Before you can make awesome videos, you need irresistible ideas. It’s one of the tougher challenges of being a YouTube creator, which requires so many things already: outstanding thumbnails, excellent titles, and consistent uploads, to name a few.

But video ideas aren’t that hard to find. If they don’t come to you quickly, it’s helpful to take a step back and ask, 

4 Honest Reasons Why You're Running Out of YouTube Video Ideas

This post will help you find your creativity again. Keep reading to discover seven ways to come up with video ideas, no matter what.

1. Turn Unanswered Questions Into YouTube Videos

People watch videos for many reasons, but one of the biggest is to learn something new. That’s why the best YouTube ideas come from simple questions – how to crush a job interview, where to find farmland, 

Do any of these statements sound familiar?

 but Google isn’t showing helpful results.”

“I want to install a product I just purchased,

 but there are no video tutorials to show me how.”

“I need to see step-by-step instructions,

Chances are, you’ve been in this position before. And so have your viewers.

It’s time to put yourself in the audience’s shoes. Start by reserving an hour each week to think of questions your viewers are asking.

“This is how dozens of creators had breakout content this year showing people how to get 

 invites,” Rob Wilson, vidIQ YouTuber-in-residence, says. “A knowledgeable few took advantage of a sudden demand for crucial information.”

When you’re out of video ideas, you can play what we call the comparison game. Take a look at your YouTube niche and ask, 

What are some things viewers are interested in comparing?

Gamers might wonder whether Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact is more fun to play. A foreign exchange student might want to know why Duolingo, not Babbel, is the best app for learning English.

“When you take two popular things from your video topic and pit them against each other, it forces the viewer to make a choice,” Rob says. “And it divides opinion, which creates intrigue.”

“YouTube vs. Twitch: Which One Is Better For You?”

Want to get at least 10 video ideas in less than five seconds?

Go to YouTube and find the search bar at the top of the page.

Start typing a topic within your niche. It could be a product, a type of tree, a supercar, or anything your viewers enjoy.

Now type the word “vs.” YouTube will autocomplete your search, showing some of the most popular searches for comparison videos.

3. Generate YouTube Ideas with the Help of Artificial Intelligence

Do you need video ideas as a beginner on YouTube? If so, time-saving technology is your best bet. Look for apps or programs that can generate video ideas for you.

Daily Ideas from vidIQ - More Video Ideas to Spark Your YouTube Success

But that’s not the only benefit of an idea generator; it can also help you close the experience gap on YouTube. You can skip the confusion of wondering which videos to make and simply start filming like a seasoned creator.

, to get your wheels turning. It uses the power of artificial intelligence to study your channel and suggest new video ideas every day. 

4. Follow the Idea Formula: Adjective + Topic = YouTube Video

 for discovering YouTube video ideas? It's pretty straightforward. All you have to do is consider the way video titles are constructed and then work backward to brainstorm ideas.

Don’t worry about the last item just yet. You only need adjectives and topics to come up with video ideas.

Keep the list going if you can. When you have 10-15 adjectives, ask yourself, 

Which topics lend themselves well to these adjectives?

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Complete this exercise to find new, relevant ideas for your YouTube channel.

5. Use Your Knowledge to Create List Videos

This tip builds upon the previous one. If you can follow the idea formula (adjective + topic = YouTube video), you can expand any idea to 

Better known as listicles, these videos cover various aspects of one topic. You could film something like “10 Destinations to See Fall Foliage In America. By Train!”

Make These 4 YouTube Videos to Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers

“The real fun begins when you assign a number to the listicle because it triggers two things,” Rob says. “It sets a certain expectation in the viewer’s mind, but it also has the capacity to challenge that…. If you’re able to do a longer list than anyone else on YouTube, that has appeal in itself. But what if you could do, say, the top 10 of a listicle in three minutes? That’s nice, bite-sized, compact. That might be another reason to convince the viewer to click.”

6. Share Your Personal Story, Routine, or Experience

YouTube videos don’t always have to teach or inform – at least not directly. Sometimes you can achieve the same result by sharing a personal story.

Storytime videos are a life-saver when you’re out of content ideas. It’s easier to recite something you already know than film a complex video.

You can use any of the following formats:

 Going From a Janitor to a Wall Street Banker

That last one was a bit wonky, but you get the idea. When ideas are escaping you, use a personal story to get back on track.

Want to find the best YouTube video ideas? Here’s a simple fix: Follow current events and ongoing discussions within your niche.

Here are a few ways to keep up with trending topics:

that represents your niche. Not only are the discussions filled with potential video ideas, but sometimes group members will share trending news.

, and get relevant news sent to your inbox.

Need more advice on finding video ideas? Learn more about the seven tips in this post, plus practical ways to use them below:

If you choose the right YouTube niche, good video ideas are (almost) automatic. Here’s how to determine the best niche for your YouTube channel.

Red silhouette with YouTube play icon in head pointing to code background, vidIQ logo visible.

Are you good at crafting ideas for YouTube videos? If your brainstorming could use some work, here are 7 tips to come up with irresistible ideas.

7 Tips to Craft Irresistible Video Ideas on YouTube

Running out of video ideas is a typical yet frustrating thing for YouTube creators. 

You want to stay consistent on YouTube, publishing at least once a week or even multiple times each week. But everyone hits a creative wall sometimes. And it's hard to refocus when the brain takes a sudden, unannounced vacation.

, we chat with YouTube educator Nate Black of 

 about why good ideas are hard to find. You might remember Nate from a previous episode, in which he 

. Now he’s back with even more realness about what’s stifling your creativity. Hint: It has a lot to do with burnout.

According to Nate, creators run out of video ideas for four reasons. Keep reading to discover what they are, plus tips to circumvent such roadblocks.

1. Out of YouTube Ideas? Maybe Your Niche Is Too Narrow

We usually tell creators to have a very specific niche on YouTube. That’s because a channel with random videos – hiking, sports, and movie reviews at the same time, for example – is too broad to capture an engaged audience. Viewers don’t want a hodgepodge of content; they want to see the topics they enjoy.

How to Choose the Best Niche for Your YouTube Channel

Don’t get us wrong; niching down is excellent advice for aspiring creators. But in some cases, it’s possible to have a niche that’s 

 narrow. The boundaries are so tight that it's hard to think of good video ideas routinely.

Nate says you can solve this problem by zooming out and thinking bigger. If you review water bottles, for example, 

think of ideas that overlap with that niche.

 You could review hydration packs, mugs, or water barrels for long-term storage. In this case, anything that holds water is within your niche and could be a great idea for your channel.

2. You Haven’t Immersed Yourself In Your Niche

The secret to brainstorming ideas isn’t a secret at all. It’s actually a personality trait most creators have. Unfortunately, that hidden superpower is easy to miss when you’re churning out content.

 The more passionate you are, the easier it is to discover YouTube ideas.

And by passion, we don’t mean feeling excited to record videos.

Nate says it’s about being curious. It’s the feeling of being obsessed with a topic and wanting to know everything about it.

“What are different aspects of this niche?” Nate asks. “What are the different angles I could make this gaming video? What’s something I’ve never seen on YouTube? Let me just try it.”

Starting a YouTube Career - 7 Steps to Monetize Your Passion

Think of it this way: The more questions you have about a topic, the more videos you can make by attempting to 

Imagine that each question equals one video idea. You would need 15 powerful questions to make 15 YouTube videos. You can achieve that volume every month by being curious and exploring your niche to no end.

After grinding for months to make click-worthy videos, even the most creative mind gets fatigued. When that happens, it’s not easy to think of YouTube ideas. You’re tired, burnt out, and in desperate need of rest.

That’s the side of video making some people don’t see. Growing a YouTube channel is fun, but it challenges creators at all experience levels.

“YouTube is work,” Nate says. “It can often take a toll mentally.”

You don’t have to stay in a rut, though. There are steps you can take to identify what’s causing your burnout and come up with solutions.

 from start to finish. Include everything: keyword research, filming, editing, making thumbnails, uploading, etc.

. Any of these could be the source of your burnout.

Think of ways to alleviate those burdens.

 Maybe you can hire a video editor or use a 

. Whatever is stressing you out, start looking for solutions.

Once you’ve unburdened yourself, you’ll have the energy to find new ideas for your YouTube channel.

4. You Aren’t Using a YouTube Ideas Generator

Let’s face it. As a creator, you have one brain that’s responsible for all your YouTube tasks. Sometimes it’s in the zone, and sometimes it’s not. That's normal and 100% expected.

 video ideas, it’s time to seek help and restore your creativity.

, an idea generator to save you time and energy on YouTube. The cool thing is that it shares

 personalized video suggestions based on your channel.

So whether you make videos about gardening or exotic supercars, Daily Ideas will suggest the right content for your audience. Plus, each idea is ranked by view potential: very high, high, medium, or low.

Nate created a video using Daily Ideas, and for a while, he said it ranked number one in his YouTube niche. That video is called “

.” It has the exact title suggested by Daily Ideas, and as I write this, the video has 67,000 views.

Watch Nate explain those incredible results and how he used Daily Ideas to rank higher on YouTube:

As you can see, getting video ideas from an Al tool is super helpful. It's one of the first steps to never running out of YouTube ideas.

“I’ve gone through the Daily Ideas process and thought, ‘Oh my goodness. That’s actually a cool approach. That’s a new angle. That’s [an idea] I wouldn’t have thought of on my own,’” Nate says.

 and let the YouTube suggestions roll in.

Once you have solid ideas, the next thing to settle is the type of videos you’ll make. If you’re a beginner, here are four types of videos to help you reach 1,000 subscribers and beyond.

Man in blue shirt next to Tube Talk logo on dark background for video podcast.

Do you have enough video ideas to grow a YouTube channel? If not, here are four things that might be holding you back, plus tips to restore your creativity.

It's incredibly rewarding when subscribers engage with your content through comments. Whether it's a supportive note, a thoughtful question, or a funny joke, these interactions can brighten a creator's day and offer valuable feedback.

 to boost your channel's growth and build a loyal community.

Unfortunately, not every comment is positive. Some users leave hurtful remarks that can affect your mood and community feel. Knowing how to disable comments on YouTube using your phone helps keep your space safe.

The good news is that you don't need a desktop computer to manage comments. Whether you're on Android or iOS, you can quickly enable YouTube comments mobile through the YouTube Studio app. This lets you control your channel while on the go.

How to Enable or Disable YouTube Comments on Mobile

Open the YouTube Studio app and tap the menu in the upper-left corner.

Tap the video for which you want to disable or enable comments. 

Swipe down until you see the comments option, which allows you to turn comments on or off for the video. Tap 

Check out the screenshots below to see each step:

Selecting Videos option in YouTube Studio mobile app

Advanced settings tab in YouTube Studio mobile app

YouTube Comment Settings Options Comparison

Selecting a video to edit in YouTube Studio mobile app

Tapping the pencil icon to edit video settings in YouTube Studio app

Step 6: Choose a comments option and tap save.

Comment options and save button in YouTube Studio mobile app

 Turning comments off won't delete existing comments from your video. You can see them again whenever you decide to enable comments.

Watch our tutorial below for more details.

Managing YouTube Comments From Your Phone

Mobile devices offer basic control, but there are limits. For features like bulk disabling comments or setting default options for new videos, you need to use a desktop. The YouTube Studio app on your phone focuses on managing individual videos.

But if you want to do those things on desktop, here's a 

If you don't want to completely disable comments for a video, there are some limited  options in the YouTube Studio app.

. Next to each comment, tap the three dots, which reveals the option to:

 the user so you NEVER see their comments again.

 moderate your comments, you'll need to do it on a computer. If you manage a channel with children's content, it's essential to understand the 

 guidelines, which automatically disable comments to ensure a safe viewing environment. For advanced moderation and additional options, use a computer to manage your settings effectively.

Chances are, your comments aren't 100% negative. We're willing to bet most of your content has uplifting messages of support underneath. That's why you should 

Want to identify your most engaged viewers? Discover 

 the most to find your super fans and strengthen your community.


Comment Management Options for YouTube Creators

Different Comment Settings Options Explained

YouTube presents different ways to control comment visibility. Knowing these options helps you choose what fits your content best.

 option shows every comment immediately. This is a hit if your community is friendly and engaged, though it gives you little control over what appears.

'Hold Potentially Inappropriate Comments for Review.'

 YouTube flags comments that might be spam or hurtful, letting you approve them before they show. This works well if you have a growing audience.

 puts every comment in a waiting room until you approve it. It needs more attention but keeps your space safe if you cover sensitive topics.

And if you need to stop public discussion, the 

option shuts comments off completely for a video. This is common for content made for kids or for topics that might stir up controversy.

YouTube video settings screen showing the enabled comments option with a green arrow.

Need to enable or disable YouTube comments on your mobile device? Follow our step-by-step guide to manage YouTube comments directly from your smartphone.

How to Turn On YouTube Comments on Phone: Step-by-Step Mobile Guide

Real-time subscriber counts are fun to watch. As the numbers tick up and down, for a few seconds, you can imagine what it feels like to reach your next subscriber milestone.

 a few years ago, but now it’s back. There’s a new page for viewing live subscribers, which feels like a nod to the old feature and an expansion at the same.

See a timeline of your subscriber count over the years

Want to see how many subscribers you have right this second? Keep reading to discover how.

How to See Your Live YouTube Subscriber Count in 2021

As with many YouTube features, you’ll find the live subscriber page in the YouTube Studio.

Look for the real time section on the right side of your screen. This section shows your live subscriber count, but to see a bigger, streamable screen, click 

Watch our video tutorial to get all the steps right:

Here’s what our live subscriber page looks like in the YouTube Studio:

As you gain or lose subscribers, this number will tick forward or backward to display an accurate count.

Below the live counter, there’s a graph showing your subscriber history. This is a cool feature because you can use the period selector to see how many subscribers you had at any point in your YouTube journey. Selecting the 

option gives you a complete numerical history, as shown above.

Public Subscriber Counts Are Still Abbreviated

Remember when YouTube decided to abbreviate public subscriber counts? Well, that rule still applies if you have more than 1,000 subscribers. Eight hundred seventy-seven subscribers will appear as 877 on your channel. Three thousand forty-six subscribers will be displayed as 3.4K.

YouTube’s new subscriber page is simply an add-on. That means the public count, unfortunately, will still 

There’s a positive side, though. If you miss the old days of live streaming your subscriber count, now you can relive those moments. Simply identify your next milestone, plan a live stream, and celebrate the win alongside your viewers.

YouTube vidIQ channel reaching one million subscribers with excited man celebrating

Are you about to reach 1,000 subscribers? 10,000? 100,000? If so, it's time to live stream your big moment with YouTube's new, updated subscriber page.

How to See Your Real-Time YouTube Subscriber Count

A small YouTube creator starts their journey in a vulnerable position. From the moment they post their first video, they have to face two hard truths. The first is that in the beginning, their content may earn minimal views. Another challenge is not knowing when or if their channel will grow and earn revenue.

That’s a lot of uncertainty for one person, but there’s good news. Instead of fumbling through the YouTube journey, you can follow a simple game plan to stand out from other creators. You can bypass all the guesswork, 

, and move one step closer to monetizing your content.

All you have to do, in the beginning, is 

make videos people are already searching for.

On YouTube, these videos tend to be informative, instructive, or highlight trending topics. There are four types of videos that easily provide such value:

Want to learn how to create each one? Watch our latest YouTube tutorial, then keep reading to discover the best tips for filming this powerful content.

Want to appear on YouTube search pages for two keywords at once? That’s what you’d achieve (potentially) by posting a versus video, which is an in-depth discussion comparing any two things. They could be video games, types of homes, investments strategies, or anything within your YouTube niche.

People search for these videos all the time, especially when they want to make a purchase. If someone can’t decide between two products, they need you, an independent arbiter, to help them decide. That creates a valuable opportunity for you. You can film an objective video weighing the pros and cons of each product or create a subjective video, one where each product is useful, but there’s clearly a better option.

To get started, identify the most important topic on your channel. Whatever that is, type it into the YouTube search bar and add two more letters to the query: V and S.

If you’re a tech creator, for example, you may type in something like this:

Pay attention to how YouTube autocompletes the search term. In the example above, typing “iPhone 12 vs” gives you 10 search terms related to the topic. You could create a video comparing the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Pro, or Samsung S21. These are all potential video ideas.

To make these videos even more appealing, add emotional context to the title. These short phrases are usually tacked onto the end:

 to see how competitive a search term is.

You’ve likely seen list videos on YouTube. These popular pieces of content follow a simple titling convention: adjective + number + topic. That creates highly searchable content, such as “Top 10 Travel Destinations in LA ” or “8 Seafood Recipes to Try During Lent.”

When you make a listicle video, choose one topic to cover and quickly discuss several aspects of the subject. That allows you to cover plenty of searchable keywords and make your content more discoverable. For example, imagine posting a video titled “Top 10 Action Movies of 2021.” If you optimize the video properly, you should have at least 10 keywords – one for each movie.

Do you have a polarizing opinion in your listicle? That’s even better. An upset of any kind electrifies viewers. It motivates them to use the comment section, sharing what they’d view as the proper list or simply offer a dissenting opinion.

Listicle videos are hard to rank for unless a certain topic is being recycled on YouTube. When you 

, you’ll get access to a search companion that demystifies this entire process.

As an example, we used the term “top 5 stocks for 2021” to see what the search companion reported.

As you can see, the average age of these videos is about one month. If you posted a video with “top 5 stocks for 2021” in the title, you could earn 223,335 views in 30 days, on average.

When you combine an instructional video with a trending topic, you can’t go wrong. That’s what many creators learned when they posted how-to videos about a new social network called Clubhouse.

If you haven’t heard already, this app is for group audio conversations. The chats are invite-only, and that created a mysterious, FOMO-inducing panic among people who wanted to be involved. It became a trending topic, which found its way to every corner of the internet – YouTube included.

Because Clubhouse has limited access, how-to videos started appearing on YouTube. People wanted to know how to get invited, how to use the app, and how to host a group conversation. 

 have between 10k and 200k views on YouTube.

We found these videos using the search term “how to use Clubhouse.” On the right side of the search results, the vidIQ keyword score tells us this term is lucrative. The search volume is high and the competition low, which is perfect for new creators who want more views.

You don’t have to be a veteran creator to make popular how-to videos. There are two creators – 

 – that have less than 5k subscribers and earned between 10k and 50k views on their Clubhouse videos. They succeeded because they brought knowledge and education to a new trend.

Remember when GameStop stocks went crazy? Many channels reacted to the news that everyday investors were profiting from a short squeeze, which is when the price of a stock rises but hurts investors who betted against it.

It was such a new story at the time, and there were so many questions. What is a short squeeze? Why are GameStop investors making so much money? Should I buy GameStop stocks? On YouTube, reacting to the chaos can accelerate your channel’s growth.

This topic was in circulation for weeks, so corresponding videos were recycled by YouTube’s algorithm for a long time. Content from smaller creators had the chance to appear at the top of search pages, attract more views, and reel in more subscribers. That’s the power of a well-timed reaction video!

You can react to anyone or anything in your videos. You can add your style, knowledge, or point-of-view to a trending event within your niche. Just remember that the key to reaction videos is being one of the first creators to react.

New Creators Need High-Value Content to Get More Subscribers

When you start a YouTube channel, viewers won’t subscribe for your personality – not at first. In the beginning, they don’t know who you are. But they do know which type of videos they’re searching for.

If you’re working toward 1,000 YouTube subscribers, give people what they want. Answer their questions, solve their problems, and react to things they care about.

Man pointing up with YouTube logo and green growth graph showing 1000 subscribers milestone

If you have less than 1,000 subscribers, this simple strategy will help you grow on YouTube.

YouTube Tips for Creators

7 Tips to Craft Irresistible Video Ideas on YouTube

4 Honest Reasons Why You're Running Out of YouTube Video Ideas

How to Turn On YouTube Comments on Phone: Step-by-Step Mobile Guide

How to See Your Real-Time YouTube Subscriber Count

Make These 4 YouTube Videos to Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers

How to Use YouTube's Video Editor [2021 Update]

3 Ways to Find the Best YouTube Video Length

How To Get a Custom URL For Your YouTube Channel [2021 Update]

25 vidIQ Tools You Need to Grow Your YouTube Channel NOW!

Please Stop Using Episode Numbers on Your Gaming Content

How to Grow Your YouTube Channel By Giving Back to Subscribers

Top 5 YouTube Metrics Every Creator Should Study