MEDIA

Faceless YouTube channels are the next big side hustle

The Trend: Faceless YouTube channels — those that deliver content without featuring the creator's face — are rapidly gaining traction among creators. Take HowToBasic, for example, which has amassed over 17 million subscribers, or Lofi Girl, which streams music to 14 million subscribers. Both channels are likely generating 6-7 figures in annual revenue from ads.

The Opportunity: According to Emarketer, YouTube is paying an average of around $15 CPMs to creators in the US. That means creators earn about $15 per thousand views on a video. However, for some high-value niches on YouTube, CPMs can be more than twice that.

It’s clear why the idea is so appealing. With a growing number of AI apps handling video editing, voiceovers, and content generation, creating videos is now easier than it’s ever been. Just ask Devon Canup, who claims to have generated over $1.5 million from multiple faceless YouTube channels.

Considerations: Just because it’s getting easier to create video content doesn’t mean it’s getting easier to build a revenue-generating YouTube channel. You have to pick a profitable niche and create high-value original content that stands out from the rest.

Where To Start: You can use tools like Claude and ChatGPT to generate video scripts, and Veed IO to generate videos with voiceovers.

How to spot the next big thing