We've all heard of it -- that strange corner of YouTube that sucks us in, causing video binges that can sometimes last for hours, only for us to resurface some time later and think, "How did I end up here?" Often times, the first kind of videos that come to mind when referring to the "weird part of YouTube" are, funnily enough, zit-popping videos, of which there are definitely a plethora (and if you don't want to see any of them, just go ahead and take my word for it). But, in the vast expanse that is YouTube, there are tons and tons of other video categories and channels that amass hundreds of thousands -- and in the case of some below, millions -- of views. While some appeal to viewers through their ASMR-like qualities, others focus on specific interests such as video games -- one of the most popular genres of YouTube videos -- in order to garner the kinds of views that result in a sizable payoff from ad revenues. Listed below are 5 different YouTube users that are making videos that people love to watch: the combined views for all 5 channels totals over 12.5 billion -- a ridiculously high number, considering it's only aggregated from 5 YouTube users. Want to know why people are tuning in at such high volume? Have a look below, and who knows? You might have just discovered your new favorite channel!
1. DisneyCollectorBR
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DisneyCollectorBR is a very mysterious figure in the world of YouTube, with not much being known about her. She posts mainly what are considered "haul" videos, where she unboxes and describes what is inside each item she is unwrapping -- in her case, mostly children's toys and Play-Doh sets. Buzzfeed published an in-depth report on her channel (and her widely-rumored husband's channel, a very similar one that boasts numbers equaling about half of hers, in terms of both subscribers and view counts), but not much else is known about this cheerful, child-friendly, Disney lover who has found major success with the online platform.
Just for some statistics, the above video has been viewed almost 230 million times. While Disney Collector has a significant subscriber count, what really sets her apart from more "mainstream" channels is how many views her channel has as a whole: she is ranked number 2 for most viewed YouTube channel (totaling over 10 billion views), but is ranked number 121 for most subscribers (currently at approximately 6.72 million). To put this in perspective, the number 1 most viewed channel (PewDiePie, with almost 11.5 billion views) is also the most subscribed channel (with over 42 million subscribers) -- meaning Disney Collector is only about 1.5 billion views behind PewDiePie, but with only a seventh of the number of subscribers. This is a pretty impressive feat, and it's rumored that her success pays off to the tune of millions of dollars each year.
2. RRcherrypie
Falling under the aforementioned category of "ASMR-like" videos, RRcherrypie's soothing and detail-oriented videos, showing miniature food, DIY crafts (such as the erasers in the video above) and fun Japanese candies and treats, have attracted quite an audience -- a whopping 2.1 billion views for their channel puts them in the top 200 list of most-viewed channels of all time. The voiceless, crinkle-heavy nature of their videos make them a favorite channel of both ASMR viewers and casual viewers alike.
Sadly, RRcherrypie now goes by the name "Nameless," after their identity was falsely used on other social media platforms against their will. While the channel is no longer making videos regularly (once a month is now the norm, versus the previous scheduling of multiple videos per week), all of their old videos are still preserved on their channel, such as "Ramen and Dumpling candy," "Sushi-shaped candy" and fan favorite, "Bento box candy kit."
3. MegatoadStonie
MegatoadStonie, also known as Matt Stonie, is a charming, world champion competitive eater most recently crowned the 2015 champion at the infamous "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest." His YouTube channel details various eating challenges and evidence of his seemingly bottomless stomach, and with almost 226 million views on his channel, he's definitely not going home on an empty stomach -- it's estimated he makes a couple thousand dollars every day from ad revenue.
Matt posts footage from official eating contests, in addition to breaking timed eating records in his kitchen, as well as videos showing him participating in various food challenges specific to restaurants around the country. Though he only has about 1.3 million subscribers, he is gaining an upwards of 2 to 3 thousand new subscribers every day, so definitely be on the lookout for him in the future.
4. PESfilm
Though not nearly as viewed as some of the channels mentioned above, PESfilm is an up-and-coming artist on Youtube specializing in stop motion. With only 47 uploads, PES has garnered almost 200 million channel views, with an estimate of about 9 million in the last month alone. PES's work is fun, creative, and usually very colorful, so make sure to check out the rest of his work too.
If his style looks familiar, you might have seen some of the recent TV commercial work he has done for both Honda and Android. These commercialized videos also play to the ASMR audience, as do many of his other projects, including two of my favorites of his: "Submarine Sandwich," and "Fresh Guacamole," the latter of which is his second most popular video with over 30 million views. I would highly encourage checking out his other work, both commercial and otherwise!
5. BigShredder
Again, this channel doesn't have subscriber or viewer numbers anywhere near some of the others on this list, but Big Shredder's total channel views of over 43 million are pretty significant, especially considering they have less than 100,000 subscribers. The videos aren't especially hi-tech in quality, but the short duration and almost hypnotizingly-destructive nature of their content absolutely makes their channel one to check out -- I've definitely spent at least one afternoon binge-watching everything they have to offer.
Often incorporating humor into their videos, this channel's goal is to demonstrate the industrial products offered by the SSI Shredding Systems company, and has numerous videos showing the complete demolition of a variety of objects, ranging from full-sized cars, to "indestructible" Nokia phones, and even an entire piano. They often source their inspiration from the comments on their videos, so if they haven't yet shredded something you'd like to see, why not suggest it?
And so, there you have it! There are tons of other YouTube channels getting millions of views every year, and this is only a small portion of what can be found. If you liked reading about some of these less-mainstream popular channels, maybe you should do a little digging and go off the beaten path yourself to see what other hidden gems are just waiting to be discovered within YouTube's seemingly never-ending stream of videos. After all, an estimated 300 hours of content are uploaded to the site every single minute, so if none of the above channels piqued your interest, there's definitely going to be something out there for you!
