- I didn't know Cam Newton had a channel.
- I don't know who Cam Newton is. (Carson laughs)
- I don't know who this is, no, but I think I might be a new fan.
♪ (dramatic chord) ♪
- (FBE) So today, we're gonna be doing a bit of a deep dive
into what people are watching on YouTube recently.
- I love deep diving. - On YouTube.
- I'm a little bit of a scuba diver myself.
- (FBE) So we're gonna be showing you 10 videos that all have
over a million views on YouTube from the past 30 days
as of when we shot this episode,
and we're gonna be choosing these videos today
to both highlight smaller creators with how hard it is to be noticed
on the site nowadays. - Okay, cool.
- (FBE) And beyond helping showcase new creators,
this always is a way to check in to see what the YouTube algorithm
has done this month with videos you may not know about
to get your insight as to why something might have blown up.
- Mmm, the YouTube algorithm, it's always changing,
I mean nobody knows where it's gonna land.
- It is interesting how much of it is fed by the recommended
and the YouTube algorithm.
(crowd chattering)
- Oh my God.
- (gasps) Oh my God.
- He went up to her with scissors?
- He cut her headphones?
Oh my gosh, why would he do that? That's so mean!
- You look just like her, I am so freaking sorry.
- It was a prank, bro. It was a prank!
- 100% hate everything about this.
- She's just good with a left one.
I love that she's just good with a left one.
- (Juan) I'm totally just kidding,
here you go, you can have these.
- And then he, oh.
- Oh, well that's nice.
- (Juan) I'm making a video.
I'm actually cutting people's headphones,
and then giving them AirPods.
- I feel like she might have been a wired girl.
Like maybe she doesn't want to drop the cord.
- I'm just imagining that happening to me.
I would be very upset, I'd be making a scene,
I'd be screaming.
- That was some genre splicing there.
You got the kinda like random man on the street prank videos of old,
and then combined with giving random people nice things.
- (FBE) So that was a video from YouTuber ThatWasEpic,
who has around 3.5 million subscribers but a huge chunk of that
was in this last month, and apart from this video,
that some feel hit the algorithm lottery,
and is being recommended across the site.
So what is it about this concept that could've helped it spread?
- People like people getting things, 'cause you live through it,
and it feels like, it's like why you'd watch a game show.
- Things come in waves.
Pranks on YouTube haven't really had their moment in the sun in a while.
- Whenever like some weird prank that's like slightly offensive
or like slightly like "um, excuse me?" happens, people talk about it
or share with their friends, like "what do you think of this?"
- There's something like, "oh hey, I'm gonna give you something,"
it's almost like a feel good story, so I think that helps out a lot.
- Oh, wow, what's this?
- Oh, I seen this!
♪ (upbeat music) ♪
- Oh my gosh, what?
- Oh, oh, yeah, oh yeah, I've seen this!
- I've never done anything that impressive in my life.
- Give that man an NFL contract.
That was like an Odell Beckham one-handed snag.
- He caught another rider's phone as it went up in the air.
- National treasure. - That's such a save.
- Those are the ones that people would easily send to your friends,
and everybody would share and laugh at.
Not so much the usual top YouTubers who are always on trending.
You know, we need some variety.
- (FBE) That was a video posted by sirsammy 15,
who only has a little over 1,000 subscribers.
Some are talking about how this video isn't what typically goes viral
on the platform anymore, and it's kind of reminiscent
of old YouTube where random, short videos would commonly go viral,
which is pretty rare nowadays.
- I can totally see that, 'cause I remember back
in kinda like the early days of YouTube,
like it would just kinda be like random, funny stuff.
It's cool to see something like that kinda go viral again.
- Long videos are more popular now, so it is kinda strange
for a short video to become so big,
and that almost seems like something that would be popular on Facebook.
- I saw that one blow up on Twitter, and yeah, I feel like
that's just been the small migration,
as far as something just happened, I need to share it,
I feel like that's Twitter, or an Instagram story.
- Normally, the algorithm wants people to stay on the platform,
so the longer the video, the more people watch it,
the longer they stay, the better.
But that's just epic.
- This world record is the longest in between the legs catch.
- Cam Newton!
- (gasps) The bruises!
- (Cam) Practice makes perfect.
- MrBeast. - He's my hero.
- Yeah, see the second I see a football, I get bored.
- Wouldn't that hurt? That would hurt.
- (man) Okay, you got this, you got this!
- I didn't know Cam Newton had a channel.
- I don't know who Cam Newton is. (Carson laughs)
- Alright, c'mon, he can do it!
Oh, oh! (group cheers)
- That boy scream, when boys do things that they're proud of
with their physicality and then everyone goes "Yeah!"
- I love that, like the mainstreams kinda need the YouTuber now.
- (FBE) That was a video
posted by American pro football quarterback Cam Newton,
who has over 260,000 subscribers on his channel.
- What's he do? - Football.
- Oh, yeah, I would imagine. - It's his profession.
- (FBE) And he became yet another athlete/celebrity
to join the platform when he first posted
his first video seven months ago.
- I had no idea, it's like celebrities are joining YouTube,
athletes are joining YouTube, everyone's joining YouTube.
- As a YouTuber, it's like okay, yes, I made the right decision
in doing something and joining something
that celebrities wanna be a part of as well.
- That's the only way that he can be referred to now.
He's not amazing quarterback,
he's not saved my weekend in fantasy football, Cam Newton.
Emerging, potentially popular YouTuber Cam Newton, I'm rooting for the guy.
It's gonna be an uphill struggle for him.
- (Moriah) This, I actually found at a yard sale, not a thrift store.
- Ah, this is so cute already.
- (Moriah) I'm gonna give it a makeover.
- Ooh, makeover!
- So they're just making over a thrift store craft?
- I don't know who this is, no, but I think I might be a new fan.
- (Moriah) And the bottom is gonna get ready wild.
- Man, feel like I'm in kindergarten again.
Learning some arts and crafts!
- (Moriah) And do swirls of color that just travel over the whole bottom
- Loving this, big time by the way.
- See this is someone who's actually talented,
you can tell.
- (pink horse) Can you believe it? - (blue horse) Yeah, I believe it.
- (pink horse) Unbelievable.
- Okay, I love DIY and makeover stuff,
so I know there's a huge audience out there for this.
- When a personality can make me care about something
that I would normally not care about,
but then it becomes genuinely interesting,
that's next level.
- (FBE) So that was Thrift Store Makeover
from YouTuber Moriah Elizabeth, who has around 3.5 million subscribers
We actually covered her before on our channel as well,
and she's really known for her series Fixing Your Squishies,
where she makes over old squishies.
- Yeah, I mean, DIY is huge.
- Oh I love squishies! That's awesome!
- The algorithm is always going to recommend to people
what they're already watching a lot of,
so if they're looking up videos about how to make a certain thing,
they're gonna get recommended more about any other DIY stuff.
- The details that I'm about to share with you in this video
are so fascinating, that it's gonna make you rethink everything
you thought you knew about... - Oh!
- (host) ...the Sahara Desert... - It's gonna change my life.
- See, I'd rather watch anything than this.
This reminds me of school.
- Feel like I'm in school.
- (host) Burial grounds of countless... (Matt snores)
- (gasps) No!
- (host) ...Ancient ruins and civilizations.
- No!
- What is this, like the most played thing
in a science history class?
- (host) By the sands of time thousands of years ago.
- Wow, so these are all around now, and we just didn't know?
Oh my gosh, wow, that's so crazy.
- By why that one specifically? That's so weird.
I think the word hidden.
- Entertainment and education, merging those worlds,
I love content like that.
- Now we're getting into conspiracy theories,
and they were aliens, and they're the ones
who actually built the pyramids,
and they're the ones who actually forced Hancock's hand
to sign the Declaration of Independence.
- (narpy) Hello narpy, please download this Minecraft texture pack.
- narpy. - Oh, Minecraft!
I'm terrible at Minecraft!
- (narpy) Okay, so I notice pink trees already,
seems pretty normal. Let's get some wood.
- I bet I saw this video in my recommended.
- This is how Minecraft should always be, I think.
Just like nice pink trees everywhere.
- (narpy) Okay, let's go up here.
- Where you going bro?
- (narpy) Oh my God. Bah, bah, bah, bah, clap, clap, clap.
- I've seen that full video, and I watched the whole thing.
- I could've watched that all day.
I don't know, there's something hypnotic about Minecraft.
- (FBE) So that was a Minecraft UWU gameplay video
from YouTuber narpy, who has around 290,000 subscribers.
This video is only three minutes long,
and is one of the best performing videos on the channel.
Most of their other videos are under a minute long,
and this also appears to be the only video on their channel
that is Minecraft related. - Oh, really?
Oh. - That's strange.
- That is strange, but I mean, it makes sense right now
with how Minecraft's blowing up on the platform.
- Meme videos is becoming big, and then video games are becoming big
and everyone loves Minecraft.
He's just hitting all three pillars right there in that one video.
Make it a series, make millions.
- (Jerry) Third the price of a brand new Galaxy Note10.
- Careful with that box cutter bro.
- Wow, I mean, I like the red color. I typically buy iPhone.
(film crackles) - Oh, that was a terrifying noise.
- That's beautiful, I want that now.
- (Jerry) If the bling is totally necessary.
- Oh, I know this channel.
- (Jerry) Probably not, but I'm definitely not complaining.
- I can understand watching this, because it's very pleasing
It's pleasing to watch him do it, and the way he's doing the audio
makes you very attentive.
- The back of that phone looks like a school binder.
You know what I'm saying?
When you're in like fourth grade.
- I know that man's voice was hypnotic,
and I really loved it, maybe it was that.
- I watch so many unboxing videos, or I know I'm not gonna get that phone,
but I'm interested in it, because it's different.
♪ (triumphant music) ♪
- I love this, this is great. I've seen this.
- Oh, cool. Is this Marvel?
Awesome!
- Is this happening in a high school?
- Okay, this is awesome.
- (Tony) I am Iron Man.
- Alright.
Wow, they really should have Avengers: the Musical.
- (FBE) That was a video from Walden Grove High School's
dance team, known as The PAC Dance Team,
who has around 70,000 subscribers.
They've had other similar videos go viral
and this is currently their fourth-most viewed video on YouTube.
That's only, wait, their fourth-most viewed?
They're done three better, cooler performances than that?
This is, someone give them like a sponsorship from someone,
'cause like, who's the person running that team?
- Waldon Grove High School, It Chapter Two next.
Seriously, it's gonna kill. Do it.
(rocket engine roars)
- What are y'all launching?
- SpaceX, yes!
- Whoa.
- Where are they landing?
- Is this where it lands back?
It does. (gasps)
- I bet it lands. - It does, watch.
- The new Star Wars looks boring.
- I hope this is the new way we're gonna get our Postmates.
- (FBE) So that was a test flight video from SpaceX,
who actually has over 2.5 million subscribers.
- Okay, I mean yeah, everyone knows who SpaceX is.
The Tesla man.
- People are watching it because they want to know
what the heck it is, they wanna know
if they should be worried, or if they should be excited.
- We're in the golden age right now of technology,
and we get to see it grow, so this is super exciting for me.
♪ (upbeat music) ♪
- In 1972, this Mercedes was driven daily for 10 years.
- In winter of 1982, it was parked and never moved again, until today.
- I don't watch a ton of it, but if this is like part of
the restoration genre, I'm on board.
- I saw this on Facebook, I watched every last second of it.
- Oh, this is nice.
- Wow! Oh, it looks so good!
- (gasps) Aw, my heart!
- Oh! Sweet!
That's what I say! Certified adorable.
- (FBE) So that was a car detailing video
from AMMO New York City,
who has just over a million subscribers.
They post a lot of various car detailing and repair videos
among other things.
- Do they all have a happy old person?
'Cause I think we found they key to their success.
- It's always interesting to see like old things given new life,
and then if someone has an attachment to that old thing,
to see their reaction.
- There's something just really enjoyable
about seeing something that was otherwise discarded being renewed.
It's something that's just kind of nice to see,
'cause I feel like there's a lot of stuff
we have in our life, that we've kind of just thrown,
and there is that connection to a thing.
- (FBE) So finally, some people say that the videos that do well
in today's YouTube succeed not just because of subscribers
and audience, but by winning the algorithm.
Like how some of the videos such as the ones we showed you today
are from smaller, lesser known creators and channels.
However, in your opinion, do you think that it's actually
the algorithm that caused their popularity,
or is it the content itself?
- I think it's pretty much always the algorithm.
I feel like we're being controlled by it,
and I don't think it does a terrible job.
- It's the content itself, because everything you showed
was just good concepts, and it makes sense
for why it's picking up speed.
- Yeah, algorithm is based on like watch time, you know?
The longer people are watching your videos,
the most likely it's gonna be recommended.
So it has to be good content to be recommended in the first place.
- Yeah, algorithm definitely plays a huge part,
because once you get picked up in it, it's like a snowball effect.
You get suggested, and you're on people's suggested tabs,
and then people are more likely to click.
- People use the term algorithm as like a catch-all
for anything they don't understand now you know, so it's just like
whenever something doesn't do well, you can always be like
"ah, well the algorithm screwed us on this."
So no, I think in some respects, the cream's gonna rise to the top
if you make constant good content, things are eventually gonna catch,
but there are still some unexplained mysteries out there
that I'm not even gonna try and delve into.
- It's always a mixture, as far as what makes something successful.
I mean, popping up in recommended, right, which is often,
at least at this venture, connected to click-through rate.
Right, people seeing something, being intrigued by it,
watching, actually staying.
It's the biggest thing, but as far as repeated success,
it always comes down to what is the quality of it?
It's constantly a mixture, but I also say this
as someone that I don't target getting picked up in the algorithm.
But that's also 'cause I have the ability to just kind of
post continuously, knowing that a core audience is there,
and every now and then you're gonna pop.
- Thanks for watching this episode of YouTubers React.
- Subscribe to all the creators in this episode,
links are in the description.
- Thanks for watching, bye! - Bye!
- Hey everyone, Lauren, Producer here at FBE.
Thank you so much for watching this episode.
If you wanna check out any of the creators
who came in and shot with us today,
their links are gonna be down in the description.
Bye everyone!