Is investigative documentaries a good niche?
Investigative documentaries is a steady niche, but we don’t see clear momentum for new channels. RPM is on the low side, around $1.7–$4.25 per 1,000 views, so you need a lot of views to earn well. 2 new channels appeared in the last 90 days, but none has broken out yet. 42% of channels are faceless, so both faceless and on-camera formats work.
Pros
- The median channel earns an estimated $1.2K – $3.1K a month
- Videos get a median of 108.9K views
Cons
- Low RPM: $1.7–$4.25 per 1,000 views
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
Coldframe176K subscribersFacelessShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)134×$1.8K – $4.4KByNiche estimate, monthly
Christophe418K subscribers(opens YouTube in a new tab)7.9×$1.3K – $3.3KByNiche estimate, monthly
37 Grad393K subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)6.2×$144 – $360ByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- The Medical Mesh Scandal Ruining Women's LivesMaze Docs, 906.4K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
665× - Debt Inc. — Inside Cambodia’s Microfinance Crisis | Full DocumentaryThomas Cristofoletti, 83,236 views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
455× - France Riots Explained: Why 800,000 Protesters Are Burning Down CitiesMacro Obscura , 187.1K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
416×
How to start a investigative documentaries channel
42% of channels in this niche are faceless. Both routes are open: faceless videos with a voiceover, or a host talking to camera.
The most common formats among the channels we track: person talking to camera (48%), narrated documentary / explainer (29%), compilation / clip montage (6%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside investigative documentaries: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 108.9K 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 $170 – $425. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube RPM for investigative documentaries?
Long videos in investigative documentaries earn an estimated $1.7–$4.25 per 1,000 views (Documentary & mystery 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 investigative documentaries channel?
42% of the 31 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: person talking to camera (48%), narrated documentary / explainer (29%), compilation / clip montage (6%).
How competitive is the investigative documentaries niche?
We track 31 channels. In the last 90 days 2 new channels appeared and none beat the niche’s usual views 3×. We haven’t seen new channels break in yet.
How much does a investigative documentaries channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $1.2K – $3.1K a month and gets a median of 108.9K 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.