30 YouTube Channel Ideas to Help You Choose Your Own

Starting a YouTube channel is a lot of work. Not only do you have to spend time scripting, producing, and editing videos, but you also have to find a topic you’re passionate about and make sure it resonates with people.

To help inspire you, we found thirty popular YouTube categories that you can start a channel about. Read on to learn why viewers love to engage with these types of YouTube videos, and start ideating your YouTube channel today.

YouTube Channel Ideas

• Comedy Sketches
• Web Series
• Music
• Album Reviews
• Tutorials
• Software Tutorials
• Photography
• Video Editing
• Self Help
• Cleaning and Organization
• Minimalism
• Style
• Cooking
• Baking
• Fitness Training
• Home Workouts
• Yoga
• Strength Training
• Dance
• Travel
• Product Reviews
• Movie Reviews
• Show Reviews
• Gaming
• Game Playthroughs
• Information Based Gaming
• Channel Ideas For Beginners

1. Comedy Sketches

When you’re in the midst of a two hour YouTube binge fest, you can probably blame the endless amount of funny videos that flood the platform. Some of the most successful YouTubers create comedy sketches, like Jenna Marbles, a blogger turned YouTube sensation who has over 19 million subscribers, and Jimmy Tatro, a college kid who made hilarious videos for fun, but ended up turning it into a career, amassing over 3 million subscribers to this day.

Jenna and Jimmy both built their YouTube followings with low-production videos, but they completely nailed the humor and storytelling in most of their videos, too. With this in mind, if you can write a funny script, building a successful comedy channel with a low budget is definitely possible.

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2. Web Series

The human brain is wired to respond to well-crafted narrative. Neuroscience proves that storytelling is the best way to capture people’s attention, bake information into their memories, and forge close, personal bonds. We’re programmed to crave and seek out great stories — that’ll never change.

If you can structure your YouTube channel like a season of television and weave your videos into a narrative-driven series, then you can get viewers hooked on your content — just like your favorite Netflix show.

3. Music

Covers of songs are some of the most entertaining videos on YouTube. People love listening to aspiring artists’ personal twists on their favorite songs. So if you can sing or play instruments, consider covering your favorite, trending, or hit songs and upload them to YouTube. Who knows, maybe you could even get discovered and become the next Justin Bieber or Tori Kelly.

4. Album Reviews

This highly popular channel idea is full of endless possibilities as new music is made everyday. Famous YouTuber Anthony Fantano has been consistently reviewing both prominent and underground albums over a wide range of music genres for the past decade and earned a cult following for sharing his opinions. While his videos have reached millions, they are relatively easy to record yourself. If you have an ear for music, you’d be surprised to find just how many people would like to hear what you have to say.

5. Tutorials

Whether they’re guitar lessons, beauty lessons, or how-to videos about making popsicle stick houses for your hamster, people love learning how to enjoy their lives more. If you can cover topics that people are passionate about and teach them how to get better at these things, they’ll be able to live better lives. This’ll grow your channel’s brand loyalty and sentiment, retaining your viewers’ attention and attracting their friends’ attention by way of word-of-mouth marketing.

6. Software Tutorials

You don’t have to be a software engineer to make software tutorials, but having a good grasp on how to use them can make for some good YouTube tutorials. Software can encompass subjects like application and system software, YouTube viewers could benefit from learning how to accurately put theirs to use, or how to install newer versions of it.

8. Photography

Photography is considered an artform that takes many different forms. Photos can capture a landscape, family portraits, or more creative editorial content. YouTube is a great website to share tutorials on how to take the best photos for different purposes and equipment. Likewise, you don’t even need expensive cameras or software to create great photos as some photography videos teach people how to take great iPhone photos.

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8. Video Editing

There are dozens of editing software available to users, but many may be overlooked as videographers may not know how to use them to their full capability. If you know how to use Premiere Pro or other quality softwares, posting a tutorial could engage your viewers to experiment with their content in ways they haven’t thought of before.

9. Self Help

Another way you can grow your channel’s brand loyalty and sentiment is by helping people solve their personal problems. Whether it’s about their career or personal life, you can give people advice about common issues that you’ve experienced or that they ask about. But make sure you have extensive knowledge, education, or personal experience surrounding these topics. Otherwise, people will think you’re a quack and lose trust in you.

10. Cleaning and Organization

Usually marketed toward large family households, even single living people can enjoy the benefits of house cleaning tips and reorganization to make a home more attractive. Making videos tackling tough to clean messes or untidy clothing bins can motivate viewers to the the same.

11. Minimalism

The world dealt while immense change last year, among those changes were increased time periods spent at home. The rise of decluttering and minimalism skyrocketed as people strived to make their houses more enjoyable, and filming your minimalist tips could help people in their own journeys. Corey Jones shares minimalism tips from home decorating, wardrobe, and even down to the equipment he uses to film his content.

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12. Style

Everyone wants to look good. And by evaluating new clothing, keeping people updated on new trends and styles, and teaching them how to always look their best, you can build a dedicated YouTube following. If your YouTube channel is popular, you can also attract sponsors who will pay you to review their clothing and offer deals to your audience.

13. Cooking

Humans’ love for cooking is primal. I mean, we need food to survive, so it makes complete sense that people are always trying to master certain dishes and learn about new ones. To help them do this, guide them through your recipes, delve into the techniques you use, and show them what their food should look like at each stage of your recipe. This will help them make the best dish possible. When sharing your techniques, don’t be afraid to add a little humor into your cooking like Joshua Weissman.

14. Baking

Another part of YouTube that has significantly gained popularity are baking videos. As people scrambled to look for ways to use their freetime in 2020, many found ways to make baked goods a fun and enjoyable pastime. You don’t have to be a professional chef to share a recipe you’ve adapted, and chances are if it’s simple or quick, people will be more inclined to tune in because they can see themselves trying it out.

15. Fitness Training

Personal trainers are expensive. Fortunately, though, you don’t need one to stay in shape. People are starting to resort to free personal trainers or yoga instructors on YouTube to stay active. So if you have a lot of expertise on weight lifting, yoga, or other fitness methods, consider creating workout videos for specific goals, like losing weight, gaining muscle, or improving cardiovascular health.

16. Home Workouts

For many people, the idea of going into a gym may leave them feeling nervous because they don’t know how to use the equipment, or don’t know what a fitness routine includes. By making home workout videos, you make fitness more accessible and feasible for the everyday viewer.

17. Yoga

Another form of fitness to explore is guided yoga videos. Yoga is a wonderful way to actively engage your body and mind, and sharing your expertise on how to properly do it will benefit viewers. By demonstrating how to do different versions of yoga like Ashtanga or Hatha, you’re helping people to calm and stay fit during their busy lives.

18. Strength Training

Strength training videos are great for people of all backgrounds who are looking to build muscle and learn how to do it the right way. If you have a solid routine that others may want to learn and follow, sharing it on YouTube would be a good idea.

19. Dance

Whether you’re a professional dancer, or just somebody who likes to move, making dance videos to your favorite songs can make great entertainment. Choreographed numbers or freestyle moving to the latest charting hits can keep your content relevant and inspire others to dance along. Or get even more creative like the Kukuwa Fitness channel and embrace your cultural heritage, dancing to African beats.

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20. Travel

Humans are biologically driven to investigate the world rather than respond to it. That’s why people love exploring so much. But before they shell out thousands of dollars to travel someplace they saw on Instagram, people like to do a little research first. So if you have the funds to travel, consider recording your adventures in destination cityscapes or landscapes. Your viewers can actually get an inside look at the location, helping them decide to take a vacation they’ll never forget or save money on a trip they’d regret.

Reviews

The category of review videos is incredibly expansive. Review category videos can cover different forms of media, items and experiences of your choosing.

21. Product Reviews

With websites like Amazon selling millions of different products, a good way to help consumers pick the right products would be to create product reviews. YouTubers can demonstrate the functionality, versatility, and their overall satisfaction with any product they find. While most websites have sections for written reviews, many prefer watching and listening to a trustable consumer like themselves for advice on which product they should choose.

22. Movie Reviews

If you just watched the latest action movie, or smaller indie film, you can take your thoughts straight to YouTube and be amongst the first to share your viewing experience with the world. Movie review videos give viewers the opportunity to see if it’s worth the money to buy a movie that’s been buzzing through social media through YouTubers they can trust.

23. Show Reviews

Similar to movie reviews, with the prevalence of streaming services and their constant new series releases, reviewing seasons of highly favored television is a good route to go on YouTube.

24. Gaming

Some people still think that video games are just for children, but the reality is that it’s projected to become a $256.97 billion industry by 2025. With fans of all ages, gender and backgrounds, it’s no wonder why YouTube is full of gaming related videos.

25. Game Playthroughs

If you’re already an avid gamer, why not record your game playthroughs? Whether it’s a classic franchise or the newest storyboard, chances are that someone is on YouTube looking for a playthrough. These videos help gamers decide whether they should purchase a game themselves, get past a tough quest, or just enjoy it like any other web series. Don’t be intimidated by the most popular gamers, because smaller channels like Narcissa Wright have a steady stream of subscribers tuning into her playthroughs weekly.

26. Information Based Gaming

Much like those who enjoy watching playthroughs, there is a large audience of gamers who go to YouTube for gaming guides. People that find themselves stuck in a tough quest, or unsure how to reach achievement know they can go to YouTube for visual, instructional videos to help them beat the games they enjoy.

If these channel ideas seem a bit intimidating, then don’t feel discouraged! For those who are just starting out and want to begin making simplistic and fun videos, then keeping reading.

YouTube Channel Ideas for Beginners

1. ‘Favorites’ Video

People that use YouTube on a daily basis are all consumers of some form. Beginning your channel with something as simple as showing off your favorite games, collectibles, or more could help viewers choose what they invest their money into. These videos are particularly good for small channels as there is more trust in the YouTuber honestly sharing versus making sponsored content for brands.

2. Trending News Discussion

long as there’s news in pop culture or world events, making a channel solely for news commentary can grow rather quickly if done consistently. D’Angelo Wallace became a famous YouTuber in under 3 years for sharing his interpretation of headlining news or culture happenings. If you have a camera and a good microphone, beginning a channel on trending news discussion could be a good start.

3. Reaction Videos

you’re watching the latest sporting program or the grand finale of a suspenseful television series, chances are you’re not the only viewer brimming with excitement. This video category is popular because viewers want to connect or feel like they’re sharing the experience with someone else. So if you’re looking for an easy way to start a channel, look into filming your initial reaction to a media you enjoy.

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4. Food Reviews

Foodies have the opportunity to share all their favorite restaurant orders to a wide audience on YouTube. People are always on the lookout for the best food in town, and starting a channel with honest reviews of places worth visiting can both help you get views and help the businesses you love gain new customers.

Originally published Apr 2, 2021 7:00:00 AM, updated April 02 2021