The 10 Most Popular YouTubers in the World Right Now (2024)

Nearly 20 years ago, YouTube started out as a simple video-sharing site. Today, it’s one of the biggest media platforms in history. The service is now a giant of the online space, with a global reach and over two billion users. Through ad sales and marketing opportunities, YouTube has created a platform that has allowed content creators from all around the world to engage directly with their fans (or as directly as you can on the internet) and make some money doing it. YouTubers run the gamut from novice hobbyists to massively popular influencers and everyone in between, with as many channels as there are tastes and preferences. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the most successful and beloved creators on the platform. These online sensations include iconic internet celebrities, popular music labels, and a surprising number of child entertainers. YouTube fame really can come to anyone anywhere. Now, without further ado, read on for our guide to the most popular YouTubers in the world.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best movies and shows on Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu.

MrBeast

Subscriber Count: 290 million

An online personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) is regarded as the most successful YouTube channel in the world, with over 288 million subscribers and more than 52 billion views. The channel is known for its elaborate challenges and large giveaways, with videos that have high production value and energetic pacing. Donaldson first rose to fame doing stunt videos and video game playthroughs. He had his breakthrough viral video in 2017 when he released a nearly 24-hour video of himself counting to 100,000. The channel hit mainstream success in 2021 with the video "Youtube Rewind 2020, Thank God It's Over". MrBeast has reportedly raised millions for non-profits like the Arbor Day Foundation, Ocean Conservancy, and The Ocean Cleanup and is currently ranked the highest-paid YouTube creator, with an estimated net worth of $500 million. Donaldson has also won a number of awards, including Creator of the Year at the Streamy Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Donaldson is also the creator of the associated channels Beast Reacts, MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2, and Beast Philanthropy.

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T-Series

Subscriber Count: 268 million

T-Series is an Indian music record label and film production company originally founded in 1983. While the company has been a mainstay of the Indian music industry for decades, the T-Series YouTube channel has made it a globally recognized brand, with its popularity soaring after a heated online rivalry with Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie. It’s currently the second most-subscribed channel on YouTube, with over 267 million subscribers and over 250 billion views. T-Series’ multi-channel network includes over 30 channels featuring content in several Indian languages. The main T-Series channel primarily releases movie trailers and music videos for Hindi language film soundtracks and pop music. The channel also has some content in other languages like English, Bhojpuri, and Punjabi. Despite its immense popularity, T-Series has also been the subject of controversy, first in 2007 when it sued YouTube for copyright infringement, and then in 2019 when the online rivalry between T-Series and PewDiePie led to real-life crimes and a lawsuit filed by T-Series against the Swedish YouTuber.

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Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes

Subscriber Count: 117 million

CoComelon is a kid-centric YouTube channel owned by Moonbug Entertainment and maintained by Treasure Studio. The channel is best known for producing 3D animation videos of traditional nursery rhymes, as well as videos of their own original songs. From its simple beginnings in making educational videos for children, CoComelon has now evolved into the third most-subscribed and second most-viewed channel on YouTube, with over 177 million subscribers and more than 182 billion views. The channel first achieved mainstream success in July 2017 with the release of "Yes Yes" Bedtime Song, which subsequently gained over 1 billion views. CoComelon content has also expanded outside of YouTube, with the videos available for streaming through Netflix, Roku, and Hulu. CoComelon also airs its content on Universal Kids and several international TV channels. A new original series, CoComelon Lane, was released on Netflix in 2023, and a film adaptation of the franchise is reportedly in the works with DreamWorks Animation.

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SET India

Subscriber Count: 174 million

SET India is the official YouTube channel of Sony Entertainment Television, one of the biggest Hindi-language entertainment channels in India. Launched in 1995, the company is a major player in Indian television programming, with a long-standing relationship with the Bollywood industry. The channel is known for airing popular movies and a host of iconic reality and fiction shows. With India emerging as the second-largest online population, SET India has managed to successfully reposition their TV library for a digital audience. The SET India YouTube channel has captured a large segment of India’s YouTube audience by releasing full episodes of popular shows like The Kapil Sharma Show, India’s Got Talent, and more for free online. Besides full episodes, the channel also features episode clips, trailers, compilations, and live streams of SET India TV shows. SET India currently has more than 174 million subscribers and is the third most-viewed channel on YouTube, with over 164 billion views.

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Kids Diana Show

Subscriber Count: 123 million

Kids Diana Show is the online handle of 10-year-old Ukrainian-American YouTuber Eva Diana Kidisyuk, who hosts several channels with her 12-year-old brother, Roman, and their parents, Volodymyr and Olena. Kids Diana Show originally started as a hobby for Diana’s parents, but it achieved unexpected mainstream popularity and growth between 2015 and 2017. The channel mainly produces roleplay videos, showing Diana and Roman engaging in fun adventures. The Kids Diana Show franchise runs a multi-channel network consisting of 12 different channels, with content ranging from children’s songs and edutainment to unboxings and roleplay. The main channel has 123 million subscribers and more than 104 billion views, making it the fifth most-subscribed and fifth most-viewed channel on YouTube. The young YouTuber has also received accolades for her work, with a nomination for the 2020 Streamy Awards in the Kids and Family category. Love, Diana, a live-action animated series based on the franchise, was released in 2020 and is available to stream in the US via Peaco*ck, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vix, Tubi, and Hulu.

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Vlad and Niki

Subscriber Count: 120 million

Vlad and Niki is a children’s entertainment channel featuring pre-teen siblings Vladislav Vashketov, Nikita Vashketov, Christian Sergey Vashketov, and Alice Vashketova. The channel is managed by their parents, Sergey Vashketov and Victoria Vashketov, who run a multi-channel network that includes 21 YouTube channels in 18 languages. The channel started with the preschool adventures of Vlad and Niki, the titular brothers, but has since expanded to include their younger siblings as well. The main Vlad and Niki channel is the seventh most-viewed and sixth most-subscribed in the world, with over 90 billion views and 118 million subscribers. The channel largely produces live-action videos of roleplay adventures and other content geared towards pre-schoolers, with some fun animated elements thrown in. Vlad and Niki’s YouTube success has led to branding and licensing deals, and the franchise has grown to include toys, consumer products, and mobile apps. A 2019 report estimated that the siblings were the YouTubers making the most money per video.

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Like Nastya

Subscriber Count: 117 million

Like Nastya is the YouTube channel and online handle of 10-year-old YouTuber Anastasia Sergeyevna Radzinskaya. The channel’s content is available in 11 languages and consists of live-action videos with animated elements. The videos feature Radzinskaya and her friends going on fun adventures, with edutainment, roleplays, vlogs, and more. Born in Russia, Radzinskaya reportedly received an incorrect diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and it was feared that she might not be able to speak. Her parents started the channel in 2016 when she was two years old, and it became a huge hit over the next two years. The family now lives in Florida and has signed with the multi-channel network Yoola and social media company Jellysmack. Like Nastya is currently estimated to be one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. Her main channel is the sixth most-viewed and seventh most-subscribed channel on YouTube, with over 100 billion views and 116 million subscribers.

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PewDiePie

Subscriber Count: 111 million

PewDiePie is the online handle and YouTube channel of Swedish influencer Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. He’s one of the most recognized YouTubers of all time, largely thanks to the extensive media coverage that has been directed towards him. PewDiePie started out producing Let’s Play videos of horror and action video games, which helped him become the most-subscribed and most-viewed channel on YouTube in the late 2010s. Since then, he’s diversified the channel to include vlogs, comedy, music, and more. Currently, with more than 29 billion views and 111 million subscribers, PewDiePie is the eighth most-subscribed channel on YouTube. The Swedish YouTuber has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy, especially as a result of his online rivalry with T-Series, which spilled over into real-life crimes and vandalism by his fans. That particular rivalry took a devastating turn when the terrorist responsible for the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand mentioned his name before the massacre. PewDiePie has also faced allegations of racism and anti-semitism and of promoting far-right ideologies. In recent years, Kjellberg has stepped back from his YouTube career and is now semi-retired, releasing videos far less frequently.

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Zee Music Company

Subscriber Count: 108 million

Zee Music Company is an Indian music label that’s part of the Zee Network, one of India’s leading television and entertainment producers. Like their competitor T-Series, the Zee Music Company YouTube channel primarily releases music videos for the company’s massive slate of Indian music, primarily songs from Bollywood movies. The company has one of the largest market shares in the Bollywood music industry, and the channel also provides free access to several hit Bollywood movies — all of which have helped make it a major player in India’s online space and on YouTube as a whole. Zee Music Company currently has over 108 million subscribers and more than 67 billion views, making it the eighth most-viewed and ninth most-subscribed channel on YouTube. However, the company has faced some criticism and controversy in India as well. In 2015, popular Indian musician Sonu Nigam accused the Zee Network of “banning” him, allegedly due to his political leanings. The incident sparked public debate about political censorship, and many of the singer’s fans came out in support of Nigam.

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WWE

Subscriber Count: 102 million

From its beginnings as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1953, WWE has evolved into an entertainment titan and the world’s biggest wrestling promotion. The WWE YouTube channel provides fans with match videos and live streams, as well as exclusive bonus content like backstage fallout videos, compilations, rankings, interviews, and more. In addition to full videos, the channel also releases promotional content for WWE’s shows like Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. WWE currently has more than 102 million subscribers and over 85 billion views, making it the tenth most-subscribed and ninth most-viewed channel on YouTube. The wrestling phenomenon has earned fans over decades and generations, with wildly entertaining content that makes it easy to forget that these are staged and scripted matches. Its expansion on YouTube has helped make the brand even more of a global icon. Of course, despite its enduring popularity, WWE has seen plenty of controversy behind the scenes, including various disputes, a drug scandal, one death, and allegations of sexual misconduct against former CEO and executive chairman Vince McMahon, who is no longer a part of the company.

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