Global Viewership Kings: YouTube’s Viral Royalty

Top 10 Most Viewed Videos on YouTube of All Time

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

• Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
• See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
• Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
• Gangnam Style - Psy
• Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Sorry - Justin Bieber
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
• Roar - Katy Perry

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

• Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
• See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
• Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
• Gangnam Style - Psy
• Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Sorry - Justin Bieber
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
• Roar - Katy Perry

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

• Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
• See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
• Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
• Gangnam Style - Psy
• Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Sorry - Justin Bieber
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
• Roar - Katy Perry

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

• Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
• See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
• Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
• Gangnam Style - Psy
• Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Sorry - Justin Bieber
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
• Roar - Katy Perry

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Stream Smart: 10 Must-Know Rules for Regular Vlogging

The Dos and Don’ts of Daily Vlogging

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

If you are making videos on YouTube, you’ll have come to a point where you feel daring enough to take on the ultimate challenge: daily vlogging.

You might have been inspired by other creators on YouTube or you might have heard of VEDA: Vlog every day April (or August). You might have also watched some videos from influencers telling you that the ruthless YouTube algorithm demands daily content if you aspire to grow an audience.

There are many reasons why you may want to try your hand at becoming a daily vlogger, but here are 3 motivating reasons to conquer your vlogging fears and get started.

Bonus Tip-The Best Daily Vlog Maker- Wondershare Filmora

Vlogging is an art and people use vlogging to upload videos daily to their YouTube channel. This is natural if you are recording videos daily, you will need a tool like Wondershare Filmora to edit your videos with precision. To make your task easy, Wondershare Filmora has all the features and effects that are required to edit a daily vlog video that you can upload directly from Filmora itself. You can make use of features like add text, background music, filters & effects, etc if you are a daily vlogger as it would help you a lot in making the video look professional in less time.

Why Daily Vlog Anyways?

Build discipline: Like exercising and eating healthy, you have to commit to it and do it regularly in order to see any lasting results. Vlogging is the same. However, if you’re a creator, making videos whenever you feel like it and want to give yourself a kick in the behind, daily vlogging is a practice that will keep you accountable. You have to do it every day. No excuses.

Practice more: How do the best become the best? They practice… every day. If what you want to do is become the greatest video creator you can be, make the best videos you can make, and build the largest following that you can, then let daily vlogging be your boot camp to reach those goals.

Please the YouTube algorithm: It’s true, YouTube wants to see that you are consistently posting fresh content. Every new video you upload will have a day or two to impress the algorithm, this metric is often referred to as view velocity . YouTube will give your video a lift, suggesting it to new viewers, if they see that it is being enjoyed. By publishing daily, you increase your chances of attracting more viewers.

Now that you know the benefits, how should you approach it?

The Dos and Don’ts of Daily Vlogging

1. Do Get Some Experience First

If you are starting out on YouTube, as in, you made one or two videos make sure you can vlog weekly for a few months before moving to daily. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training; you can hurt yourself if you do. Have an idea of what you are getting yourself into, otherwise, it can burn you out and ruin the joy of video creation for you completely.

2. Don’t Film Everything

Having a daily vlog does not mean always having the camera on. Every minute you film is a minute of footage you will have to watch later, a minute you will have to decide whether to cut from your final video. Every second of recorded footage is multiplied in the editing room and it would be impossible for you to meet your daily deadline if you have too much. The key is to start editing as you film, that way, you only film what you need. It doesn’t hurt to have extra footage, but being excessive can waste your time and add little to the final product.

3. Do Plan Out Your Day (Not Your Night)

Knowing where you need to go, who you are going to see and talk to, where you are going to have lunch, which route you are going to take home, and any other occurrences that can happen during the day will greatly increase your chances of success. A day is long and can be made longer when you have a video on your mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to save some of your decision making energy by having it all planned out? And if you are worried that over planning will reduce serendipitous moments that you want, don’t, your day won’t always go as planned… that’s just life.

Additionally, avoid filming at night. It will become a major stress to your health. Filming at night means pulling all-nighters to publish the next day, and then repeating that daily (nightly).

4. Don’t Spend too Long On a Script… Or Your Video

The beauty of daily vlog is to speak your mind and show your personality, not to perform a Shakespearean sonnet by heart. You shouldn’t try to memorize a whole script every day. That would be brutal! What you can have is an outline of the key points you want to hit, certain things you want to say, convey, or record to tell your story, knowing where you want certain cuts to happen helps too, but don’t workshop it too long, because tomorrow will be another show and done is better than perfect.

5. Do Use Templates, Presets, Hotkeys, and Shortcuts

Any chance you have to cut down on your editing time, use it. This means creating and properly storing templates of visuals you want to incorporate into your video. This means adding presets for effects that you feel you would use again. This means learning the editing hotkeys so you can streamline your process. Here are Filmora’s hotkeys .

6. Don’t Forget to Label Your Content

Staying organized is so important, especially as you begin to accumulate more and more footage. It might seem tedious initially, but this good habit can save you a lot of wasted hours later on when you need to find that specific shot that you swore you had…

7. Do Have A Goal

Have an idea of how long you are going to be going daily. Will it be one month, two months, or a year? Or will it be until you reach a certain amount of views, subscribers, or watch time? While it might feel liberating to venture into the great unknown without a clear destination, having a goal will allow you to keep motivated even when times are hard. After all, once you’ve hit your goal and still feel like there is more fuel in you, keep daily vlogging. There is no better feeling than exceeding your own expectations.

8. Don’t Worry About Equipment (But Be Aware of Bad Audio)

You’ve heard it before: you don’t need anything fancy to be a vlogger. If you are looking to increase your toolbox, we have a helpful YouTube gear starter guide for you. But look at it this way, there will be days when you realized that you forgot to charge the battery on your camera or that you left your tripod at home. Don’t abandon the whole project simply because you don’t have what you need.

The important thing is to film, tell a story, edit, and upload. You can do all that on your smartphone or computer webcam if you have to, so don’t let your equipment or lack thereof break your streak. If there is one thing you should put attention on is audio, if you don’t have excellent gear, try to avoid filming in loud places, such as construction sites, dance halls, or highway overpasses.

9. Do Bring a Camera With You Everywhere

Although you shouldn’t worry about your equipment, it is still a good habit to carry your camera with you everywhere. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep you are a daily vlogger, you never know when something will happen. Always be prepared. Your camera is to you, as a gun is to a soldier. It’s what sets you apart from all the civilians, so keep it close at hand.

10. Don’t Neglect Your Health

Earlier I compared daily vlogging to running a marathon, and like a marathon, there is a point where you need to be aware of yourself. You want to push yourself, but you don’t want to overdo it to a point where you damage your physical or mental health. Only you know when you have gone too far. If you feel like daily vlogging is ruining your life and the goal you set for yourself isn’t something you desire anymore, ask yourself: can I take a week off and decide if video creating is something I want to continue?

11. Do Watch Other Daily Vloggers

By seeing how other YouTubers have done daily vlogs, you can get ideas, see what aspect of their videos you like or dislike, and learn from their presentation, content, and community engagement. By watching daily vloggers, you can also start interacting with their content as well. It is always easier to stay motivated when you have support. By watching and reaching out to the daily vloggers you enjoy, you can build a network of people who are going through the same journey as you.

12. Don’t Forget About Your Audience

Remember that in the end, you are creating videos for someone else to enjoy. Even though you might be doing the daily vlog for yourself, if you want your viewers to return every day, you have to have an overall mission for your project. Is your message one that is aimed to motivate or do you want to document a journey? Don’t create your content in a vacuum, ask your viewers for feedback so you know how to improve.

Embarking on your daily vlogging adventure is not one to take lightly, but after 1 month, 1 season, or 1 year, you will be able to look back and see all that you have accomplished and feel proud. With the advice from this article, you can properly prepare yourself and enjoy each step of the process. Don’t overthink it, have fun!

Are you thinking of starting your daily vlog? Let us know what’s stopping you from the comments.

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

If you are making videos on YouTube, you’ll have come to a point where you feel daring enough to take on the ultimate challenge: daily vlogging.

You might have been inspired by other creators on YouTube or you might have heard of VEDA: Vlog every day April (or August). You might have also watched some videos from influencers telling you that the ruthless YouTube algorithm demands daily content if you aspire to grow an audience.

There are many reasons why you may want to try your hand at becoming a daily vlogger, but here are 3 motivating reasons to conquer your vlogging fears and get started.

Bonus Tip-The Best Daily Vlog Maker- Wondershare Filmora

Vlogging is an art and people use vlogging to upload videos daily to their YouTube channel. This is natural if you are recording videos daily, you will need a tool like Wondershare Filmora to edit your videos with precision. To make your task easy, Wondershare Filmora has all the features and effects that are required to edit a daily vlog video that you can upload directly from Filmora itself. You can make use of features like add text, background music, filters & effects, etc if you are a daily vlogger as it would help you a lot in making the video look professional in less time.

Why Daily Vlog Anyways?

Build discipline: Like exercising and eating healthy, you have to commit to it and do it regularly in order to see any lasting results. Vlogging is the same. However, if you’re a creator, making videos whenever you feel like it and want to give yourself a kick in the behind, daily vlogging is a practice that will keep you accountable. You have to do it every day. No excuses.

Practice more: How do the best become the best? They practice… every day. If what you want to do is become the greatest video creator you can be, make the best videos you can make, and build the largest following that you can, then let daily vlogging be your boot camp to reach those goals.

Please the YouTube algorithm: It’s true, YouTube wants to see that you are consistently posting fresh content. Every new video you upload will have a day or two to impress the algorithm, this metric is often referred to as view velocity . YouTube will give your video a lift, suggesting it to new viewers, if they see that it is being enjoyed. By publishing daily, you increase your chances of attracting more viewers.

Now that you know the benefits, how should you approach it?

The Dos and Don’ts of Daily Vlogging

1. Do Get Some Experience First

If you are starting out on YouTube, as in, you made one or two videos make sure you can vlog weekly for a few months before moving to daily. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training; you can hurt yourself if you do. Have an idea of what you are getting yourself into, otherwise, it can burn you out and ruin the joy of video creation for you completely.

2. Don’t Film Everything

Having a daily vlog does not mean always having the camera on. Every minute you film is a minute of footage you will have to watch later, a minute you will have to decide whether to cut from your final video. Every second of recorded footage is multiplied in the editing room and it would be impossible for you to meet your daily deadline if you have too much. The key is to start editing as you film, that way, you only film what you need. It doesn’t hurt to have extra footage, but being excessive can waste your time and add little to the final product.

3. Do Plan Out Your Day (Not Your Night)

Knowing where you need to go, who you are going to see and talk to, where you are going to have lunch, which route you are going to take home, and any other occurrences that can happen during the day will greatly increase your chances of success. A day is long and can be made longer when you have a video on your mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to save some of your decision making energy by having it all planned out? And if you are worried that over planning will reduce serendipitous moments that you want, don’t, your day won’t always go as planned… that’s just life.

Additionally, avoid filming at night. It will become a major stress to your health. Filming at night means pulling all-nighters to publish the next day, and then repeating that daily (nightly).

4. Don’t Spend too Long On a Script… Or Your Video

The beauty of daily vlog is to speak your mind and show your personality, not to perform a Shakespearean sonnet by heart. You shouldn’t try to memorize a whole script every day. That would be brutal! What you can have is an outline of the key points you want to hit, certain things you want to say, convey, or record to tell your story, knowing where you want certain cuts to happen helps too, but don’t workshop it too long, because tomorrow will be another show and done is better than perfect.

5. Do Use Templates, Presets, Hotkeys, and Shortcuts

Any chance you have to cut down on your editing time, use it. This means creating and properly storing templates of visuals you want to incorporate into your video. This means adding presets for effects that you feel you would use again. This means learning the editing hotkeys so you can streamline your process. Here are Filmora’s hotkeys .

6. Don’t Forget to Label Your Content

Staying organized is so important, especially as you begin to accumulate more and more footage. It might seem tedious initially, but this good habit can save you a lot of wasted hours later on when you need to find that specific shot that you swore you had…

7. Do Have A Goal

Have an idea of how long you are going to be going daily. Will it be one month, two months, or a year? Or will it be until you reach a certain amount of views, subscribers, or watch time? While it might feel liberating to venture into the great unknown without a clear destination, having a goal will allow you to keep motivated even when times are hard. After all, once you’ve hit your goal and still feel like there is more fuel in you, keep daily vlogging. There is no better feeling than exceeding your own expectations.

8. Don’t Worry About Equipment (But Be Aware of Bad Audio)

You’ve heard it before: you don’t need anything fancy to be a vlogger. If you are looking to increase your toolbox, we have a helpful YouTube gear starter guide for you. But look at it this way, there will be days when you realized that you forgot to charge the battery on your camera or that you left your tripod at home. Don’t abandon the whole project simply because you don’t have what you need.

The important thing is to film, tell a story, edit, and upload. You can do all that on your smartphone or computer webcam if you have to, so don’t let your equipment or lack thereof break your streak. If there is one thing you should put attention on is audio, if you don’t have excellent gear, try to avoid filming in loud places, such as construction sites, dance halls, or highway overpasses.

9. Do Bring a Camera With You Everywhere

Although you shouldn’t worry about your equipment, it is still a good habit to carry your camera with you everywhere. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep you are a daily vlogger, you never know when something will happen. Always be prepared. Your camera is to you, as a gun is to a soldier. It’s what sets you apart from all the civilians, so keep it close at hand.

10. Don’t Neglect Your Health

Earlier I compared daily vlogging to running a marathon, and like a marathon, there is a point where you need to be aware of yourself. You want to push yourself, but you don’t want to overdo it to a point where you damage your physical or mental health. Only you know when you have gone too far. If you feel like daily vlogging is ruining your life and the goal you set for yourself isn’t something you desire anymore, ask yourself: can I take a week off and decide if video creating is something I want to continue?

11. Do Watch Other Daily Vloggers

By seeing how other YouTubers have done daily vlogs, you can get ideas, see what aspect of their videos you like or dislike, and learn from their presentation, content, and community engagement. By watching daily vloggers, you can also start interacting with their content as well. It is always easier to stay motivated when you have support. By watching and reaching out to the daily vloggers you enjoy, you can build a network of people who are going through the same journey as you.

12. Don’t Forget About Your Audience

Remember that in the end, you are creating videos for someone else to enjoy. Even though you might be doing the daily vlog for yourself, if you want your viewers to return every day, you have to have an overall mission for your project. Is your message one that is aimed to motivate or do you want to document a journey? Don’t create your content in a vacuum, ask your viewers for feedback so you know how to improve.

Embarking on your daily vlogging adventure is not one to take lightly, but after 1 month, 1 season, or 1 year, you will be able to look back and see all that you have accomplished and feel proud. With the advice from this article, you can properly prepare yourself and enjoy each step of the process. Don’t overthink it, have fun!

Are you thinking of starting your daily vlog? Let us know what’s stopping you from the comments.

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

If you are making videos on YouTube, you’ll have come to a point where you feel daring enough to take on the ultimate challenge: daily vlogging.

You might have been inspired by other creators on YouTube or you might have heard of VEDA: Vlog every day April (or August). You might have also watched some videos from influencers telling you that the ruthless YouTube algorithm demands daily content if you aspire to grow an audience.

There are many reasons why you may want to try your hand at becoming a daily vlogger, but here are 3 motivating reasons to conquer your vlogging fears and get started.

Bonus Tip-The Best Daily Vlog Maker- Wondershare Filmora

Vlogging is an art and people use vlogging to upload videos daily to their YouTube channel. This is natural if you are recording videos daily, you will need a tool like Wondershare Filmora to edit your videos with precision. To make your task easy, Wondershare Filmora has all the features and effects that are required to edit a daily vlog video that you can upload directly from Filmora itself. You can make use of features like add text, background music, filters & effects, etc if you are a daily vlogger as it would help you a lot in making the video look professional in less time.

Why Daily Vlog Anyways?

Build discipline: Like exercising and eating healthy, you have to commit to it and do it regularly in order to see any lasting results. Vlogging is the same. However, if you’re a creator, making videos whenever you feel like it and want to give yourself a kick in the behind, daily vlogging is a practice that will keep you accountable. You have to do it every day. No excuses.

Practice more: How do the best become the best? They practice… every day. If what you want to do is become the greatest video creator you can be, make the best videos you can make, and build the largest following that you can, then let daily vlogging be your boot camp to reach those goals.

Please the YouTube algorithm: It’s true, YouTube wants to see that you are consistently posting fresh content. Every new video you upload will have a day or two to impress the algorithm, this metric is often referred to as view velocity . YouTube will give your video a lift, suggesting it to new viewers, if they see that it is being enjoyed. By publishing daily, you increase your chances of attracting more viewers.

Now that you know the benefits, how should you approach it?

The Dos and Don’ts of Daily Vlogging

1. Do Get Some Experience First

If you are starting out on YouTube, as in, you made one or two videos make sure you can vlog weekly for a few months before moving to daily. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training; you can hurt yourself if you do. Have an idea of what you are getting yourself into, otherwise, it can burn you out and ruin the joy of video creation for you completely.

2. Don’t Film Everything

Having a daily vlog does not mean always having the camera on. Every minute you film is a minute of footage you will have to watch later, a minute you will have to decide whether to cut from your final video. Every second of recorded footage is multiplied in the editing room and it would be impossible for you to meet your daily deadline if you have too much. The key is to start editing as you film, that way, you only film what you need. It doesn’t hurt to have extra footage, but being excessive can waste your time and add little to the final product.

3. Do Plan Out Your Day (Not Your Night)

Knowing where you need to go, who you are going to see and talk to, where you are going to have lunch, which route you are going to take home, and any other occurrences that can happen during the day will greatly increase your chances of success. A day is long and can be made longer when you have a video on your mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to save some of your decision making energy by having it all planned out? And if you are worried that over planning will reduce serendipitous moments that you want, don’t, your day won’t always go as planned… that’s just life.

Additionally, avoid filming at night. It will become a major stress to your health. Filming at night means pulling all-nighters to publish the next day, and then repeating that daily (nightly).

4. Don’t Spend too Long On a Script… Or Your Video

The beauty of daily vlog is to speak your mind and show your personality, not to perform a Shakespearean sonnet by heart. You shouldn’t try to memorize a whole script every day. That would be brutal! What you can have is an outline of the key points you want to hit, certain things you want to say, convey, or record to tell your story, knowing where you want certain cuts to happen helps too, but don’t workshop it too long, because tomorrow will be another show and done is better than perfect.

5. Do Use Templates, Presets, Hotkeys, and Shortcuts

Any chance you have to cut down on your editing time, use it. This means creating and properly storing templates of visuals you want to incorporate into your video. This means adding presets for effects that you feel you would use again. This means learning the editing hotkeys so you can streamline your process. Here are Filmora’s hotkeys .

6. Don’t Forget to Label Your Content

Staying organized is so important, especially as you begin to accumulate more and more footage. It might seem tedious initially, but this good habit can save you a lot of wasted hours later on when you need to find that specific shot that you swore you had…

7. Do Have A Goal

Have an idea of how long you are going to be going daily. Will it be one month, two months, or a year? Or will it be until you reach a certain amount of views, subscribers, or watch time? While it might feel liberating to venture into the great unknown without a clear destination, having a goal will allow you to keep motivated even when times are hard. After all, once you’ve hit your goal and still feel like there is more fuel in you, keep daily vlogging. There is no better feeling than exceeding your own expectations.

8. Don’t Worry About Equipment (But Be Aware of Bad Audio)

You’ve heard it before: you don’t need anything fancy to be a vlogger. If you are looking to increase your toolbox, we have a helpful YouTube gear starter guide for you. But look at it this way, there will be days when you realized that you forgot to charge the battery on your camera or that you left your tripod at home. Don’t abandon the whole project simply because you don’t have what you need.

The important thing is to film, tell a story, edit, and upload. You can do all that on your smartphone or computer webcam if you have to, so don’t let your equipment or lack thereof break your streak. If there is one thing you should put attention on is audio, if you don’t have excellent gear, try to avoid filming in loud places, such as construction sites, dance halls, or highway overpasses.

9. Do Bring a Camera With You Everywhere

Although you shouldn’t worry about your equipment, it is still a good habit to carry your camera with you everywhere. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep you are a daily vlogger, you never know when something will happen. Always be prepared. Your camera is to you, as a gun is to a soldier. It’s what sets you apart from all the civilians, so keep it close at hand.

10. Don’t Neglect Your Health

Earlier I compared daily vlogging to running a marathon, and like a marathon, there is a point where you need to be aware of yourself. You want to push yourself, but you don’t want to overdo it to a point where you damage your physical or mental health. Only you know when you have gone too far. If you feel like daily vlogging is ruining your life and the goal you set for yourself isn’t something you desire anymore, ask yourself: can I take a week off and decide if video creating is something I want to continue?

11. Do Watch Other Daily Vloggers

By seeing how other YouTubers have done daily vlogs, you can get ideas, see what aspect of their videos you like or dislike, and learn from their presentation, content, and community engagement. By watching daily vloggers, you can also start interacting with their content as well. It is always easier to stay motivated when you have support. By watching and reaching out to the daily vloggers you enjoy, you can build a network of people who are going through the same journey as you.

12. Don’t Forget About Your Audience

Remember that in the end, you are creating videos for someone else to enjoy. Even though you might be doing the daily vlog for yourself, if you want your viewers to return every day, you have to have an overall mission for your project. Is your message one that is aimed to motivate or do you want to document a journey? Don’t create your content in a vacuum, ask your viewers for feedback so you know how to improve.

Embarking on your daily vlogging adventure is not one to take lightly, but after 1 month, 1 season, or 1 year, you will be able to look back and see all that you have accomplished and feel proud. With the advice from this article, you can properly prepare yourself and enjoy each step of the process. Don’t overthink it, have fun!

Are you thinking of starting your daily vlog? Let us know what’s stopping you from the comments.

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

If you are making videos on YouTube, you’ll have come to a point where you feel daring enough to take on the ultimate challenge: daily vlogging.

You might have been inspired by other creators on YouTube or you might have heard of VEDA: Vlog every day April (or August). You might have also watched some videos from influencers telling you that the ruthless YouTube algorithm demands daily content if you aspire to grow an audience.

There are many reasons why you may want to try your hand at becoming a daily vlogger, but here are 3 motivating reasons to conquer your vlogging fears and get started.

Bonus Tip-The Best Daily Vlog Maker- Wondershare Filmora

Vlogging is an art and people use vlogging to upload videos daily to their YouTube channel. This is natural if you are recording videos daily, you will need a tool like Wondershare Filmora to edit your videos with precision. To make your task easy, Wondershare Filmora has all the features and effects that are required to edit a daily vlog video that you can upload directly from Filmora itself. You can make use of features like add text, background music, filters & effects, etc if you are a daily vlogger as it would help you a lot in making the video look professional in less time.

Why Daily Vlog Anyways?

Build discipline: Like exercising and eating healthy, you have to commit to it and do it regularly in order to see any lasting results. Vlogging is the same. However, if you’re a creator, making videos whenever you feel like it and want to give yourself a kick in the behind, daily vlogging is a practice that will keep you accountable. You have to do it every day. No excuses.

Practice more: How do the best become the best? They practice… every day. If what you want to do is become the greatest video creator you can be, make the best videos you can make, and build the largest following that you can, then let daily vlogging be your boot camp to reach those goals.

Please the YouTube algorithm: It’s true, YouTube wants to see that you are consistently posting fresh content. Every new video you upload will have a day or two to impress the algorithm, this metric is often referred to as view velocity . YouTube will give your video a lift, suggesting it to new viewers, if they see that it is being enjoyed. By publishing daily, you increase your chances of attracting more viewers.

Now that you know the benefits, how should you approach it?

The Dos and Don’ts of Daily Vlogging

1. Do Get Some Experience First

If you are starting out on YouTube, as in, you made one or two videos make sure you can vlog weekly for a few months before moving to daily. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training; you can hurt yourself if you do. Have an idea of what you are getting yourself into, otherwise, it can burn you out and ruin the joy of video creation for you completely.

2. Don’t Film Everything

Having a daily vlog does not mean always having the camera on. Every minute you film is a minute of footage you will have to watch later, a minute you will have to decide whether to cut from your final video. Every second of recorded footage is multiplied in the editing room and it would be impossible for you to meet your daily deadline if you have too much. The key is to start editing as you film, that way, you only film what you need. It doesn’t hurt to have extra footage, but being excessive can waste your time and add little to the final product.

3. Do Plan Out Your Day (Not Your Night)

Knowing where you need to go, who you are going to see and talk to, where you are going to have lunch, which route you are going to take home, and any other occurrences that can happen during the day will greatly increase your chances of success. A day is long and can be made longer when you have a video on your mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to save some of your decision making energy by having it all planned out? And if you are worried that over planning will reduce serendipitous moments that you want, don’t, your day won’t always go as planned… that’s just life.

Additionally, avoid filming at night. It will become a major stress to your health. Filming at night means pulling all-nighters to publish the next day, and then repeating that daily (nightly).

4. Don’t Spend too Long On a Script… Or Your Video

The beauty of daily vlog is to speak your mind and show your personality, not to perform a Shakespearean sonnet by heart. You shouldn’t try to memorize a whole script every day. That would be brutal! What you can have is an outline of the key points you want to hit, certain things you want to say, convey, or record to tell your story, knowing where you want certain cuts to happen helps too, but don’t workshop it too long, because tomorrow will be another show and done is better than perfect.

5. Do Use Templates, Presets, Hotkeys, and Shortcuts

Any chance you have to cut down on your editing time, use it. This means creating and properly storing templates of visuals you want to incorporate into your video. This means adding presets for effects that you feel you would use again. This means learning the editing hotkeys so you can streamline your process. Here are Filmora’s hotkeys .

6. Don’t Forget to Label Your Content

Staying organized is so important, especially as you begin to accumulate more and more footage. It might seem tedious initially, but this good habit can save you a lot of wasted hours later on when you need to find that specific shot that you swore you had…

7. Do Have A Goal

Have an idea of how long you are going to be going daily. Will it be one month, two months, or a year? Or will it be until you reach a certain amount of views, subscribers, or watch time? While it might feel liberating to venture into the great unknown without a clear destination, having a goal will allow you to keep motivated even when times are hard. After all, once you’ve hit your goal and still feel like there is more fuel in you, keep daily vlogging. There is no better feeling than exceeding your own expectations.

8. Don’t Worry About Equipment (But Be Aware of Bad Audio)

You’ve heard it before: you don’t need anything fancy to be a vlogger. If you are looking to increase your toolbox, we have a helpful YouTube gear starter guide for you. But look at it this way, there will be days when you realized that you forgot to charge the battery on your camera or that you left your tripod at home. Don’t abandon the whole project simply because you don’t have what you need.

The important thing is to film, tell a story, edit, and upload. You can do all that on your smartphone or computer webcam if you have to, so don’t let your equipment or lack thereof break your streak. If there is one thing you should put attention on is audio, if you don’t have excellent gear, try to avoid filming in loud places, such as construction sites, dance halls, or highway overpasses.

9. Do Bring a Camera With You Everywhere

Although you shouldn’t worry about your equipment, it is still a good habit to carry your camera with you everywhere. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep you are a daily vlogger, you never know when something will happen. Always be prepared. Your camera is to you, as a gun is to a soldier. It’s what sets you apart from all the civilians, so keep it close at hand.

10. Don’t Neglect Your Health

Earlier I compared daily vlogging to running a marathon, and like a marathon, there is a point where you need to be aware of yourself. You want to push yourself, but you don’t want to overdo it to a point where you damage your physical or mental health. Only you know when you have gone too far. If you feel like daily vlogging is ruining your life and the goal you set for yourself isn’t something you desire anymore, ask yourself: can I take a week off and decide if video creating is something I want to continue?

11. Do Watch Other Daily Vloggers

By seeing how other YouTubers have done daily vlogs, you can get ideas, see what aspect of their videos you like or dislike, and learn from their presentation, content, and community engagement. By watching daily vloggers, you can also start interacting with their content as well. It is always easier to stay motivated when you have support. By watching and reaching out to the daily vloggers you enjoy, you can build a network of people who are going through the same journey as you.

12. Don’t Forget About Your Audience

Remember that in the end, you are creating videos for someone else to enjoy. Even though you might be doing the daily vlog for yourself, if you want your viewers to return every day, you have to have an overall mission for your project. Is your message one that is aimed to motivate or do you want to document a journey? Don’t create your content in a vacuum, ask your viewers for feedback so you know how to improve.

Embarking on your daily vlogging adventure is not one to take lightly, but after 1 month, 1 season, or 1 year, you will be able to look back and see all that you have accomplished and feel proud. With the advice from this article, you can properly prepare yourself and enjoy each step of the process. Don’t overthink it, have fun!

Are you thinking of starting your daily vlog? Let us know what’s stopping you from the comments.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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