Did you know that people watch over 1 billion hours of content on YouTube every day? While a lot of that time is spent on music videos, sports clips, and vlogs, these are far from the most interesting categories dominating viewers’ watch time in 2024.
Bearing in mind that 80% of people have uploaded video content online, it shows that there’s a huge variety of content to explore on YouTube, which can lead to some niche topics becoming surprisingly popular. Let’s explore some of these unexpectedly popular genres on YouTube!
5 surprisingly popular YouTube genres
1) Homesteading
Homesteading exists in the same universe as off-grid living and van-life content. Defined as the practice of living frugally or self-sufficiently, homestead content follows creators who have shunned city life to live a more ‘traditional’ lifestyle.
One reason this genre is so popular is that there are many ways to ‘homestead’; some creators only eat what comes from the earth, while others raise and eat their own livestock. People are also curious to learn about alternative lifestyles at a time when eating primarily processed foods has become normalized, and homesteading helps modern audiences become more environmentally conscious.
Homesteading creators to check out:
– Arms Family Homestead for homesteading with kids
– Guildbrook Farm for a focus on preparedness
– Ali’s Organic Garden & Homestead for tips on gardening
2) VTubers
VTuber means ‘Virtual YouTuber,’ a type of faceless content creator who’s represented by an anime-style fictional character. VTubers have been popular with Japanese audiences for a long time and found popularity with a wider audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While many people expect authenticity from their favorite creators, fans of VTubers enjoy the fictional element here, seeing the medium as a more interactive way to enjoy anime content. As many of these creators are talented performers utilizing modern technology to bring unique stories and characters to life, it’s not hard to understand why!
VTubers to check out:
– Pekora for great comedy
– Gura for inspiring creativity
– Codemiko for behind-the-scenes
3) Roleplay ASMR
ASMR content has blown up over the past few years, but roleplay ASMR remains a niche within the category, taking much more time and effort to create. Roleplay videos often include elaborate scripts and sets alongside an array of triggers, requiring a lot of planning and editing.
So, why has roleplay ASMR become so popular? Firstly, people tune in because these videos help them relax, reduce their heart rate, and aid sleep. However, this sub-genre has proven specifically popular because audiences are in awe of the most popular creators’ crazy levels of creativity and effort!
Roleplay ASMR creators to check out:
– Moonlight Cottage ASMR for cinematic and historical ASMR
– Latte ASMR for close personal attention ASMR
– ATMOSPHERE for RPG-based ASMR
4) Pomodoro study sessions
For the uninitiated, the Pomodoro technique helps people concentrate on studying or work by breaking their time into structured periods of study and break times.
Pomodoro content on YouTube takes things further, introducing audio and visual elements to make these sessions more enjoyable and immersive. Some creators use aesthetics similar to ‘study with me’ content, filming at their desks or in coffee shops, while others layer animations over the top of Lo-Fi tracks or rain noises, complete with a Pomodoro timer ticking away in one corner.
Pomodoro creators to check out:
– Pomodoro Cat for cat scenes that get more chaotic the longer the time runs
– Celine Study for aesthetic travel-inspired focus sessions
– Lullablocks for Animal Crossing Pomodoros
5) Storytime mukbang
Storytime mukbang videos are a great example of when two niches combine to create something altogether new and exciting. Storytimes can cover anything from the creator discussing drama in their own life to covering true crime stories and celebrity gossip, with the mukbang meal adding a visual element for viewers to enjoy!
Storytime mukbang creators to check out:
– Alexisjayda for laugh-out-loud stories
– Stephanie Soo for drama, hauntings, and true crime
– EATING PRETTY MUKBANGS for online drama
YouTube + fandoms = popular niche genres
Ever wonder exactly how these niche genres become so popular? Well, according to YouTube’s 2024 Culture & Trends Report, fandoms drive much of the platform's viewership.
A fandom is a group of fans with a shared interest in a particular celebrity, topic, piece of media, or even genre of online content; these fans don’t simply enjoy their interest by consuming it but invest time and sometimes money into learning about it and engaging with others in their community.
This introduces an opportunity for platforms like YouTube to provide fandoms with a place to congregate, whether that means creating videos discussing their interest or connecting with others via the comment section. What’s important to note is that YouTube is also the world’s second-largest search engine, making it many fans' go-to source when looking for content, creators, and fandoms related to their interests.
What does this mean for aspiring creators?
Finding your niche online may feel impossible as the saturation of popular genres leaves little room for up-and-coming creators to grow. But the good news is that online content’s diverse nature means creators who are brave enough to think outside the box can tap into and even create unexpected niches. Here are our top tips for aspiring creators wanting to do just that:
1) Maximize personal relevance
65% of Gen Z place more importance on content that’s personally relevant to them than content that lots of other people are talking about. This suggests there’s more value in tapping into people’s specific interests rather than trying to capitalize on what’s popular right now.
2) Find your community
80% of fans use YouTube to consume content about the person or thing they’re a fan of at least weekly, and 66% of Gen Z Americans agree that they often spend more time watching content that discusses or unpacks something than the thing itself. If you’re a fan of a particular TV show, celebrity, or topic, you can build your community by creating content targeting that fandom.
3) Don’t be afraid to start something new
There is space for every interest on YouTube, so if there isn’t a community for your interest, it’s because no one has started it yet, not because there isn’t an audience for it. In fact, 60% of people agree that they discovered creators making content about a topic that they didn't know people other than themselves cared about. Take matters into your own hands and become a pioneer for a new content genre!
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