Launching Winning: Steps for an Epic YouTube Gaming Channel

The Guide to Starting a Successful YouTube Gaming Channel

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Now is the best and easiest time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel. Yet a profitable channel? That’s another story. In this article, I am going to highlight the key elements you need to become the best YouTube gamer you can be.

Table of Content:

1. Have a Greater Purpose
2. Create an Identity
3. Type of Gaming Videos
4. Have a Budget
5. Optimization Matter
6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

Starting a gaming channel today will mean that you will be a small fish in a big ocean. The amount of content on YouTube is massive, and in order to stand out, you will need three intangibles:

- Patience

- Consistency

- Creativity

If you are willing to commit to this long term, then it’s the best time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel.

The All-in-One Screen Recorder & Video Editor

• Record desktop screen, voiceover, and webcam simultaneously
• Edit recorded clips quickly with a wide range of professional tools
• Built-in plentiful templates and effects
• Export to MP4, MOV, MKV, GIF and multiple formats

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Secure Download

It’s the best time because you will have so many pioneers and successful creators to draw inspiration and knowledge from. You’ll be standing on the shoulders of giants like PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and CinnamonToastKen.

The trail has been blazed and you’re in the new frontier. Now, here’s what you need to know about starting a YouTube gaming channel.

1. Have a Greater Purpose

According to Tubular Insights , 15% of all content on YouTube is related to video games. That’s a lot.

Additionally, as of 2018, YouTube has a new monetization requirement. To enable monetization, you will need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months.

If you think you can make a few videos and start making money, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to disappoint you. YouTube is fun and a wonderful way to increase the social aspect of gaming and enhance your enjoyment. Approach it the same way you’ve approached gaming all along, as a fun way to spend your time.

Enjoy the journey… and what a journey it can be. Do it for the love of playing games and making videos, and not about getting subscribers or views. If you don’t change your attitude, it’s a grueling climb if all you want is to reach the finish line (which is nowhere in sight).

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you don’t have a greater purpose than simply growing subscribers and making money off YouTube, then you are going to get discouraged and give up. It’s not a get-rich-fast plan.

Here is how you find your greater purpose:

1. Give Value

You want to make good YouTube gaming content like those popular YouTubers that came before you.

But… what makes good YouTube content?

Simply put, good content should exhibit these factors:

Entertaining: Tell a story and sensationalize the emotions that come out of you when you play games.

Educational: Find hidden stages, new tricks, and talk about the lore and history that brought this game to life.

Inspiring: Encourage viewers to try new games and play along. Help people discover their next pastime and thank viewers for spending their time with you.

This is what gives your content value, and creating content with value should be your ultimate purpose. Making your viewers feel good is, in a way, better than money, no?

2. Make YouTube a Part of Your Daily/Weekly Ritual

YouTube should be a part of your regular schedule.

At first, it’ll be easy. Like anything new, your YouTube channel will have a novelty to it. It’s this exciting new project that you have.

But after the first month, that excitement will dampen. By the third month, it’ll become familiar. Here’s where you have to fight the urge to stop. This is where author, Seth Godin calls The Dip .

It’s now working. And like all work, you’ll have to schedule it into your daily life. You’ll have to prioritize YouTube above hanging out with friends, watching another movie, or playing video games without the strain of recording it and being entertaining/educating/inspiring.

However, if you are getting fulfillment from YouTube, you won’t stop even when the going gets hard. Like being a parent, it’s not always fun, but it should always be fulfilling.

Pro Tip: Mark when you are going to be working on YouTube in a calendar, so when someone asks you to hang out or go for dinner, you can check it and let them know you already have plans.

3. Have a Passion to Get Better At Every Step

There are many stages to producing a YouTube video, from pre-production to production to post-production. And within those stages are countless steps.

If YouTube is what you want to do, perhaps the greatest purpose you can have is improving on each of those skill sets along the way.

In the beginning, you will have a surplus of ideas, but once your initial stock of video ideas run dry, you will need to practice coming up with more ideas .

You’ll get better at recording your gameplay, at speaking on camera, at editing your footage, at optimizing your content, and at sharing your videos.

You will enjoy certain steps more than others, but if you are passionate, you will find comfort in striving to improve in each one, little by little.

Pro Tip:Focus on telling a great story . In every video, you should have an objective you want to accomplish. You want to beat a stage, you want to learn a new skill, etc. Once you nail that, all the other elements (screen recording, editing, and your commentary) will fall into place to guide your story from beginning to end.

2. Create an Identity

Your personality and your channel will need to go through a littlebranding exercise . You need to find what sets yourself apart from all the other gaming channels on the Internet. Ask yourself, and be honest with the answer: Why should anyone care about my channel?

1. Be Original

Take inspiration from other YouTubers and adjust it so that it’s unique. You cannot copy the ideas of popular YouTubers, because the public can see that. They can tell the difference between originality and imitation.

Being original doesn’t mean doing something that has never been done before.

Take a look at Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, both are popular YouTubers recognized for their colorful hair, mass use of profanity, and their Let’s Play style of gaming videos. But if you watch their videos, you can see that they are not copying each other but rather adjusting what has proven to be effective to suit their personality.

If something inspires you and you want to make an original version yourself, don’t think that you need to do something completely different, rather ask, how can I make that awesome thing better?

2. Focus on a Specific Aspect of Game

Odds are, you’ll end up playing the same game as other YouTubers. If you’re playing a popular game, then it’s going to be hard for you to establish an audience if your videos are broad.

Consider how your viewers will discover your videos. Are they going to find you through search? If so, what are they searching? There are many aspects to a video game: characters, glitches, stages, etc.

Find a specific aspect of the game to focus on.

Take YouTuber, NoughtPointFourLive, who instead of playing the game via a linear campaign, finds ridiculous situations, odd tricks, and easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto:

3. Hook Audience With Something Funny Or Interesting — And Lead Up To It

Every video you make should tell a story. It doesn’t matter if the storyline is the one in the video game or if it’s happening to you in real life. What matters is that you are aware of where the climax is.

The climax is what your story hinges on: it’s when Mario confronts Bowser.

This is what your audience is watching for. They want to know who wins.

To hook your audience right away, open with the most exciting part. The bit leading up to the climax. But don’t give away the ending. You want to hook them. Give a promise that this video is worth watching and that eventually, it will deliver.

Check out this example from YouTuber, Lachlan playing Fortnite and landing back at Spawn Island, an artillery-filled waiting area for players before the game starts.

This structure can be applied with humor as well as climatic events. If you open with something funny, it gets the viewer engaged immediately. They want to know what led up to that humorous moment.

Take a look at this example from YouTuber, Jelly. He does a great job at injecting humor into his first few seconds of video.

3. Type of Gaming Videos

There are no rules to making gaming videos. As long as it’s worth watching and you aren’t stealing content, that is all that matters. Nevertheless, there are a few standard types of gaming videos that have been established over the years.

1. Let’s Plays

Turn the game on and start playing. Let’s Plays give you a lot of freedom to explore the game and let your personality show in the commentary. You don’t need to play with a strategy, but do have a particular goal in mind (Finishing a level, for example).

Let’s Plays are more about watching you experience the game. A demographic of people watching Let’s Plays are those that don’t have the game themselves, but still want to experience it. Let them live vicariously through you.

2. Reviews

When you’re deciding whether or not to buy a new product where do you go to research? Google and YouTube. If you have a lot of interesting insights after playing a game, making reviews videos might just be your calling. There are many games on the market, and for consumers, it can get overwhelming. Reviews help others decide whether they should invest their money and their time into that specific game or continue searching.

3. Walkthrough

Unlike Let’s Plays and reviews, walkthrough videos are mapped out and structured to help the viewers pass the game while experiencing events, side quests, and characters they would otherwise have missed.

4. Reactions

Misery or excitement, when you genuinely react to an event in a game, the audience gets to experience it along your side. Give the moment a bit of lead up, let people know what you are expecting, and then surprise yourself. Reaction videos are great because they are spontaneous and a wonderful form of presenting your personality.

5. Skills

Video games are hard to master. But if you think you are proficient in an aspect of the game, show off your moves. Is there a particular trick that you can do? Is there a stage you can beat quickly? Are you able to take down your enemy with ease? Prove it.

4. Have a Budget

When you begin your YouTube gaming journey, you are going to see a lot of established YouTubers showing off their gear. It’s easy to get carried away with equipment, but we recommend setting a budget and staying within it to start.

What’s a good budget for YouTubers? Some might say you can do it for $600 and others say $3000. That’s a big range.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you currently have.

Are you starting with nothing? Or do you have some essentials? If you have a computer, which can play the game of your choice, you don’t need to spend $2000 on a new one. Look at what you currently have before buying new stuff.

Here is what you will need to get the best results:

- Microphone (Average cost: $100)

- Webcam (Average cost: $100)

- Editing Software (Average cost: $300)

- PC that can handle recording, editing, rendering, uploading, etc. (Average cost: $2,000)

If you are starting out, all you need is a computer with a capable CPU and GPU, a webcam, a microphone, and a free encoding software, such as OBS , and you will be able to stream.

Even PewDiePie started with a basic gaming setup.

I don’t recommend blowing your life savings on all the equipment you want. Don’t have a powerful computer? There are games such as Minecraft and Roblox that are less taxing to your computer, if you don’t have a powerful one.

There are ways to work around it, if you don’t currently have the funds. Being a YouTuber is all about being resourceful and creative.

You don’t need professional editing software, there are affordable ones such as Wondershare Filmora that have all the capabilities.

1. Many Games Are Free

Here’s the great thing about starting as a video game YouTuber, you don’t need to pay for any games. I’m not only talking about the crappy Flash games on the Internet, but massively popular games such as Fortnite and DOTA are also free to start playing as well.

If you’re strapped for cash. Start your channel playing free games and work your way towards more expensive games.

2. Some Software Are Free As Well

OBS: This streaming software allows you to capture your game in top quality and broadcast it directly to YouTube. It’s a simple setup , and it’s completely free.

Audacity: This audio recording and editing software is great if you want to improve the quality of your audio by removing background noise or combining clips.

GIMP: Probably the closest free product to Photoshop you can find. GIMP will help you perform basic image manipulation. It’s not as user friendly as Photoshop, but you can learn the fundamentals here as you save up for the Creative Cloud subscription plan.

5. Optimization Matters

Gaming is arguably the most popular genre on YouTube. So, how is your little video going to be discovered in this vast sea of gaming content?

The answer: with a good optimization strategy.

1. Tags and Title

When conceptualizing your next video, consider what your viewers are going to search to find it. This will help you focus your gameplay to meet the demand of this untapped (or more specific) audience.

You can use a plugin called VidIQ to see the keyword score by simply searching for the content you think your viewers are interested in watching.

If you’re playing Fortnite, and your keyword is simply “Fortnite” you’re using a highly searched term, but the competition is very high as well. The odds of your ranking is incredibly tough as the overall keyword score is 61/100.

However, if you focus on a more specific aspect of the game to make a video around, such as a character, you can heighten your chance at being discovered.

Take the example below, where I added the keyword “Striker” to the search. Its overall keyword score is 87/100, that’s 26 points better in the keyword score, compared to just “Fortnite.”

This will help you identify the content you should be making and then use that keyword knowledge to write a good title and a list of 5-15 tags.

Few more tips to improving your titles include:

- Avoid uninspiring words like “Fun,” “Exciting,” or “Great.”

- Once you have a title do a quick search to see if it already exists. Common titles make it harder for yours to rank.

- Have the title relate to the game. If there are certain words or phrases that players are familiar with, go ahead and use it.

- Make it click-worthy by promising something unique, but don’t mislead viewers.

2. Create Awesome Thumbnails

It doesn’t matter how awesome your video is, if the thumbnail image is boring, nobody will want to click into it. And if nobody clicks into it, you won’t get any views. Simple.

What makes a good thumbnail image?

1. Don’t use the random images YouTube picks for you
2. Have an expressive picture of a human face (preferably of yours, because it’s your gaming channel and you’re the star)

Take a look at The Syndicate Project’s thumbnails and how it evokes an intensity that makes you want to click — or scream with excitement. Both good things.

1. Don’t want to use your face? Create a character for yourself or to represent your channel. Or used the characters from the actual game.

Check out the colorful thumbnails from VanossGaming, where the owl is the mascot of their channel.

1. Use readable text or emojis

If you don’t have Photoshop or don’t have strong design skills, check out Wondershare Pixstudio , a drag-and-drop design tool that makes creating thumbnails easy.

3. Engage with Other Gamers

Don’t forget that YouTube is a social media platform.

It’s all about being a part of a YouTube community, and while you can’t interact with every creator on the platform, you can find those within your niche or specific game and chat with them. Leave a comment if you like their video or have constructive feedback.

Additionally, viewer engagements such as likes and comments have shown to have an indirect effect on your video ranking. That is why you should encourage your viewers to “smash” the like button or join in a conversation by asking them a question in your video.

6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

1. Cause for Demonetization

The YouTube monetization landscape has changed a lot for creators in the past few years. The guidelines are always being adjusted to serve both creators and advertisers. If you’re thinking of making money from YouTube ads, you have to be aware that there are types of content that turn advertisers off, and YouTube knows it. Here are some reasons that YouTube will choose to demonetize your videos:

- Excessive or gratuitous violence

- Hateful content: promotes discrimination or disparages or humiliates and individual or group of people (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.)

- Inappropriate use of family entertainment characters

- Incendiary and demeaning content: disrespectful languages that shame or insult an individual or group

2. Avoiding Copyright Strike

Thanks to the fair use doctrine, you’re allowed to take video game content and make videos from it without acquiring permission from the people who made the game.

However, if you step across the fair use line, you can be penalized for violating copyright infringement.

If you get three strikes from YouTube in 90 days, your account and videos will be removed and you won’t be allowed to create a new channel.

Before you publish your video ask yourself these questions, if you answer yes to any of them then you have met fair use standards:

- Is your content creative or educational?

- Is there more original content than copyrighted content?

- Is your video benefiting the original content?

I recommend that you learn more about YouTube copyright , and how to build your content so that it doesn’t get flagged.

Beyond all that, it’s about playing games, having a good time, and meeting awesome people like yourself. Enjoy the journey and take pleasure in every little achievement, be it in the game or on YouTube.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t go into YouTube gaming for the money, but rather to improve your skills and other people’s lives.
2. Find something special about your channel that people can’t find anywhere else.
3. YouTube gaming can be as cheap and as expensive as you want, create a budget to stay within your limits.
4. Understand optimization to improve your chances of viewers finding your content.
5. Don’t be hateful or advertisers will avoid you, and don’t steal other people’s content without crediting the original creator.
6. Give yourself a unique YouTube gaming channel name .

What’s stopping you from starting your YouTube gaming channel? Let us know in the comment box below!

Best Screen Recorder & Video Editor for Gamers

If you want to record the gameplay and edit it with some text and titles, or creative transitions and effects, I highly recommend you try Wondershare Filmora , which is easy to use yet powerful enough with its editing tools and effects templates. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Now is the best and easiest time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel. Yet a profitable channel? That’s another story. In this article, I am going to highlight the key elements you need to become the best YouTube gamer you can be.

Table of Content:

1. Have a Greater Purpose
2. Create an Identity
3. Type of Gaming Videos
4. Have a Budget
5. Optimization Matter
6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

Starting a gaming channel today will mean that you will be a small fish in a big ocean. The amount of content on YouTube is massive, and in order to stand out, you will need three intangibles:

- Patience

- Consistency

- Creativity

If you are willing to commit to this long term, then it’s the best time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel.

The All-in-One Screen Recorder & Video Editor

• Record desktop screen, voiceover, and webcam simultaneously
• Edit recorded clips quickly with a wide range of professional tools
• Built-in plentiful templates and effects
• Export to MP4, MOV, MKV, GIF and multiple formats

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Secure Download

It’s the best time because you will have so many pioneers and successful creators to draw inspiration and knowledge from. You’ll be standing on the shoulders of giants like PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and CinnamonToastKen.

The trail has been blazed and you’re in the new frontier. Now, here’s what you need to know about starting a YouTube gaming channel.

1. Have a Greater Purpose

According to Tubular Insights , 15% of all content on YouTube is related to video games. That’s a lot.

Additionally, as of 2018, YouTube has a new monetization requirement. To enable monetization, you will need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months.

If you think you can make a few videos and start making money, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to disappoint you. YouTube is fun and a wonderful way to increase the social aspect of gaming and enhance your enjoyment. Approach it the same way you’ve approached gaming all along, as a fun way to spend your time.

Enjoy the journey… and what a journey it can be. Do it for the love of playing games and making videos, and not about getting subscribers or views. If you don’t change your attitude, it’s a grueling climb if all you want is to reach the finish line (which is nowhere in sight).

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you don’t have a greater purpose than simply growing subscribers and making money off YouTube, then you are going to get discouraged and give up. It’s not a get-rich-fast plan.

Here is how you find your greater purpose:

1. Give Value

You want to make good YouTube gaming content like those popular YouTubers that came before you.

But… what makes good YouTube content?

Simply put, good content should exhibit these factors:

Entertaining: Tell a story and sensationalize the emotions that come out of you when you play games.

Educational: Find hidden stages, new tricks, and talk about the lore and history that brought this game to life.

Inspiring: Encourage viewers to try new games and play along. Help people discover their next pastime and thank viewers for spending their time with you.

This is what gives your content value, and creating content with value should be your ultimate purpose. Making your viewers feel good is, in a way, better than money, no?

2. Make YouTube a Part of Your Daily/Weekly Ritual

YouTube should be a part of your regular schedule.

At first, it’ll be easy. Like anything new, your YouTube channel will have a novelty to it. It’s this exciting new project that you have.

But after the first month, that excitement will dampen. By the third month, it’ll become familiar. Here’s where you have to fight the urge to stop. This is where author, Seth Godin calls The Dip .

It’s now working. And like all work, you’ll have to schedule it into your daily life. You’ll have to prioritize YouTube above hanging out with friends, watching another movie, or playing video games without the strain of recording it and being entertaining/educating/inspiring.

However, if you are getting fulfillment from YouTube, you won’t stop even when the going gets hard. Like being a parent, it’s not always fun, but it should always be fulfilling.

Pro Tip: Mark when you are going to be working on YouTube in a calendar, so when someone asks you to hang out or go for dinner, you can check it and let them know you already have plans.

3. Have a Passion to Get Better At Every Step

There are many stages to producing a YouTube video, from pre-production to production to post-production. And within those stages are countless steps.

If YouTube is what you want to do, perhaps the greatest purpose you can have is improving on each of those skill sets along the way.

In the beginning, you will have a surplus of ideas, but once your initial stock of video ideas run dry, you will need to practice coming up with more ideas .

You’ll get better at recording your gameplay, at speaking on camera, at editing your footage, at optimizing your content, and at sharing your videos.

You will enjoy certain steps more than others, but if you are passionate, you will find comfort in striving to improve in each one, little by little.

Pro Tip:Focus on telling a great story . In every video, you should have an objective you want to accomplish. You want to beat a stage, you want to learn a new skill, etc. Once you nail that, all the other elements (screen recording, editing, and your commentary) will fall into place to guide your story from beginning to end.

2. Create an Identity

Your personality and your channel will need to go through a littlebranding exercise . You need to find what sets yourself apart from all the other gaming channels on the Internet. Ask yourself, and be honest with the answer: Why should anyone care about my channel?

1. Be Original

Take inspiration from other YouTubers and adjust it so that it’s unique. You cannot copy the ideas of popular YouTubers, because the public can see that. They can tell the difference between originality and imitation.

Being original doesn’t mean doing something that has never been done before.

Take a look at Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, both are popular YouTubers recognized for their colorful hair, mass use of profanity, and their Let’s Play style of gaming videos. But if you watch their videos, you can see that they are not copying each other but rather adjusting what has proven to be effective to suit their personality.

If something inspires you and you want to make an original version yourself, don’t think that you need to do something completely different, rather ask, how can I make that awesome thing better?

2. Focus on a Specific Aspect of Game

Odds are, you’ll end up playing the same game as other YouTubers. If you’re playing a popular game, then it’s going to be hard for you to establish an audience if your videos are broad.

Consider how your viewers will discover your videos. Are they going to find you through search? If so, what are they searching? There are many aspects to a video game: characters, glitches, stages, etc.

Find a specific aspect of the game to focus on.

Take YouTuber, NoughtPointFourLive, who instead of playing the game via a linear campaign, finds ridiculous situations, odd tricks, and easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto:

3. Hook Audience With Something Funny Or Interesting — And Lead Up To It

Every video you make should tell a story. It doesn’t matter if the storyline is the one in the video game or if it’s happening to you in real life. What matters is that you are aware of where the climax is.

The climax is what your story hinges on: it’s when Mario confronts Bowser.

This is what your audience is watching for. They want to know who wins.

To hook your audience right away, open with the most exciting part. The bit leading up to the climax. But don’t give away the ending. You want to hook them. Give a promise that this video is worth watching and that eventually, it will deliver.

Check out this example from YouTuber, Lachlan playing Fortnite and landing back at Spawn Island, an artillery-filled waiting area for players before the game starts.

This structure can be applied with humor as well as climatic events. If you open with something funny, it gets the viewer engaged immediately. They want to know what led up to that humorous moment.

Take a look at this example from YouTuber, Jelly. He does a great job at injecting humor into his first few seconds of video.

3. Type of Gaming Videos

There are no rules to making gaming videos. As long as it’s worth watching and you aren’t stealing content, that is all that matters. Nevertheless, there are a few standard types of gaming videos that have been established over the years.

1. Let’s Plays

Turn the game on and start playing. Let’s Plays give you a lot of freedom to explore the game and let your personality show in the commentary. You don’t need to play with a strategy, but do have a particular goal in mind (Finishing a level, for example).

Let’s Plays are more about watching you experience the game. A demographic of people watching Let’s Plays are those that don’t have the game themselves, but still want to experience it. Let them live vicariously through you.

2. Reviews

When you’re deciding whether or not to buy a new product where do you go to research? Google and YouTube. If you have a lot of interesting insights after playing a game, making reviews videos might just be your calling. There are many games on the market, and for consumers, it can get overwhelming. Reviews help others decide whether they should invest their money and their time into that specific game or continue searching.

3. Walkthrough

Unlike Let’s Plays and reviews, walkthrough videos are mapped out and structured to help the viewers pass the game while experiencing events, side quests, and characters they would otherwise have missed.

4. Reactions

Misery or excitement, when you genuinely react to an event in a game, the audience gets to experience it along your side. Give the moment a bit of lead up, let people know what you are expecting, and then surprise yourself. Reaction videos are great because they are spontaneous and a wonderful form of presenting your personality.

5. Skills

Video games are hard to master. But if you think you are proficient in an aspect of the game, show off your moves. Is there a particular trick that you can do? Is there a stage you can beat quickly? Are you able to take down your enemy with ease? Prove it.

4. Have a Budget

When you begin your YouTube gaming journey, you are going to see a lot of established YouTubers showing off their gear. It’s easy to get carried away with equipment, but we recommend setting a budget and staying within it to start.

What’s a good budget for YouTubers? Some might say you can do it for $600 and others say $3000. That’s a big range.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you currently have.

Are you starting with nothing? Or do you have some essentials? If you have a computer, which can play the game of your choice, you don’t need to spend $2000 on a new one. Look at what you currently have before buying new stuff.

Here is what you will need to get the best results:

- Microphone (Average cost: $100)

- Webcam (Average cost: $100)

- Editing Software (Average cost: $300)

- PC that can handle recording, editing, rendering, uploading, etc. (Average cost: $2,000)

If you are starting out, all you need is a computer with a capable CPU and GPU, a webcam, a microphone, and a free encoding software, such as OBS , and you will be able to stream.

Even PewDiePie started with a basic gaming setup.

I don’t recommend blowing your life savings on all the equipment you want. Don’t have a powerful computer? There are games such as Minecraft and Roblox that are less taxing to your computer, if you don’t have a powerful one.

There are ways to work around it, if you don’t currently have the funds. Being a YouTuber is all about being resourceful and creative.

You don’t need professional editing software, there are affordable ones such as Wondershare Filmora that have all the capabilities.

1. Many Games Are Free

Here’s the great thing about starting as a video game YouTuber, you don’t need to pay for any games. I’m not only talking about the crappy Flash games on the Internet, but massively popular games such as Fortnite and DOTA are also free to start playing as well.

If you’re strapped for cash. Start your channel playing free games and work your way towards more expensive games.

2. Some Software Are Free As Well

OBS: This streaming software allows you to capture your game in top quality and broadcast it directly to YouTube. It’s a simple setup , and it’s completely free.

Audacity: This audio recording and editing software is great if you want to improve the quality of your audio by removing background noise or combining clips.

GIMP: Probably the closest free product to Photoshop you can find. GIMP will help you perform basic image manipulation. It’s not as user friendly as Photoshop, but you can learn the fundamentals here as you save up for the Creative Cloud subscription plan.

5. Optimization Matters

Gaming is arguably the most popular genre on YouTube. So, how is your little video going to be discovered in this vast sea of gaming content?

The answer: with a good optimization strategy.

1. Tags and Title

When conceptualizing your next video, consider what your viewers are going to search to find it. This will help you focus your gameplay to meet the demand of this untapped (or more specific) audience.

You can use a plugin called VidIQ to see the keyword score by simply searching for the content you think your viewers are interested in watching.

If you’re playing Fortnite, and your keyword is simply “Fortnite” you’re using a highly searched term, but the competition is very high as well. The odds of your ranking is incredibly tough as the overall keyword score is 61/100.

However, if you focus on a more specific aspect of the game to make a video around, such as a character, you can heighten your chance at being discovered.

Take the example below, where I added the keyword “Striker” to the search. Its overall keyword score is 87/100, that’s 26 points better in the keyword score, compared to just “Fortnite.”

This will help you identify the content you should be making and then use that keyword knowledge to write a good title and a list of 5-15 tags.

Few more tips to improving your titles include:

- Avoid uninspiring words like “Fun,” “Exciting,” or “Great.”

- Once you have a title do a quick search to see if it already exists. Common titles make it harder for yours to rank.

- Have the title relate to the game. If there are certain words or phrases that players are familiar with, go ahead and use it.

- Make it click-worthy by promising something unique, but don’t mislead viewers.

2. Create Awesome Thumbnails

It doesn’t matter how awesome your video is, if the thumbnail image is boring, nobody will want to click into it. And if nobody clicks into it, you won’t get any views. Simple.

What makes a good thumbnail image?

1. Don’t use the random images YouTube picks for you
2. Have an expressive picture of a human face (preferably of yours, because it’s your gaming channel and you’re the star)

Take a look at The Syndicate Project’s thumbnails and how it evokes an intensity that makes you want to click — or scream with excitement. Both good things.

1. Don’t want to use your face? Create a character for yourself or to represent your channel. Or used the characters from the actual game.

Check out the colorful thumbnails from VanossGaming, where the owl is the mascot of their channel.

1. Use readable text or emojis

If you don’t have Photoshop or don’t have strong design skills, check out Wondershare Pixstudio , a drag-and-drop design tool that makes creating thumbnails easy.

3. Engage with Other Gamers

Don’t forget that YouTube is a social media platform.

It’s all about being a part of a YouTube community, and while you can’t interact with every creator on the platform, you can find those within your niche or specific game and chat with them. Leave a comment if you like their video or have constructive feedback.

Additionally, viewer engagements such as likes and comments have shown to have an indirect effect on your video ranking. That is why you should encourage your viewers to “smash” the like button or join in a conversation by asking them a question in your video.

6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

1. Cause for Demonetization

The YouTube monetization landscape has changed a lot for creators in the past few years. The guidelines are always being adjusted to serve both creators and advertisers. If you’re thinking of making money from YouTube ads, you have to be aware that there are types of content that turn advertisers off, and YouTube knows it. Here are some reasons that YouTube will choose to demonetize your videos:

- Excessive or gratuitous violence

- Hateful content: promotes discrimination or disparages or humiliates and individual or group of people (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.)

- Inappropriate use of family entertainment characters

- Incendiary and demeaning content: disrespectful languages that shame or insult an individual or group

2. Avoiding Copyright Strike

Thanks to the fair use doctrine, you’re allowed to take video game content and make videos from it without acquiring permission from the people who made the game.

However, if you step across the fair use line, you can be penalized for violating copyright infringement.

If you get three strikes from YouTube in 90 days, your account and videos will be removed and you won’t be allowed to create a new channel.

Before you publish your video ask yourself these questions, if you answer yes to any of them then you have met fair use standards:

- Is your content creative or educational?

- Is there more original content than copyrighted content?

- Is your video benefiting the original content?

I recommend that you learn more about YouTube copyright , and how to build your content so that it doesn’t get flagged.

Beyond all that, it’s about playing games, having a good time, and meeting awesome people like yourself. Enjoy the journey and take pleasure in every little achievement, be it in the game or on YouTube.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t go into YouTube gaming for the money, but rather to improve your skills and other people’s lives.
2. Find something special about your channel that people can’t find anywhere else.
3. YouTube gaming can be as cheap and as expensive as you want, create a budget to stay within your limits.
4. Understand optimization to improve your chances of viewers finding your content.
5. Don’t be hateful or advertisers will avoid you, and don’t steal other people’s content without crediting the original creator.
6. Give yourself a unique YouTube gaming channel name .

What’s stopping you from starting your YouTube gaming channel? Let us know in the comment box below!

Best Screen Recorder & Video Editor for Gamers

If you want to record the gameplay and edit it with some text and titles, or creative transitions and effects, I highly recommend you try Wondershare Filmora , which is easy to use yet powerful enough with its editing tools and effects templates. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Now is the best and easiest time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel. Yet a profitable channel? That’s another story. In this article, I am going to highlight the key elements you need to become the best YouTube gamer you can be.

Table of Content:

1. Have a Greater Purpose
2. Create an Identity
3. Type of Gaming Videos
4. Have a Budget
5. Optimization Matter
6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

Starting a gaming channel today will mean that you will be a small fish in a big ocean. The amount of content on YouTube is massive, and in order to stand out, you will need three intangibles:

- Patience

- Consistency

- Creativity

If you are willing to commit to this long term, then it’s the best time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel.

The All-in-One Screen Recorder & Video Editor

• Record desktop screen, voiceover, and webcam simultaneously
• Edit recorded clips quickly with a wide range of professional tools
• Built-in plentiful templates and effects
• Export to MP4, MOV, MKV, GIF and multiple formats

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Secure Download

It’s the best time because you will have so many pioneers and successful creators to draw inspiration and knowledge from. You’ll be standing on the shoulders of giants like PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and CinnamonToastKen.

The trail has been blazed and you’re in the new frontier. Now, here’s what you need to know about starting a YouTube gaming channel.

1. Have a Greater Purpose

According to Tubular Insights , 15% of all content on YouTube is related to video games. That’s a lot.

Additionally, as of 2018, YouTube has a new monetization requirement. To enable monetization, you will need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months.

If you think you can make a few videos and start making money, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to disappoint you. YouTube is fun and a wonderful way to increase the social aspect of gaming and enhance your enjoyment. Approach it the same way you’ve approached gaming all along, as a fun way to spend your time.

Enjoy the journey… and what a journey it can be. Do it for the love of playing games and making videos, and not about getting subscribers or views. If you don’t change your attitude, it’s a grueling climb if all you want is to reach the finish line (which is nowhere in sight).

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you don’t have a greater purpose than simply growing subscribers and making money off YouTube, then you are going to get discouraged and give up. It’s not a get-rich-fast plan.

Here is how you find your greater purpose:

1. Give Value

You want to make good YouTube gaming content like those popular YouTubers that came before you.

But… what makes good YouTube content?

Simply put, good content should exhibit these factors:

Entertaining: Tell a story and sensationalize the emotions that come out of you when you play games.

Educational: Find hidden stages, new tricks, and talk about the lore and history that brought this game to life.

Inspiring: Encourage viewers to try new games and play along. Help people discover their next pastime and thank viewers for spending their time with you.

This is what gives your content value, and creating content with value should be your ultimate purpose. Making your viewers feel good is, in a way, better than money, no?

2. Make YouTube a Part of Your Daily/Weekly Ritual

YouTube should be a part of your regular schedule.

At first, it’ll be easy. Like anything new, your YouTube channel will have a novelty to it. It’s this exciting new project that you have.

But after the first month, that excitement will dampen. By the third month, it’ll become familiar. Here’s where you have to fight the urge to stop. This is where author, Seth Godin calls The Dip .

It’s now working. And like all work, you’ll have to schedule it into your daily life. You’ll have to prioritize YouTube above hanging out with friends, watching another movie, or playing video games without the strain of recording it and being entertaining/educating/inspiring.

However, if you are getting fulfillment from YouTube, you won’t stop even when the going gets hard. Like being a parent, it’s not always fun, but it should always be fulfilling.

Pro Tip: Mark when you are going to be working on YouTube in a calendar, so when someone asks you to hang out or go for dinner, you can check it and let them know you already have plans.

3. Have a Passion to Get Better At Every Step

There are many stages to producing a YouTube video, from pre-production to production to post-production. And within those stages are countless steps.

If YouTube is what you want to do, perhaps the greatest purpose you can have is improving on each of those skill sets along the way.

In the beginning, you will have a surplus of ideas, but once your initial stock of video ideas run dry, you will need to practice coming up with more ideas .

You’ll get better at recording your gameplay, at speaking on camera, at editing your footage, at optimizing your content, and at sharing your videos.

You will enjoy certain steps more than others, but if you are passionate, you will find comfort in striving to improve in each one, little by little.

Pro Tip:Focus on telling a great story . In every video, you should have an objective you want to accomplish. You want to beat a stage, you want to learn a new skill, etc. Once you nail that, all the other elements (screen recording, editing, and your commentary) will fall into place to guide your story from beginning to end.

2. Create an Identity

Your personality and your channel will need to go through a littlebranding exercise . You need to find what sets yourself apart from all the other gaming channels on the Internet. Ask yourself, and be honest with the answer: Why should anyone care about my channel?

1. Be Original

Take inspiration from other YouTubers and adjust it so that it’s unique. You cannot copy the ideas of popular YouTubers, because the public can see that. They can tell the difference between originality and imitation.

Being original doesn’t mean doing something that has never been done before.

Take a look at Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, both are popular YouTubers recognized for their colorful hair, mass use of profanity, and their Let’s Play style of gaming videos. But if you watch their videos, you can see that they are not copying each other but rather adjusting what has proven to be effective to suit their personality.

If something inspires you and you want to make an original version yourself, don’t think that you need to do something completely different, rather ask, how can I make that awesome thing better?

2. Focus on a Specific Aspect of Game

Odds are, you’ll end up playing the same game as other YouTubers. If you’re playing a popular game, then it’s going to be hard for you to establish an audience if your videos are broad.

Consider how your viewers will discover your videos. Are they going to find you through search? If so, what are they searching? There are many aspects to a video game: characters, glitches, stages, etc.

Find a specific aspect of the game to focus on.

Take YouTuber, NoughtPointFourLive, who instead of playing the game via a linear campaign, finds ridiculous situations, odd tricks, and easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto:

3. Hook Audience With Something Funny Or Interesting — And Lead Up To It

Every video you make should tell a story. It doesn’t matter if the storyline is the one in the video game or if it’s happening to you in real life. What matters is that you are aware of where the climax is.

The climax is what your story hinges on: it’s when Mario confronts Bowser.

This is what your audience is watching for. They want to know who wins.

To hook your audience right away, open with the most exciting part. The bit leading up to the climax. But don’t give away the ending. You want to hook them. Give a promise that this video is worth watching and that eventually, it will deliver.

Check out this example from YouTuber, Lachlan playing Fortnite and landing back at Spawn Island, an artillery-filled waiting area for players before the game starts.

This structure can be applied with humor as well as climatic events. If you open with something funny, it gets the viewer engaged immediately. They want to know what led up to that humorous moment.

Take a look at this example from YouTuber, Jelly. He does a great job at injecting humor into his first few seconds of video.

3. Type of Gaming Videos

There are no rules to making gaming videos. As long as it’s worth watching and you aren’t stealing content, that is all that matters. Nevertheless, there are a few standard types of gaming videos that have been established over the years.

1. Let’s Plays

Turn the game on and start playing. Let’s Plays give you a lot of freedom to explore the game and let your personality show in the commentary. You don’t need to play with a strategy, but do have a particular goal in mind (Finishing a level, for example).

Let’s Plays are more about watching you experience the game. A demographic of people watching Let’s Plays are those that don’t have the game themselves, but still want to experience it. Let them live vicariously through you.

2. Reviews

When you’re deciding whether or not to buy a new product where do you go to research? Google and YouTube. If you have a lot of interesting insights after playing a game, making reviews videos might just be your calling. There are many games on the market, and for consumers, it can get overwhelming. Reviews help others decide whether they should invest their money and their time into that specific game or continue searching.

3. Walkthrough

Unlike Let’s Plays and reviews, walkthrough videos are mapped out and structured to help the viewers pass the game while experiencing events, side quests, and characters they would otherwise have missed.

4. Reactions

Misery or excitement, when you genuinely react to an event in a game, the audience gets to experience it along your side. Give the moment a bit of lead up, let people know what you are expecting, and then surprise yourself. Reaction videos are great because they are spontaneous and a wonderful form of presenting your personality.

5. Skills

Video games are hard to master. But if you think you are proficient in an aspect of the game, show off your moves. Is there a particular trick that you can do? Is there a stage you can beat quickly? Are you able to take down your enemy with ease? Prove it.

4. Have a Budget

When you begin your YouTube gaming journey, you are going to see a lot of established YouTubers showing off their gear. It’s easy to get carried away with equipment, but we recommend setting a budget and staying within it to start.

What’s a good budget for YouTubers? Some might say you can do it for $600 and others say $3000. That’s a big range.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you currently have.

Are you starting with nothing? Or do you have some essentials? If you have a computer, which can play the game of your choice, you don’t need to spend $2000 on a new one. Look at what you currently have before buying new stuff.

Here is what you will need to get the best results:

- Microphone (Average cost: $100)

- Webcam (Average cost: $100)

- Editing Software (Average cost: $300)

- PC that can handle recording, editing, rendering, uploading, etc. (Average cost: $2,000)

If you are starting out, all you need is a computer with a capable CPU and GPU, a webcam, a microphone, and a free encoding software, such as OBS , and you will be able to stream.

Even PewDiePie started with a basic gaming setup.

I don’t recommend blowing your life savings on all the equipment you want. Don’t have a powerful computer? There are games such as Minecraft and Roblox that are less taxing to your computer, if you don’t have a powerful one.

There are ways to work around it, if you don’t currently have the funds. Being a YouTuber is all about being resourceful and creative.

You don’t need professional editing software, there are affordable ones such as Wondershare Filmora that have all the capabilities.

1. Many Games Are Free

Here’s the great thing about starting as a video game YouTuber, you don’t need to pay for any games. I’m not only talking about the crappy Flash games on the Internet, but massively popular games such as Fortnite and DOTA are also free to start playing as well.

If you’re strapped for cash. Start your channel playing free games and work your way towards more expensive games.

2. Some Software Are Free As Well

OBS: This streaming software allows you to capture your game in top quality and broadcast it directly to YouTube. It’s a simple setup , and it’s completely free.

Audacity: This audio recording and editing software is great if you want to improve the quality of your audio by removing background noise or combining clips.

GIMP: Probably the closest free product to Photoshop you can find. GIMP will help you perform basic image manipulation. It’s not as user friendly as Photoshop, but you can learn the fundamentals here as you save up for the Creative Cloud subscription plan.

5. Optimization Matters

Gaming is arguably the most popular genre on YouTube. So, how is your little video going to be discovered in this vast sea of gaming content?

The answer: with a good optimization strategy.

1. Tags and Title

When conceptualizing your next video, consider what your viewers are going to search to find it. This will help you focus your gameplay to meet the demand of this untapped (or more specific) audience.

You can use a plugin called VidIQ to see the keyword score by simply searching for the content you think your viewers are interested in watching.

If you’re playing Fortnite, and your keyword is simply “Fortnite” you’re using a highly searched term, but the competition is very high as well. The odds of your ranking is incredibly tough as the overall keyword score is 61/100.

However, if you focus on a more specific aspect of the game to make a video around, such as a character, you can heighten your chance at being discovered.

Take the example below, where I added the keyword “Striker” to the search. Its overall keyword score is 87/100, that’s 26 points better in the keyword score, compared to just “Fortnite.”

This will help you identify the content you should be making and then use that keyword knowledge to write a good title and a list of 5-15 tags.

Few more tips to improving your titles include:

- Avoid uninspiring words like “Fun,” “Exciting,” or “Great.”

- Once you have a title do a quick search to see if it already exists. Common titles make it harder for yours to rank.

- Have the title relate to the game. If there are certain words or phrases that players are familiar with, go ahead and use it.

- Make it click-worthy by promising something unique, but don’t mislead viewers.

2. Create Awesome Thumbnails

It doesn’t matter how awesome your video is, if the thumbnail image is boring, nobody will want to click into it. And if nobody clicks into it, you won’t get any views. Simple.

What makes a good thumbnail image?

1. Don’t use the random images YouTube picks for you
2. Have an expressive picture of a human face (preferably of yours, because it’s your gaming channel and you’re the star)

Take a look at The Syndicate Project’s thumbnails and how it evokes an intensity that makes you want to click — or scream with excitement. Both good things.

1. Don’t want to use your face? Create a character for yourself or to represent your channel. Or used the characters from the actual game.

Check out the colorful thumbnails from VanossGaming, where the owl is the mascot of their channel.

1. Use readable text or emojis

If you don’t have Photoshop or don’t have strong design skills, check out Wondershare Pixstudio , a drag-and-drop design tool that makes creating thumbnails easy.

3. Engage with Other Gamers

Don’t forget that YouTube is a social media platform.

It’s all about being a part of a YouTube community, and while you can’t interact with every creator on the platform, you can find those within your niche or specific game and chat with them. Leave a comment if you like their video or have constructive feedback.

Additionally, viewer engagements such as likes and comments have shown to have an indirect effect on your video ranking. That is why you should encourage your viewers to “smash” the like button or join in a conversation by asking them a question in your video.

6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

1. Cause for Demonetization

The YouTube monetization landscape has changed a lot for creators in the past few years. The guidelines are always being adjusted to serve both creators and advertisers. If you’re thinking of making money from YouTube ads, you have to be aware that there are types of content that turn advertisers off, and YouTube knows it. Here are some reasons that YouTube will choose to demonetize your videos:

- Excessive or gratuitous violence

- Hateful content: promotes discrimination or disparages or humiliates and individual or group of people (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.)

- Inappropriate use of family entertainment characters

- Incendiary and demeaning content: disrespectful languages that shame or insult an individual or group

2. Avoiding Copyright Strike

Thanks to the fair use doctrine, you’re allowed to take video game content and make videos from it without acquiring permission from the people who made the game.

However, if you step across the fair use line, you can be penalized for violating copyright infringement.

If you get three strikes from YouTube in 90 days, your account and videos will be removed and you won’t be allowed to create a new channel.

Before you publish your video ask yourself these questions, if you answer yes to any of them then you have met fair use standards:

- Is your content creative or educational?

- Is there more original content than copyrighted content?

- Is your video benefiting the original content?

I recommend that you learn more about YouTube copyright , and how to build your content so that it doesn’t get flagged.

Beyond all that, it’s about playing games, having a good time, and meeting awesome people like yourself. Enjoy the journey and take pleasure in every little achievement, be it in the game or on YouTube.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t go into YouTube gaming for the money, but rather to improve your skills and other people’s lives.
2. Find something special about your channel that people can’t find anywhere else.
3. YouTube gaming can be as cheap and as expensive as you want, create a budget to stay within your limits.
4. Understand optimization to improve your chances of viewers finding your content.
5. Don’t be hateful or advertisers will avoid you, and don’t steal other people’s content without crediting the original creator.
6. Give yourself a unique YouTube gaming channel name .

What’s stopping you from starting your YouTube gaming channel? Let us know in the comment box below!

Best Screen Recorder & Video Editor for Gamers

If you want to record the gameplay and edit it with some text and titles, or creative transitions and effects, I highly recommend you try Wondershare Filmora , which is easy to use yet powerful enough with its editing tools and effects templates. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Now is the best and easiest time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel. Yet a profitable channel? That’s another story. In this article, I am going to highlight the key elements you need to become the best YouTube gamer you can be.

Table of Content:

1. Have a Greater Purpose
2. Create an Identity
3. Type of Gaming Videos
4. Have a Budget
5. Optimization Matter
6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

Starting a gaming channel today will mean that you will be a small fish in a big ocean. The amount of content on YouTube is massive, and in order to stand out, you will need three intangibles:

- Patience

- Consistency

- Creativity

If you are willing to commit to this long term, then it’s the best time in history for you to start a YouTube gaming channel.

The All-in-One Screen Recorder & Video Editor

• Record desktop screen, voiceover, and webcam simultaneously
• Edit recorded clips quickly with a wide range of professional tools
• Built-in plentiful templates and effects
• Export to MP4, MOV, MKV, GIF and multiple formats

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Secure Download

It’s the best time because you will have so many pioneers and successful creators to draw inspiration and knowledge from. You’ll be standing on the shoulders of giants like PewDiePie, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, and CinnamonToastKen.

The trail has been blazed and you’re in the new frontier. Now, here’s what you need to know about starting a YouTube gaming channel.

1. Have a Greater Purpose

According to Tubular Insights , 15% of all content on YouTube is related to video games. That’s a lot.

Additionally, as of 2018, YouTube has a new monetization requirement. To enable monetization, you will need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months.

If you think you can make a few videos and start making money, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to disappoint you. YouTube is fun and a wonderful way to increase the social aspect of gaming and enhance your enjoyment. Approach it the same way you’ve approached gaming all along, as a fun way to spend your time.

Enjoy the journey… and what a journey it can be. Do it for the love of playing games and making videos, and not about getting subscribers or views. If you don’t change your attitude, it’s a grueling climb if all you want is to reach the finish line (which is nowhere in sight).

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you don’t have a greater purpose than simply growing subscribers and making money off YouTube, then you are going to get discouraged and give up. It’s not a get-rich-fast plan.

Here is how you find your greater purpose:

1. Give Value

You want to make good YouTube gaming content like those popular YouTubers that came before you.

But… what makes good YouTube content?

Simply put, good content should exhibit these factors:

Entertaining: Tell a story and sensationalize the emotions that come out of you when you play games.

Educational: Find hidden stages, new tricks, and talk about the lore and history that brought this game to life.

Inspiring: Encourage viewers to try new games and play along. Help people discover their next pastime and thank viewers for spending their time with you.

This is what gives your content value, and creating content with value should be your ultimate purpose. Making your viewers feel good is, in a way, better than money, no?

2. Make YouTube a Part of Your Daily/Weekly Ritual

YouTube should be a part of your regular schedule.

At first, it’ll be easy. Like anything new, your YouTube channel will have a novelty to it. It’s this exciting new project that you have.

But after the first month, that excitement will dampen. By the third month, it’ll become familiar. Here’s where you have to fight the urge to stop. This is where author, Seth Godin calls The Dip .

It’s now working. And like all work, you’ll have to schedule it into your daily life. You’ll have to prioritize YouTube above hanging out with friends, watching another movie, or playing video games without the strain of recording it and being entertaining/educating/inspiring.

However, if you are getting fulfillment from YouTube, you won’t stop even when the going gets hard. Like being a parent, it’s not always fun, but it should always be fulfilling.

Pro Tip: Mark when you are going to be working on YouTube in a calendar, so when someone asks you to hang out or go for dinner, you can check it and let them know you already have plans.

3. Have a Passion to Get Better At Every Step

There are many stages to producing a YouTube video, from pre-production to production to post-production. And within those stages are countless steps.

If YouTube is what you want to do, perhaps the greatest purpose you can have is improving on each of those skill sets along the way.

In the beginning, you will have a surplus of ideas, but once your initial stock of video ideas run dry, you will need to practice coming up with more ideas .

You’ll get better at recording your gameplay, at speaking on camera, at editing your footage, at optimizing your content, and at sharing your videos.

You will enjoy certain steps more than others, but if you are passionate, you will find comfort in striving to improve in each one, little by little.

Pro Tip:Focus on telling a great story . In every video, you should have an objective you want to accomplish. You want to beat a stage, you want to learn a new skill, etc. Once you nail that, all the other elements (screen recording, editing, and your commentary) will fall into place to guide your story from beginning to end.

2. Create an Identity

Your personality and your channel will need to go through a littlebranding exercise . You need to find what sets yourself apart from all the other gaming channels on the Internet. Ask yourself, and be honest with the answer: Why should anyone care about my channel?

1. Be Original

Take inspiration from other YouTubers and adjust it so that it’s unique. You cannot copy the ideas of popular YouTubers, because the public can see that. They can tell the difference between originality and imitation.

Being original doesn’t mean doing something that has never been done before.

Take a look at Jacksepticeye and Markiplier, both are popular YouTubers recognized for their colorful hair, mass use of profanity, and their Let’s Play style of gaming videos. But if you watch their videos, you can see that they are not copying each other but rather adjusting what has proven to be effective to suit their personality.

If something inspires you and you want to make an original version yourself, don’t think that you need to do something completely different, rather ask, how can I make that awesome thing better?

2. Focus on a Specific Aspect of Game

Odds are, you’ll end up playing the same game as other YouTubers. If you’re playing a popular game, then it’s going to be hard for you to establish an audience if your videos are broad.

Consider how your viewers will discover your videos. Are they going to find you through search? If so, what are they searching? There are many aspects to a video game: characters, glitches, stages, etc.

Find a specific aspect of the game to focus on.

Take YouTuber, NoughtPointFourLive, who instead of playing the game via a linear campaign, finds ridiculous situations, odd tricks, and easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto:

3. Hook Audience With Something Funny Or Interesting — And Lead Up To It

Every video you make should tell a story. It doesn’t matter if the storyline is the one in the video game or if it’s happening to you in real life. What matters is that you are aware of where the climax is.

The climax is what your story hinges on: it’s when Mario confronts Bowser.

This is what your audience is watching for. They want to know who wins.

To hook your audience right away, open with the most exciting part. The bit leading up to the climax. But don’t give away the ending. You want to hook them. Give a promise that this video is worth watching and that eventually, it will deliver.

Check out this example from YouTuber, Lachlan playing Fortnite and landing back at Spawn Island, an artillery-filled waiting area for players before the game starts.

This structure can be applied with humor as well as climatic events. If you open with something funny, it gets the viewer engaged immediately. They want to know what led up to that humorous moment.

Take a look at this example from YouTuber, Jelly. He does a great job at injecting humor into his first few seconds of video.

3. Type of Gaming Videos

There are no rules to making gaming videos. As long as it’s worth watching and you aren’t stealing content, that is all that matters. Nevertheless, there are a few standard types of gaming videos that have been established over the years.

1. Let’s Plays

Turn the game on and start playing. Let’s Plays give you a lot of freedom to explore the game and let your personality show in the commentary. You don’t need to play with a strategy, but do have a particular goal in mind (Finishing a level, for example).

Let’s Plays are more about watching you experience the game. A demographic of people watching Let’s Plays are those that don’t have the game themselves, but still want to experience it. Let them live vicariously through you.

2. Reviews

When you’re deciding whether or not to buy a new product where do you go to research? Google and YouTube. If you have a lot of interesting insights after playing a game, making reviews videos might just be your calling. There are many games on the market, and for consumers, it can get overwhelming. Reviews help others decide whether they should invest their money and their time into that specific game or continue searching.

3. Walkthrough

Unlike Let’s Plays and reviews, walkthrough videos are mapped out and structured to help the viewers pass the game while experiencing events, side quests, and characters they would otherwise have missed.

4. Reactions

Misery or excitement, when you genuinely react to an event in a game, the audience gets to experience it along your side. Give the moment a bit of lead up, let people know what you are expecting, and then surprise yourself. Reaction videos are great because they are spontaneous and a wonderful form of presenting your personality.

5. Skills

Video games are hard to master. But if you think you are proficient in an aspect of the game, show off your moves. Is there a particular trick that you can do? Is there a stage you can beat quickly? Are you able to take down your enemy with ease? Prove it.

4. Have a Budget

When you begin your YouTube gaming journey, you are going to see a lot of established YouTubers showing off their gear. It’s easy to get carried away with equipment, but we recommend setting a budget and staying within it to start.

What’s a good budget for YouTubers? Some might say you can do it for $600 and others say $3000. That’s a big range.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you currently have.

Are you starting with nothing? Or do you have some essentials? If you have a computer, which can play the game of your choice, you don’t need to spend $2000 on a new one. Look at what you currently have before buying new stuff.

Here is what you will need to get the best results:

- Microphone (Average cost: $100)

- Webcam (Average cost: $100)

- Editing Software (Average cost: $300)

- PC that can handle recording, editing, rendering, uploading, etc. (Average cost: $2,000)

If you are starting out, all you need is a computer with a capable CPU and GPU, a webcam, a microphone, and a free encoding software, such as OBS , and you will be able to stream.

Even PewDiePie started with a basic gaming setup.

I don’t recommend blowing your life savings on all the equipment you want. Don’t have a powerful computer? There are games such as Minecraft and Roblox that are less taxing to your computer, if you don’t have a powerful one.

There are ways to work around it, if you don’t currently have the funds. Being a YouTuber is all about being resourceful and creative.

You don’t need professional editing software, there are affordable ones such as Wondershare Filmora that have all the capabilities.

1. Many Games Are Free

Here’s the great thing about starting as a video game YouTuber, you don’t need to pay for any games. I’m not only talking about the crappy Flash games on the Internet, but massively popular games such as Fortnite and DOTA are also free to start playing as well.

If you’re strapped for cash. Start your channel playing free games and work your way towards more expensive games.

2. Some Software Are Free As Well

OBS: This streaming software allows you to capture your game in top quality and broadcast it directly to YouTube. It’s a simple setup , and it’s completely free.

Audacity: This audio recording and editing software is great if you want to improve the quality of your audio by removing background noise or combining clips.

GIMP: Probably the closest free product to Photoshop you can find. GIMP will help you perform basic image manipulation. It’s not as user friendly as Photoshop, but you can learn the fundamentals here as you save up for the Creative Cloud subscription plan.

5. Optimization Matters

Gaming is arguably the most popular genre on YouTube. So, how is your little video going to be discovered in this vast sea of gaming content?

The answer: with a good optimization strategy.

1. Tags and Title

When conceptualizing your next video, consider what your viewers are going to search to find it. This will help you focus your gameplay to meet the demand of this untapped (or more specific) audience.

You can use a plugin called VidIQ to see the keyword score by simply searching for the content you think your viewers are interested in watching.

If you’re playing Fortnite, and your keyword is simply “Fortnite” you’re using a highly searched term, but the competition is very high as well. The odds of your ranking is incredibly tough as the overall keyword score is 61/100.

However, if you focus on a more specific aspect of the game to make a video around, such as a character, you can heighten your chance at being discovered.

Take the example below, where I added the keyword “Striker” to the search. Its overall keyword score is 87/100, that’s 26 points better in the keyword score, compared to just “Fortnite.”

This will help you identify the content you should be making and then use that keyword knowledge to write a good title and a list of 5-15 tags.

Few more tips to improving your titles include:

- Avoid uninspiring words like “Fun,” “Exciting,” or “Great.”

- Once you have a title do a quick search to see if it already exists. Common titles make it harder for yours to rank.

- Have the title relate to the game. If there are certain words or phrases that players are familiar with, go ahead and use it.

- Make it click-worthy by promising something unique, but don’t mislead viewers.

2. Create Awesome Thumbnails

It doesn’t matter how awesome your video is, if the thumbnail image is boring, nobody will want to click into it. And if nobody clicks into it, you won’t get any views. Simple.

What makes a good thumbnail image?

1. Don’t use the random images YouTube picks for you
2. Have an expressive picture of a human face (preferably of yours, because it’s your gaming channel and you’re the star)

Take a look at The Syndicate Project’s thumbnails and how it evokes an intensity that makes you want to click — or scream with excitement. Both good things.

1. Don’t want to use your face? Create a character for yourself or to represent your channel. Or used the characters from the actual game.

Check out the colorful thumbnails from VanossGaming, where the owl is the mascot of their channel.

1. Use readable text or emojis

If you don’t have Photoshop or don’t have strong design skills, check out Wondershare Pixstudio , a drag-and-drop design tool that makes creating thumbnails easy.

3. Engage with Other Gamers

Don’t forget that YouTube is a social media platform.

It’s all about being a part of a YouTube community, and while you can’t interact with every creator on the platform, you can find those within your niche or specific game and chat with them. Leave a comment if you like their video or have constructive feedback.

Additionally, viewer engagements such as likes and comments have shown to have an indirect effect on your video ranking. That is why you should encourage your viewers to “smash” the like button or join in a conversation by asking them a question in your video.

6. Be Cautious of Content Strike and Demonetization

1. Cause for Demonetization

The YouTube monetization landscape has changed a lot for creators in the past few years. The guidelines are always being adjusted to serve both creators and advertisers. If you’re thinking of making money from YouTube ads, you have to be aware that there are types of content that turn advertisers off, and YouTube knows it. Here are some reasons that YouTube will choose to demonetize your videos:

- Excessive or gratuitous violence

- Hateful content: promotes discrimination or disparages or humiliates and individual or group of people (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.)

- Inappropriate use of family entertainment characters

- Incendiary and demeaning content: disrespectful languages that shame or insult an individual or group

2. Avoiding Copyright Strike

Thanks to the fair use doctrine, you’re allowed to take video game content and make videos from it without acquiring permission from the people who made the game.

However, if you step across the fair use line, you can be penalized for violating copyright infringement.

If you get three strikes from YouTube in 90 days, your account and videos will be removed and you won’t be allowed to create a new channel.

Before you publish your video ask yourself these questions, if you answer yes to any of them then you have met fair use standards:

- Is your content creative or educational?

- Is there more original content than copyrighted content?

- Is your video benefiting the original content?

I recommend that you learn more about YouTube copyright , and how to build your content so that it doesn’t get flagged.

Beyond all that, it’s about playing games, having a good time, and meeting awesome people like yourself. Enjoy the journey and take pleasure in every little achievement, be it in the game or on YouTube.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t go into YouTube gaming for the money, but rather to improve your skills and other people’s lives.
2. Find something special about your channel that people can’t find anywhere else.
3. YouTube gaming can be as cheap and as expensive as you want, create a budget to stay within your limits.
4. Understand optimization to improve your chances of viewers finding your content.
5. Don’t be hateful or advertisers will avoid you, and don’t steal other people’s content without crediting the original creator.
6. Give yourself a unique YouTube gaming channel name .

What’s stopping you from starting your YouTube gaming channel? Let us know in the comment box below!

Best Screen Recorder & Video Editor for Gamers

If you want to record the gameplay and edit it with some text and titles, or creative transitions and effects, I highly recommend you try Wondershare Filmora , which is easy to use yet powerful enough with its editing tools and effects templates. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

10 Best Video Streaming Alternatives to YouTube for Smartphone Users

Youtube Video Maker - Wondershare Filmora

Provide abundant video effects and templates

Designed with all-in-one and easy-to-use video editing features.

Support with Professional user guide and interactive tutorials.

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Now, YouTube becomes the second largest search engine in the world, over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched per day. People will be using Google apps to access videos on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are existing issues in using the official application such as the stopping of the playback when you minimize the app and the number of annoying ads displayed on the YouTube application. If you want to get rid of these issues, then you might want to choose YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone and Android.

In this article

Part 1: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

Part 2: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

For Apple users, here are some of the best YouTube App Alternatives. We analyzed their top feature and why we decided to include them in this top 5 list.

1. Tube Master

Price: Free

The abundance of features this app provides makes it one of the best alternatives for the YouTube app. Tube Master lets you watch videos while browsing through the millions of videos that are available on the world’s largest video-sharing platform. This iOS-based app enables you to search or play videos without having to sign in to your account, and it allows you to change the video playback speed so you can watch videos in slow motion. The Tube Master app lets you create an unlimited amount of playlists and allows you to answer comments or chat messages instantly.

Tube Mater Features

• Available on Google Play Store and third-party app stores
• You can browse videos using the built-in browser
• Allows you to download videos and audios at different resolutions
• Play videos offline with a built-in video player
• You can download videos from multiple social media platforms
• Lightweight app and requires low RAM and storage space

Download Tube Master

Pros

Users can play the video in fast forward or go back

Easy to use

A rich selection of features

Cons

Slow speed

2. YouTube ++

Price: Free

The YouTube++ app is designed to make watching and downloading YouTube videos to your device a fun and easy process. What’s more, it blocks ads, so you won’t have to wait for the ad to finish to be able to continue watching a video. Changing the video playback speed, forward and rewind controls or the auto-reply options are just a few among the many useful features the YouTube++ app offers to its users. Furthermore, the app lets you disable age restrictions, but it only plays videos in default playback quality.

YouTube++ Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Download videos and play them offline on your device
• Share videos on WhatsApp and other social media apps
• Comes with an ads blocker
• You can play audio and video in the background
• Allows you to play videos on loop
• You can disable the age restriction
• Comes with a fast-forwarding or rewinding feature for users
• Also comes with an audio and video format converter

Download Youtube ++

Pros

Audio player available for downloaded videos

Allows you to play video and audio files while using other apps

Removes ads from the videos you watch

Cons

The app isn’t available at the AppStore

Limited playback quality capabilities

3. MyTube

Price: Free

YouTubers who are passionate about music are going to love using this app because it offers superb search tools that enable them to find their favorite songs within seconds. You can either search songs by name, album or artist. MyTube’s users can create their playlists that can continuously play, while the app also provides the option to share videos to Facebook or via email. You can save a song you like on your YouTube account and listen to it whenever you want in just a few simple taps in the MyTube app.

MyTube Features

• Create and manage various playlists
• Supports HD quality videos
• Continue watching your current video while you browse the app
• Play music videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download videos and audio to watch or listen offline
• Post and reply to comments

Download MyTube

Pros

Powerful search tools

The app offers a simple way to create playlists and organize videos or music

Repeat and Shuffle options

Cons

MyTube doesn’t allow you to download videos from YouTube

No fast forward or rewind options

4. VideoTube

Price: Free

If you would like to manage your YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion account from a single app on your iPhone or iPad, then the right choice for you is the VideoTube app. Simply log in to your YouTube account and start browsing through the platform’s endless collection of videos. The app provides one of the kind widgets that lets you open videos you want to watch from the Notification Center. Browsing through YouTube channels, commenting on videos, or subscribing to channels you like are among the numerous features this app offers to its users.

VideoTube Features

• Features popular videos from all leading platforms
• You can browse from multiple categories
• User-interface and website layout is similar to YouTube
• You can also submit your own video content
• Download videos and play them offline

Download Video Tube

Pros

You can browse through your search history and watch your favorite videos again

Add videos to the watch list

The app is not prone to crashing

Cons

Even though it is free, it contains in-app purchases

Relatively poor codec support

5. Tubex - Video & Music Player

Price: Free

Keeping in touch with the latest trends in the music industry or discovering your new favorite song is easy with Tubex. The iOS-based app shows the hottest music trends for the country from which it is accessed, while its intuitive interface makes searching for new songs a fun process. You can add each song you like to a wishlist or include it in the playlist you created with Tubex. The app lets you create as many playlists as you want so you can easily sort all music you discover. Tubex also features a video player that can be activated by a single tap on the video you’d like to watch.

Tubex Features

• Watch and listen to the latest music videos
• Contains unlimited videos arranged reasonably
• Comes with an attractive and user-friendly design
• Allows you to download and share songs and videos
• You can like, share and comment on videos
• Add your favorite videos to the watchlist
• Also comes with a playlist manager

Download Tubex

Pros

Elegant and functionally designed interface

Users can create an unlimited number of playlists

Makes managing large quantities of video files look easy

Cons

In-app purchases are required to unlock all of the app’s features

Turbex doesn’t offer a video download option

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

We will not be leaving our Android phone readers behind. For the best YouTube App for their gadgets, here are our top picks for this year.

1. NewPipe

Price: Free

This Freeware, open-source app is basically a lighter version of the YouTube app that doesn’t require any Google Play services to run smoothly. NewPipe collects the URL source from YouTube and displays the information it gathers in the app that is completely independent of this platform. The app’s users can search videos, view the video’s info, or choose which streaming player they are going to use to watch the video. The app offers support for videos in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution, which means that you watch high-quality videos from your phone. The NewPipe app is a great choice for YouTubers who don’t have powerful Android phones but still want to enjoy the benefits of browsing the world’s largest video-sharing platform.

NewPipe Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Unlimited downloads
• You can set and change the quality of video play
• Play videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download the video and audio at different resolutions.
• Play video as a Pop-up box for multitasking
• Lightweight and consumes low storage and battery

Download New Pipe

Pros

Great browsing and search features

Lets you download videos to your device

Offers support for high-resolution videos

Cons

The app is not available on the Google Play store

Limited tools for creating playlists

2. OGYouTube

Price: Free

Like most YouTube client apps, OGYouTube lets you browse the platform, listen to music or watch videos in different resolutions. As a matter of fact, this app is just an older version of the YouTube client app, that still provides the option to download videos. However, if you log into your account on YouTube, with the OGYouTube app you won’t be able to download videos. The app’s interface is identical to YouTube’s interface, which means that you won’t have to waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to use OGYouTube.

OGYouTube Features

• Play and download videos directly from the app
• Supports different video qualities
• Play video in background
• Comes with a dark mode on android devices
• Runs parallel with the default YouTube app
• No annoying ads to disturb you

Download OGYouTube

Pros

A great option for people who don’t have powerful Android phones

Lets you play videos while using other apps

The app doesn’t contain ads

Cons

Not an official YouTube client app

Not available on Google Play Store

3. YouTube GO

Price: Free

YouTube’s official app can be quite demanding since it requires a fast Internet connection. That’s the reason why the company launched a lighter version of their official app, which is currently available in 130 countries around the world. One of the greatest advantages of the YouTube Go app is the fact that it lets you choose how many MB you spend on videos. Furthermore, the app is built to work seamlessly even at low Internet speeds, so its users can listen to music or download videos even if they don’t have access to an ultra-fast WiFi connection.

YouTube Go Features

• Official YouTube app for rapid downloads and sharing
• Download the app directly from Google Play Store
• You can preview videos before watching
• Download videos to your device and watch offline
• You can watch videos in different qualities
• Lets you control data speed

Download YouTube GO

Pros

Video transfers don’t use data

Remarkable video sharing capabilities

Compatible with older versions of Android OS

Cons

Users can’t create playlists

The app contains ads

4. FlyTube APK

Price: Free

Even though FlyTube APK doesn’t offer many options, it is still one of the best YouTube app alternatives, because it lets you watch videos directly from YouTube while preserving your data. In order to be able to install it on your device, you must make sure that the OS you have on your phone is at least Android 4.0 or later. FlyTube APK enables you to listen to music from YouTube while chatting or using other apps on your phone. The app’s small window is fully adjustable and you can place it in the background while doing other things.

FlyTube APK Features

• Play videos in the pop-up while you use other apps
• Multiple YouTube videos are available to browse from
• Share videos on multiple platforms
• Does not run on Google Play Services
• A small sized app so does not drain battery and storage

Download FlyTube APK

Pros

A lightweight app that allows you to gain access to YouTube’s rich music collection

FlyTube doesn’t contain ads or surveys

Great multitasking potential

Cons

It easily drains the phone’s battery

The app’s not available on the Google Play store

5. iTube

Price: Free

If you are looking for an app that will let you listen to music from YouTube on your phone while you are using apps such as Facebook or WhatsApp, then iTube is one of the best choices you can make. The app is specifically designed to save battery and to enable its users to have access to music while they are in areas with no Internet reception. What’s more, if you don’t want to spend all your monthly data on YouTube videos, iTube offers a great solution for limited bandwidth plans, because it uses a minimum amount of data to play videos.

iTube Features

• Download full-playlists in audio and video formats
• You can convert and download videos in different formats like mp4, AVI, WMV, etc.
• Download videos from multiple different websites and apps
• You can record and upload videos using the built-in screen recorder
• You can adjust data usage
• Easy to use and browse your favorite videos

Download iTube

Pros

The app works without Internet

No ads before or during a video

Great source of music on long flights

Saves battery

Cons

The app’s users can’t comment on YouTube videos

Limited sharing capabilities

Conclusion

In recent years, short videos and instant music videos are getting popular, Instagram even launched an app Called IGTV for people to share videos, let alone the hot lip-sync music video sharing app Musical.ly (now Tik Tok) which has 500+ million active users globally. So, if you are eager to create and watch short social media videos, you can try these two apps as well.

Whenever you want to get more subscribers and make money with videos, you really need to pay attention to the video content as content is the king in video marketing. Besides the creative ideas, powerful video editing software for YouTubers will help you to step to the next level. Here are some cool video effects that you may be interested in. Do not hesitate to download Filmora and edit with some cool visual effects to your video today.

Wanted to make YouTube videos by yourself and share them with your audiences? Check this easy-to-use and powerful video editor for YouTube - Wondershare’s Filmora , and ignite your video with clicks. Filmora allows you to create 9:16, 1:1 videos for your phone. What’s more, you can export your work directly from the computer to YouTube with Filmora.

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Now, YouTube becomes the second largest search engine in the world, over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched per day. People will be using Google apps to access videos on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are existing issues in using the official application such as the stopping of the playback when you minimize the app and the number of annoying ads displayed on the YouTube application. If you want to get rid of these issues, then you might want to choose YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone and Android.

In this article

Part 1: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

Part 2: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

For Apple users, here are some of the best YouTube App Alternatives. We analyzed their top feature and why we decided to include them in this top 5 list.

1. Tube Master

Price: Free

The abundance of features this app provides makes it one of the best alternatives for the YouTube app. Tube Master lets you watch videos while browsing through the millions of videos that are available on the world’s largest video-sharing platform. This iOS-based app enables you to search or play videos without having to sign in to your account, and it allows you to change the video playback speed so you can watch videos in slow motion. The Tube Master app lets you create an unlimited amount of playlists and allows you to answer comments or chat messages instantly.

Tube Mater Features

• Available on Google Play Store and third-party app stores
• You can browse videos using the built-in browser
• Allows you to download videos and audios at different resolutions
• Play videos offline with a built-in video player
• You can download videos from multiple social media platforms
• Lightweight app and requires low RAM and storage space

Download Tube Master

Pros

Users can play the video in fast forward or go back

Easy to use

A rich selection of features

Cons

Slow speed

2. YouTube ++

Price: Free

The YouTube++ app is designed to make watching and downloading YouTube videos to your device a fun and easy process. What’s more, it blocks ads, so you won’t have to wait for the ad to finish to be able to continue watching a video. Changing the video playback speed, forward and rewind controls or the auto-reply options are just a few among the many useful features the YouTube++ app offers to its users. Furthermore, the app lets you disable age restrictions, but it only plays videos in default playback quality.

YouTube++ Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Download videos and play them offline on your device
• Share videos on WhatsApp and other social media apps
• Comes with an ads blocker
• You can play audio and video in the background
• Allows you to play videos on loop
• You can disable the age restriction
• Comes with a fast-forwarding or rewinding feature for users
• Also comes with an audio and video format converter

Download Youtube ++

Pros

Audio player available for downloaded videos

Allows you to play video and audio files while using other apps

Removes ads from the videos you watch

Cons

The app isn’t available at the AppStore

Limited playback quality capabilities

3. MyTube

Price: Free

YouTubers who are passionate about music are going to love using this app because it offers superb search tools that enable them to find their favorite songs within seconds. You can either search songs by name, album or artist. MyTube’s users can create their playlists that can continuously play, while the app also provides the option to share videos to Facebook or via email. You can save a song you like on your YouTube account and listen to it whenever you want in just a few simple taps in the MyTube app.

MyTube Features

• Create and manage various playlists
• Supports HD quality videos
• Continue watching your current video while you browse the app
• Play music videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download videos and audio to watch or listen offline
• Post and reply to comments

Download MyTube

Pros

Powerful search tools

The app offers a simple way to create playlists and organize videos or music

Repeat and Shuffle options

Cons

MyTube doesn’t allow you to download videos from YouTube

No fast forward or rewind options

4. VideoTube

Price: Free

If you would like to manage your YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion account from a single app on your iPhone or iPad, then the right choice for you is the VideoTube app. Simply log in to your YouTube account and start browsing through the platform’s endless collection of videos. The app provides one of the kind widgets that lets you open videos you want to watch from the Notification Center. Browsing through YouTube channels, commenting on videos, or subscribing to channels you like are among the numerous features this app offers to its users.

VideoTube Features

• Features popular videos from all leading platforms
• You can browse from multiple categories
• User-interface and website layout is similar to YouTube
• You can also submit your own video content
• Download videos and play them offline

Download Video Tube

Pros

You can browse through your search history and watch your favorite videos again

Add videos to the watch list

The app is not prone to crashing

Cons

Even though it is free, it contains in-app purchases

Relatively poor codec support

5. Tubex - Video & Music Player

Price: Free

Keeping in touch with the latest trends in the music industry or discovering your new favorite song is easy with Tubex. The iOS-based app shows the hottest music trends for the country from which it is accessed, while its intuitive interface makes searching for new songs a fun process. You can add each song you like to a wishlist or include it in the playlist you created with Tubex. The app lets you create as many playlists as you want so you can easily sort all music you discover. Tubex also features a video player that can be activated by a single tap on the video you’d like to watch.

Tubex Features

• Watch and listen to the latest music videos
• Contains unlimited videos arranged reasonably
• Comes with an attractive and user-friendly design
• Allows you to download and share songs and videos
• You can like, share and comment on videos
• Add your favorite videos to the watchlist
• Also comes with a playlist manager

Download Tubex

Pros

Elegant and functionally designed interface

Users can create an unlimited number of playlists

Makes managing large quantities of video files look easy

Cons

In-app purchases are required to unlock all of the app’s features

Turbex doesn’t offer a video download option

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

We will not be leaving our Android phone readers behind. For the best YouTube App for their gadgets, here are our top picks for this year.

1. NewPipe

Price: Free

This Freeware, open-source app is basically a lighter version of the YouTube app that doesn’t require any Google Play services to run smoothly. NewPipe collects the URL source from YouTube and displays the information it gathers in the app that is completely independent of this platform. The app’s users can search videos, view the video’s info, or choose which streaming player they are going to use to watch the video. The app offers support for videos in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution, which means that you watch high-quality videos from your phone. The NewPipe app is a great choice for YouTubers who don’t have powerful Android phones but still want to enjoy the benefits of browsing the world’s largest video-sharing platform.

NewPipe Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Unlimited downloads
• You can set and change the quality of video play
• Play videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download the video and audio at different resolutions.
• Play video as a Pop-up box for multitasking
• Lightweight and consumes low storage and battery

Download New Pipe

Pros

Great browsing and search features

Lets you download videos to your device

Offers support for high-resolution videos

Cons

The app is not available on the Google Play store

Limited tools for creating playlists

2. OGYouTube

Price: Free

Like most YouTube client apps, OGYouTube lets you browse the platform, listen to music or watch videos in different resolutions. As a matter of fact, this app is just an older version of the YouTube client app, that still provides the option to download videos. However, if you log into your account on YouTube, with the OGYouTube app you won’t be able to download videos. The app’s interface is identical to YouTube’s interface, which means that you won’t have to waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to use OGYouTube.

OGYouTube Features

• Play and download videos directly from the app
• Supports different video qualities
• Play video in background
• Comes with a dark mode on android devices
• Runs parallel with the default YouTube app
• No annoying ads to disturb you

Download OGYouTube

Pros

A great option for people who don’t have powerful Android phones

Lets you play videos while using other apps

The app doesn’t contain ads

Cons

Not an official YouTube client app

Not available on Google Play Store

3. YouTube GO

Price: Free

YouTube’s official app can be quite demanding since it requires a fast Internet connection. That’s the reason why the company launched a lighter version of their official app, which is currently available in 130 countries around the world. One of the greatest advantages of the YouTube Go app is the fact that it lets you choose how many MB you spend on videos. Furthermore, the app is built to work seamlessly even at low Internet speeds, so its users can listen to music or download videos even if they don’t have access to an ultra-fast WiFi connection.

YouTube Go Features

• Official YouTube app for rapid downloads and sharing
• Download the app directly from Google Play Store
• You can preview videos before watching
• Download videos to your device and watch offline
• You can watch videos in different qualities
• Lets you control data speed

Download YouTube GO

Pros

Video transfers don’t use data

Remarkable video sharing capabilities

Compatible with older versions of Android OS

Cons

Users can’t create playlists

The app contains ads

4. FlyTube APK

Price: Free

Even though FlyTube APK doesn’t offer many options, it is still one of the best YouTube app alternatives, because it lets you watch videos directly from YouTube while preserving your data. In order to be able to install it on your device, you must make sure that the OS you have on your phone is at least Android 4.0 or later. FlyTube APK enables you to listen to music from YouTube while chatting or using other apps on your phone. The app’s small window is fully adjustable and you can place it in the background while doing other things.

FlyTube APK Features

• Play videos in the pop-up while you use other apps
• Multiple YouTube videos are available to browse from
• Share videos on multiple platforms
• Does not run on Google Play Services
• A small sized app so does not drain battery and storage

Download FlyTube APK

Pros

A lightweight app that allows you to gain access to YouTube’s rich music collection

FlyTube doesn’t contain ads or surveys

Great multitasking potential

Cons

It easily drains the phone’s battery

The app’s not available on the Google Play store

5. iTube

Price: Free

If you are looking for an app that will let you listen to music from YouTube on your phone while you are using apps such as Facebook or WhatsApp, then iTube is one of the best choices you can make. The app is specifically designed to save battery and to enable its users to have access to music while they are in areas with no Internet reception. What’s more, if you don’t want to spend all your monthly data on YouTube videos, iTube offers a great solution for limited bandwidth plans, because it uses a minimum amount of data to play videos.

iTube Features

• Download full-playlists in audio and video formats
• You can convert and download videos in different formats like mp4, AVI, WMV, etc.
• Download videos from multiple different websites and apps
• You can record and upload videos using the built-in screen recorder
• You can adjust data usage
• Easy to use and browse your favorite videos

Download iTube

Pros

The app works without Internet

No ads before or during a video

Great source of music on long flights

Saves battery

Cons

The app’s users can’t comment on YouTube videos

Limited sharing capabilities

Conclusion

In recent years, short videos and instant music videos are getting popular, Instagram even launched an app Called IGTV for people to share videos, let alone the hot lip-sync music video sharing app Musical.ly (now Tik Tok) which has 500+ million active users globally. So, if you are eager to create and watch short social media videos, you can try these two apps as well.

Whenever you want to get more subscribers and make money with videos, you really need to pay attention to the video content as content is the king in video marketing. Besides the creative ideas, powerful video editing software for YouTubers will help you to step to the next level. Here are some cool video effects that you may be interested in. Do not hesitate to download Filmora and edit with some cool visual effects to your video today.

Wanted to make YouTube videos by yourself and share them with your audiences? Check this easy-to-use and powerful video editor for YouTube - Wondershare’s Filmora , and ignite your video with clicks. Filmora allows you to create 9:16, 1:1 videos for your phone. What’s more, you can export your work directly from the computer to YouTube with Filmora.

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Now, YouTube becomes the second largest search engine in the world, over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched per day. People will be using Google apps to access videos on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are existing issues in using the official application such as the stopping of the playback when you minimize the app and the number of annoying ads displayed on the YouTube application. If you want to get rid of these issues, then you might want to choose YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone and Android.

In this article

Part 1: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

Part 2: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

For Apple users, here are some of the best YouTube App Alternatives. We analyzed their top feature and why we decided to include them in this top 5 list.

1. Tube Master

Price: Free

The abundance of features this app provides makes it one of the best alternatives for the YouTube app. Tube Master lets you watch videos while browsing through the millions of videos that are available on the world’s largest video-sharing platform. This iOS-based app enables you to search or play videos without having to sign in to your account, and it allows you to change the video playback speed so you can watch videos in slow motion. The Tube Master app lets you create an unlimited amount of playlists and allows you to answer comments or chat messages instantly.

Tube Mater Features

• Available on Google Play Store and third-party app stores
• You can browse videos using the built-in browser
• Allows you to download videos and audios at different resolutions
• Play videos offline with a built-in video player
• You can download videos from multiple social media platforms
• Lightweight app and requires low RAM and storage space

Download Tube Master

Pros

Users can play the video in fast forward or go back

Easy to use

A rich selection of features

Cons

Slow speed

2. YouTube ++

Price: Free

The YouTube++ app is designed to make watching and downloading YouTube videos to your device a fun and easy process. What’s more, it blocks ads, so you won’t have to wait for the ad to finish to be able to continue watching a video. Changing the video playback speed, forward and rewind controls or the auto-reply options are just a few among the many useful features the YouTube++ app offers to its users. Furthermore, the app lets you disable age restrictions, but it only plays videos in default playback quality.

YouTube++ Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Download videos and play them offline on your device
• Share videos on WhatsApp and other social media apps
• Comes with an ads blocker
• You can play audio and video in the background
• Allows you to play videos on loop
• You can disable the age restriction
• Comes with a fast-forwarding or rewinding feature for users
• Also comes with an audio and video format converter

Download Youtube ++

Pros

Audio player available for downloaded videos

Allows you to play video and audio files while using other apps

Removes ads from the videos you watch

Cons

The app isn’t available at the AppStore

Limited playback quality capabilities

3. MyTube

Price: Free

YouTubers who are passionate about music are going to love using this app because it offers superb search tools that enable them to find their favorite songs within seconds. You can either search songs by name, album or artist. MyTube’s users can create their playlists that can continuously play, while the app also provides the option to share videos to Facebook or via email. You can save a song you like on your YouTube account and listen to it whenever you want in just a few simple taps in the MyTube app.

MyTube Features

• Create and manage various playlists
• Supports HD quality videos
• Continue watching your current video while you browse the app
• Play music videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download videos and audio to watch or listen offline
• Post and reply to comments

Download MyTube

Pros

Powerful search tools

The app offers a simple way to create playlists and organize videos or music

Repeat and Shuffle options

Cons

MyTube doesn’t allow you to download videos from YouTube

No fast forward or rewind options

4. VideoTube

Price: Free

If you would like to manage your YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion account from a single app on your iPhone or iPad, then the right choice for you is the VideoTube app. Simply log in to your YouTube account and start browsing through the platform’s endless collection of videos. The app provides one of the kind widgets that lets you open videos you want to watch from the Notification Center. Browsing through YouTube channels, commenting on videos, or subscribing to channels you like are among the numerous features this app offers to its users.

VideoTube Features

• Features popular videos from all leading platforms
• You can browse from multiple categories
• User-interface and website layout is similar to YouTube
• You can also submit your own video content
• Download videos and play them offline

Download Video Tube

Pros

You can browse through your search history and watch your favorite videos again

Add videos to the watch list

The app is not prone to crashing

Cons

Even though it is free, it contains in-app purchases

Relatively poor codec support

5. Tubex - Video & Music Player

Price: Free

Keeping in touch with the latest trends in the music industry or discovering your new favorite song is easy with Tubex. The iOS-based app shows the hottest music trends for the country from which it is accessed, while its intuitive interface makes searching for new songs a fun process. You can add each song you like to a wishlist or include it in the playlist you created with Tubex. The app lets you create as many playlists as you want so you can easily sort all music you discover. Tubex also features a video player that can be activated by a single tap on the video you’d like to watch.

Tubex Features

• Watch and listen to the latest music videos
• Contains unlimited videos arranged reasonably
• Comes with an attractive and user-friendly design
• Allows you to download and share songs and videos
• You can like, share and comment on videos
• Add your favorite videos to the watchlist
• Also comes with a playlist manager

Download Tubex

Pros

Elegant and functionally designed interface

Users can create an unlimited number of playlists

Makes managing large quantities of video files look easy

Cons

In-app purchases are required to unlock all of the app’s features

Turbex doesn’t offer a video download option

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

We will not be leaving our Android phone readers behind. For the best YouTube App for their gadgets, here are our top picks for this year.

1. NewPipe

Price: Free

This Freeware, open-source app is basically a lighter version of the YouTube app that doesn’t require any Google Play services to run smoothly. NewPipe collects the URL source from YouTube and displays the information it gathers in the app that is completely independent of this platform. The app’s users can search videos, view the video’s info, or choose which streaming player they are going to use to watch the video. The app offers support for videos in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution, which means that you watch high-quality videos from your phone. The NewPipe app is a great choice for YouTubers who don’t have powerful Android phones but still want to enjoy the benefits of browsing the world’s largest video-sharing platform.

NewPipe Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Unlimited downloads
• You can set and change the quality of video play
• Play videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download the video and audio at different resolutions.
• Play video as a Pop-up box for multitasking
• Lightweight and consumes low storage and battery

Download New Pipe

Pros

Great browsing and search features

Lets you download videos to your device

Offers support for high-resolution videos

Cons

The app is not available on the Google Play store

Limited tools for creating playlists

2. OGYouTube

Price: Free

Like most YouTube client apps, OGYouTube lets you browse the platform, listen to music or watch videos in different resolutions. As a matter of fact, this app is just an older version of the YouTube client app, that still provides the option to download videos. However, if you log into your account on YouTube, with the OGYouTube app you won’t be able to download videos. The app’s interface is identical to YouTube’s interface, which means that you won’t have to waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to use OGYouTube.

OGYouTube Features

• Play and download videos directly from the app
• Supports different video qualities
• Play video in background
• Comes with a dark mode on android devices
• Runs parallel with the default YouTube app
• No annoying ads to disturb you

Download OGYouTube

Pros

A great option for people who don’t have powerful Android phones

Lets you play videos while using other apps

The app doesn’t contain ads

Cons

Not an official YouTube client app

Not available on Google Play Store

3. YouTube GO

Price: Free

YouTube’s official app can be quite demanding since it requires a fast Internet connection. That’s the reason why the company launched a lighter version of their official app, which is currently available in 130 countries around the world. One of the greatest advantages of the YouTube Go app is the fact that it lets you choose how many MB you spend on videos. Furthermore, the app is built to work seamlessly even at low Internet speeds, so its users can listen to music or download videos even if they don’t have access to an ultra-fast WiFi connection.

YouTube Go Features

• Official YouTube app for rapid downloads and sharing
• Download the app directly from Google Play Store
• You can preview videos before watching
• Download videos to your device and watch offline
• You can watch videos in different qualities
• Lets you control data speed

Download YouTube GO

Pros

Video transfers don’t use data

Remarkable video sharing capabilities

Compatible with older versions of Android OS

Cons

Users can’t create playlists

The app contains ads

4. FlyTube APK

Price: Free

Even though FlyTube APK doesn’t offer many options, it is still one of the best YouTube app alternatives, because it lets you watch videos directly from YouTube while preserving your data. In order to be able to install it on your device, you must make sure that the OS you have on your phone is at least Android 4.0 or later. FlyTube APK enables you to listen to music from YouTube while chatting or using other apps on your phone. The app’s small window is fully adjustable and you can place it in the background while doing other things.

FlyTube APK Features

• Play videos in the pop-up while you use other apps
• Multiple YouTube videos are available to browse from
• Share videos on multiple platforms
• Does not run on Google Play Services
• A small sized app so does not drain battery and storage

Download FlyTube APK

Pros

A lightweight app that allows you to gain access to YouTube’s rich music collection

FlyTube doesn’t contain ads or surveys

Great multitasking potential

Cons

It easily drains the phone’s battery

The app’s not available on the Google Play store

5. iTube

Price: Free

If you are looking for an app that will let you listen to music from YouTube on your phone while you are using apps such as Facebook or WhatsApp, then iTube is one of the best choices you can make. The app is specifically designed to save battery and to enable its users to have access to music while they are in areas with no Internet reception. What’s more, if you don’t want to spend all your monthly data on YouTube videos, iTube offers a great solution for limited bandwidth plans, because it uses a minimum amount of data to play videos.

iTube Features

• Download full-playlists in audio and video formats
• You can convert and download videos in different formats like mp4, AVI, WMV, etc.
• Download videos from multiple different websites and apps
• You can record and upload videos using the built-in screen recorder
• You can adjust data usage
• Easy to use and browse your favorite videos

Download iTube

Pros

The app works without Internet

No ads before or during a video

Great source of music on long flights

Saves battery

Cons

The app’s users can’t comment on YouTube videos

Limited sharing capabilities

Conclusion

In recent years, short videos and instant music videos are getting popular, Instagram even launched an app Called IGTV for people to share videos, let alone the hot lip-sync music video sharing app Musical.ly (now Tik Tok) which has 500+ million active users globally. So, if you are eager to create and watch short social media videos, you can try these two apps as well.

Whenever you want to get more subscribers and make money with videos, you really need to pay attention to the video content as content is the king in video marketing. Besides the creative ideas, powerful video editing software for YouTubers will help you to step to the next level. Here are some cool video effects that you may be interested in. Do not hesitate to download Filmora and edit with some cool visual effects to your video today.

Wanted to make YouTube videos by yourself and share them with your audiences? Check this easy-to-use and powerful video editor for YouTube - Wondershare’s Filmora , and ignite your video with clicks. Filmora allows you to create 9:16, 1:1 videos for your phone. What’s more, you can export your work directly from the computer to YouTube with Filmora.

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>

Now, YouTube becomes the second largest search engine in the world, over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched per day. People will be using Google apps to access videos on YouTube. Unfortunately, there are existing issues in using the official application such as the stopping of the playback when you minimize the app and the number of annoying ads displayed on the YouTube application. If you want to get rid of these issues, then you might want to choose YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone and Android.

In this article

Part 1: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

Part 2: 5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for iPhone

For Apple users, here are some of the best YouTube App Alternatives. We analyzed their top feature and why we decided to include them in this top 5 list.

1. Tube Master

Price: Free

The abundance of features this app provides makes it one of the best alternatives for the YouTube app. Tube Master lets you watch videos while browsing through the millions of videos that are available on the world’s largest video-sharing platform. This iOS-based app enables you to search or play videos without having to sign in to your account, and it allows you to change the video playback speed so you can watch videos in slow motion. The Tube Master app lets you create an unlimited amount of playlists and allows you to answer comments or chat messages instantly.

Tube Mater Features

• Available on Google Play Store and third-party app stores
• You can browse videos using the built-in browser
• Allows you to download videos and audios at different resolutions
• Play videos offline with a built-in video player
• You can download videos from multiple social media platforms
• Lightweight app and requires low RAM and storage space

Download Tube Master

Pros

Users can play the video in fast forward or go back

Easy to use

A rich selection of features

Cons

Slow speed

2. YouTube ++

Price: Free

The YouTube++ app is designed to make watching and downloading YouTube videos to your device a fun and easy process. What’s more, it blocks ads, so you won’t have to wait for the ad to finish to be able to continue watching a video. Changing the video playback speed, forward and rewind controls or the auto-reply options are just a few among the many useful features the YouTube++ app offers to its users. Furthermore, the app lets you disable age restrictions, but it only plays videos in default playback quality.

YouTube++ Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Download videos and play them offline on your device
• Share videos on WhatsApp and other social media apps
• Comes with an ads blocker
• You can play audio and video in the background
• Allows you to play videos on loop
• You can disable the age restriction
• Comes with a fast-forwarding or rewinding feature for users
• Also comes with an audio and video format converter

Download Youtube ++

Pros

Audio player available for downloaded videos

Allows you to play video and audio files while using other apps

Removes ads from the videos you watch

Cons

The app isn’t available at the AppStore

Limited playback quality capabilities

3. MyTube

Price: Free

YouTubers who are passionate about music are going to love using this app because it offers superb search tools that enable them to find their favorite songs within seconds. You can either search songs by name, album or artist. MyTube’s users can create their playlists that can continuously play, while the app also provides the option to share videos to Facebook or via email. You can save a song you like on your YouTube account and listen to it whenever you want in just a few simple taps in the MyTube app.

MyTube Features

• Create and manage various playlists
• Supports HD quality videos
• Continue watching your current video while you browse the app
• Play music videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download videos and audio to watch or listen offline
• Post and reply to comments

Download MyTube

Pros

Powerful search tools

The app offers a simple way to create playlists and organize videos or music

Repeat and Shuffle options

Cons

MyTube doesn’t allow you to download videos from YouTube

No fast forward or rewind options

4. VideoTube

Price: Free

If you would like to manage your YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion account from a single app on your iPhone or iPad, then the right choice for you is the VideoTube app. Simply log in to your YouTube account and start browsing through the platform’s endless collection of videos. The app provides one of the kind widgets that lets you open videos you want to watch from the Notification Center. Browsing through YouTube channels, commenting on videos, or subscribing to channels you like are among the numerous features this app offers to its users.

VideoTube Features

• Features popular videos from all leading platforms
• You can browse from multiple categories
• User-interface and website layout is similar to YouTube
• You can also submit your own video content
• Download videos and play them offline

Download Video Tube

Pros

You can browse through your search history and watch your favorite videos again

Add videos to the watch list

The app is not prone to crashing

Cons

Even though it is free, it contains in-app purchases

Relatively poor codec support

5. Tubex - Video & Music Player

Price: Free

Keeping in touch with the latest trends in the music industry or discovering your new favorite song is easy with Tubex. The iOS-based app shows the hottest music trends for the country from which it is accessed, while its intuitive interface makes searching for new songs a fun process. You can add each song you like to a wishlist or include it in the playlist you created with Tubex. The app lets you create as many playlists as you want so you can easily sort all music you discover. Tubex also features a video player that can be activated by a single tap on the video you’d like to watch.

Tubex Features

• Watch and listen to the latest music videos
• Contains unlimited videos arranged reasonably
• Comes with an attractive and user-friendly design
• Allows you to download and share songs and videos
• You can like, share and comment on videos
• Add your favorite videos to the watchlist
• Also comes with a playlist manager

Download Tubex

Pros

Elegant and functionally designed interface

Users can create an unlimited number of playlists

Makes managing large quantities of video files look easy

Cons

In-app purchases are required to unlock all of the app’s features

Turbex doesn’t offer a video download option

5 Best YouTube App Alternatives for Android Phone

We will not be leaving our Android phone readers behind. For the best YouTube App for their gadgets, here are our top picks for this year.

1. NewPipe

Price: Free

This Freeware, open-source app is basically a lighter version of the YouTube app that doesn’t require any Google Play services to run smoothly. NewPipe collects the URL source from YouTube and displays the information it gathers in the app that is completely independent of this platform. The app’s users can search videos, view the video’s info, or choose which streaming player they are going to use to watch the video. The app offers support for videos in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution, which means that you watch high-quality videos from your phone. The NewPipe app is a great choice for YouTubers who don’t have powerful Android phones but still want to enjoy the benefits of browsing the world’s largest video-sharing platform.

NewPipe Features

• Runs without Google Play Services
• Unlimited downloads
• You can set and change the quality of video play
• Play videos in the background while you use other apps
• Download the video and audio at different resolutions.
• Play video as a Pop-up box for multitasking
• Lightweight and consumes low storage and battery

Download New Pipe

Pros

Great browsing and search features

Lets you download videos to your device

Offers support for high-resolution videos

Cons

The app is not available on the Google Play store

Limited tools for creating playlists

2. OGYouTube

Price: Free

Like most YouTube client apps, OGYouTube lets you browse the platform, listen to music or watch videos in different resolutions. As a matter of fact, this app is just an older version of the YouTube client app, that still provides the option to download videos. However, if you log into your account on YouTube, with the OGYouTube app you won’t be able to download videos. The app’s interface is identical to YouTube’s interface, which means that you won’t have to waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to use OGYouTube.

OGYouTube Features

• Play and download videos directly from the app
• Supports different video qualities
• Play video in background
• Comes with a dark mode on android devices
• Runs parallel with the default YouTube app
• No annoying ads to disturb you

Download OGYouTube

Pros

A great option for people who don’t have powerful Android phones

Lets you play videos while using other apps

The app doesn’t contain ads

Cons

Not an official YouTube client app

Not available on Google Play Store

3. YouTube GO

Price: Free

YouTube’s official app can be quite demanding since it requires a fast Internet connection. That’s the reason why the company launched a lighter version of their official app, which is currently available in 130 countries around the world. One of the greatest advantages of the YouTube Go app is the fact that it lets you choose how many MB you spend on videos. Furthermore, the app is built to work seamlessly even at low Internet speeds, so its users can listen to music or download videos even if they don’t have access to an ultra-fast WiFi connection.

YouTube Go Features

• Official YouTube app for rapid downloads and sharing
• Download the app directly from Google Play Store
• You can preview videos before watching
• Download videos to your device and watch offline
• You can watch videos in different qualities
• Lets you control data speed

Download YouTube GO

Pros

Video transfers don’t use data

Remarkable video sharing capabilities

Compatible with older versions of Android OS

Cons

Users can’t create playlists

The app contains ads

4. FlyTube APK

Price: Free

Even though FlyTube APK doesn’t offer many options, it is still one of the best YouTube app alternatives, because it lets you watch videos directly from YouTube while preserving your data. In order to be able to install it on your device, you must make sure that the OS you have on your phone is at least Android 4.0 or later. FlyTube APK enables you to listen to music from YouTube while chatting or using other apps on your phone. The app’s small window is fully adjustable and you can place it in the background while doing other things.

FlyTube APK Features

• Play videos in the pop-up while you use other apps
• Multiple YouTube videos are available to browse from
• Share videos on multiple platforms
• Does not run on Google Play Services
• A small sized app so does not drain battery and storage

Download FlyTube APK

Pros

A lightweight app that allows you to gain access to YouTube’s rich music collection

FlyTube doesn’t contain ads or surveys

Great multitasking potential

Cons

It easily drains the phone’s battery

The app’s not available on the Google Play store

5. iTube

Price: Free

If you are looking for an app that will let you listen to music from YouTube on your phone while you are using apps such as Facebook or WhatsApp, then iTube is one of the best choices you can make. The app is specifically designed to save battery and to enable its users to have access to music while they are in areas with no Internet reception. What’s more, if you don’t want to spend all your monthly data on YouTube videos, iTube offers a great solution for limited bandwidth plans, because it uses a minimum amount of data to play videos.

iTube Features

• Download full-playlists in audio and video formats
• You can convert and download videos in different formats like mp4, AVI, WMV, etc.
• Download videos from multiple different websites and apps
• You can record and upload videos using the built-in screen recorder
• You can adjust data usage
• Easy to use and browse your favorite videos

Download iTube

Pros

The app works without Internet

No ads before or during a video

Great source of music on long flights

Saves battery

Cons

The app’s users can’t comment on YouTube videos

Limited sharing capabilities

Conclusion

In recent years, short videos and instant music videos are getting popular, Instagram even launched an app Called IGTV for people to share videos, let alone the hot lip-sync music video sharing app Musical.ly (now Tik Tok) which has 500+ million active users globally. So, if you are eager to create and watch short social media videos, you can try these two apps as well.

Whenever you want to get more subscribers and make money with videos, you really need to pay attention to the video content as content is the king in video marketing. Besides the creative ideas, powerful video editing software for YouTubers will help you to step to the next level. Here are some cool video effects that you may be interested in. Do not hesitate to download Filmora and edit with some cool visual effects to your video today.

Wanted to make YouTube videos by yourself and share them with your audiences? Check this easy-to-use and powerful video editor for YouTube - Wondershare’s Filmora , and ignite your video with clicks. Filmora allows you to create 9:16, 1:1 videos for your phone. What’s more, you can export your work directly from the computer to YouTube with Filmora.

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free >>