Hot Off the Press: 2023 YouTube Culture & Trends Report

[View our web version]() if this email isn't displaying well. [CATS Review Banner 600x190_v5 (1).gif] YOUTUBE CULTURE & TRENDS REPORT YouTube’s Culture and Trends Team is known for sharing the latest and greatest insights about the platform. After analyzing hundreds of trends, their annual report is finally in. The biggest takeaway? Creating content has become just as important as consuming it. Fans are no longer in the backseat. They’ve become today's newest creators, actively participating in culture. From meme masters to culture commentators, 41% of GenZ (online 18-24 year-olds) describe themselves as video content creators, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos in 14 countries1. 💡 Advertiser tip: [Download]() the full report so you don’t miss anything Let’s dive in. [CATS Review Banner_600x340_v4.gif] FANS ARE THE NEW CREATORS From the casual consumer to the dedicated super fan, viewers have an increasing number of ways to engage. And they're expressing their fandom based on their level of interest. Some are even becoming “professional fans”, using their expertise to become a source of information & entertainment for the general audience. Fandom creates community and spurs new content. In fact, 47% of Gen Z have watched videos made by fans of specific content, artists, or public figures over the past 12 months2. Case in point: 17-year-old Kane Parsons’ short film, “[The Backrooms]()”, drove nearly 50M views and topped YouTube’s trending list by creating a subculture of its own. Horror fans created riffs & recreations, generating so much buzz that it was eventually picked up for the big screen. 💡 Advertiser tip: Be receptive to fans riffing off your creative – and even play along with it. Just ask Burger King; fan-created content about their “Whopper Whopper” ad gained over 100M views in 20233. [CATS Review Banner_m3.png] SURGE OF NEW TOOLS New tools are unlocking several ways for fans to jump in and create. Edits once reserved for pros are now available for the most casual creators. For example, clipping allows people to easily capture moments from longer videos and put their spin on it. It’s so popular that 14M+ videos have been created each month in 2023 using the YouTube clipping feature alone4. Other tools like closed caption & [multi-language audio tracks]() are also increasing accessibility. All fans deserve the chance to tap into their passions, and today’s new tech allows for more videos to be enjoyed across the world. 54% of people (online 18-44 year-olds) said they follow a creator who creates content in a language other than their own5. No wonder Korean artist MIDNATT’s “[Masquerade]()” became a hit. Using the audio track picker tool, viewers can play the song in 6 languages. 💡 Advertiser tip: Whether creating ads or organic content, lean into YouTube’s tools to lower production costs & time – while expanding reach & relatability. [CATS_ReView_m4.png] AI-CHARGED CREATIVE AI is helping bring people’s wildest imagination to life. In fact, it’s becoming one of the key ways for creators and fans to tap into self-expression & creativity. Thanks to AI, OG YouTube group Corridor Crew was able to create [an anime-style video]() without being animators. And viewers are receptive: 60% agree that they are open to watching content from creators who use AI to generate their content6. With the rise of channels like [RuiCovery](), hosted by a Korean creator with an AI-generated face, some are already embracing this new wave of AI-generated content. 52% of people surveyed say they’ve watched a VTuber (Virtual YouTuber or Influencer) over the past 12 months7. 💡 Advertiser tip: AI isn’t limited just to creators. From Google’s text-to-speech AI technology to instantly flipped horizontal ads, brands can enjoy supercharged creative that breaks through. [CATS_ReView_Frame5_v2.gif] MULTIPLE WAYS TO WOW Although fans are leaning into creation, they’re still deeply invested in consuming. From livestreams on CTV to podcasts on mobile, viewers expect a multiformat experience to suit the moment and mood they’re in. 68% of people agree that they like the convenience of being able to watch different video formats all on one platform.8 Creators see a rise in engagement when they use a multiformat strategy. For example, popular livestream channel Lofi Girl used Shorts, VOD, and even community posts to launch a new stream, [Lofi Boy](). The channel drew in its largest single-day gathering of viewers. 💡 Advertiser tip: Reach people across all the ways they watch with Google AI powered tools. Campaigns using two or more video formats were more likely to see ad recall and brand awareness lift than those using only one9. [WATCH THE VIDEO]() Sources: 1,2 Google/Ipsos, YouTube Trends Survey, Global (US, UK, AU, FR, DE, MX, IN, ID, KOR, CAN, JP, BR, KSA, EGY), May 2023, n=6982, online Gen Z adults, age 18-24. 3 YouTube data, Global, January 15 - April 12 2023. 4 YouTube data, Global, January 1 - April 30, 2023. 5-7 Google/Ipsos, YouTube Trends Survey, Global (US, UK, AU, FR, DE, MX, IN, ID, KOR, CAN, JP, BR, KSA, EGY), May 2023, n=25892, online adults, age 18-44. 8 Google/Ipsos, Ipsos YouTube Trend Survey, US, May 2023, n=1872. Q text: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements relating to online creators? agree that they like the convenience of being able to watch different video formats all on one platform (e.g. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram). 9 38K+ Google Ads campaigns measuring Ad Recall Lift and 29K campaigns measuring Awareness Lift, January. 1, 2020–December. 31, 2021. How was this edition? 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