What’s the best topic or theme for a YouTube channel in 2023? You may have heard suggestions like “fitness and gaming,” but those are highly competitive. In this article, I provide a YouTube creator’s perspective on beginner-friendly YouTube channel ideas for 2023, focusing on niches with low competition. I’ll discuss how to find a niche and provide over 20 niche ideas to inspire your video content.

What makes this article different? Unlike most articles on this topic, I won’t give you tips and ideas that could harm your chances of success on YouTube. Many authors take a top-down approach, looking at popular channels with millions of subscribers and views and assuming those topics must be good. However, most of those channels have been around for 10 years or more, not starting in 2023. By only considering successful channels, you’re only seeing the 20 that made it, not the 10,000 that didn’t.

In this article, I take a bottom-up approach, looking at it from the perspective of a YouTube creator starting out in 2023. I actually researched the topics mentioned in the article by examining YouTube, Google, and using third-party tools to support my claims.

When discussing niches, I also touch on how you can make money from them. Monetization may be easier in some niches compared to others. I excluded talking about YouTube ads because that applies to all channels.

How to Find a YouTube Niche Idea?

While it’s not necessary, it’s easier to create content around a topic that genuinely interests you. Start by making a list of at least 50-100 ideas, and this article can help you with some suggestions. Having a lot of ideas gives you the freedom to eliminate the ones you like the least later on.

To come up with a niche, consider asking yourself the following questions:

• What are you passionate about?
• Is there a topic you could write a book about?
• What makes you happy or angry?
• What is your job?
• What do you enjoy doing in your free time or as a hobby?
• What are your strengths and skills?
• What was the last interesting informational book or documentary you read or watched?
• Which Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, Twitter profiles, YouTube channels, or other social media pages do you follow? The topics of these groups or accounts could be great niches to explore.

How to Find a Low Competition YouTube Niche

If you’re searching for a YouTube niche with low competition, it’s crucial to narrow down your focus and establish a unique identity to stand out from the crowd. For instance, creating a YouTube channel solely dedicated to cooking would be overly broad and expose you to intense competition. To avoid being overwhelmed, delve into sub-niches within cooking, such as vegan desserts, one-pot meals, or gluten-free baking. To kickstart your brainstorming process, compile a comprehensive list of general ideas from sources like online marketplaces, Wikipedia, and relevant articles. Once you have your list, conduct thorough research for each idea to evaluate its potential and level of competition.

There are different tools you can use to find a low competition YouTube niche like:

1. Google

You can use different features of Google to find a low competition YouTube niche like:

a) Using auto suggest feature of the search box of Google

You can use Google’s auto suggest feature to find a YouTube niche with low competition. This feature reveals what people are searching for, indicating the demand for different topics. If a topic isn’t suggested automatically, it’s likely that people aren’t searching for it.

To find sub-niches, simply type in your niche and press the spacebar. Google will suggest related search topics that can be great sub-niches. For example, if you type in “car” and press the spacebar, Google might suggest “car wash,” “car insurance,” or “car game.”

To expand your search even further, add a letter of the alphabet after pressing the spacebar. For instance, typing “car A” will give you suggestions like “car accident,” “car Africa,” or “car audio.” You can repeat this process with every letter of the alphabet.

Remember to jot down these suggestions on your idea list as they can serve as excellent video ideas for your YouTube channel.

b) Using “people searched also”

You can use Google’s “people searched also” feature to discover a YouTube niche with low competition. On the search page, you’ll find a box called “people searched also” somewhere in the middle. By clicking on the suggestions in this box, you can uncover additional niche ideas. If you keep clicking on the suggestions and the list keeps growing, it’s a great way to find even more suggestions for your niche.

c) Using “Related searches”

You can use Google’s “related searches” section at the bottom of the search page to discover a YouTube niche with low competition. This section provides suggestions that are related to your search topic. By exploring these suggestions, you can find potential YouTube niches or ideas for videos.

Imagine you’re interested in starting a YouTube channel about cooking. You want to find a niche that has less competition, so your channel can stand out. When you search for “cooking” on Google, scroll down to the bottom of the search results page. There, you’ll see a section called “related searches.” In this section, you might find suggestions like “quick and easy recipes,” “healthy cooking tips,” or “cooking for beginners.” These related searches can give you ideas for potential YouTube niches or video topics that have lower competition. By exploring these suggestions, you can find a niche that suits your interests and has a better chance of standing out on YouTube.

d) Using “Search results”

Using Google’s “Search results” can help you find a YouTube niche with low competition. Once you have specific search phrases from the auto suggest feature, type them in and see what comes up in the search results. If you see more YouTube videos than websites in the results, it’s a good sign that there’s less competition in that niche. 

Checking platforms like Quora, Reddit, or other forums related to your niche is also a positive sign, as it indicates potential interest. Look for websites that specialize in the niche you’re exploring. For example, if you’re searching for YouTube-related topics, websites dedicated solely to that topic are more likely to appear in top search results. Pay attention to the quality of the answers related to your search query. If they are lacking or incomplete, it’s an opportunity for you to provide better content. While Google doesn’t always directly translate to YouTube success, it often provides valuable insights and ideas before you head over to YouTube to further investigate.

2. YouTube

To evaluate the fertility and competition of a topic, consider the following factors:

Views:

• Less than 5,000 views and the video is over a year old: Indicates low demand for the topic.
• Between 5,000 and 10,000 views, with the video being less than a year old: Could be a good starting point.
• More than 10,000 views, and the video is less than a year old: Indicates a promising situation.
• More than 5,000 views, and the video is less than a month old: Great sign of potential.

Channel Sizes (Number of Subscribers):

Less than 20,000 subscribers: You have a chance, as smaller channels have better odds to compete.

Between 20,000 and 100,000 subscribers: Tough competition to overcome.

More than 100,000 subscribers: Highly challenging to compete against established channels.

Two Tactics You Can Use to Evaluate Your Niche:

Tactic 1: Auto Suggest

• Apply the same auto-complete strategy on YouTube as we did on Google.
• Search for the auto-suggested phrases and examine the results.
• Pay attention to the views of the videos and the subscriber counts of the channels.
• Look for suggested videos and consider their view counts while referring to the tables above for interpretation.
• If you encounter high competition, you need to narrow down your niche further. For example, instead of searching for “cooking,” try searching for “Thai cooking” to find a more specific angle.

• If narrowing down the niche still results in significant competition, consider exploring another angle for the topic. An angle refers to using different search terms that may lead to similar results. For instance, “YouTube niche” and “YouTube channel topic” have similar meanings but may yield different search results. If needed, you can even switch to a completely different niche.

• You can also apply the A, B, C method used on Google before. After your search phrase, add the letter “A” to find topics in the niche that start with ‘A’. For example, search for “Thai cooking A” to discover related topics.

Tactic 2: The “Channel” Tactic

• Enter the broad niche combined with the word “channel” in the YouTube search bar.
• For example, search for “cooking channel” (which is competitive) or “music production channel” (which is less competitive).
• This will provide a list of channels and videos.
• Once again, examine the subscriber counts of the channels and the view numbers of the videos.

3. Keyword Research Tools

There are several keyword research tools you can use to find low competition YouTube niches. Here are a few popular ones:

• Google Trends: Google Trends allows you to explore the popularity of keywords over time. You can identify rising or stable trends in specific niches, which can indicate potential low competition areas on YouTube.

• Google Keyword Planner: This tool is designed for Google Ads, but it can also be helpful for YouTube keyword research. It provides insights into search volume and competition for specific keywords, helping you identify low competition niches.

• TubeBuddy: TubeBuddy is a browser extension specifically for YouTube creators. It offers features like keyword research, search volume data, and competition analysis. It can provide valuable insights to help you find low competition keywords and niches on YouTube.

• VidIQ: VidIQ is another popular YouTube analytics and keyword research tool. It offers keyword search volume, competition analysis, and suggestions for related keywords. It can help you uncover untapped niches with low competition.

• Ahrefs: Ahrefs is primarily known as an SEO tool, but it can also be useful for YouTube keyword research. It provides keyword metrics, search volume data, and competition analysis. Although it’s a paid tool, it offers comprehensive insights for finding low competition niches.

Remember, each tool may offer different features and data, so it’s beneficial to explore multiple tools to gather a comprehensive understanding of keyword competition on YouTube.

4. Amazon

Explore the different subcategories on Amazon.com. For example, under the “Automotive” category, you can find subcategories like “exterior accessories” or “tires and wheels.” These subcategories can give you ideas for potential YouTube niches.

5. Wikipedia 

Check out the list of hobbies on Wikipedia. Just within the letter “A,” you can find hobbies like acrobatics, acting, and astronomy. Additionally, Wikipedia also provides lists of jobs and sports that can spark niche ideas.

6. Online Marketplaces

 Take a look at online marketplaces such as Craigslist and eBay. They have various (sub)categories that can serve as potential YouTube niches.

7. Forums

Explore forums like Quora or Reddit. These platforms have their own categories and discussions that can be translated into interesting YouTube niches.

YouTube Niches with Low Competition 2023

Here are some YouTube channel niches for 2023 that you can consider:

1. Cars and Transportation: Create content about cars, planes, and other forms of transportation. You can focus on specific aspects like fixing cars, replacing car batteries, or reviewing retro or racing cars.

2. Languages and Migration: Share language learning tips, grammar rules, and information about migrating to different countries. Explore specific countries, their cultures, travel tips, and language-related content.

3. Educational and Curiosity: Create how-to tutorials and educational content on topics you have expertise in. Choose a sub-niche within this category and target long-tail keywords to reduce competition.

4. Home and DIY: Provide DIY tutorials for building furniture, home design, and home repairs. Focus on specific aspects like room decoration, roof repairs, or home security.

5. Performance and Magic: Showcase your performance skills, such as magic tricks, and explain aspects of your craft. You can monetize by selling tricks or magic materials.

6. Fishing Sports: Create content related to fishing, such as different fishing types, fishing rods, baits, and the best fishing locations worldwide.

7. Plants and Garden: Share information about gardening, plants, and flowers. Niche down to specific topics like succulents, organic herb gardens, ponds, or keeping animals in your garden.

8. Arts and Crafts: Explore various art forms like drawing, painting, airbrushing, writing, singing, and learning musical instruments. Showcase your unique style and offer tutorials or courses.

9. Miniature Arts: Focus on hobbies like model trains, military models, fantasy card games, and other miniature arts. Provide tutorials on building and designing models.

10. Survival and Prepping: Create content about survival skills, camping, cooking in the wild, and prepping for emergencies. Cover topics like non-poisonous plants, building campsites, and survival gear.

11. Toys and games: Creating videos about toys and games from a certain era, reviewing old toys and games, reading retro magazines, sharing stories, and showcasing collections can engage viewers who are nostalgic and willing to spend more time watching.

12. Niches for dudes: The beauty and fashion niche for men is less saturated compared to women’s. Sponsorships can be a primary source of income, and you can also offer services as a coach or clothing advisor. Content ideas include male grooming, popular haircuts and styles, beard and mustache grooming, trimmer reviews, male modeling, food and confidence tips, styling advice, and guides on buying clothes and determining sizes.

13. Buying a home: If you’re a real estate agent or handyman, the buying a home niche can be profitable. You can offer real estate services and provide advice on how to sell a home effectively. Topics can include tips for buying and selling houses, financial advice related to mortgages and fees, affordable locations to live, what to look for in a home, flipping homes, and buying property abroad. Additionally, you can create content on quick home fixes, makeovers, and decluttering to sell homes faster.

14. Spirituality/Personal coaching/Happiness: In the spirituality niche, you can create videos about the universe, karma, and the law of attraction. Sharing knowledge about different religions or discussing beliefs and theories within a specific religion can also be engaging. Monetization can be challenging, especially when it comes to commercial activities around religion. Personal coaching videos focusing on topics like overcoming breakups, dealing with loss, finding a job, employee rights, and stress management can provide value and potentially lead to selling individual courses.

15. Parenting: Parenting topics that can be discussed in videos include handling moral dilemmas, addressing bullying, and helping children sleep. It’s important to avoid medical content unless you’re a licensed doctor. Niche down from general parenting to specific areas such as parenting children with ADHD to stand out. Content ideas can revolve around effective discipline, teaching life lessons, baby preparation, toy reviews from a parent’s perspective, and solving parenting challenges.

16. Jobs: In the jobs niche, you can provide guidance on finding a job, excelling in a job, or securing promotions. If you’re a job coach, you can create courses on writing job application letters, preparing for interviews, and career development. Video ideas include demonstrating how to write a good job application letter, discussing job interviews, offering job coaching tips, negotiating raises and promotions, and addressing workplace bullying.

17. Grandmothers’ wisdom: Creating content that reflects the wisdom of grandmothers can be appealing. Involve an older lady on camera to add authenticity. Videos can cover topics like cooking delicious meals, removing stains from clothes, making clothes smell fresh, and dealing with hair issues. Use curiosity-driven titles and thumbnails to attract viewers searching for solutions. Monetization can be challenging, but you can try reviewing and recommending products for affiliate commissions.

18. Comedy, humor, pranks, jokes: The comedy niche offers potential, but it requires perseverance and a unique individualistic approach. Getting discovered can be a challenge, similar to vlogging. Monetization can be difficult, with affiliate commissions, courses, and sponsorships being options. Being authentic and showcasing your specific sense of humor can help you stand out.

19. Animals: Non-pet animal niches can be explored to avoid the saturated pet niche. Examples include bird watching, African animals, unique diving locations to see fascinating fish, taming wild animals, and keeping bugs at home.

20. Reenactment/LARP: This niche focuses on fantasy or historical battle reenactments. Content can cover the gear needed, creating costumes, camping and fire-making tips, historically accurate cooking, and rules of reenacting.

21. Illness or condition: When creating content related to illnesses or conditions, focus on personal experiences rather than medical advice. Discuss topics such as living with diabetes, cancer, HSP (highly sensitive person), ADHD, amputations, blindness, deafness, and their impact on daily life. Viewers can relate to these experiences, but be cautious about providing medical advice without proper qualifications.

22. Collecting: Collecting various items can be a popular niche. You can create videos on how to collect, the costs involved, finding affordable collectibles, spotting fakes, determining value, exploring the history of brands and items, attending marking outings and museums, and preservation and restoration techniques. Niche down further into specific collecting areas like vinyl, Pokémon cards, baseball cards, movies and movie memorabilia, car collecting, teddy bears, dolls, computers, model trains, and art.

23. Reviews and unboxing: Reviews and unboxing videos are popular across various niches. To stand out, researchtrending or unique products within specific niches and create in-depth and honest reviews. Unboxing videos can generate excitement and anticipation, especially for new product releases. You can also compare and contrast similar products, provide buying guides, and offer tips and tricks for using the products effectively. Affiliate marketing can be a primary source of income, as you can include affiliate links to the products you review and earn commissions for any sales generated.

These are just a few niche ideas for starting a YouTube channel. Remember to choose a niche that you are passionate about and have expertise in, as this will make it easier for you to create engaging content and connect with your audience. Additionally, conduct thorough research to assess the competition and potential monetization opportunities within your chosen niche.

YouTube Niches with High Competition

• Cooking: It has a lot of competition.
• Diet, health, nutrition: It’s extremely competitive.
• Sports: Common sports, especially fitness, are highly competitive.
• Beauty & fashion: It’s very competitive.
• Finance / how to get rich: It’s highly competitive, and it involves content related to Your Money, Your Life (YMYL).
• Starting a (online) business: It’s too competitive, and it also falls under YMYL content.
• Pets: It’s too competitive.
• Photography: It’s too competitive.
• Travel: It’s too competitive.
• Technology: It’s too competitive, especially phone-related content. Creating evergreen content in this niche is challenging.
• Gaming: It’s probably the most competitive niche on YouTube. Gaming channels have exceptions for YouTube features, but as a beginner, it’s not recommended to try, especially streaming and common games.
• Music channel: It’s too competitive.
• Dating & romance: It’s too competitive.

Note: YMYL stands for Your Money, Your Life, and Google is sensitive to content related to this. Establishing authority is important to meet Google’s guidelines.

Advantages of Focusing on YouTube Niches with Low Competition

Getting Noticed More Easily: One great benefit of targeting niches with little competition on YouTube is that your business stands out from others. This is really good because it means you can make more money without facing tough competition.

Saving Money on Marketing: YouTube lets you upload videos for free to promote your business. However, there is also a paid option that offers certain benefits. If your business doesn’t have much competition, you won’t have to spend a lot of money on marketing and advertising.

Increasing Revenues and Profits: When there is less or no competition in a niche, you can make the most profit in that area. Additionally, being in a niche that stands out allows you to reach more customers. YouTube has billions of users, which makes it easier for you to market your business and increase your profits.

How To Grow Your Youtube Channel Faster?

Here are some tips on how to grow your YouTube channel faster:

Quality Content: Create high-quality, engaging, and valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Focus on providing value, entertainment, or education to your viewers.

Consistent Upload Schedule: Stick to a consistent schedule for uploading new videos. This helps build anticipation among your subscribers and keeps them engaged. Consistency is key to growing your audience.

SEO Optimization: Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. This will help your videos rank higher in search results and attract more organic traffic.

Eye-Catching Thumbnails: Create visually appealing and attention-grabbing thumbnails for your videos. A compelling thumbnail can entice users to click on your video and watch it.

Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and encourage viewers to interact with your content. Building a community and engaging with your audience can help foster loyalty and attract new subscribers.

Collaborations: Collaborate with other YouTubers or influencers in your niche. Collaborative videos can help introduce your channel to a new audience and gain exposure to their subscribers. If your are in Australia we have a list of the best Australian YouTubers you should consider reaching out to.

Promote on Social Media: Leverage social media platforms to promote your YouTube channel and videos. Share your content across different platforms and engage with your followers to drive traffic to your channel.

Cross-Promotion: Promote your YouTube channel on your website, blog, or other social media profiles. Utilize your existing online presence to direct people to your YouTube channel.

Use Analytics: Keep track of your YouTube analytics to understand what content is performing well and what isn’t. This data can help you make informed decisions and optimize your future videos.

Engage with the YouTube Community: Participate in the YouTube community by liking, commenting, and subscribing to other channels. Engaging with others can help you build connections and attract more attention to your own channel.

Remember, growing a YouTube channel takes time and effort. Stay consistent, be patient, and continue to improve your content to increase your chances of success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this article takes a fresh approach to finding the best topic or theme for a YouTube channel in 2023. Instead of recommending highly competitive niches, it focuses on beginner-friendly ideas with low competition. We have provided over 20 niche ideas and emphasize the importance of considering channels that have started recently, rather than only looking at well-established ones. We have done our best to  discuss the monetization potential of different niches and avoid generic tips like YouTube ads that apply to all channels. By taking a thorough research-based approach, this article offers valuable insights for aspiring YouTube creators looking to stand out and succeed in 2023.