If you’ve ever wondered what types of videos get the most views on YouTube, you’re not alone. As someone who’s spent years creating visual stories and studying how audiences respond, I’ve learned that the most-watched videos aren’t always the ones with the highest budgets or fanciest effects. They’re often the ones that connect emotionally, teach something clearly, or surprise the viewer in some way.
It’s similar to how animation works: even the simplest scene can move an audience when the storytelling feels genuine. The same applies to YouTube. Whether it’s a creator sketching in their studio or breaking down how stop motion works, the key is creating something that feels authentic and rewarding to watch.
Key Points
- Focus on videos that teach, entertain, or emotionally connect – those get shared most.
- Consistency and curiosity drive long-term growth more than viral luck.
- Study trends in your niche but develop a recognizable visual or narrative style.
What Types of Videos Get the Most Views on YouTube
Educational content consistently ranks high because people use YouTube as a search engine. Tutorials, how-tos, and explainer videos are timeless because they directly solve problems for viewers.
To make these videos more effective, start each with a clear question your audience might search for, and answer it visually within the first minute. Structure your tutorial into simple chapters – introduction, demo, recap – and use on-screen text or visuals to emphasize key takeaways.
If you create animation, for example, you can attract curious viewers by breaking down the process of animation or explaining different animation film techniques while showing step-by-step progress. Always end with an invitation to experiment or comment, which encourages engagement and retention.
Entertainment videos are another massive category, but being strategic matters here too. Think of creators who share their personal process, whether they’re drawing, gaming, or making stop motion animation films. The secret isn’t just personality – it’s pacing and audience connection.
Keep your storytelling tight, include small moments of humor or honesty, and speak directly to your audience as if you’re chatting with a friend. Personality-driven content builds trust, and when the audience feels like they know you, they return week after week. Use recurring themes or phrases to make your channel feel familiar and memorable.
Music and storytelling also dominate, especially when paired with strong emotional rhythm. Whether it’s a song, short film, or creative motion graphics project, emotion drives watch time and shares.
To make your videos stand out, focus on building a beginning, middle, and end – even for short clips. Use music or timing to guide the viewer’s emotions and give each piece a sense of flow. Even simple animations like those seen in cartoons from the 1980s prove that authentic storytelling will always outlast trends.
Educational and Tutorial-Based Videos
People love learning visually, but successful educational videos go beyond simply showing steps. They anticipate what the viewer needs next.
The best-performing tutorials are clear, visual, and lead to a tangible result. Start each video by identifying the exact problem your audience is trying to solve and state it clearly in the opening 10 seconds. For example, videos that explain different styles of cartoons or explore the psychology of cartoons attract both fans and artists because they blend curiosity with actionable takeaways.
When your video helps someone make visible progress in their own work – like finishing a sketch or mastering a new technique – they’ll naturally share it.
To make tutorials more strategic, use structure and pacing to your advantage. Begin with a short visual overview before diving into detailed steps. Keep each section focused on one key idea, and add subtle reminders on screen (like labels or short text summaries) to reinforce learning.
I often recommend combining screen recordings, layered visuals, and light narration with personal storytelling. This approach works especially well for creative fields – for instance, teaching stop motion animation principles while overlaying footage of your workspace, or walking viewers through behind-the-scenes sketches from your personal work.
If you’re an artist or animator, look at your own process for hidden teaching moments. Each technique you use can become a lesson. Explain why you make certain artistic choices and how others can apply that logic. Demonstrating tools, timing, or setup details gives your audience confidence to try things themselves.
Even explaining animation genres or sharing your lighting setup for stills animation can attract curious viewers and build authority in your niche.
Entertainment and Personality-Driven Content
The most-watched YouTubers don’t always teach – they connect. Channels with strong personalities, humor, or storytelling tend to grow faster because audiences watch for the creator, not just the content.
To be more strategic, treat each video like a conversation, not a presentation. Speak directly to the viewer, use your natural tone, and let small imperfections or laughs stay in the edit. They build authenticity.
Plan recurring segments or rituals (like an intro phrase or sketchbook reveal) so your audience feels a sense of continuity from video to video. That’s why creators who share their art journey, creative struggles, or everyday routines often perform best – they make viewers feel part of their story rather than just spectators.
If you’ve ever enjoyed classic or cult animation like those in the best cartoons of all time, you’ll notice that the emotional core of a story always comes first. The same applies to YouTube storytelling.
To make this actionable, script your videos around emotion rather than topic. Start with why the story matters to you before explaining how you did it. Share your motivations, the mistakes along the way, and what you learned.
Be open about your creative process, talk about what inspires you (like artists such as Maria Primachenko), and make your visuals match your personality through consistent color tones, camera style, and pacing.
Creative and Artistic Videos
Art videos hold a special place on YouTube because they’re both inspiring and relaxing to watch. People love seeing drawings evolve or watching short animated loops, but the key to growth lies in how you structure and present that creativity.
Use multiple camera angles to keep the viewer engaged, and talk through your thought process while drawing to make your videos feel conversational rather than distant. Add time-lapse sections for pacing, but balance them with slower, real-time moments that show decisions and corrections. This helps viewers learn and relate to you.
Even if you create commercial animation or motion design for brands, uploading your sketchbook sessions or visual experiments adds a personal layer and humanizes your work.
Create mini-series like weekly sketch challenges or themed drawing days to give viewers a reason to come back. Use calls to action that spark engagement, such as asking viewers to comment on what subject you should draw next or share their interpretations of your prompt.
When I studied at CalArts, we were encouraged to mix traditional and digital techniques. The same mindset applies to YouTube.
Combine camera footage with overlays or digital enhancements to make your videos visually dynamic. Blend storytelling, teaching, and personality into your content by narrating what inspired the piece or how you solved specific artistic challenges.
It’s not just about showing finished work but about revealing your process, thoughts, and curiosity in a way that encourages your audience to try creating themselves.
Understanding Trends Without Chasing Them
Trends help you understand what people are searching for, but copying them rarely sustains a channel. Instead, use trends as research tools.
Observe what viewers are responding to – titles, thumbnails, and themes – and then adapt those insights to your niche with your own creative angle. For instance, if you make animations, you can analyze popular topics like AI and animation or explore how creative video games and cartoons influence modern storytelling.
Look at why these topics resonate. Is it nostalgia, curiosity, or controversy? Build your content around the emotion or question that made those videos succeed, not just their visuals or titles.
To make this strategic, keep a running list of trends related to your topic and brainstorm how each could fit your unique perspective. Plan ahead by identifying patterns. If a theme like AI keeps reappearing, prepare a video that connects it to your creative process.
The best approach is to make videos that contribute to ongoing conversations rather than mimic what’s already trending. For example, share your perspective on animation and art, show how you’re experimenting with a current concept, or reflect on how the evolution of cartoons continues to influence your visual storytelling.
This positions you as a thought leader who shapes trends rather than chases them.
The Secret is Value and Personality
The types of videos that get the most views on YouTube are usually those that combine value and personality. Turning that into action means refining your creative process.
Start by defining what kind of value you bring – education, entertainment, or inspiration – and craft each video to deliver that consistently. Develop a recognizable tone or visual style so your audience instantly knows it’s you.
Educational creators, storytellers, and artists who show genuine enthusiasm consistently perform well because they make viewers feel part of a shared experience.
Create a repeatable structure – like a strong hook in the first 10 seconds, a middle section that sustains attention, and a clear closing takeaway – to keep your audience engaged.
If you’re starting a YouTube channel, focus on clarity in your messaging, curiosity in your storytelling, and authentic connection with your viewers. Engage with your comments, analyze what topics resonate most, and keep testing ideas that blend your strengths with your viewers’ interests.
The views will follow naturally as your voice becomes more defined.
