What Do People Watch Most on YouTube in 2022? (Updated)

A decade ago, you may have thought of YouTube as your source of cat video content or celebrity interviews. It was an easy way to accidentally kill a few hours in a content rabbit hole, but for many people, it wasn’t much more than a source of entertainment or distraction. Today, that’s not the case. The YouTube of 2022 is much more than just an outlet to turn to when you’re procrastinating—it’s an essential marketing channel, a source of educational and informative content, and a method many people use to connect with others around the world.

As a brand or content creator, YouTube’s evolution over time means that it’s more important than ever to put some thought behind your video marketing strategy and begin to utilize this channel (if you haven’t already). But, it can also be difficult to keep up with trends and to understand what people actually want to watch. That’s where we come in.

We dove into the latest data from both YouTube itself and Statista to find out what people are watching on the platform in 2022. Which topics are trending? What style of video works best? Then, we went even more granular. What’s the most common opening line for a vlog? And how do these trends compare to our last installation of this article from back in 2019? As you’ll see in the paragraphs that follow, while much has stayed the same in the last three years, we’ve also seen some new concepts enter the scene.

Without further ado, here’s what audiences are watching most on YouTube in 2022.

Music videos and content for kids still top the charts of most-watched videos ever.

most viewed youtube videos of 2022

When we look at the most watched videos on YouTube in 2022, every single video in the top ten is either a music video or a children’s song. Why? When you think about it, both of these types of content have virtually infinite replay value. If you watch an educational video or even a vlog from your favorite content creator, chances are you’ll only watch it a single time—maybe twice if you’re especially invested.

Music videos, on the other hand, can be played over and over again. Many people don’t even watch the video itself; they just throw the video on in the background for the audio. Kids’ videos operate the same way. If you’ve ever met a toddler with a favorite song or dance, you know just how many times they’ll beg to hear it before it gets old.

What does this mean for you?

Music is a key element of any successful YouTube marketing strategy. Here’s what you should consider for your own content.

When you create content, pay careful attention to the music you use in the background. If possible, make the music a key part of the experience so that it can fit into a music playlist without being too distracting.

Keep your video ads short, keeping in mind that your ad may play as people are trying to listen to music. The less you interrupt their experience, the more likely they are to have a positive experience with your ad.

If your products or services have anything to do with music, YouTube is a great place for your content to live. Consider creating playlists to attract new listeners.

Conspiracy Content Keeps Captivating

Though YouTube has been working to battle misinformation on their site, conspiracy content is still one of the biggest video types to thrive in 2022. People are drawn to these videos because they are entertaining and offer a different perspective on current events. In many cases, they can be fun and harmless, but unfortunately, many content creators are spreading dangerous information and preying on people’s fears and biases. YouTube is continuing to work on fact-checking these videos and removing any that are found to be false. In a world where it can be difficult to make sense of everything, conspiracy videos provide an easy answer—for better or worse.

What does this mean for you?

Content aside, smart marketers should still be studying the format of popular conspiracy theory videos to see what can be gathered from their structure. There are certain elements that can be leveraged in your video advertising strategy such as using engaging hooks and captions that draw-in eyes.

Conspiracy content provides a sense of belonging for people who may feel like outsiders in some fashion. Brands must be aware that their customers also look to them for a sense of belonging. It’s more than your products or services or even the experience you may provide. Customers want—and need—something to believe in, and companies that provide it are usually rewarded with loyalty.

Yoga content continues to boom.

Yoga videos were already popular before 2020 left many of us to figure out at-home workouts, but unsurprisingly, the pandemic did boost yoga-related content. Check out the graph below, which shows the way that the YouTube yoga community was growing steadily for the last few years until a steep uptick in 2020.

This isn’t surprising at all—yoga is a form of exercise and a method to reduce stress and increase mindfulness, both of which were helpful for navigating the challenges brought about by COVID-19. Already popular channels like Yoga with Adrienne continued to grow, while new yogi creators also joined the scene.

YouTube’s analysts explain: “This group is made up of yoga practitioners who share workouts, as well as a diverse range of healthy living practices, including guided meditations. While views of this community have grown every year for the past five years, there was a significant bump in 2020 — views increased over 165% from 2019 to 2020 — as pandemic-affected audiences transitioned to at-home workouts and looked to yoga creators to help them regulate their physical and emotional needs.”

how yoga video growth has increased over the years

Interestingly, there are also trends within the yoga content to take note of. First, many of the yoga videos on YouTube are aimed at beginners, hinting at video’s ability to bring someone up to speed on a new topic or hobby. Second, many creators in the yoga community frame their videos for a specific context using the title format, “Yoga for ____.” Popular examples are “Yoga for Sleep,” “Yoga for Beginners,” and “Yoga for Back Pain.”

Word Cloud of Yoga Video Titles in 2021

What does this mean for you?

First, consider the concept of “beginners.” Are there beginners in your own industry or niche that you can appeal to? Brands often focus on making content for their existing audience, which presumably already has some interest or understanding of their products or services. But, as we’ve seen with the yoga trend, there’s an opportunity to connect with a new audience that may need an introduction before they’re hooked on your content.

Apply the “Yoga for ____” concept to your industry by including a specific context in your videos’ titles. Fill in the blank with who you’re trying to reach, the problem your product or service solves, or other defining characteristics that someone might be searching for on Google or YouTube.

Think about how the pandemic has affected your industry and whether you can lean into any topics that might be top-of-mind. For fitness studios and yoga practitioners, at-home workouts are the obvious solution to meet viewers where they are in 2022. There may be an opportunity to find this type of alignment in your own industry, too.

Vlogs and “Day in the Life” videos appeal to our desire for connection.

Vlogging is far from a new concept, but it continues to dominate on YouTube. Vlogs are useful in helping audiences feel connected to content creators (and even to other members of that creator’s audience). These videos can also serve as inspiration for people looking to modify their lifestyle or emulate a certain type of day. For this purpose, “Day in the Life” style vlogs are especially popular.

Since vlogging has been popular on YouTube for so long, the data surrounding vloggers goes a little deeper than just trending topics. Specifically, YouTube’s data team dug into over a million vlogs to find out what the most popular opening phrase is, both for all of YouTube in general and when you narrow down into specific YouTube communities.

Overall, “Hey guys” is the most popular opening line for a vlog, with over 36% of the videos analyzed using that opener. Here’s the full list of the top five:

Hey guys

What’s up

Good morning

Hi guys

All right

At this link, you can see a fascinating timeline of how these most popular openings have shifted over the last ten years, and while many of the most popular options move around on the list, “Hey guys” has actually topped the chart for the full decade. However, it’s possible it will lose its standing in the coming years as creators move away from gender-specific language in an effort to be more inclusive. As that transition occurs, we may see gender-neutral options like “Hey everybody” move up on the list.

Most Common Opening Lines of Vlogs in 2021

Here’s one more breakdown of openers, which looks at how the popular greetings break down across specific YouTube communities. While “Hey guys” wins in a few categories, it’s interesting to see how some communities have created their own cultures with a distinct communication style, like tech opening with “Ladies and gentlemen.”