Is general history a good niche?
Right now, yes: general history is one of the better bets in our data. RPM is middle of the road, around $2.2–$5.5 per 1,000 views. In the last 90 days 21 new channels appeared and 3 of them broke out (beat the niche’s usual views 3×). 81% of channels are faceless, so you don’t need to show your face.
Pros
- 3 new channels broke out in the last 90 days
- 81% of channels are faceless
- New channels keep coming: 21 in 90 days
Cons
- Numbers move nightly; a hot niche can cool down fast
Examples worth studying
The channels beating their niche average by the most, and the biggest breakout videos of the last 90 days. The full list is in the app.
Channels beating the average
Deep Dive History104K subscribersFaceless(opens YouTube in a new tab)42×$5.5K – $13.7KByNiche estimate, monthly
İbrahim Balsak498K subscribersFacelessShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)33×$120 – $300ByNiche estimate, monthly
El Pasado90,500 subscribersFacelessShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)32×$2.4K – $5.9KByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- The Real Reason a Million Irish People Starved Was Never the Potato What They Never Taught YouHistory Unburied, 212.2K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
1,252× - Toda la Historia de la Inteligencia Artificial Explicada en Veinte minutos, CREOProfesor20, 76,857 views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
345× - The People of Old Scotland 1845-1925 | RARE Photos Colourized and Brought to LifeAnimata Historia, 240.5K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
282×
How to start a general history channel
81% of channels in this niche are faceless, so you can start without going on camera: voiceover, stock footage, animation or screen recording.
The most common formats among the channels we track: narrated documentary / explainer (76%), person talking to camera (9%), animation (6%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside general history: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 21,956 views per video. Ship your first 10 videos in one format, then adjust from the data.
Do the math honestly: 100,000 monthly views in this niche earn roughly $220 – $550. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube RPM for general history?
Long videos in general history earn an estimated $2.2–$5.5 per 1,000 views (History category). Shorts pay much less: about $0.04–$0.1 per 1,000 views. RPM also shifts with your viewers’ countries and the ad season.
Can you run a faceless general history channel?
81% of the 59 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: narrated documentary / explainer (76%), person talking to camera (9%), animation (6%).
How competitive is the general history niche?
We track 59 channels. In the last 90 days 21 new channels appeared and 3 beat the niche’s usual views 3×. New channels can still break in.
How much does a general history channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $445 – $1.1K a month and gets a median of 21,956 views per video. The estimate comes from the last 30 days of views and the niche’s RPM range; the biggest channels earn far more.