![What makes a trend. Human truths behind the Top 5 YouTube trends.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_Intro_02.png)
What are millions of people choosing to watch on the world’s largest video platform? And what is it that makes these videos so popular? Here we look at the top 5 YouTube trends from last year and the human truths that are driving them.
Trend 1: The success of sequels
Some of 2021’s most successful videos were follow-ups to top-viewed videos.
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In India, sketch comedy characters by BB Ki Vines are well-loved among his 25.1M subscribers and star in his web series “Dhindora”. The first episode drew 60M views and the series attracted over 300M views across 8 episodes.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_India-01.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In the Philippines, the latest episode of Love Marie Escudero’s “Welcome to Heart World” series attracted 1.5M views, topping the first episode’s view count by almost 3X.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Philippines_2-153_Cb0n9VJ.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Malaysia, SEISMIK TV received 10.3M views in 2021 and its most popular video from the “SEISMIK Challenge” series drew almost 500K views, topping the first episode’s view count by 2X.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Malaysia_03-153_hX0RoP1.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Pakistan, popular creator Maaz Safdar announced his wedding on his channel Maaz Safdar World. The follow-up video, showcasing his wedding, drew 2.6M views, almost 3X the view count of his wedding announcement video.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Pakistan_01-01.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Taiwan, 木曜4超玩 recently released its third iteration of “Yartist All-Stars Sports Day,” a sports competition featuring celebrities and creators. This installment attracted 5.9M views in total for the 3-hour-long video.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Taiwan_03_1-01.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Hong Kong, Trial and Error’s innovative mockumentaries now see up to 1.7M views, far exceeding their first video’s 359K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_HK_5_SEQUELS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Singapore, Our Grandfather Story’s “Can Ask Meh?” series answers tough questions from its 286K subscribers. Now in its fifth season, the most popular episode has 2M views, topping the first episode’s view count by over 3X](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_SG_V4_1_SEQUELS_66MGFT1.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Vietnam, FAP TV’s “Cơm Nguội” series has attracted 37M views since 2015. With 182 episodes and counting, the series showcases fun, casual videos about daily life.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_VN_V6_SEQUELS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Thailand, Paul Pattarapon พอล ภัทรพล has 1.8M subscribers tuning in to his informational videos about finance and personal growth. The most-watched video in his popular series “Money Matters” last year has 1.7M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_TH_v5_SEQUELS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In APAC, Sidemen’s third iteration of their “Tinder in Real Life” series was a smash hit, topping the original view count by almost 1.5X.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/Claim_Cards_APAC_SEQUELS_copy.jpg)
![YouTube trend 1: Sequels. In Indonesia, Raditya Dika’s popular comedy series “Webseriesnya Radit” now has 17 episodes, attracting a total of 17.9M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Indonesia_06-153_keXfOQL.jpg)
![What we learned: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_01_1-159.jpg)
The success of sequels reveals how viewers are taking comfort in familiarity, particularly amid times of uncertainty.
Once viewers are invested in content they love, they begin to actively seek out more of the same.
Trend 2: Live streams are mainstream
Creators are using live streams to connect with their audiences in real time, making cultural moments a communal affair.
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Taiwan, 上班不要看 NSFW live streamed their Walk Bell John Awards Ceremony for YouTube creators and attracted 72K concurrent viewers, and 2.3M views in total.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Taiwan_03_1-02_1.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Indonesia, when VINDES live streamed a competitive table tennis match among its team of creators, the channel’s 1.8M fans joined in online to root for their favorites, making the event trend at No.2 on Twitter.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Indonesia_06-154_H53qvlR.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Pakistan, travel vlog channel WildLens by Abrar hosts Q&A live streams for its 568K subscribers while its creator, Abrar Hassan, travels around the world on his motorcycle.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Pakistan_01-02.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In the Philippines, Powcast Sports, created by Filipino boxer Pow Salud, regularly live streams boxing matches, sports commentaries, and exclusive interviews to connect with its 440K subscribers.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Philippines_2-154.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. Malaysian trader and traveler Anson Tan shares stock market and cryptocurrency updates via live stream on The Tradveller 作手过客. The channel has 56.9K subscribers and its most popular live stream in 2021 had 18K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Malaysia_03-154.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. One of India’s Top Breakout Women Creators, Suhani Shah hosts her game show “That’s My Job” over live stream to 1.8M subscribers. The most popular episode has 1.8M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_India-02.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Hong Kong, Pomato 小薯茄 hosts a wide variety of popular live streams that cover everything from casual chats to celebrations of special milestones, with each video averaging 150K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_HK_5_LIVESTREAMS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Singapore, Malam Seram connects with his 253K subscribers by live streaming the spookiest stories they submit. His most popular live stream in 2021 has 212K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_SG_V4_1_LIVESTREAMS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Thailand, โคตรคูล live streams their weekly “หมีLIVEปะ” show to 2.4M subscribers. It features candid conversations and video calls from viewers. Their most popular live stream has 1.4M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_TH_v5_LIVESTREAMS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 2: Live streams. In Vietnam, popular sports creator Đỗ Kim Phúc - Freestyle Football regularly live streams football commentary on small local matches as well as larger international ones to his 2.1M subscribers.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_VN_V6_LIVESTREAMS_Qxdn1Bf.jpg)
![What we learned: Connection tops credentials.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_02.png)
You don’t need big budgets or intricate scripts to captivate audiences. The popularity of live streams shows that viewers are placing value on authentic and immediate content that reflects real life.
Trend 3: You play, I watch
Once a subculture, gaming is now undeniably pop culture. The first half of 2021 saw over 800 billion gaming-related views on YouTube.1
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Indonesia, Sarah Viloid infuses her gaming videos with humor and conversations about daily life, entertaining her 4.69M subscribers. Her most popular gameplay video from 2021 has 4.1M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Indonesia_06-155.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. Half of Taiwan’s 2021 breakout creators produced gaming content. Virtual YouTuber Rumi attracts up to 20K concurrent views on her gameplay live streams on Rumi ch. 懶貓子, which saw 100K subscribers two weeks after launch.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Taiwan_03_1-03.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In the Philippines, Whatoplay brings unique gaming content to its 666K subscribers and shares “best of” lists on gaming platforms and budgets.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Philippines_2-155.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Pakistan, RKG Army creates gameplay videos, tutorials, and bundle reveals for hit game “Free Fire,” attracting 2.34M subscribers. His most popular video has earned 6.4M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Pakistan_01-03_osNtW1a.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Malaysia, gaming creator Horangi99 has 388K subscribers who watch videos of him playing games on Roblox. His most popular gameplay video from 2021 has 3.8M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Malaysia_03-155.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In India, Techno Gamerz, who has 24.8M subscribers, focuses on gameplay videos. His Herobrine SMP videos, where he builds a simulated world on Minecraft with other gamers, have over 100M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_India-03.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Thailand, zbing.z brings entertaining gameplay content to her 15.7M subscribers, brightening up walkthroughs with funny commentary. Her most popular gaming video from last year has 17M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_TH_v5_GAMING.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Singapore, BrandonTan91 spares no effort when producing Pokémon GO gameplay videos for his 534K subscribers, even traveling to other countries to meet local Pokémon trainers. His most popular video in 2021 has 1.1M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_SG_V4_1_GAMING.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. In Hong Kong, UndergroundDV’s funny and authentic gameplay videos cover multiple genres and platforms. The channel has 132K subscribers and its most popular gaming video from 2021 attracted 150K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_HK_5_GAMING.jpg)
![YouTube trend 3: Gaming. Cris Devil Gamer’s over-the-top reactions and walkthroughs of uncommon video games have made him Vietnam’s first gaming creator to hit 10M subscribers.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_VN_V6_GAMING.jpg)
![What we learned: Created shared experiences to bring people closer.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_03.png)
Gaming is more than holding a controller — it’s joining a community. Digital audiences seek content they can relate to and tribes they can align with, and gaming pop culture provides a colorful backdrop for diverse storytelling and engaging experiences.
Trend 4: Podcast enthusiasts
YouTube is now an established podcast destination, buoyed by greater demand for audio content and multisensory experiences.
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Thailand, The Standard Podcast has 478K subscribers and >40M hits a year after launch. It covers a range of topics from mental health to world history and current affairs. Its most popular video in 2021 has 1.5M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_TH_v5_PODCASTS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In India, The Ranveer Show has 3.8M subscribers who catch the channel’s pop culture analysis and discussions with experts. In 2021, its most popular podcast episode had 2M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_India-04.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Indonesia, Deddy Corbuzier’s video podcast “Close the door,” which has over 700 episodes and 17.7M subscribers, gets anywhere between 2 to 3M views in a single day.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Indonesia_06-156.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Malaysia, JinnyboyTV Hangouts appeals to its 105K subscribers with conversations about culture, food challenges, and celebrity interviews. The episode featuring internet celebrity Uncle Roger had almost 360K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Malaysia_03-156.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Pakistan, The Honest Hour Podcast by Shahveer Jafry, which has 674K subscribers, features fun and relatable conversations about daily life, and it often stars celebrity guests. Its most popular video has 3.2M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Pakistan_01-04.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In the Philippines, Skypodcast, which explores the relationships and misadventures of its creators Kryz and Slater, has 105K subscribers. Since its launch in 2021, the video podcast channel has gained close to 5M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Philippines_2-156.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Taiwan, 百靈果News invites guests to discuss international news from diversified perspectives in a bilingual approach. The casual, conversational podcast gained over 6M views in the last year.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Taiwan_03_1-04_1.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. Known for its open dialogues and honest discussions, The Daily Ketchup Podcast in Singapore has garnered over 3M views and 31K subscribers in just one year. Its most popular episode has 147K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_SG_V4_1_PODCASTS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 4: Podcasts. In Vietnam, Spiderum’s podcasts cater to young people with topics like basic investing, pop culture, and current affairs. The channel has 352K subscribers and more than 40M views in total.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_VN_V6_PODCASTS.jpg)
![What we learned: Show how the sausage is made.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_04.png)
The rise of video podcasts shows how viewers are seeking to build deeper connections with the content and creators they care about. Providing behind-the-scenes access can help to establish virtual proximity for viewers, while offering creators and brands an opportunity to show a different or more intimate side of themselves.
Trend 5: Short and sweet
Is reality more captivating than fiction? Millions of people seem to think so. Top creators are tapping into the quick, informal aspect of Shorts to spotlight the humor and relatability of daily life.
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In the Philippines, since Chief Makoi started using Shorts, his videos about the seafaring lifestyle have gained 3X more channel views and over 3M views in just two weeks.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Philippines_2-157.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In India, creator Shivani Kapila’s Little Glove channel, which has 4.3M subscribers, often features her family in entertaining and relatable Shorts. Her most popular Short has 166M+ views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_India-05.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Indonesia, Putih Abu Abu’s Shorts, which regularly trend on local YouTube charts, have helped her gain 408K subscribers and a 74% increase in channel impressions.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Indonesia_06-157_491RUku.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Malaysia, Mark O’Dea’s channel, with 171K subscribers, features funny and relatable Shorts about life in Malaysia. His most popular Shorts has 414K views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Malaysia_03-157_zUHptVC.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Pakistan, Salman Noman is a prolific and adept user of Shorts, creating skits for his 2.26M subscribers, and attracting up to 20M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Pakistan_01-05_zO6OCCu.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Taiwan, 志祺七七X 圖文不符’s Shorts engage viewers with snappy content and daily uploads, attracting 21M views in 2021.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_Taiwan_03_1-05_vIE6pmj.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Vietnam, with 935K subscribers, Pít Ham Ăn Official uses Shorts to showcase its creator’s favorite food haunts. Its most popular Short has 2.9M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_VN_V6_SHORTS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Thailand, MomMe Chidjun’s Shorts about motherhood and daily life have brought her 1.52M subscribers. Her most popular sketch has 6.3M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_TH_v5_SHORTS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. Singapore dentist Tristan Peh uses Shorts to share his dental knowledge in an accessible way. His channel has over 1.49M subscribers and 1.4B views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_SG_V4_1_SHORTS.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In Hong Kong, Manner engages its 719K subscribers with original micro films on Shorts. The channel gains an average of 150K+ views per micro film.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/ClaimCards_HK_5_SHORTS_gdE72UC.jpg)
![YouTube trend 5: Shorts. In APAC, Jeenie.Weenie’s snappy Shorts about being a flight attendant rake in up to 40M views.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/Claim_Cards_APAC_SHORTS.jpg)
![What we learned: Is not what you say, it’s how you say it.](https://storage.googleapis.com/twg-content/original_images/YouTube_Banners_05.png)
Regardless of themes or topics, this year’s most popular Shorts had one thing in common: they were relatable. Today’s viewers are looking for content that is unfiltered and unpretentious.
We've rounded up the top examples from each market. Click to download them: