YouTube has approximately 65.8 million registered channels as of April 2025. That’s right, 65.8 MILLION channels. Not all of them are active, of course, but that’s still a lot of competition. How will you stand out in such a vast sea of video content? The answer is pretty simple: start creating content in the most popular and engaging YouTube categories of 2025!
What new and existing channels need to grow are visibility, audience growth, and the potential for monetization. If you create videos under any of the popular categories, there is a chance for your content to pop up in others’ feeds, which will increase your subscriber base and ultimately attract sponsors.
Are you curious to know which YouTube categories are trending in 2025? Let’s jump right in!
Quick Summary
The most popular and engaging YouTube categories of 2025 are gaming, education, entertainment, health, finance, tech, and the ever-soothing ASMR.
Gaming
Gaming is one of the most popular types of content on YouTube, and it dominated the space for a long time. PewDiePie, a famous gaming YouTuber, even held the title of most-subscribed YouTube channel from August 2013 to April 2019 (for about 5 years and 7 months). His channel was then beaten by Indian record company T-Series. It was a major turning point for independent YouTubers at the time, and the rivalry soon came to be known as the “Great Subscriber War.”
Nowadays, most of the highly subscribed channels on the platform come under the music and entertainment category. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for gaming content. In reality, gaming content is thriving and can be monetized in multiple different ways.
Here’s a list of some trending YouTube niches within the gaming genre:
Let’s Play
These gaming videos are where the content creator plays and reacts to games while giving commentary and tips.
Gameplay Walkthroughs
Walkthroughs are where the creator helps players navigate entire games and completes challenges and quests (including side quests)
Gaming Tutorials/Guides
These videos are where the YouTuber provides detailed information and instructions on how to tackle specific games or game elements.
Livestreaming
These are real-time broadcasts of the creator playing a game while they also interact with the viewers.
Video Essays
In these videos, the creator analyses a game’s the design, storytelling, experience, cultural relevance, etc.
Reviews
Here, the creator focuses on reviewing and critiquing games based on various criteria like gameplay, art, feel, storytelling, character design, world building, etc. Videos like these help gamers decide whether or not to purchase a title.
eSports Matches
Gaming enthusiasts also enjoy watching channels like ESL and Riot Games that stream live esports events and create other competitive gaming content like highlight reels, analysis, and commentary.
Short Compilations
These videos are collections of clips of glitches, fails, and funny moments from game plays that are easy to watch and have the potential for virality.
Speedrunning
In these videos, a gaming creator tries to complete a game as fast as possible.
Challenge Runs
Here, the creator sets a challenge for themselves in a game and tries to complete it. For example, if the gamer sets the difficulty to the maximum,
Reaction and Highlight Reels
In these videos, the creator reacts to surprising or funny in-game moments.
Gaming News and Updates
The gaming creator provides breaking news, updates, analysis, and commentary on developments regarding a specific game or the gaming industry.
Education and Learning
Educational videos for learning are another extremely popular category on YouTube. They mostly deal with academic subjects, practical life skills, “how to” tutorials/demonstrations, etc.
Even under educational content, there are different types of videos. Some are animated, some are in the form of formal lessons, and some are tutorials or explainer videos, while there are others that are close to being casual discussions on complex topics.
Topics can range from academics, to technical skills, software, car repairs, DIY guides, etc.
Entertainment
Entertainment is a broad category that includes various types of videos that are meant to entertain the viewers. In fact, most of the popular YouTube channels are related to entertainment, with Mr. Beast having the most number of subscribers (over 340 million).
Music Videos
As of February 2025, the top 10 most watched videos on YouTube are all music videos… ALL OF THEM! The highest viewed video, with 15.47 billion views, is Baby Shark Dance by Pinkfong Kids (no surprises there).
Short-Form Comedy
Comedy is another category that has been one of the most recent YouTube trends. A good number of comedy content is found in Shorts, where clips from comedy routines are circulated. You definitely would have come across clips from shows of Matt Rife, Akaash Singh, Dave Chappelle, or other comedians, especially those that involve crowd work. Even comedy sketches and pranks do really well on YouTube.
Reaction Videos
Reaction videos, where one or more people film themselves listening to or watching content posted by someone else. Reactions can be made to any type of content, but they tend to be either viral or controversial. It could be a hit new song, a piece of news, a controversial rant, a comedy sketch, etc.
The person(s) reacting will either give live commentary, posit their own views on the matter, or give a funny take. However, there are a growing number of people who simply react by nodding, laughing, or pointing to whichever side of the screen the original content is displayed. You should avoid this latter type of reaction, as it can cause issues with the original poster and YouTube.
Lifestyle Videos
These are videos or vlogs that cover a wide range of personal interests and experiences. They could be related to travel, family life, food, beauty, fashion, and daily routines.
Health and Fitness
Health and fitness content is also gaining a lot of traction among viewers on YouTube. Quite a few doctors, like Doctor Mike and Dr. Karan are taking to social media (not just YouTube) to spread awareness and educate the people on things related to general health. Like them, there are many doctors who try to empower people with medical information and combat misinformation and myths about health.
Finance
People really value experts who are willing to give away tips and tricks to manage or grow their finances. When they see “finfluencers” who are successful, they too are motivated to get their lives together and take charge of their financial health. Therefore, there is a lot of demand for financial content.
Technology and Gadgets
Content about technology and gadgets is pretty varied on YouTube. You have creators who make detailed video essays about the latest developments in technology or a new gadget. And there are others who buy the latest (or gimmicky gadgets) just to make a fun list for their viewers to watch. One of the most popular content creators in this category is Mrwhosetheboss, who regularly makes interesting content on tech and gadgets. He even went so far as to create the largest iPhone ever made, setting a world record.
ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)
ASMR is a pleasurable tingling sensation (usually starting from the scalp and moving down the rest of the body) people get when their auditory, visual, or tactile senses are stimulated. This content is a popular YouTube category (it being the most searched term on the platform as of April 2025) and is present in a lot of content, apart from dedicated ASMR channels. You will even find ASMR in unboxing videos. Some beauty influencers even use their long nails to go “tap-tap” on the boxes and products.
And with that, our list of popular YouTube video categories is done, but there are still some things we need to discuss.
Why These YouTube Categories are Trending in 2025
The gaming YouTube category lets people build communities. That is why such videos are so popular, especially among the youth. Even some forms of entertainment videos help people find communities, either in fandoms or in help groups of some kind.
Educational content, on the other hand, draws an audience that wants to learn from unconventional sources. There are plenty of people who turn to YouTube to learn new skills, improve themselves, or simply to gain knowledge about things that interest them. It could be anything from a dance form to software; there is a lot of demand for educational content.
Of late, at least since the pandemic, the health and fitness YouTube category has been gaining a lot of popularity. Nowadays, people are more aware and proactive about their health and well-being. They want healthy recipes, easy fitness regimens, and medical knowledge delivered to them in an easy-to-understand way.
Similarly, finance content has also been on the rise since the pandemic. It was even found that between April 2023 and April 2024, finfluencers saw double the median follower growth on YouTube and Instagram than any other type of influencer (100,000 and 1 million followers). Economies across the globe are not what they used to be. You may have come across some videos where people complain about how the younger generations cannot afford to buy a house for themselves. So, more people are looking for information and guidance on how to improve their finances, learn budgeting, and grow their wealth.
ASMR content, on the other hand, exists just to make people feel relaxed, calm, and even sleepy. Such videos create a unique sensory experience for the viewer, and more people are using ASMR videos to relieve them of stress. Some people even use entertainment videos to relieve stress and wind down after a long and tiresome day or even to stay occupied as they travel between destinations.
Tips for Creators in Popular Categories
No matter what category of videos you post, these are some tips that can help you grow your channel and viewership:
- Even when operating in popular YouTube categories, find a niche that really resonates with people. It should not be something that people will lose interest in within a short span of time. For example, instead of creating a broad gaming channel, you can be more specific and start a channel for indie horror games or retro games that have been mostly lost to time.
- Create content that is high-quality, engaging, and consistent to build a loyal viewer base.
- Optimize your video titles and descriptions for YouTube’s algorithm.
- Use AI tools that can help you create transcripts, subtitles, and captions.
- Do not skimp out on audience interaction and community building, as these are also important for a YouTube channel’s growth. You can engage with the followers online or hold fan meets. Even creating a Discord channel to regularly interact with subscribers or channel members helps a lot.
- Stay up-to-date on the latest YouTube trends, policies, and algorithm changes so you know how to adapt your content. For example, if there are certain words that YouTube prohibits, you will need to avoid using them in case your content gets demonetized.
- It may take a while for your channel to get enough subscribers and views to earn ad revenue, so you should look for other ways to monetize it. Many content creators take up sponsorships, affiliate marketing, fan funding (super chats, channel memberships, super thanks, etc.), selling merchandise, etc.
- Create content that you are passionate about if you want to avoid getting burnt out. If you upload content just to meet a deadline, you’re not helping anyone. If you are passionate about what you are doing, it will also be easier for you to get ideas for what to do next.
- Make use of YouTube Shorts to reach a wider audience and attract more subscribers quickly. You can repurpose longer content into short clips to post as a Short, or you can create short-form content just for this.
If you find a task challenging, consider delegating it to someone with the necessary expertise. Professional video editing, thumbnail creation, etc., is not something everyone is good at. In such cases, it is better to hire someone skilled at the job so you consistently put out quality content.
Finally
In the vast YouTube ocean of over 65 million channels, you need to be smart about carving your niche. Focus your creative energy on the most popular and engaging YouTube categories of 2025: gaming, education, entertainment, health, finance, tech, and the ever-soothing ASMR. It will lend you a significant advantage when it comes to visibility and audience growth.
Remember, even within these thriving spaces, you must find a unique angle—something that only you can do—and consistently deliver high-quality, engaging content. By understanding and keeping up with these trends and implementing effective creator strategies, you can successfully unlock your channel’s full potential in the years to come.
