Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

We’ve been hard at work refining our tools that help creators grow, and this summer’s drop is proof that vidIQ today isn’t what it was even three months ago.

a brand-new feature and other major updates

 - all built to help you stop the scroll, boost engagement, and turn casual viewers into loyal fans.

 you’ll want to experience the new power we’ve packed in.

One of the biggest struggles for creators is getting viewers to click on their content. With millions of videos out there, you need to stand out in a pool of endless scrolling.

Stopping the scroll is more of a science than an art. And like all sciences, you need tools to accomplish your goals. You haven’t seen vidIQ tools like this. Smarter AI. Faster workflows. Real results.

. This tool is like your own personal AI-powered design studio.

If you’ve been in the YouTube game for more than five minutes, you understand that 

 and best way to stop the scroll. A great thumbnail is clear, compelling, and makes viewers think, “I need to click this.”

Now it’s easier than ever to make thumbnails that 

. Whether you start with a prompt or upload your own assets, our AI builds out designs that look pro — without you needing any Photoshop skills.

 (we’ll remove backgrounds automatically)

 to match a visual style you love. Upload your own or choose from our library of top-performing YouTube templates. 

 to influence your thumbnail’s aesthetic

 with easy prompt tweaks, image edits, or by dropping in text

Thumbnails aren’t just art - they’re strategy. They’re decision points. The better your thumbnail, the higher your click-through rate. And a higher CTR means the algorithm actually works for you.

, you’re not just making something that 

 good — you’re making something that 

You stopped the scroll with killer thumbnails. Now keep them watching.

 helps you write stronger YouTube scripts in a fraction of the time, backed by real YouTube psychology.

: Continuously trained on what’s working 

: Include callback cues, pacing variations, and cliffhangers

: Adjust your scripts’ tone, add keywords, sound more like your favorite creator. All with one click.

 Automated research provides accurate and relevant information and stats.

 helps keep your message clear, your viewers hooked, and your content performing. And now, it doesn’t have to take days. With 

, you can go from idea to polished script in just 3 minutes - making it easier to publish consistently and keep your channel growing.

“I used to spend an hour and a half scripting videos that came out wordy and boring. Someone even commented saying my videos were 'so wordy' — that really stung. But vidIQ's Script Writer changed everything. Now I get organized, concise scripts in just 10–15 minutes.”

“When I used it for my next tutorial, I was so impressed I printed it out to study it. For creators like me who tend to over-explain on camera, this tool does wonders.”

Shorts are still one of the fastest paths to YouTube growth - but understanding why one takes off while another flops? That used to be a mystery.

We built our Shorts tools to tell you exactly what’s working, what’s not, and how to make your next one blow up.

Think of it as your personal highlight reel, performance breakdown, and growth strategist all in one. Now you can discover when a video truly gained popularity and understand what made them successful. 

All of these statistics can be seen directly in-line without having to exit the Shorts view:

including views & views per hour, engagement rate, views history graph, and outlier score.

including channel subscriber count, monthly & total uploads, and subscriber and view growth graphs. 

 now supports YouTube Shorts, giving you even more insight into what’s trending and outperforming expectations across the platform. 

Instead of just surfacing the most-viewed content, Outliers identifies videos that are gaining momentum relative to the creator’s usual performance. That means you’re seeing videos that are beating the odds, not just riding on big subscriber counts. 

Now that this includes Shorts, it’s an incredibly powerful way to discover smart video ideas, fresh angles, and unexpected winners across any niche.

Let’s say you search for a keyword like “budget travel.” Outliers might surface a Short from a smaller creator that’s getting unusually high engagement and rapid growth, even outperforming videos from much larger channels. That’s your signal: something in that format, topic, or style is connecting. Use it to guide your next idea, ride the wave, and post with confidence.

 now works with YouTube Shorts, giving short-form creators the same data-backed recommendations long-form creators have used to increase views and visibility.

Optimize analyzes your video and delivers clear, actionable recommendations for improving your title and adding the right tags to your description. You’ll also get an overall optimization score, so you can instantly see how well your content is aligned with what’s working — and where there’s room to improve.

Most Shorts get lost in a sea of swipes. To rise to the top you need smart packaging. Optimize helps ensure your content gets the visibility it deserves, boosting your chances of landing on the Shorts feed, reaching new audiences, and turning quick views into long-term growth.

 can now submit a video for personalized feedback from one of our expert creator coaches.

A coach will watch your video and record a response, pausing at key moments to explain what’s working, what’s not, and what changes could help you get more views and subscribers. You’ll see the exact moment-by-moment breakdown behind every suggestion. No vague advice, just direct, actionable advice.


Our initial rollout supports Boost users in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, for English language videos only.

__________________________________________________________________

If you’re looking for more than just one video review, you can work directly with a 

 who will take a deep dive into your entire channel and build a custom-tailored growth plan designed to break through the roadblocks holding you back. 

These aren’t cookie-cutter tips, they’re real, personalized strategies you can start applying immediately to unlock quick wins and build lasting momentum.

Want to see what’s possible with coaching?

. After joining vidIQ Coaching, they refined their content, followed their tailored plan, and watched their channel take off.

TL;DR: This Summer, You Grow or You Ghost

Here’s the latest features you get with the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop:

 - Create high-impact, click-worthy thumbnails with AI and proven templates

 - Hook viewers and keep them watching with YouTube-optimized storytelling

 - Instantly spot top-performing Shorts and track breakout metrics

 - Discover overperforming videos across YouTube to inspire your next big hit

 - Find the best title and keywords to get your Shorts discovered

The Summer 2025 Drop is here: scroll-stopping science, smarter tools, and real coaching to help you grow on YouTube.

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

The ability to screen-record your computer, smartphone, or gaming console simplifies the YouTube journey - especially for gaming or reaction-style channels.

For these types of creators, what takes place on 

 screens is exactly what viewers want to see. They’re looking for action-packed gameplay and visual tutorials that add more context to a video. 

If that perfectly describes your channel, watch our video highlighting the best screen recording software right now:

Now that you have some background knowledge, it’s time to take your video content to the next level. But before you do that, answer this one simple question: 

What type of videos do you produce for YouTube?

Keep your answer in mind as you read this guide. There’s a wide variety of screen-recording apps and products, and it’s important to choose the best software for your content.

If you have a Nvidia graphics card, you may already unknowingly have this screen recording software. ShadowPlay

is built into modern graphics cards, and once you set it up, all you have to do is issue a quick keyboard command to activate it. From there, ShadowPlay will start capturing your screen.

If you discover that you do have ShadowPlay, don’t get rid of it. This fantastic software yields the highest frame-rate footage you’ll ever see.

Just keep in mind that it doesn’t work with every program and can sometimes fail when you’re using it. We don’t know why it happens, but maybe it’s just a sacrifice of capturing high-quality video on a PC.

With OBS Studio, you may have to adjust your settings to get the highest video quality from screen captures. But don’t worry - there are plenty of tutorials to help you do that. OBS is free, open-source, and definitely worth the learning curve.

 if you’re into live streaming. It’s the same thing as regular OBS, except it’s strongly tailored toward gamers. For example, you can use Streamlabs OBS to go live on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook within minutes. You also get personalized streaming overlays, 46 handy apps, and fun alerts when viewers send monetary donations during live streams.

Let's shift gears for a minute and talk about screen recording on a mobile device. First of all, consider yourself lucky if you have an iPhone. iOS users don’t need to hunt for screen capturing software because it’s already built into their devices. If you're an Android user, capturing your screen isn’t always easy. Certain versions of Android have a built-in screen capture, and some don't.

If your device doesn’t, our top recommendation for screen capture software is AZ Screen Recorder. It’s a great choice because the free version doesn’t add a watermark to your captures. Plus, there's no limit on how much footage you can record.

Capturing Video Footage on a Gaming Console

Compared to PC recording, capturing the screen of your gaming console is a different process. Gamers ask us how to do this all the time, so we’re happy to finally share an answer.

The PS4 and Xbox One both feature built-in screen capture software. Of course, a new generation of consoles is on the horizon with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but there’s a good chance they’ll both have that feature. As far as the Nintendo Switch goes, there's a built-in screen capture software, but it only grabs 30-second clips.

Purchase a Capture Card to Record Gaming Console Screens

If you haven’t bought a capture card yet, it may be time to invest in one. This wonderful device lets you record and stream content from your video game consoles - and honestly, it’s the mark of a serious gamer.

Dan, our executive producer here at vidIQ, uses the 

 from Elgato. There are newer, fancier capture cards out there, but it does a great job for him.

And guess what? Even if you’re using a PlayStation or Xbox with built-in screen capture, it’s still a good idea to use a capture card. You’ll get high-quality clips that you can quickly drag from your desktop to any video-editing software. From there, you can work your magic and upload the finished video to YouTube.

That about covers it for screen capture software! Here’s a quick recap of all your options:

Capturing your desktop or your mobile screen is free and produces high-quality recordings.

Capturing your console's screen is trickier. It requires some money, but in the end, you'll get high-quality footage. And that’s totally worth it.

So, which will it be for you: Nvidia's ShadowPlay, OBS Studio, AZ Screen Recorder, or a capture card for your console? We always love hearing from the vidIQ community, so tweet us your thoughts 

Want To Get More Views as a Gamer on YouTube?

If you want to take your YouTube gaming channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users (many of them gamers!) and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

Man pointing at text "Record Any Screen?" with YouTube logo and vidIQ watermark

Want to take screen recordings of your computer, smartphone, or gaming console? Here’s a list of free and paid software to try.

The Best Screen Recording Software for YouTube

 is something most creators aspire to. While YouTube’s basic tools are helpful for any user, YPP grants 

 for building a career on the platform, such as:

access to all of YouTube’s monetization features

access to YouTube’s creator support teams

a copyright match tool to ensure your content isn’t stolen

Of course, these perks aren’t granted to just anyone. 

1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of Watch Time

 on your channel. And even then, you need to set up an AdSense account and accept all of YouTube’s terms and conditions to move forward with the application.

But once you’ve achieved those milestones and clicked apply, how long does it take YouTube to review an application? Is it a matter of days, a fast turnaround few creators would complain about? Or is it closer to weeks, perhaps months?

If you want the answer with a bit of entertainment, watch this video about our experience applying to YPP for the first time in eight years:

On the other hand, if you want to read the full story of what really happened - plus the time period for YPP’s acceptance - keep reading.

How Long It Takes to Get Monetized on YouTube

OK, here’s the truth: We had a relatively short and seamless experience applying to the YouTube Partner Program. We had two channels that qualified for the program, which were our 

 vidIQ channels. So we found the application screen in the YouTube Studio, clicked apply, and crossed our fingers. 

Luckily, we weren’t kept waiting for too long. Actually, we hardly had to wait at all.

After applying to YPP on Friday, October 16, the Spanish vidIQ channel was accepted just 60 hours later!!!

We couldn’t believe it. In just a few days, YouTube gave us permission to monetize our channel with every advertisement type. We had the power to display pesky banner ads, which viewers have to click just to get rid of. We even had access to pre-roll ads, which play before a video begins.

Even more surprising, the Russian vidIQ channel got monetized too. We’re not sure when that happened because YouTube hasn’t sent us a notification email. But that’s OK. Maybe emails take longer to send from Moscow. The important thing is that all the monetization features were there, and we could finally take our Russian channel to the next level.

Why the Monetization Process Can Take a While

Now, some of you who’ve applied to YPP may be saying to yourselves, “It took me weeks, months even, to be accepted into the program!” And that’s true. Years ago, the process did take much longer.

But today, there’s another reason your application could be delayed, and it has to do with COVID-19.

 that with reduced staffing in their buildings, things like creator support and applications for YPP could take longer than usual. View their statement below:

As you can see, YouTube doesn’t primarily use software or an algorithm to review applications. Instead, it uses human reviewers. They decide whether your content is viable for companies to place advertisements on them. And with less in-office staff, that could slow down the entire process.

However, YouTube hasn’t cited COVID-19 as an application delay for a couple of months now. Their support page still says YPP reviews could take a month, but that’s probably just a safety net for YouTube. It ensures that creators don’t have unrealistic expectations of monetizing their channels, even if some are getting approved in just three days.

As long as you hit the requirements for YPP, it seems as if the reviewers will process your application as fast as possible. That’s what happened in our experience, but as always, each creator is on a journey of their own.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps. 

Man pondering YouTube monetization process with text "Less than 72 hours" countdown timer.

How long does it take to get accepted into the YouTube Partner Program? Well, the answer may shock you...

This Is How Long It Takes To Get Monetized on YouTube

We all want to grow our YouTube channels and while we heavily rely on our analytics, sometimes it's those little tips that can really help us.

While we need to focus on the major metrics such as CTR, Retention, Watch Time, etc. we shouldn't forget to focus on the little tweaks that could end up having a very positive impact too.

On today's episode of TubeTalk, Alan Spicer and I chat about these quick wins that anyone can do on any channel size. Discover how leveraging the following can give your channel a boost:

Why You Must 'Niche Down' if You Want to Succeed on YouTube

Focusing in on just one type of video content can really make you stand out as a YouTube creator. It can also make your YouTube channel grow super fast! Find out more 

TubeTalk has been informing video creators and marketers since 2014, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the 

Man with tongue piercing smiling next to TubeTalk logo on blue and white background

On this episode of TubeTalk, you will learn 5 quick and easy ways to help your channel grow.

5 Quick & Easy Tips for Growing Your YouTube Channel

YouTube shorts are the new hot trending topic in the YouTube world. But what are they? 

YouTube has not been totally clear about how they work, so we decided to do our own investigation into YouTube Shorts.

On this episode of TubeTalk, vidIQ's own Rob Wilson, Dan Carson, and Liron Segev answer all your YouTube Shorts questions including:

What are the requirements for creating them?

Do you need to have #shorts in the title and description?

Should you put Shorts on your main channel

Want to Know Even More About YouTube Shorts?

How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts

Can You Get 1 Million YouTube Views By Making Short Videos?

YouTube Shorts: What We Know About How They Work

You can also find the complete list of all the

YouTube Shorts logo with "TubeTalk" text on blue gradient background.

In this episode of TubeTalk, vidIQ does its own investigation into YouTube Shorts. You're welcome.

YouTube Shorts: The Ultimate Guide

When you created your YouTube channel, you probably had an idea of what your videos would be about. Whether you wanted to create Fortnite gaming tutorials, comedic sketches, or hours upon hours of pranks, you at least had 

But here’s a question worth asking yourself: 

Does your audience know what your channel is about? 

It almost seems silly to ask, especially if you’ve been pumping out very specific content. Nonetheless, it’s worth answering to make sure you’re on the right track. For example, if you think your channel is about one topic while your audience thinks it’s about something totally different, that tiny misconception could block your channel’s growth.

Fortunately, a new panel within the YouTube Studio can help. To see if you and your audience are on the same page about the content you create, just keep reading.

YouTube’s ‘Audience Watched’ Panel Is a Data Goldmine

Most likely, your audience watches a wide variety of YouTube videos within your niche. To get a glimpse of what that content is - and whether that proves you have a clear, concise channel by comparison - make your way to YouTube’s new audience panel:

From most YouTube desktop screens, click your profile image in the top right corner and go to the YouTube Studio.

You should arrive at the main analytics screen. In the uppermost menu, click on the ‘Audience’ tab.

About a third of the way down the screen, probably on the right side, you’ll see a panel called ‘Other videos your audience watched’.

You’ll know you’ve reached the panel when you see something that looks like this:

Or, if you need some extra guidance and would rather hear and see the instructions in real-time, watch our video tutorial:

Not Seeing Any Audience Data? Here’s Why

While some of you may see the ‘audience watched’ panel above, a lot of you might not because of a lack of data.

There are a few reasons why no data is appearing in this panel. It might be because you're violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines or your content is made for kids, which means YouTube won’t collect any audience information. But most likely, it’s because you don't have enough data on your YouTube channel.

To get a more scientific reason for this issue, we went to our beloved vidIQ community to see what their ‘audience watched’ panels look like. 

After creating a poll on our Community Tab, we discovered that 13% of creators in our community found the panel and could see some data. Unfortunately, another 18% could see the panel but no data. And much worse, 14% said they couldn't see the panel at all. The remaining 55% chose a throwaway option, which said, "I’m going to vote here to spoil your data." I guess we walked right into that one, but still, it kind of hurt. We laughed it off in the end. Sort of.

This poll tells us less than half of our typical vidIQ audience is able to see this panel (with data). Our typical audience includes channels under 1,000 subscribers, less than 4,000 hours of Watch Time, and any channel working toward YouTube monetization. 

So that could be a reason some channels (or yours) have zero data. You might need to increase your channel’s Watch Time so YouTube has enough data to work with.

If You Have Zero Audience Watched Data, Use This vidIQ Tool Instead

If you aren't getting any data from the ‘audience watched’ panel, vidIQ has an alternative. As long as you have vidIQ installed, follow this path to get the data you need:

In your YouTube Studio homepage, go to the left menu and click ‘Channel Audit’.

On the next screen, you should see a huge report card on your channel. Scroll down, look to the right, and find a section called ‘Top Suggested’:

Free users can see this section, but paid users can click on it and get a full list of videos. This is essentially what YouTube’s ‘audience watched’ tool would have shown you.

How to Use the 'Other Videos Your Audience Watched' Panel

OK, back to the YouTube audience tool itself. This panel shows you what your audience watched on YouTube over the last seven days. At the time of writing, it shows you 15 videos split into three pages, and you can click on either the video title or the channel’s name to view the content. These videos aren’t sorted by age, the number of views, or channel size, but it’s worth looking through all of them if you can.

Now, here comes the real question: Why is this so important? The basic premise is that the content your audience watches on other channels should be the content they enjoy watching on your channel. That’s how YouTube encourages you to use this tool. You can use it to find new video topics, title and thumbnail ideas, and collaboration opportunities.

And here’s the most important thing to know: 

No matter what you, the creator, think your channel is about, your audience thinks it’s about the topic in your 'audience watched' panel.

YouTube recently released a new audience data tool. If you’re not sure who your audience is or how they behave, let’s explore all the ways it could get you more views.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

The Best Screen Recording Software for YouTube

This Is How Long It Takes To Get Monetized on YouTube

5 Quick & Easy Tips for Growing Your YouTube Channel

YouTube Shorts: The Ultimate Guide

How to Get More Views from YouTube’s Audience Data Tool

What YouTube Creators Need to Focus on for the Rest of 2020

6 Honest Reasons You Might Be Losing YouTube Subscribers

How to Blur Anything You Need to in Your YouTube Video

What Happens When You Publish a YouTube Video? [Timelapse]

How To Get More Views as a Small YouTube Channel

Virtual Halloween 2020: Top Keywords on YouTube

Career Goals: Make Money Drinking Boozy Beverages on YouTube