Professional Videographer’s Guide to Efficient Color-Keying

The world of video-making owes much of its magic to small leaps of innovation. One of these leaps is the use of the chroma key background, which most people know by the more colloquial term—green screen.

Chroma key, also known as green screen or blue screen, is a cool hack for seamless visual storytelling, allowing content creators to replace backgrounds with any image or video they want. This technique is widely embraced in film, television, and online content, and has opened the door to limitless creative possibilities. Aside from its ability to maximize creativity, it is also cheap to employ and convenient to set up, which has made it a staple for everyone who works with visuals.

In this simple guide, we’ll delve into the fundamentals of the chroma key effect, how it is used for video making, and how to leverage that as you perfect your visual content.

YouTube Video Background Creating realistic video scenes at your will is easy to complete with Filmora green screen removal.

Create Video Backgrounds Create Video Backgrounds Learn Green Screen

How Does Chroma Key Work?

Chroma Keying is done by singling out a specific color (usually green or blue) from the foreground, removing it, and replacing it with a different background (for example, a sunset). This process typically follows a series of steps:

• Background Selection:

A solid, single-color background, often green or blue, that contrasts well with the subject must be used. The color chosen should not be present in the subject or any props in the camera field to avoid unintentional transparency.

• Color Keying:

This requires the use of specialized visual effects software to key out the chosen color. The green or blue background is designated as transparent, making everything of that color see-through. The software distinguishes between the keyed color and the subject, creating a mask for the transparent areas.

• Foreground Filming:

This involves filming the subject against the live chroma key background. During filming, the chosen background color (green or blue) won’t appear in the final result due to its transparency. The subject is captured as if separately from the isolated background.

• Post-Processing:

In post-production processing, the editor takes the keyed-out color and replaces it with the new background of their choice. This step creates the illusion that the subject is in a different setting or environment. The transparent areas become filled with the chosen background which, if done right, results in a cohesive and visually appealing composition.

Why Green?

Theoretically, the chroma key background can be any solid color. However, the most commonly used colors are studio blue and bright green, with the latter far more common.

The choice of background color depends on the specific requirements of the production and the colors present in the scenes being filmed.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Contrast

The less similar your chosen background color is to natural skin tones, the easier to isolate and replace in your footage. Bright green provides a strong contrast to most human skin tones and is less likely to be present in costumes or natural surroundings, making it easier to isolate subjects during the color separation.

Luminance

The color green emits light with greater intensity than blue, allowing for far more effective isolation by cameras during filming. This also means that blue screens demand increased lighting for proper exposure compared to green. This situation may be less than ideal if you lack powerful lighting or you don’t have the big bucks for them.

Digital Sensors

Many digital cameras and sensors are more sensitive to green wavelengths, resulting in cleaner and more accurate color keying during post-processing. Modern technology has also evolved to optimize for a green background, making it a more practical choice for the chroma key effect.

Wardrobe and Set Design

Bright green occurs less naturally in costumes and set designs than other colors, making green the optimal choice for reducing the likelihood of color spill and keying issues. However, if you know your scene will have lots of green, it is probably best to film with a blue screen, so there’s less risk of color spill and less post-production work.

Setting up Your Own Chroma Key Studio

Setting up your chroma key is convenient and straightforward, but there are some key factors to consider while setting up to ensure maximal performance.

Choosing the Right Background Color

The first step in the chroma key setup is selecting the right background color to be keyed out. This choice determines your effective color separation and ensures a smooth keying process during editing. Choosing a chroma-key background color that contrasts distinctly with the subject’s colors is essential for effective color separation. This prevents unintentional transparency, color spill, and ensures a polished final result.

Lighting Considerations

Lighting is an important part of the chroma-keying process. Bold, uniform, and consistent lighting on both the subject and the background makes it easy to delineate one from the other fully. This minimizes shadows and variations in color, creating a smooth and seamless keying process. Multiple diffuse lights from different angles are often used to illuminate the green screen evenly.

Positioning/Camera

Proper subject and camera placement are necessary to ensure an even color-keying process during post-production. To prevent shadow interference, the green screen should be smooth, tense, and without wrinkles or shadows.

High-quality cameras are essential every time, especially for chroma keying. Images with better definition are easier to key, so camera quality significantly affects the outcome. Even if your camera isn’t the best, merely shooting well can ensure a clean color-keying process during editing, resulting in professional-looking visuals.

Recording Tips for Chroma Key

• Proper Lighting

Maintaining uniform and well-defined lighting during recording is essential for a successful chroma-keying process. This consistency ensures a seamless keying process during post-production.

• Keep Distance from the Green Screen

The optimal distance between the subject and the green screen minimizes color spill and allows for natural movements. Proper distance between subject and background allows for easier isolation of the background and much smoother post-editing. A recommended starting point for the issue is around 6 to 10 feet from the background.

• Subjects and Clothing

As mentioned before, the choice of costume for Selecting appropriate clothing that doesn’t match the chroma key color prevents transparency issues. Subjects also have to be positioned in such a way that there is minimal light interference and reflection. These contribute to a flawless chroma key outcome.

3 Basic Troubleshooting Strategies

• Color Spill

Sometimes, reflected light from your green background can be cast on your subject and may remain so when the background light is keyed out. This phenomenon is known as a color spill. It is usually because of uneven lighting or shooting around reflecting surfaces. Avoiding spill can differentiate between good and lousy chroma key aftereffects.

Human hair is one area where color spill can show up unsuspectingly. Due to the translucency of hair, it is common for some unintended light to seep through. This allows some background visibility, which you do not want with a chroma key. This is especially notable with lighter hair colors like blond hair.

There are ways to account for this. Many video-editing software have features such as spill suppression and screen matte adjustments that can enhance the final footage. Specialized plugins also go a long way in ensuring minimizing spill. Addressing spill correction tackles unwanted green artifacts and ensures a clean keying process.

• Poor Lighting

Suboptimal green screen lighting can lead to inconsistencies in keying and editing, undermining your product. One way to avoid this is to light the screen and subject separately. Another tip, although expensive, is using multiple diffuse light sources and trying to maintain even lighting across every square foot of your scene. Super bright or dark spots can ruin your output, so it’s worth the extra effort if you don’t want to deal with problematic post-production.

• Poorly Refined Edges

Chroma keying should leave your videos with crisp, defined, natural-looking edges. But post-production editing can make all the difference if it doesn’t come out to your taste. Softening and refining edges make a smoother transition between the foreground object and the new background. Light adjustments to edge thickness and screen matte settings can also help enhance overall visual quality and add finesse to your work.

Conclusion

Green screen photography produces excellent results, and its ease of use makes it indispensable for videographers of all levels. In this guide, we’ve discussed chroma key technology, its role in the industry, and how to apply it to your craft to elevate visual content.

Chroma key, also known as green screen or blue screen, is a cool hack for seamless visual storytelling, allowing content creators to replace backgrounds with any image or video they want. This technique is widely embraced in film, television, and online content, and has opened the door to limitless creative possibilities. Aside from its ability to maximize creativity, it is also cheap to employ and convenient to set up, which has made it a staple for everyone who works with visuals.

In this simple guide, we’ll delve into the fundamentals of the chroma key effect, how it is used for video making, and how to leverage that as you perfect your visual content.

YouTube Video Background Creating realistic video scenes at your will is easy to complete with Filmora green screen removal.

Create Video Backgrounds Create Video Backgrounds Learn Green Screen

How Does Chroma Key Work?

Chroma Keying is done by singling out a specific color (usually green or blue) from the foreground, removing it, and replacing it with a different background (for example, a sunset). This process typically follows a series of steps:

• Background Selection:

A solid, single-color background, often green or blue, that contrasts well with the subject must be used. The color chosen should not be present in the subject or any props in the camera field to avoid unintentional transparency.

• Color Keying:

This requires the use of specialized visual effects software to key out the chosen color. The green or blue background is designated as transparent, making everything of that color see-through. The software distinguishes between the keyed color and the subject, creating a mask for the transparent areas.

• Foreground Filming:

This involves filming the subject against the live chroma key background. During filming, the chosen background color (green or blue) won’t appear in the final result due to its transparency. The subject is captured as if separately from the isolated background.

• Post-Processing:

In post-production processing, the editor takes the keyed-out color and replaces it with the new background of their choice. This step creates the illusion that the subject is in a different setting or environment. The transparent areas become filled with the chosen background which, if done right, results in a cohesive and visually appealing composition.

Why Green?

Theoretically, the chroma key background can be any solid color. However, the most commonly used colors are studio blue and bright green, with the latter far more common.

The choice of background color depends on the specific requirements of the production and the colors present in the scenes being filmed.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Contrast

The less similar your chosen background color is to natural skin tones, the easier to isolate and replace in your footage. Bright green provides a strong contrast to most human skin tones and is less likely to be present in costumes or natural surroundings, making it easier to isolate subjects during the color separation.

Luminance

The color green emits light with greater intensity than blue, allowing for far more effective isolation by cameras during filming. This also means that blue screens demand increased lighting for proper exposure compared to green. This situation may be less than ideal if you lack powerful lighting or you don’t have the big bucks for them.

Digital Sensors

Many digital cameras and sensors are more sensitive to green wavelengths, resulting in cleaner and more accurate color keying during post-processing. Modern technology has also evolved to optimize for a green background, making it a more practical choice for the chroma key effect.

Wardrobe and Set Design

Bright green occurs less naturally in costumes and set designs than other colors, making green the optimal choice for reducing the likelihood of color spill and keying issues. However, if you know your scene will have lots of green, it is probably best to film with a blue screen, so there’s less risk of color spill and less post-production work.

Setting up Your Own Chroma Key Studio

Setting up your chroma key is convenient and straightforward, but there are some key factors to consider while setting up to ensure maximal performance.

Choosing the Right Background Color

The first step in the chroma key setup is selecting the right background color to be keyed out. This choice determines your effective color separation and ensures a smooth keying process during editing. Choosing a chroma-key background color that contrasts distinctly with the subject’s colors is essential for effective color separation. This prevents unintentional transparency, color spill, and ensures a polished final result.

Lighting Considerations

Lighting is an important part of the chroma-keying process. Bold, uniform, and consistent lighting on both the subject and the background makes it easy to delineate one from the other fully. This minimizes shadows and variations in color, creating a smooth and seamless keying process. Multiple diffuse lights from different angles are often used to illuminate the green screen evenly.

Positioning/Camera

Proper subject and camera placement are necessary to ensure an even color-keying process during post-production. To prevent shadow interference, the green screen should be smooth, tense, and without wrinkles or shadows.

High-quality cameras are essential every time, especially for chroma keying. Images with better definition are easier to key, so camera quality significantly affects the outcome. Even if your camera isn’t the best, merely shooting well can ensure a clean color-keying process during editing, resulting in professional-looking visuals.

Recording Tips for Chroma Key

• Proper Lighting

Maintaining uniform and well-defined lighting during recording is essential for a successful chroma-keying process. This consistency ensures a seamless keying process during post-production.

• Keep Distance from the Green Screen

The optimal distance between the subject and the green screen minimizes color spill and allows for natural movements. Proper distance between subject and background allows for easier isolation of the background and much smoother post-editing. A recommended starting point for the issue is around 6 to 10 feet from the background.

• Subjects and Clothing

As mentioned before, the choice of costume for Selecting appropriate clothing that doesn’t match the chroma key color prevents transparency issues. Subjects also have to be positioned in such a way that there is minimal light interference and reflection. These contribute to a flawless chroma key outcome.

3 Basic Troubleshooting Strategies

• Color Spill

Sometimes, reflected light from your green background can be cast on your subject and may remain so when the background light is keyed out. This phenomenon is known as a color spill. It is usually because of uneven lighting or shooting around reflecting surfaces. Avoiding spill can differentiate between good and lousy chroma key aftereffects.

Human hair is one area where color spill can show up unsuspectingly. Due to the translucency of hair, it is common for some unintended light to seep through. This allows some background visibility, which you do not want with a chroma key. This is especially notable with lighter hair colors like blond hair.

There are ways to account for this. Many video-editing software have features such as spill suppression and screen matte adjustments that can enhance the final footage. Specialized plugins also go a long way in ensuring minimizing spill. Addressing spill correction tackles unwanted green artifacts and ensures a clean keying process.

• Poor Lighting

Suboptimal green screen lighting can lead to inconsistencies in keying and editing, undermining your product. One way to avoid this is to light the screen and subject separately. Another tip, although expensive, is using multiple diffuse light sources and trying to maintain even lighting across every square foot of your scene. Super bright or dark spots can ruin your output, so it’s worth the extra effort if you don’t want to deal with problematic post-production.

• Poorly Refined Edges

Chroma keying should leave your videos with crisp, defined, natural-looking edges. But post-production editing can make all the difference if it doesn’t come out to your taste. Softening and refining edges make a smoother transition between the foreground object and the new background. Light adjustments to edge thickness and screen matte settings can also help enhance overall visual quality and add finesse to your work.

Conclusion

Green screen photography produces excellent results, and its ease of use makes it indispensable for videographers of all levels. In this guide, we’ve discussed chroma key technology, its role in the industry, and how to apply it to your craft to elevate visual content.

Empowerment in Entertainment: Top 10 Inspirational Women

Top 10 Female YouTubers [Lastest]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Even though statistics show that only 38% of YouTube users are female, there is no shortage of ladies who continually post videos that harvest millions of views. Women mostly cover fashion, cooking, or makeup niches, but you can also find comedians and gamers among the most successful YouTube personalities.

In its relatively short history, YouTube has launched quite a few stars of the new generation, and it is safe to assume that the platform is going to continue to serve as a launchpad for young and creative people, regardless of their gender. If you were wondering who are the most popular female YouTubers, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll down to learn more.

---

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Want to be a superstar on the YouTube platform? Just use our newly released version 11 of Filmora. There are so many filters, overlays, effects and transitions, and cool effects and elements built-in, and you can empower your imagination with some advanced features such as green screen composition (chroma-keying), video speed changing, color grading, and audio keyframing. What’s more, the speed ramping, auto montage maker, and collaboration with NewBlue and Boris will definitely help you make your video more eye-catching. Click the Free Download button below to begin your journey to the YouTube superstar today.

---

Top 10 Female YouTubers

We’ve comprised this list based on the number of subscribers a channel has, and we excluded the VEVO channels. So let’s see who are the top 10 female YouTubers in 2021

1. JennaMarbles
2. Liza Koshy
3. RCLBeauty101
4. IISuperwomanII
5. Zoella
6. Wengie
7. Bethany Mota
8. Lindsey Stirling
9. Rosanna Pansino
10. Miranda Sings

1. JennaMarbles

Subscribers: 18 million

Back in 2010, Jenna’s video ‘How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking’ collected 5.3 million views in a single week. The type of humor that made her famous continues to be her signature mark eight years later.

Today, Jenna Nicole Mourey is the owner of the most popular channel on YouTube operated by a woman, and she is also the first social media star that has her wax figure in the Madame Tussauds museum. She made appearances on a number of TV shows and full feature movies, but their success can’t be compared with the popularity of Jenna’s YouTube videos.

2. Liza Koshy

Subscribers: 15 million

The charming and incredibly funny YouTuber Liza Koshy has become one of the platform’s biggest stars in a relatively short period of time. She started her YouTube channel in 2013, and just a few years later, she interviewed the ex-US President Barack Obama.

Currently, Liza’s channel has more than 1.5 billion views, and her videos frequently attract millions of viewers. Liza also has an acting career, and she is working on a new YouTube series called Liza on Demand. She is only 21, and it seems she is going to be one of the most popular female YouTubers for a long time.

3. RCLBeauty101

Subscribers: 13 million

This young and talented YouTuber produces several different genres of videos. You can find beauty, comedy, DIY, or challenge videos on her channel, which has nearly 3 billion total views. Rachel Levin has been posting videos to her YouTube channel since 2010, and her most popular video up to date has 221 million views.

Beauty and fashion videos made Rachel famous, as she has been mentioned on more than one occasion in the articles published in Cosmopolitan and Forbes magazines. The 23-year old beauty guru continues to be one of YouTube’s most influential ladies, and there is no reason to believe that this is going to change soon.

4. IISuperwomanII

Subscribers: 13 million

In addition to being one of the most influential women on YouTube, Lily Singh is also an actress, a singer, a writer, and a philanthropist. Lily posts vlogs on her second YouTube channel called SuperwomanVlogs , which has more than 2.2 million subscribers.

She frequently collaborates with superstars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Selena Gomez, or Steve Aoki. Lily’s acting career is almost as successful as her YouTube channel because she starred in HBO’s adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and several TV shows. The IISuperwomanII channel has more than 2.6 billion views, and in 2017 Lilly landed 10th place on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTube stars.

5. Zoella

Subscribers: 12 million

Zoe Elizabeth Sugg started her online career as a blogger in 2009, and the initial success of her blog inspired her to start her own YouTube channel that same year. Zoe mostly produces fashion and beauty videos, although you can find titles such as ‘Ultimate Pizza Taste Challenge With Mark’ or ‘Draw My Life’ on her channel as well.

In November 2014, Zoe released her first novel titled ‘Girl Online’ that sold a record number of copies in a single week. She won Cosmopolitan Blog Award, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Teen Choice Award, and in 2016, she was nominated for the YouTuber of The Year Shorty Award.

6. Wengie

Subscribers: 11 million

Australia’s most popular YouTuber is famous for fashion and beauty videos, although you can find DIY videos or pranks on her channel as well. The title of the track is inspired by her real name Wen Jie Huang, and she posts videos to Wengie Vlogs and Wengie Music channels.

In 2017 Wen released a single ‘Baby Believe Me’ in China, which was followed by another track, ‘Oh I Do’, that gathered 7 million views. She works as a voice actress, and she was the voice of Blisstina’s Bliss Utonium in Australian and New Zealand versions of The Power Puff Girls.

7. Bethany Mota

Subscribers: 10 million

Bethany’s signature mark is the haul video. She has been producing them since the early 2010s. Her first video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and by 2015 her channel already had over 9 million subscribers. Mota’s videos are mostly about fashion, and she often offers tips on how to look great for different occasions.

Her clothing, perfume, and accessories line was launched in collaboration with Aeropostale, and it is still a major success. Bethany appeared on several episodes of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and she released a couple of singles that received a moderate amount of praise from the critics.

8. Lindsey Stirling

Subscribers: 10 million

The world-famous violinist who started as a YouTuber in 2007 is one of the most influential women on the platform. You can find everything related to her music on her channel, including numerous collaborations with other artists.

She plays classical, electronic, pop, and rock music, and so far, she has released four studio albums. Lindsey has won the Billboard Music Award, YouTube Award as well as Shorty Award for her artistry, and at the age of 31, she remains to be one of YouTube’s brightest stars.

9. Rosanna Pansino

Subscribers: 10 million

Pansino started her channel because she wanted to get more comfortable in front of a camera while she was pursuing a career in acting. Eight years later, she is one of the most respected food YouTubers in the world and the author of the award-winning series Nerdy Nummies.

The series is a baking show dedicated to showing the viewers how to prepare nerdy-themed food. A bunch of YouTube celebrities appeared on the show, including Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, and Lindsey Stirling. Pansino’s YouTube channel has more than 75 million views per month, which makes her one of the most popular YouTubers in 2021.

10. Miranda Sings

Subscribers: 8.9 million

Colleen Ballinger is an actress, a comedian, and most importantly, the creator of the fictional character Miranda Sings. Her videos are a satirical portrayal of musicians and singers who post videos to YouTube in the hope that they will be recognized by major record companies. Miranda lives with her mother and her uncle, and she is relentlessly ambitious, but her singing talents are next to non-existent.

Ballinger’s character has almost a cult following as most of her videos have millions of views. Miranda is also the main protagonist of a Netflix series titled ‘Haters Back Off’ that was developed by Colleen and her brother Christopher.

Conclusion:

Some of the best videos on YouTube are produced by women, and it is hardly surprising that quite a few female YouTubers have over 10 million subscribers. The ladies we included in this article are famous for a reason, but there are many more we couldn’t feature here. Who is your favorite female YouTuber? Leave a comment and let us know.

Bonus Tip: Edit Your Own Videos with Instant Mode

Filmora released a new mode - Instant Mode, which helps you save time and effort in video editing . All you need to do is gather your footage, audio, or other media resources and import them to your Filmora Instant Mode. Then the Instant Mode will take care everything for you! Why not get rid of editing videos in a timeline and use video templates instead?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Even though statistics show that only 38% of YouTube users are female, there is no shortage of ladies who continually post videos that harvest millions of views. Women mostly cover fashion, cooking, or makeup niches, but you can also find comedians and gamers among the most successful YouTube personalities.

In its relatively short history, YouTube has launched quite a few stars of the new generation, and it is safe to assume that the platform is going to continue to serve as a launchpad for young and creative people, regardless of their gender. If you were wondering who are the most popular female YouTubers, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll down to learn more.

---

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Want to be a superstar on the YouTube platform? Just use our newly released version 11 of Filmora. There are so many filters, overlays, effects and transitions, and cool effects and elements built-in, and you can empower your imagination with some advanced features such as green screen composition (chroma-keying), video speed changing, color grading, and audio keyframing. What’s more, the speed ramping, auto montage maker, and collaboration with NewBlue and Boris will definitely help you make your video more eye-catching. Click the Free Download button below to begin your journey to the YouTube superstar today.

---

Top 10 Female YouTubers

We’ve comprised this list based on the number of subscribers a channel has, and we excluded the VEVO channels. So let’s see who are the top 10 female YouTubers in 2021

1. JennaMarbles
2. Liza Koshy
3. RCLBeauty101
4. IISuperwomanII
5. Zoella
6. Wengie
7. Bethany Mota
8. Lindsey Stirling
9. Rosanna Pansino
10. Miranda Sings

1. JennaMarbles

Subscribers: 18 million

Back in 2010, Jenna’s video ‘How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking’ collected 5.3 million views in a single week. The type of humor that made her famous continues to be her signature mark eight years later.

Today, Jenna Nicole Mourey is the owner of the most popular channel on YouTube operated by a woman, and she is also the first social media star that has her wax figure in the Madame Tussauds museum. She made appearances on a number of TV shows and full feature movies, but their success can’t be compared with the popularity of Jenna’s YouTube videos.

2. Liza Koshy

Subscribers: 15 million

The charming and incredibly funny YouTuber Liza Koshy has become one of the platform’s biggest stars in a relatively short period of time. She started her YouTube channel in 2013, and just a few years later, she interviewed the ex-US President Barack Obama.

Currently, Liza’s channel has more than 1.5 billion views, and her videos frequently attract millions of viewers. Liza also has an acting career, and she is working on a new YouTube series called Liza on Demand. She is only 21, and it seems she is going to be one of the most popular female YouTubers for a long time.

3. RCLBeauty101

Subscribers: 13 million

This young and talented YouTuber produces several different genres of videos. You can find beauty, comedy, DIY, or challenge videos on her channel, which has nearly 3 billion total views. Rachel Levin has been posting videos to her YouTube channel since 2010, and her most popular video up to date has 221 million views.

Beauty and fashion videos made Rachel famous, as she has been mentioned on more than one occasion in the articles published in Cosmopolitan and Forbes magazines. The 23-year old beauty guru continues to be one of YouTube’s most influential ladies, and there is no reason to believe that this is going to change soon.

4. IISuperwomanII

Subscribers: 13 million

In addition to being one of the most influential women on YouTube, Lily Singh is also an actress, a singer, a writer, and a philanthropist. Lily posts vlogs on her second YouTube channel called SuperwomanVlogs , which has more than 2.2 million subscribers.

She frequently collaborates with superstars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Selena Gomez, or Steve Aoki. Lily’s acting career is almost as successful as her YouTube channel because she starred in HBO’s adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and several TV shows. The IISuperwomanII channel has more than 2.6 billion views, and in 2017 Lilly landed 10th place on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTube stars.

5. Zoella

Subscribers: 12 million

Zoe Elizabeth Sugg started her online career as a blogger in 2009, and the initial success of her blog inspired her to start her own YouTube channel that same year. Zoe mostly produces fashion and beauty videos, although you can find titles such as ‘Ultimate Pizza Taste Challenge With Mark’ or ‘Draw My Life’ on her channel as well.

In November 2014, Zoe released her first novel titled ‘Girl Online’ that sold a record number of copies in a single week. She won Cosmopolitan Blog Award, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Teen Choice Award, and in 2016, she was nominated for the YouTuber of The Year Shorty Award.

6. Wengie

Subscribers: 11 million

Australia’s most popular YouTuber is famous for fashion and beauty videos, although you can find DIY videos or pranks on her channel as well. The title of the track is inspired by her real name Wen Jie Huang, and she posts videos to Wengie Vlogs and Wengie Music channels.

In 2017 Wen released a single ‘Baby Believe Me’ in China, which was followed by another track, ‘Oh I Do’, that gathered 7 million views. She works as a voice actress, and she was the voice of Blisstina’s Bliss Utonium in Australian and New Zealand versions of The Power Puff Girls.

7. Bethany Mota

Subscribers: 10 million

Bethany’s signature mark is the haul video. She has been producing them since the early 2010s. Her first video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and by 2015 her channel already had over 9 million subscribers. Mota’s videos are mostly about fashion, and she often offers tips on how to look great for different occasions.

Her clothing, perfume, and accessories line was launched in collaboration with Aeropostale, and it is still a major success. Bethany appeared on several episodes of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and she released a couple of singles that received a moderate amount of praise from the critics.

8. Lindsey Stirling

Subscribers: 10 million

The world-famous violinist who started as a YouTuber in 2007 is one of the most influential women on the platform. You can find everything related to her music on her channel, including numerous collaborations with other artists.

She plays classical, electronic, pop, and rock music, and so far, she has released four studio albums. Lindsey has won the Billboard Music Award, YouTube Award as well as Shorty Award for her artistry, and at the age of 31, she remains to be one of YouTube’s brightest stars.

9. Rosanna Pansino

Subscribers: 10 million

Pansino started her channel because she wanted to get more comfortable in front of a camera while she was pursuing a career in acting. Eight years later, she is one of the most respected food YouTubers in the world and the author of the award-winning series Nerdy Nummies.

The series is a baking show dedicated to showing the viewers how to prepare nerdy-themed food. A bunch of YouTube celebrities appeared on the show, including Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, and Lindsey Stirling. Pansino’s YouTube channel has more than 75 million views per month, which makes her one of the most popular YouTubers in 2021.

10. Miranda Sings

Subscribers: 8.9 million

Colleen Ballinger is an actress, a comedian, and most importantly, the creator of the fictional character Miranda Sings. Her videos are a satirical portrayal of musicians and singers who post videos to YouTube in the hope that they will be recognized by major record companies. Miranda lives with her mother and her uncle, and she is relentlessly ambitious, but her singing talents are next to non-existent.

Ballinger’s character has almost a cult following as most of her videos have millions of views. Miranda is also the main protagonist of a Netflix series titled ‘Haters Back Off’ that was developed by Colleen and her brother Christopher.

Conclusion:

Some of the best videos on YouTube are produced by women, and it is hardly surprising that quite a few female YouTubers have over 10 million subscribers. The ladies we included in this article are famous for a reason, but there are many more we couldn’t feature here. Who is your favorite female YouTuber? Leave a comment and let us know.

Bonus Tip: Edit Your Own Videos with Instant Mode

Filmora released a new mode - Instant Mode, which helps you save time and effort in video editing . All you need to do is gather your footage, audio, or other media resources and import them to your Filmora Instant Mode. Then the Instant Mode will take care everything for you! Why not get rid of editing videos in a timeline and use video templates instead?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Even though statistics show that only 38% of YouTube users are female, there is no shortage of ladies who continually post videos that harvest millions of views. Women mostly cover fashion, cooking, or makeup niches, but you can also find comedians and gamers among the most successful YouTube personalities.

In its relatively short history, YouTube has launched quite a few stars of the new generation, and it is safe to assume that the platform is going to continue to serve as a launchpad for young and creative people, regardless of their gender. If you were wondering who are the most popular female YouTubers, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll down to learn more.

---

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Want to be a superstar on the YouTube platform? Just use our newly released version 11 of Filmora. There are so many filters, overlays, effects and transitions, and cool effects and elements built-in, and you can empower your imagination with some advanced features such as green screen composition (chroma-keying), video speed changing, color grading, and audio keyframing. What’s more, the speed ramping, auto montage maker, and collaboration with NewBlue and Boris will definitely help you make your video more eye-catching. Click the Free Download button below to begin your journey to the YouTube superstar today.

---

Top 10 Female YouTubers

We’ve comprised this list based on the number of subscribers a channel has, and we excluded the VEVO channels. So let’s see who are the top 10 female YouTubers in 2021

1. JennaMarbles
2. Liza Koshy
3. RCLBeauty101
4. IISuperwomanII
5. Zoella
6. Wengie
7. Bethany Mota
8. Lindsey Stirling
9. Rosanna Pansino
10. Miranda Sings

1. JennaMarbles

Subscribers: 18 million

Back in 2010, Jenna’s video ‘How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking’ collected 5.3 million views in a single week. The type of humor that made her famous continues to be her signature mark eight years later.

Today, Jenna Nicole Mourey is the owner of the most popular channel on YouTube operated by a woman, and she is also the first social media star that has her wax figure in the Madame Tussauds museum. She made appearances on a number of TV shows and full feature movies, but their success can’t be compared with the popularity of Jenna’s YouTube videos.

2. Liza Koshy

Subscribers: 15 million

The charming and incredibly funny YouTuber Liza Koshy has become one of the platform’s biggest stars in a relatively short period of time. She started her YouTube channel in 2013, and just a few years later, she interviewed the ex-US President Barack Obama.

Currently, Liza’s channel has more than 1.5 billion views, and her videos frequently attract millions of viewers. Liza also has an acting career, and she is working on a new YouTube series called Liza on Demand. She is only 21, and it seems she is going to be one of the most popular female YouTubers for a long time.

3. RCLBeauty101

Subscribers: 13 million

This young and talented YouTuber produces several different genres of videos. You can find beauty, comedy, DIY, or challenge videos on her channel, which has nearly 3 billion total views. Rachel Levin has been posting videos to her YouTube channel since 2010, and her most popular video up to date has 221 million views.

Beauty and fashion videos made Rachel famous, as she has been mentioned on more than one occasion in the articles published in Cosmopolitan and Forbes magazines. The 23-year old beauty guru continues to be one of YouTube’s most influential ladies, and there is no reason to believe that this is going to change soon.

4. IISuperwomanII

Subscribers: 13 million

In addition to being one of the most influential women on YouTube, Lily Singh is also an actress, a singer, a writer, and a philanthropist. Lily posts vlogs on her second YouTube channel called SuperwomanVlogs , which has more than 2.2 million subscribers.

She frequently collaborates with superstars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Selena Gomez, or Steve Aoki. Lily’s acting career is almost as successful as her YouTube channel because she starred in HBO’s adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and several TV shows. The IISuperwomanII channel has more than 2.6 billion views, and in 2017 Lilly landed 10th place on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTube stars.

5. Zoella

Subscribers: 12 million

Zoe Elizabeth Sugg started her online career as a blogger in 2009, and the initial success of her blog inspired her to start her own YouTube channel that same year. Zoe mostly produces fashion and beauty videos, although you can find titles such as ‘Ultimate Pizza Taste Challenge With Mark’ or ‘Draw My Life’ on her channel as well.

In November 2014, Zoe released her first novel titled ‘Girl Online’ that sold a record number of copies in a single week. She won Cosmopolitan Blog Award, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Teen Choice Award, and in 2016, she was nominated for the YouTuber of The Year Shorty Award.

6. Wengie

Subscribers: 11 million

Australia’s most popular YouTuber is famous for fashion and beauty videos, although you can find DIY videos or pranks on her channel as well. The title of the track is inspired by her real name Wen Jie Huang, and she posts videos to Wengie Vlogs and Wengie Music channels.

In 2017 Wen released a single ‘Baby Believe Me’ in China, which was followed by another track, ‘Oh I Do’, that gathered 7 million views. She works as a voice actress, and she was the voice of Blisstina’s Bliss Utonium in Australian and New Zealand versions of The Power Puff Girls.

7. Bethany Mota

Subscribers: 10 million

Bethany’s signature mark is the haul video. She has been producing them since the early 2010s. Her first video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and by 2015 her channel already had over 9 million subscribers. Mota’s videos are mostly about fashion, and she often offers tips on how to look great for different occasions.

Her clothing, perfume, and accessories line was launched in collaboration with Aeropostale, and it is still a major success. Bethany appeared on several episodes of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and she released a couple of singles that received a moderate amount of praise from the critics.

8. Lindsey Stirling

Subscribers: 10 million

The world-famous violinist who started as a YouTuber in 2007 is one of the most influential women on the platform. You can find everything related to her music on her channel, including numerous collaborations with other artists.

She plays classical, electronic, pop, and rock music, and so far, she has released four studio albums. Lindsey has won the Billboard Music Award, YouTube Award as well as Shorty Award for her artistry, and at the age of 31, she remains to be one of YouTube’s brightest stars.

9. Rosanna Pansino

Subscribers: 10 million

Pansino started her channel because she wanted to get more comfortable in front of a camera while she was pursuing a career in acting. Eight years later, she is one of the most respected food YouTubers in the world and the author of the award-winning series Nerdy Nummies.

The series is a baking show dedicated to showing the viewers how to prepare nerdy-themed food. A bunch of YouTube celebrities appeared on the show, including Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, and Lindsey Stirling. Pansino’s YouTube channel has more than 75 million views per month, which makes her one of the most popular YouTubers in 2021.

10. Miranda Sings

Subscribers: 8.9 million

Colleen Ballinger is an actress, a comedian, and most importantly, the creator of the fictional character Miranda Sings. Her videos are a satirical portrayal of musicians and singers who post videos to YouTube in the hope that they will be recognized by major record companies. Miranda lives with her mother and her uncle, and she is relentlessly ambitious, but her singing talents are next to non-existent.

Ballinger’s character has almost a cult following as most of her videos have millions of views. Miranda is also the main protagonist of a Netflix series titled ‘Haters Back Off’ that was developed by Colleen and her brother Christopher.

Conclusion:

Some of the best videos on YouTube are produced by women, and it is hardly surprising that quite a few female YouTubers have over 10 million subscribers. The ladies we included in this article are famous for a reason, but there are many more we couldn’t feature here. Who is your favorite female YouTuber? Leave a comment and let us know.

Bonus Tip: Edit Your Own Videos with Instant Mode

Filmora released a new mode - Instant Mode, which helps you save time and effort in video editing . All you need to do is gather your footage, audio, or other media resources and import them to your Filmora Instant Mode. Then the Instant Mode will take care everything for you! Why not get rid of editing videos in a timeline and use video templates instead?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Even though statistics show that only 38% of YouTube users are female, there is no shortage of ladies who continually post videos that harvest millions of views. Women mostly cover fashion, cooking, or makeup niches, but you can also find comedians and gamers among the most successful YouTube personalities.

In its relatively short history, YouTube has launched quite a few stars of the new generation, and it is safe to assume that the platform is going to continue to serve as a launchpad for young and creative people, regardless of their gender. If you were wondering who are the most popular female YouTubers, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll down to learn more.

---

A cross-platform for making videos anywhere for all creators

Why your video editing isn’t good enough? How about some creative inspo?

• 100 Million+ Users
• 150+ Countries and Regions
• 4 Million+ Social Media Followers
• 5 Million+ Stock Media for Use

Try It Free Try It Free

Try It Free

Try It Free

* Secure Download

Want to be a superstar on the YouTube platform? Just use our newly released version 11 of Filmora. There are so many filters, overlays, effects and transitions, and cool effects and elements built-in, and you can empower your imagination with some advanced features such as green screen composition (chroma-keying), video speed changing, color grading, and audio keyframing. What’s more, the speed ramping, auto montage maker, and collaboration with NewBlue and Boris will definitely help you make your video more eye-catching. Click the Free Download button below to begin your journey to the YouTube superstar today.

---

Top 10 Female YouTubers

We’ve comprised this list based on the number of subscribers a channel has, and we excluded the VEVO channels. So let’s see who are the top 10 female YouTubers in 2021

1. JennaMarbles
2. Liza Koshy
3. RCLBeauty101
4. IISuperwomanII
5. Zoella
6. Wengie
7. Bethany Mota
8. Lindsey Stirling
9. Rosanna Pansino
10. Miranda Sings

1. JennaMarbles

Subscribers: 18 million

Back in 2010, Jenna’s video ‘How to Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking’ collected 5.3 million views in a single week. The type of humor that made her famous continues to be her signature mark eight years later.

Today, Jenna Nicole Mourey is the owner of the most popular channel on YouTube operated by a woman, and she is also the first social media star that has her wax figure in the Madame Tussauds museum. She made appearances on a number of TV shows and full feature movies, but their success can’t be compared with the popularity of Jenna’s YouTube videos.

2. Liza Koshy

Subscribers: 15 million

The charming and incredibly funny YouTuber Liza Koshy has become one of the platform’s biggest stars in a relatively short period of time. She started her YouTube channel in 2013, and just a few years later, she interviewed the ex-US President Barack Obama.

Currently, Liza’s channel has more than 1.5 billion views, and her videos frequently attract millions of viewers. Liza also has an acting career, and she is working on a new YouTube series called Liza on Demand. She is only 21, and it seems she is going to be one of the most popular female YouTubers for a long time.

3. RCLBeauty101

Subscribers: 13 million

This young and talented YouTuber produces several different genres of videos. You can find beauty, comedy, DIY, or challenge videos on her channel, which has nearly 3 billion total views. Rachel Levin has been posting videos to her YouTube channel since 2010, and her most popular video up to date has 221 million views.

Beauty and fashion videos made Rachel famous, as she has been mentioned on more than one occasion in the articles published in Cosmopolitan and Forbes magazines. The 23-year old beauty guru continues to be one of YouTube’s most influential ladies, and there is no reason to believe that this is going to change soon.

4. IISuperwomanII

Subscribers: 13 million

In addition to being one of the most influential women on YouTube, Lily Singh is also an actress, a singer, a writer, and a philanthropist. Lily posts vlogs on her second YouTube channel called SuperwomanVlogs , which has more than 2.2 million subscribers.

She frequently collaborates with superstars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Selena Gomez, or Steve Aoki. Lily’s acting career is almost as successful as her YouTube channel because she starred in HBO’s adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and several TV shows. The IISuperwomanII channel has more than 2.6 billion views, and in 2017 Lilly landed 10th place on Forbes’ list of highest-paid YouTube stars.

5. Zoella

Subscribers: 12 million

Zoe Elizabeth Sugg started her online career as a blogger in 2009, and the initial success of her blog inspired her to start her own YouTube channel that same year. Zoe mostly produces fashion and beauty videos, although you can find titles such as ‘Ultimate Pizza Taste Challenge With Mark’ or ‘Draw My Life’ on her channel as well.

In November 2014, Zoe released her first novel titled ‘Girl Online’ that sold a record number of copies in a single week. She won Cosmopolitan Blog Award, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Teen Choice Award, and in 2016, she was nominated for the YouTuber of The Year Shorty Award.

6. Wengie

Subscribers: 11 million

Australia’s most popular YouTuber is famous for fashion and beauty videos, although you can find DIY videos or pranks on her channel as well. The title of the track is inspired by her real name Wen Jie Huang, and she posts videos to Wengie Vlogs and Wengie Music channels.

In 2017 Wen released a single ‘Baby Believe Me’ in China, which was followed by another track, ‘Oh I Do’, that gathered 7 million views. She works as a voice actress, and she was the voice of Blisstina’s Bliss Utonium in Australian and New Zealand versions of The Power Puff Girls.

7. Bethany Mota

Subscribers: 10 million

Bethany’s signature mark is the haul video. She has been producing them since the early 2010s. Her first video was uploaded to YouTube in 2009, and by 2015 her channel already had over 9 million subscribers. Mota’s videos are mostly about fashion, and she often offers tips on how to look great for different occasions.

Her clothing, perfume, and accessories line was launched in collaboration with Aeropostale, and it is still a major success. Bethany appeared on several episodes of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and she released a couple of singles that received a moderate amount of praise from the critics.

8. Lindsey Stirling

Subscribers: 10 million

The world-famous violinist who started as a YouTuber in 2007 is one of the most influential women on the platform. You can find everything related to her music on her channel, including numerous collaborations with other artists.

She plays classical, electronic, pop, and rock music, and so far, she has released four studio albums. Lindsey has won the Billboard Music Award, YouTube Award as well as Shorty Award for her artistry, and at the age of 31, she remains to be one of YouTube’s brightest stars.

9. Rosanna Pansino

Subscribers: 10 million

Pansino started her channel because she wanted to get more comfortable in front of a camera while she was pursuing a career in acting. Eight years later, she is one of the most respected food YouTubers in the world and the author of the award-winning series Nerdy Nummies.

The series is a baking show dedicated to showing the viewers how to prepare nerdy-themed food. A bunch of YouTube celebrities appeared on the show, including Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, and Lindsey Stirling. Pansino’s YouTube channel has more than 75 million views per month, which makes her one of the most popular YouTubers in 2021.

10. Miranda Sings

Subscribers: 8.9 million

Colleen Ballinger is an actress, a comedian, and most importantly, the creator of the fictional character Miranda Sings. Her videos are a satirical portrayal of musicians and singers who post videos to YouTube in the hope that they will be recognized by major record companies. Miranda lives with her mother and her uncle, and she is relentlessly ambitious, but her singing talents are next to non-existent.

Ballinger’s character has almost a cult following as most of her videos have millions of views. Miranda is also the main protagonist of a Netflix series titled ‘Haters Back Off’ that was developed by Colleen and her brother Christopher.

Conclusion:

Some of the best videos on YouTube are produced by women, and it is hardly surprising that quite a few female YouTubers have over 10 million subscribers. The ladies we included in this article are famous for a reason, but there are many more we couldn’t feature here. Who is your favorite female YouTuber? Leave a comment and let us know.

Bonus Tip: Edit Your Own Videos with Instant Mode

Filmora released a new mode - Instant Mode, which helps you save time and effort in video editing . All you need to do is gather your footage, audio, or other media resources and import them to your Filmora Instant Mode. Then the Instant Mode will take care everything for you! Why not get rid of editing videos in a timeline and use video templates instead?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett