Influential YouTubers are sometimes described asmicrocelebrities.[2] Since YouTube is widely conceived as a bottom-upsocial media video platform, microcelebrities do not appear to be involved with the established and commercial system of celebrity culture; rather, they appear self-governed and independent.[5][6] This appearance, in turn, leads to YouTubers being seen as more relatable and authentic, also fostered by the direct connection betweenartist and viewer using the medium of YouTube.[2][7]
In 2014, theUniversity of Southern California surveyed 13–18-year-olds in theUnited States on whether ten YouTube celebrities or ten traditional celebrities were more influential; YouTube personalities took the first five spots of the ranking, with the YouTube duoSmosh ranking as most influential.[7][8] The survey was repeated in 2015, and found six YouTubers on the first ranks, withKSI ranked as most influential.[7][9] Several YouTubers and their influence were subjects for scientific studies, such asZoella,[2] andPewDiePie.[10] Numerous studies in the late 2010s found that YouTuber was the most desired career by children.[11][12][13]
MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTuber on the platform, with over 400 million subscribers.
YouTubers' influence has also extended beyond the platform. Some have ventured into mainstream forms of media, such asLiza Koshy, who, among other pursuits, hosted the revival of theNickelodeon showDouble Dare[14] and starred in theNetflix dance-comedy filmWork It.[15] Syrian-Emirati YouTuber,Hayla Ghazal, opened two fashion boutiques as a result of her online success.[16][17] In 2019,Ryan's Mystery Playdate, a show starring Ryan Kaji, the then-seven-year-old host of the toy review and vlog channelRyan's World, began airing on theNick Jr. Channel;[18] later that year,NBC debutedA Little Late with Lilly Singh in its 1:35 amET time slot.Singh's digital prominence was cited as a reason for her selection as host by then-NBC Entertainment co-chairman George Cheeks.[19]
Research suggests political YouTubers can have a highly "disruptive" influence in mainstream television news. This includes in 2018, when YouTuberAsh Sarkar, of the Novara Media channel, experienced a "rapid rise" to fame by calling Piers Morgan an "idiot" - breaking with the norms of behavior onGood Morning Britain (ITV) whereby guests defer to his "authority."[26] She later appeared onNewsnight (BBC) in which she broke with the program's "unreservedly respectful coverage" of the Royal family by referring to them as "weird people."[26]
Due to this level of influence, in 2013,University of Michigan associate professorRobert Hovden argued for the creation of a new index similar to theg-index andh-index to evaluate a person's output and impact on YouTube.[27]
Total annual earnings of the top ten YouTuber accounts, and the income of the single highest-earning account
YouTubers can earn revenue fromGoogle AdSense. Additionally, they can supplement their income throughaffiliate links,merchandising, and 3rd party memberships using platforms such asPatreon.[28] Popular channels have garnered corporate sponsors, who pay to be included in the videos.[28] In 2018,Walmart,Nordstrom, and others sought YouTube stars asinfluencers.[29]
In the early days of YouTube, there was no way to monetize videos on the platform. Much of the site's content was homemade and produced by hobbyists with no plans for making money on the site.[30][31] The first targeted advertising on the site came in the form of participatory video ads, which were videos in their own right that offered users the opportunity to view exclusive content by clicking on the ad.[32] The first such ad was for theFox showPrison Break and solely appeared above videos onParis Hilton's channel.[32][33] At the time, the channel was operated byWarner Bros. Records and was cited as the first brand channel on the platform.[33] Participatory video ads were designed to link specific promotions to specific channels rather than advertising on the entire platform at once. When the ads were introduced in August 2006, YouTube CEOChad Hurley rejected the idea of expanding into areas of advertising seen as less user-friendly at the time, saying, "We think there are better ways for people to engage with brands than forcing them to watch a commercial before seeing content. You could ask anyone on the net if they enjoy that experience and they'd probably say no."[33] However, YouTube began running in-video ads in August 2007, with preroll ads introduced in 2008.[34] In December 2007, YouTube launched the Partner Program, which allows channels that meet certain metrics (currently 1000 subscribers and 4000 public watch hours in the past year)[35] to run ads on their videos and earn money doing so.[34] The Partner Program allowed for the first time YouTube personalities to make a living from the platform.[36]: 7
During the 2010s, the ability for YouTubers to achieve wealth and fame due to success on the platform increased dramatically. In December 2010,Business Insider estimated that the highest earner on YouTube during the previous year wasDane Boedigheimer, creator of the web seriesAnnoying Orange, with an annual income of around $257,000.[37] Five years later,Forbes released its first list of the highest-earning YouTube personalities, estimating top earnerPewDiePie's income during the previous fiscal year at $12 million, more than some popular actors such asCameron Diaz orGwyneth Paltrow.[38]Forbes estimated that the tenth-highest earner that year wasRosanna Pansino at $2.5 million.[a] That year,NME stated that "vlogging has become big business."[40] The rapid influx of wealth within the YouTube community has led some to criticize YouTubers for focusing on earnings more than the creativity and connection with their fanbase that some claim was at the heart of the platform before expanded monetization.[41][42][43] In August 2021, it was reportedKevin Paffrath made $5 million in just the first 3 months of 2021 and his YouTube analytics showed he made "several million" in ad revenue within the prior 12 months.[44] By 2021, YouTuber earnings had expanded even more, with Forbes estimating that the highest earner that year wasMrBeast at $51 million.[45]
^In December 2020,Forbes estimated that the highest-earning YouTuber wasRyan Kaji at $29.5 million. The tenth-highest wasJeffree Star at $15 million.[39]
^Beers Fägersten, Kristy (August 1, 2017). "The role of swearing in creating an online persona: The case of YouTuber PewDiePie".Discourse, Context & Media.18:1–10.doi:10.1016/j.dcm.2017.04.002.ISSN2211-6958.
^Hovden, Robert (September 12, 2013). "Bibliometrics for Internet media: Applying theh-index to YouTube".Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology.64 (11):2326–2331.arXiv:1303.0766.doi:10.1002/asi.22936.ISSN1532-2882.S2CID38708903.
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