloomberg, YouTube will be moving away from paid premium content, and will be canceling two original shows in the process: “Origin” and “Overthinking with Kat & June.” YouTube Premium’s most popular show, “Cobra Kai,” will still return for its second season in late April, and the show’s creators are still in negotiations for a third season on YouTube.

YouTube has not made an official statement yet on when paid content will be removed, so we can’t give an exact date on when the change will take place.

YouTube Download Free ►

The decision appears to have been made due to the high cost of competing with the big dogs in the market like Netflix. YouTube was able to compete for a while as “Cobra Kai” was the most-streamed show the week it was released, but YouTube has failed to consistently match those same numbers with other shows. YouTube Premium stopped reporting its subscriber numbers after the first year, when it had 2 million.

Formerly known as YouTube Red, YouTube Premium not only allowed access to original content, but also gave viewers an ad-free viewing experience and the ability to listen to videos without keeping the app open. YouTube is now working on a “shift to free” where all content on the site will be free for every viewer.

YouTube Premium will continue to exist with its other features, including ad-free and offline viewing. The change also suggests more focus on music, likely with a greater spotlight on emerging artists.

What is Youtube TV, channels and how to use it

Is YouTube TV the best way to cut the cord? Let’s take a closer look.

YouTube TV has been around for a couple of years now, but as of January 23, the service is now available nationwide.

The service expanded into 95 new markets, meaning there are bound to be a whole lot of beginners looking into the site’s potential as a cable replacement. While there are some limits when it comes to channels and compatible devices, YouTube’s streaming service proves to be a strong competitor to Hulu Live, Sling TV, and other cable TV replacements.

Here’s a look at what you need to know about what YouTube is and how to use it.

What is YouTube TV?

YouTube TV is a $40/month service in the same vein as Hulu Live, DirecTV Now, and PlayStation Vue. It’s compatible with all of the usual streaming devices: Xbox One, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku and provides a mix of live TV, free movies, and a few premium upgrades.

Additionally, YouTube TV comes with a cloud-based DVR, which lets you record all your shows with no storage limits. Recordings do have a 9-month shelf life, so you don’t get to keep them forever.

For a quick explainer, take a look at YouTube’s video explanation:

Is YouTube TV different than YouTube Premium?

Yes, YouTube TV is live TV and on-demand viewing, similar to what you’d get from a cable provider. YouTube Premium is a paid version of YouTube, with some additional features. YouTube Premium includes music streaming, YouTube Originals, and ad-free streaming.

The 5 best ways to watch free movies

Start streaming for free ►

What channels are offered on YouTube TV?

YouTube TV comes with a range of familiar channels like NBC, CBS, Fox, and ABC. Cable channels like FX, ESPN, AMC, Disney, and more are also available, as well as YouTube Originals and local TV stations.

Add-on channels like AMC Premiere, Showtime, and Starz are an additional few bucks a month, though we should note that YouTube doesn’t offer HBO or NFL RedZone, which might keep some people away.

Still, this is one of the more straightforward alternatives to “regular” TV. The benefit of using YouTube’s option over traditional cable is, your subscription is portable — log into your account as you would any other app and start watching. Oh, and it’s a lot cheaper.

What’s the best way to cut the cord?

Compare services now ►

What does Youtube TV cost? Price and Plans

A subscription to YouTube TV costs just $64.99 a month. There are no hidden additional fees like equipment rentals or installation fees. For an additional monthly payment, you can add on sports and premium networks, including Fox Soccer Plus, STARZ ($9/mo), SHOWTIME ($7/mo), British TV channel Acorn ($6/mo.), AMC Premiere ($5/mo.), Curiosity Stream ($3/mo.), and Sundance ($7/mo.) and more.

The 4K Plus add-on offers better video quality, the ability to watch recordings offline, and unlimited streams at home. Sports fans can add on FOX Soccer Plus ($15/mo.) and NBA League Pass ($40/mo.)

How to get started with YouTube TV?

You can sign up either on the YouTube TV website or the YouTube TV app. YouTube TV must be available in your current location to sign up. The good news is, roughly 98% of the U.S. has access, so unless you live in a super-remote area, you should be good.

Can you get YouTube TV on Firestick?

Compared to other streaming apps like Sling TV, YouTube TV doesn’t work on every device you can think of. Unfortunately, because YouTube is owned by Google, you won’t be able to stream through the Firestick or the Fire TV Cube.

It’s also worth pointing out that YouTube TV won’t be the best choice for PlayStation owners, either. Sony offers live TV through the PlayStation Vue service and has opted to make that service the only streaming option for PS4 users.

5 Netflix alternatives for streaming movies

Read Now ►

How many people can use the account?

Another perk of being a YouTube TV customer is you’ll get six accounts per household, each with their own log-in credential and personalized cloud DVR. So, for 40 bucks, it’s a pretty good deal.

How does YouTube TV compare to Sling or Hulu Live?

Where YouTube TV really shines is the cloud DVR. There were some kinks with the last iteration of the DVR, as it gave preference to on-demand versions of shows rather than those you recorded, thus making it impossible to skip commercials. As of October 2018, YouTube changed it up, announcing that users would now have full control over the DVR feature.

Another highlight is the fact that YouTube TV allows you to give six family members their own account. The downside is, where other streaming services come with upgrades, YouTube does not — so if you want to add more accounts, you can’t.

It mostly comes down to the channel lineup and how it fills in the blanks with your existing subscriptions. Pricing is comparable, but the main advantage of YouTube TV is access to YouTube Originals like Jordan Peele’s “Weird City.”

DirecTV Now, Vue, and Sling TV all offer various channel packages, while YouTube TV does not. Still, for only $40, you get quite a few channels, plus a handful of add-ons if you want to pay a bit more.

In the end, if you’re on the fence, take advantage of the free seven-day trial to give it a try.

Legally stream your favorite movies online

watch now ►

4 video platforms challenging YouTube

YouTube isn’t the only game in town. Here’s where to find more great free video and where you could share your content.

It might sometimes feel like YouTube is the only video service out there. But you may be surprised to learn that there are some outstanding up and coming companies hoping to provide a higher quality of service to their audiences. Take a closer look at a few of the best YouTube challengers today.

4 video platforms challenging YouTube

Instagram

Sure, it’s your favorite place to post selfies, but Instagram is also a fantastic video application. Videos on Instagram are typically short and provide for some fun GIF making, but users can also create longer videos (thanks to IGTV) or air live videos. The site is very widely used, too, which means your videos can get in front of people easily. Have you checked Insta today? We bet you have. The audience is just waiting for you…

Instagram Download Instagram ►

Facebook

It’s still the largest social media platform in the world, so this is a great alternative to YouTube. Facebook video is easy enough to use, especially its Facebook Live feature. It’s also an ideal choice for those who are looking to build a video library without having to pay anything to do so. It’s important to build videos just for Facebook though, as the content and formatting can be tricky to perfect.

Facebook Download Free ►

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a bit more like traditional television, but that’s one of the reasons some publishers simply love it. You can make money with it using interstitial videos as well as with banner ads. The platform also curates videos from numerous publishers and then places them on over 100 channels. It’s simple to use, which is another reason for its growth in popularity. If you’d like to submit your content to Pluto TV, click here.

The 5 best ways to watch free movies

Start streaming for free ►

Vimeo

If you hate YouTube ads, then you’ll love Vimeo’s ad-free player. This is a great platform for artists and brands to post their personal videos or for teams to collaborate. Vimeo also features high-quality live streaming (with real-time engagement), TV episodes, music videos, documentaries, and much more. You can join Vimeo with a free basic plan or else upgrade to one of their Plus, Pro, Business, or Premium plans.

Any of these video platforms could be worth the investment and give you the chance to put your content in front of a large audience. Play around with the different platforms and see which one works best for you.

Top 8 Harry Potter YouTubers

Do you love Harry Potter’s wizarding world? Check out these great YouTube channels dedicated to JK Rowling’s universe.

With the release of the first two movies in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise and three more to come, the Harry Potter universe has had a resurgence in popularity. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a screenplay about the famous trio Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, takes place 19 years after the last Harry Potter book’s events and gives fans a little taste of the story that came first. Although the Harry Potter YouTube fanbase is small compared to other genres like gaming or makeup, these top 8 YouTubers have strong opinions and an incredible amount of creativity that helps them stand out among the rest.

YouTube Download Free

8 best YouTube channels for Harry Potter fans

1. Cherry Wallis

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Subscriber count as of today: 431,902

When you think of Harry Potter on YouTube, chances are you’re thinking of Cherry Wallis. Before throwing herself completely into Harry Potter, Cherry’s channel consisted mainly of beauty product reviews, makeup and cosplay tutorials, and skits. Now you can find wand reviews, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts monthly subscription box unboxings, magical DIYs, and our personal favorite – the vlog where she met J.K. Rowling herself. Cherry truly has everything a Harry Potter fan is looking for in a YouTube channel.

2. TheBakeey

Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Subscriber count as of today: 168,593

TheBakeey (Sophie Baker) is known for being the proudest Slytherin around, and for her obsession with the Potions professor Severus Snape. Her channel has subscription box unboxings, merchandise hauls, and our favorite, fanmail unboxings – TheBakeey’s fans really go all out. We haven’t seen anyone with a Funko Pop! collection like hers. Like a few other YouTubers on this list, last year Sophie was invited to walk the blue carpet at the “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” premiere in the UK.

3. The Potter Collector

Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Subscriber count as of today: 72,305

The Potter Collector (Peter Kenneth) is the first on our list of YouTubers not from the UK. Based in Illinois, Peter has one of the largest collection of Harry Potter books around. With the count currently over 1,100 books of all languages, Peter makes videos reviewing the new versions he comes across as well as the rare books he gets, like his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This book is a replica of the seven that were handwritten and hand bound by J.K. Rowling. One of the original seven was purchased by Amazon for around 4 million dollars, and 100 signed replicas were made. Peter claims that his replica is the rarest book that he has in his collection at the moment.

Other videos in The Potter Collector channel are tips for book collectors who are just starting, like how to know if a book is authentic, the difference between an edition and a printing, and how to know what your books are worth. These videos are packed with valuable information that collectors and fans will enjoy.

Best YouTubers for bookworms

Read now ►

4. Seamus Gorman

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Subscriber count as of today: 306,205

Seamus Gorman is one of the few Harry Potter YouTubers who have non-Potter content on their channel, as Seamus is also a Pixar fan. With that said, he is most known for his Harry Potter theories. One of his most popular videos is when he broke down and intensely analyzed the trailer for the “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” film trailer, with the video raking in over 96,000 views. He has a knack for tying in little-known facts that even the most thorough fan might have missed.

How to make a YouTube video

Read now

5. Vegard

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Subscriber count as of today: 90,774

Like a lot of the other YouTubers, Vegard Saeterhaug does merchandise and subscription box reviews, but most of his videos are challenges, vlogs, and quizzes. We really enjoyed his recent video which was a discussion on whether or not Harry Potter is becoming oversaturated, with J.K. Rowling having a tendency to reveal important facts about characters and the wizarding world retroactively. This is one of the most controversial topics among fans now, and Vegard is pretty awesome for addressing it.

A beginner guide to Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Get more tips here ►

6. Harry Potter Folklore

Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Subscriber count as of today: 335,302

Harry Potter Folklore is a channel that focuses mainly on – you guessed it – Harry Potter Folklore created by Dean Jewell. The channel explores character profiles and family bloodlines, theories about prophecies and magical artifacts. Each video dives deeply into each topic backed up thoroughly by facts and cites a number of resources including the Harry Potter books, interviews with J.K. Rowling, and more. From time to time, Dean also has videos of himself taking some of the most popular quizzes on Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s website created to be a hub for information on the wizarding world.

7. KivoxEnder

Subscriber count as of today: 25,993

KivoxEnder (Alfredo Fonseca) is dedicated to merchandise reviews. While there is the occasional video on merchandise from other fandoms, Alfredo focuses collecting all of the authentic wand replicas from the Harry Potter universe, and creating some of his own. While most Harry Potter YouTubers review top subscription box sellers like Loot Crate and Geek Gear, the KivoxEnder channel likes to give lesser known boxes a little exposure.

8. Tessa Netting

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
Subscriber count as of today: 542,032

Tessa Netting is not only a Harry Potter YouTuber, but an actress and singer. Some of her Harry Potter videos are mashups or parodies of popular radio or broadway hits with Harry Potter related lyrics. Tessa’s channel is absolutely packed with quizzes, merchandise hauls, and tours of Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We loved seeing her interview with none other than the star of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, Eddie Redmayne, whose plays Newt Scamander in the films. All of her content, even the videos that may seem commonplace like a morning routine, have a magical touch.

All of these creative individuals bring something fun and unique to the Harry Potter fandom, and if you’re not already subscribed, you’re missing out. Which of these YouTubers is your favorite?

Top 5 YouTubers for special effects makeup

Want to scare your friends? Check out these great YouTube tutorials for terrifying special effects makeup tips.

Have you ever watched a movie or a TV show and wondered how an actor was able to be transformed into a vicious werewolf, or an alien with green skin covered in dripping space goop? There’s a good chance that a large amount of the transformation was due to CGI, but the rest was done with makeup. If you’ve ever seen the television show “Face Off,” you’ll know that it can take days of work to achieve your desired look. Thankfully, YouTube is the home to a large number of talented special effects makeup artists who put in all of the hard work and edit the videos so that we can see transformations in a lot less time. Check out the list below to see a few of our favorite artists. A warning to the squeamish – some of the videos below include simulated gore.

YouTube Download Free

Top 5 special effects makeup artists on YouTube

1. Glam&Gore

Subscriber count as of today: 3,474,674

Glam&Gore, also known as Mykie, is a self-taught artist. Mykie started her channel in 2014 and it has blown up due to the popularity of series like ones where she makes gory versions of Disney Princesses. What makes Mykie special is, even though she uses high-grade makeup and other expensive tools for some of her videos, she also makes tutorials using drugstore makeup for artists who may be just starting out and can’t blow insane amounts of money on things like prosthetics.

Other content on Glam&Gore includes collaborations with other YouTubers where Mykie tries to transform herself into that YouTuber, and challenges where she lets apps like Tinder pick her makeup. Fun fact: Mykie was 2015’s winner of the NYX Face Awards, an open competition where contestants submit their most creative makeup tutorial video adhering to specific challenge guidelines. Prizes included $25,000 and products from NYX and other sponsors.

2. Freakmo

Subscriber count as of today: 474,019

Freakmo, or Kiana Jones, is an Australian artist best known for her thorough tutorials. Mainly focusing on technique and proper materials, Freakmo covers a wide range of topics appropriate for new or advanced artists. As well as popular Halloween looks like creepy dolls, demons, and zombies, Kiana has a lot of highly detailed injury tutorials to help you with your best severed hand or finger prank. Give your family a heart attack with this infected knee video!

If you want to know more specifics about materials, Freakmo is a good place to start. You can learn the best products to use to make molds, and how to sculpt a mask to make it look extremely realistic.

3. Simple Symphony

Subscriber count as of today: 243,961

If you’re a fan of “Stranger Things,” Simple Symphony has an amazing video for you! Demogorgons, the Mother of Dragons, and other popular characters from video games and television are just the tip of the iceberg. Simple Symphony, or Ophelie, is a French YouTuber who started posting her elaborate tutorials two years ago. She started making videos in her native French, but as her channel grew in popularity some were made in English. Language won’t be a problem, because some of these looks are so incredible that they’ll leave you speechless.

4. Pinkstylist

Subscriber count as of today: 2,533,864

Pinkstylist, or Charlie Short is an artist from the UK who gets inspiration for his tutorials mostly from film and comic book, like his video with a twist on the classic Joker. Charlie is extremely skilled in prosthetics and liquid latex, and we don’t know many people who can use contouring to create dramatic and detailed expressions as he does.

Along with his tutorials, Charlie also does subscription box and viewer mail unboxings, but our favorite part of Pinkstylist has to be his scare videos. Charlie films some of his most horrifying tutorials and then broadcasts on Omegle, a video chat website, to see how many people he can scare and makes hilarious compilation videos from their reactions.

Spice up your Halloween costume with electroluminescent lights

Read Now ►

5. Madeyewlook

Subscriber count as of today: 2,657,741

Alexys Fleming is a Chicago based YouTuber and her channel Madeyewlook is probably our favorite on this list. She has a wide array of content consisting of makeup tutorials, special effects instructional videos, bodypainting, makeup challenges, vlogs, and more. If it’s popular at the moment, Alexys has put her own twist on a recreation. Her most viewed video right now is when she made herself into seven different Snapchat filters!

If you’re into video games you’ve definitely found the right channel; a lot of Madeyewlook’s videos are character recreations. Alexys has recently begun live streaming herself creating her looks on Twitch, as well as playing the games that some of her characters are from. We’ve seen a lot of YouTubers moving over to Twitch part-time, and we’re milking the opportunity to see as much of these talented artists as possible.

Twitch DOWNLOAD FREE

Special effects makeup can be a really difficult field to get into for a number of reasons. Having some really awesome content creators who are familiar with some of the most intricate details of the craft is really useful, and it’s so much fun seeing all of the crazy creatures they can come up with. What’s your favorite special effects look?

How to make a YouTube video

Read now

The best 10-hour music videos on Youtube

Got 10 hours to kill? Check out our picks for the best 10-hour music videos on YouTube.

Ten-hour music videos are the BEST!

Aside from being exciting, relaxing, and inspiring, these works of pure art can make your working life just a little bit brighter. We personally survived the first year of college by listening to “What is Love” and He-Man’s “Heyeayea” for hours on end during homework and study sessions! No joke.

On a more technical note: many high-achievers have come to realize that listening to one song on repeat can help audiophiles retain calm and focus during long periods of mental work, with less distraction.

If you’re ready to get your jam while getting stuff done…let’s get to it!

The best 10-hour music videos on YouTube

He-Man “Heyeayea”

“Heyeayea” may have just 19 million views compared to Nyan Cat’s 83 million, but it still tops the list! Because who hasn’t wanted to see He-Man sing a souped-up, low-quality, high-octane cover of “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes? Nobody, that’s who!

We’re not even joking when we say: this video holds an un-ironic place in our hearts.

“What is Love”

A good 10-hour video doesn’t need a great video to go alongside, but sometimes you get a gem like this! The repeating clip comes from this “Saturday Night Live” Roxbury Guys sketch, in which Chris Kattan, Jim Carey, and Will Farrell go on a-rockin’ car ride.

If you like a good head-banger, guess what? You’ll have company over the entire 10 hours…with short breaks for Carey and Short yelling.

“Something’s wrong with the CD!” “What the hell is going on?! Just… *blows*” (Continue jammin’)

Nyan Cat

How? HOW? How is this video reigning supreme?

Sitting at a whopping 83 MILLION views, Nyan Cat easily defends its title from all comers. The next closest video is a 10-hour rainstorm, at 57 mil.

So the big question: is Nyan Cat still good? Answer: surprisingly, yeah. whatever quality pulled this pixellated, pastry feline to fame in 2011 still remains. If you’re the right listener, there’s just no resisting that eclectic meow music!

Epic Sax Guy

Aw yeah! The epic sax guy hip-thrust his way into our hearts (okay, ew) and he’s still soothing us with his wonderful instrument to this day.

You have a choice here: while the music may be the same, the epic sax music comes with either a video of Gandalf bobbing his head (our personal pick) or the original sax guy dancing onstage. The choice is yours. Choose wisely.

Ali-A Intro Music

Before we started searching for the best 10-hour music videos, we hadn’t heard of Ali-A. We sure have now!

Ali-A plays Fortnite on Youtube, and though he may not have the popularity of Ninja, we’re going to give his channel a shot after hearing this awesome mix.

Fortnite rap battle features some of the game’s biggest stars

Watch Now

Evil Morty’s Theme

If you haven’t watched Rick and Morty, you gotta, broh!

While one of the more adult animated shows on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network’s mature channel), the show has become wwell-knownfor both good and bad reasons. Let’s focus on one the good: Evil Morty’s theme!

Troll Song

The troll song is an internet sensation that led to such hilarious videos as Trolling Saruman (violence warning at the end).

In the video, Eduard Khill sings “Trololo”, a strange song performed so well and with such classy conviction that you may find yourself experiencing numerous feelings at once: joy, laughter, or even a disquieting sense of unease about the fact that Khill creates such wonderful sounds while barely moving his mouth.

How. Does. He. Do. That. (Magic)

Wii Theme Music

Nintendo makes some of the best music!

The Wii menu theme song was created for soothing ambience, and their success has continued far past the success of the Wii gaming system itself.

Why not finish writing an entire novel? Code a whole game? Finish designing a few Mii’s for Wii Sports? With this music playing in the background, time spent working will fly by.

Dance Till You’re Dead

While not our personal favorite, Dance Till You’re Dead has great potential!

Unlike many of the other songs on this list, the music combines an exciting video with upbeat, epic music. It’s driving, it’s powerful, it’s nonstop… it’s got a dog wagging its tail to the beat.

What’s not to like?

“Ice Milk Function” (According to Google Translate)

Your eyes have not deceived you: this has 12 million views!

Why? For one, the music rocks! Second, there’s a cute anime girl. Third, the music rocks. Four, some people want to listen to a song with lyrics, but are distracted when the singer speaks English. Fifth, the music rocks!

Really, it’s the top-notch, well-looped music. Final answer!

Ra Ra Rasputin

We first encountered “Ra Ra Rasputin” on Just Dance, and it’s never failed to get us moving since. Let’s turn the Funk up to 11!

But seriously: this amped version of Boney M.‘s masterpiece will work great for anyone that doesn’t mind lyrics and can resist watching a marvel of animation.

Spongebob Trap Remix

Hey, still triggered about Spongebob not playing “Sweet, Sweet Victory” for the 2019 Superbowl halftime show?

Next time you sit down to work, sit down with this bass-embellished version of a crabby patty classic.

“Hello”

If this list hasn’t become eclectic enough, here’s one more crazy, zany video with some of our favorite music!

Finale: All Those Nature Ones!

Finally, NATURE.

You may be wondering: why nature at the bottom? Because, frankly, there are so many 10-hour videos that fit in this section. Also, they can only be called “music” with a slightly liberal interpretation of the word.

But hey, the sound of nature is also drop-dead beautiful, so why not?

(And before we go…a few honorable mentions…)