The 15 most popular YouTubers in the world

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Sweden’s PewDiePie is the most popular YouTuber in the world right now.

YouTube has exploded since it first launched in 2005, becoming the de-facto launchpad for the next generation of celebrities.

We did the math and found YouTube’s 20 biggest independent stars based on how many subscribers each has. We only focused on independent YouTube stars, disregarding YouTube channels like mainstream music artists’ VEVO accounts.

While some of the names may be obvious to YouTube aficionados (big comedy stars like Jenna Marbles and Ray William Johnson come to mind), there were just as many relative unknowns, who are building absolutely huge fan bases around niche formats like video game commentating and unwrapping toys. 

There’s no doubt that among teens and tweens, these are the new celebrities.

15. KSI

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 1.9 billion total views

10.5 million total subscribers

As a teenager, Olajide “KSI” Olatunji played EA Sports’ line of FIFA video games for hours on end in his parents’ home. In 2009, he began uploading footage of himself playing and commentating to YouTube, under the username KSIOlajidebt: a combination of a Halo franchise clan, his first name, and “British Telecom.”

After a year, “KSI” — as he became known — garnered 7,000 subscribers. Another year later, that number tripled. His boisterous, goofy nature captured fans around the world.

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14. Porta dos Fundos

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 1.9 billion total views

10.5 million total subscribers

Porta dos Fundos — which translates, literally, to “back door” — may not be well-known to US audiences, but they’re a famous Brazilian comedy group that got their start on YouTube. The five-piece group has made a name for itself on YouTube, and has even landed a TV series deal as well as a movie deal.

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13. RayWilliamJohnson

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3 billion total views

10.7 million total subscribers

Ray William Johnson is a 33-year-old YouTuber best known for his show “Equals Three,” during which he provides comedic commentary for viral videos. He has long been one of the most popular YouTubers thanks to the show, which has featured huge celebrity guests like Robin Williams and Sarah Silverman. He recently stepped away from “Equals Three” to focus on new projects in TV and live shows. “Equals Three” will live on with a new host, and Johnson has also continued to post life blogs from the channel.

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12. Vegetta777

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3.4 billion total views

11 million total subscribers

Samuel de Luque is a wildly popular Spanish YouTuber who has become known for his voiceovers of gameplay videos for “Minecraft,” “Saint’s Row,” and “Battlefield.”

His signature style is to create elaborate narratives and histories for the characters in his video game videos to make them “like a movie.” His fanbase is primarily based in Spain and Latin America. He often collaborates with TheWillyRex and other popular Spanish-language YouTubers.

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11. SkyDoesMinecraft

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2.8 billion total views

11.3 million total subscribers

Adam Dahlberg is a massively popular “Minecraft” YouTuber who originally got popular as part of a “Minecraft” team called Team Crafted. As with many “Minecraft” YouTubers, Dahlberg frequently posts gameplay videos and commentary.

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10. Yuya

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1.1 billion total views

11.5 million total subscribers

Yuya is a 22-year-old Mexican beauty vlogger. She posts makeup, hair, and other beauty tutorials, and even has a secondary channel where she talks about her day-to-day life outside of her tutorials. Many fo the videos on her secondary channel star her brother Sergio. Yuya’s beauty tutorial channel has brought her so much fame that she’s been featured in Vogue and on Mexican television.

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9. Epic Rap Battles (ERB)

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1.9 billion total views

12.6 million total subscribers

Epic Rap Battles of History is one of the most successful YouTube series of all time. What started as a live improv skit by two friends has become an online sensation, with more than 12 million subscribers and 1.9 billion views under the Maker Studios network.

The premise is simple: founders Peter Shukoff (NicePeter) and Lloyd Ahlquist (EpicLloyd) pick two figures from history or pop culture and imagine what it would be like if they faced off in a battle in rap form. The videos are highly entertaining, with characters as varied as Darth Vader, Adolf Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, and Chuck Norris battling one another in full costume.  

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8. TheFineBros/TheFineBros2

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3.3 billion total views

13.1 million total subscribers

Brooklyn natives Benny and Rafi Fine are two online producer/writer/directors who created the extremely successful React video series. In React’s various iterations (Kids React, Teens React, Elders React, and YouTubers React), TheFineBros show viral videos to subjects and film their reactions. The duo has been sponsored by both Ford and Comedy Central. Many consider TheFineBros to be two of the first YouTube stars.

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7. elrubiusOMG

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2.5 billion total views

13.6 million total subscribers

Ruben Doblas Gundersen, better known on YouTube as “elrubiusOMG,” is a 25-year-old Spanish YouTuber. He’s the most followed Spanish YouTube star. Like other popular YouTubers, elrubius is a gamer who does walkthroughs, reviews, and more, peppered with funny commentary. He published a book called Troll last year, which was a bestseller at the Madrid Book Fair. 

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6. VanossGaming

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2.9 billion total views

14 million total subscribers

VanossGaming is one of the fastest-growing YouTube channels around these days. While not much is known about Vanoss, he posts comedy videos that show him playing various video games. What sets his videos apart is the quality of his editing. He frequently posts montages like this one that compress his hours of gaming into one compact video of funny moments.

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5. NigaHiga/HigaTV

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2.3 billion total views

15.2 million total subscribers

Ryan Higa, who goes by the username NigaHiga, was one of the first major YouTube stars. Higa produces a variety of comedy videos, including sketches, music videos, and short commentaries on pop culture. His current videos have high production values and a professional touch, but he remains as quick, funny, and incisive as ever. 

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4. JennaMarbles/JennaMarblesBlog

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1.8 billion total views

15.5 million total subscribers

Jenna Marbles (real name: Mourey) has long been one of the most recognizable stars on YouTube. Though she initially started her career with BarStool Sports, Mourey quickly moved into video after posting “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking,” which quickly blew up.

She has been pegged as the model YouTube star, reportedly making as much or more than $350,000 a year off her channel, which features comedic videos about being a young Millennial woman (some examples: “Things Girls Lie About,” “How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To“).

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3. Smosh

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4.7 billion total views

21.1 million total subscribers

Smosh is a comedy duo consisting of YouTube veterans Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. Smosh was one of the first YouTube sensations, becoming well-known for the duo’s slapstick comedy videos that parody video games and pop culture. The duo has shown no signs of slowing down, opening up multiple channels and an app for their content. They now have more than half a dozen YouTube channels producing content, all with significant views and subscribers, including Smosh, IanH, WatchUsLiveAndStuff, ElSmosh, SmoshGames, and Anthony Padilla. They have also been in talks to begin airing their comedy content on television.

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2. HolaSoyGerman

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2.1 billion total views

24 million total subscribers

German Garmendia is a Chilean YouTuber who makes comedy videos aimed at a Spanish-speaking audience. He became famous with “Las Cosas Obvias De La Vida” (“The Obvious Things of Life”). He was second only to top YouTuber PewDiePie in adding subscribers in 2013.

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1. PewDiePie

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10.1 billion total views

39.3 million total subscribers

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjelberg is a foul-mouthed Swedish video game commentator who has absolutely dominated YouTube over the past year. Kjelberg’s videos show him playing various video games while a box in the top corner of the screen shows his reactions to what is happening. Kjelberg has broken numerous YouTube growth records, jumping from 12 million subscribers in August 2013 to more than 20 million in January. Many attribute his success to the attention he pays to his fans. Kjelberg spends lots of time talking about his fans, answering their questions in the YouTube comments section, and forming a community of “bros.”

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READ MORE - The 15 most popular YouTubers in the world

How To Make Yourself Famous On Youtube for Youtubers

1. 
   1
   Be culturally relevant. If you make videos that are related to news or pop culture items that everyone's talking about and looking up online, you'll have a better shot at getting famous. Stay in the know on your favorite subjects, and be willing to make and upload videos within a day or two of breaking news. You never know when your video will be the one to spiral toward success.

   • To find the latest pop culture topics look over YouTube's trending page, Twitter's trending topics, or even Google news.
2. 
   2
   Make video responses and parodies. Take a famous YouTube video and create a response, or give it a hilarious twist. Responses and parodies are hugely popular and a great way to capitalize on other people's success. Your video will pop up when people search for the famous video.The creators of the original videos love responses and parodies because they catapult the originals to even greater fame.

   • Make sure you include the YouTube username of the person your referring to in the title of your video. This will give your video greater chances of showing up in the "up next" sidebar of their videos.
   • Be sure to use the right tags so your video doesn't get lost in the Internet either.
   • Doing an autotune version of a famous video is an easy way to crack your viewers up and create an instant hit.
3. 
   3
   Meet people in person at YouTube gatherings. People will be more likely to subscribe to your channel if they meet you in person. YouTube gatherings are held all over the world and they're a great way to get some attention, make friends, and boost your popularity. When you meet people who've subscribed, thank them and make an effort to get to know them personally.

   • People often make collaborative videos at YouTube gatherings. Be outgoing and purposeful - make as many as you can!
   • Don't be snobby at YouTube gatherings. You're there to meet the people that have taken the time to watch your videos and meet up with you. Be likable and friendly.
4. 
   4
   Collaborate with famous YouTubers. Try to meet famous people at conventions, or directly contact some of your favorite people through YouTube or Twitter. Ask them if they want to make a collaborative video. It's a great way to get more recognition and become a more prominent part of the YouTube community. A lot of people have gotten more famous this way!^[1]

   • When you contact someone, have an awesome idea ready for the collaboration video. Make it clear you have something worthwhile to bring to the collaboration, too.
   • Seek to collaborate with people with styles and viewership similar to yours. That way you can share each other's audiences.
   • Never turn someone down who wants to mention you or help you out with a collaboration. The YouTube community is all about helping each other and sharing the wealth.
   • If the person you want to collaborate with lives really far away then consider using Skype or other video calling software to make a video together.
   • If you collaborate with a YouTuber, try to make the theme of the video something which everyone involved in the video —as well as everyone watching— will like.
5. 
   5
   Get a video featured by a YouTube editor. If you have a standout video, you might have a shot at getting featured. This could definitely catapult you to fame in a matter of days.

   • Keep in mind that videos with a good amount of views and high audience retention are more likely to become featured.
   • For the best chances of getting your video featured make sure that your video contains things that people are really interested in and that the title and description are accurate.
6. 
   6
   Relentlessly add new content. If you consistently produce interesting videos that offer original content and are relevant to your viewers' lives, you're eventually going to get recognized. Don't give up if you aren't famous after a few months, or even a year or two. Be passionate about making videos and participating in the amazing online community that is YouTube, and you just might end up getting famous.^[2]

Part2

Connecting With Viewers

1. 
   1
   Make your channel look impressive. The way your channel looks can make or break the success of your video, so be sure it adds to the allure! Create a catchy channel name and add channel art to get things started. Add a short description to your channel to give viewers a glimpse of the kind of content you're offering.

   • Have a unique background image.^[3]
   • Keep your channel art and description updated as you create new videos. Don't let it get stagnant.
   • You can include links to your other websites in your channel description as a way to promote yourself online.
   • Connect your other social profiles to your YouTube account so that people can follow you on other social media. This will help build your own community.
2. 
   2
   Tag your videos. This part is important. Without the right tags, no one's going to find your videos! When you upload a video to your channel, choose tags that are descriptive and specific. You don't want to use the exact same tags as everyone else, because your video will get buried that way.^[4]

   • Choose keywords that apply to your video - don't mislead viewers with a keyword that's not really relevant.
   • Use both broad and specific tags to get the most views. Tag with the names of people you mention, keywords related to events you talk about, and so on.
   • Find out the tags that people are searching for and use them. There are many tagsforlikes websites that will help you find these tags.
3. 
   3
   Promote your videos only among people you know. If you don't have a relationship with someone, don't ask them to watch or link to your video. This is a faux pas in the world of YouTube. Instead, work the relationships you already have and let the viewership build naturally. It's not going to happen overnight, but with persistence you'll see your views going up.

   • Share your videos via other social networks like Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter.
   • Never spam people you don't know with links to your videos, either on their walls or in their comments.
   • As a last resort you can artificially boost your view count by buying views on sites that offer that service; however do so only if you have tried everything else first, as these views may not always result in many subscribers.
4. 
   4
   Talk to your subscribers. To gain popularity, respond to each and every person who leaves you a comment. This is a good way to start building new relationships with your subscribers. If someone leaves you a nice message, respond! If they ask for advice, give it. Be genuine and friendly, and you'll attract more and more people. Here are a few other good ways to interact with your subscribers:

   • Friend subscribers who friend you. Spread the love to other people!
   • Get a Twitter account and follow people who have followed your YouTube channel. Interact with them as much as possible.
5. 
   5
   Watch other people's channels. YouTube is a community, and if you want to be popular, you need to participate. Interact with other people on their walls, via messages, on Twitter, and in any other way you can. Give genuine positive feedback.

   • Make sure you actually watch videos before leaving a comment. People will know if you're being fake, especially if you spam them with a link to your channel.
   • Keep your own viewers in mind when you engage with other channels. Like videos you think your viewers will benefit from. Link to videos that will enhance your channel, too.
   • Mention the YouTubers that you watch in the videos you make.
6. 
   6
   Make new videos at least once a week. To keep people coming back, you need to update your channel frequently. If possible, do it on a schedule so people will know they can expect to see new content on a certain day. Make videos that are consistently high quality and offer something original every time.

   • In between new videos, spend time "liking" other people's videos and promoting other content so your subscribers will have something to keep them occupied until your next video is ready.
   • Keep engaged with your subscribers throughout the week, not just on the day you post videos.
   • If you know you will not be able to post on a certain day or week then make a video in advance and schedule it.
   • Post as frequently as possible, the top YouTubers will often post videos daily.

1. 
   1
   Be the real you. Viewers will be able to tell in less than 10 seconds whether you're being genuine in your videos. Are you funny, intense, or sweet and bubbly? Whatever your unique personality traits might be, show them off in your videos. The same way you'd be yourself with your family and friends, you need to be you in your videos. Otherwise, viewers will look elsewhere for authenticity and entertainment.

   • You're going to be nervous the first few times you make a video - that's normal. If it helps, think of the camera as your friend, sister or brother. Joke around or get deep the same way you would with someone you trust.
   • Don't be worried about embarrassing yourself! If you stumble over your words a little or say something that's not very funny, your viewers will relate to you even more because they'll see you as human. People don't go to YouTube to find polished Hollywood-esque stars. Be relatable.
   • Don't copy other people's styles. Figure out what's original about you and play it up.
2. 
   2
   Offer something great to your audience. If you look through the most popular YouTube videos, you'll see that each one offers something interesting. Some offer amazing music, others offer thoughtful advice, and still others offer a few minutes of hilarious entertainment. What are you going to offer to people watching your video? Keep this in mind with every video you make.

   • What's your area of expertise? Your own life is a good place to start. Offer advice based on what you've experienced, like how to become the most popular girl in school, how to kiss, how to play guitar, how to build a robot, or how to straighten curly hair.
   • Offer opinions. What's your take on world politics, pop culture news, sports, music, etc.?
   • Offer something that will make people laugh. Tell jokes, show your pet's antics, parody someone else's video, or do impressions of a famous person.
   • Ask for other peoples opinions at the end of your videos and encourage them to comment. This will help to build your community.
3. 
   3
   Speak up and make eye contact. Just like you would in front of any audience, you need to speak clearly and make eye contact with your YouTube audience. This holds viewers' attention and makes your videos much more interesting to watch. Look directly into the camera and enunciate your words!
4. 
   4
   Have good video quality. This is YouTube, so no one's expecting your video to be perfect, but if it has terrible lighting and bad sound, people are going to click away. The best way to have good video quality is to use a decent video camera. Some phones come with pretty good video features, so this shouldn't be too hard to do. No matter what kind of video camera you're using, do the following things to improve the video quality:

   • Turn on lights for indoor videos. This will brighten the picture and make everything look more colorful and interesting. Experiment with turning on lights placed in various parts of the room until you're satisfied with how your videos look. Make sure your face and features are clearly visible, even if the background isn't. The light should be facing whatever it is your recording.
   • Eliminate background noises. Turn off your air conditioner, get your dog to stop barking, and turn off the TV in the other room. These noises will lower the quality of your video. Try to record your videos in rooms that do not have an echo.
5. 
   5
   Edit your videos. Use Movie Maker or another type of video editing software to boost the quality of your videos and make them a lot more interesting to watch. Aim to edit them down to about 4-5 minutes — anything longer isn't going to hold people's attention unless it's truly fascinating. Keep these pointers in mind when you're editing:

   • Use tools to brighten the video. It shouldn't look too dark and dreary.
   • Edit out the boring parts. Pauses, dull expressions, coughs, sighs, and other boring interludes can be cut to give your video a faster and more interesting pace.
   • Use text and music to add more personality. This isn't totally necessary, but you can add background music and text to your videos for a little extra oomph. It's a good opportunity to include a message to "like" your video, include some funny descriptions of what you're doing in the video, or promote your Twitter or Facebook account.
   • Your videos aren't complete until you give them awesome titles and descriptions, and make sure the thumbnail is an attention-grabber. Include keywords and search terms within these fields to maximize the chance of your videos being found.

   Thats all for this time, Tanks

READ MORE - How To Make Yourself Famous On Youtube for Youtubers