Is self-improvement a good niche?
Self-improvement is a steady niche, but we don’t see clear momentum for new channels. RPM is middle of the road, around $2–$5 per 1,000 views. 4 new channels appeared in the last 90 days, but none has broken out yet. 40% of channels are faceless, so both faceless and on-camera formats work.
Pros
- New channels keep coming: 4 in 90 days
Cons
- 4 new channels in 90 days, none has broken out yet
- The median channel earns only $150 – $375 a month
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
Paige Paul326K subscribers(opens YouTube in a new tab)28×$1.1K – $2.8KByNiche estimate, monthly
EINFACH LEICHTER118K subscribers(opens YouTube in a new tab)10×$389 – $972ByNiche estimate, monthly
César Dabián547K subscribers(opens YouTube in a new tab)9.4×$330 – $825ByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- La FILOSOFÍA del CRECIMIENTO PERSONAL que TRANSFORMA la VIDA de una MUJER 🧠 | Brian Tracy (Español)Código del Éxito , 385K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
407× - Bill Ackman: People are Going to Lose a Lot of MoneyThe Knowledge Project Podcast, 1.2M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
285× - my face the whole time: 😲😃Sadie Aldis, 2.2M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
206×
How to start a self-improvement channel
40% 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 (42%), narrated documentary / explainer (29%), vlog (16%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside self-improvement: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 6,281 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 $200 – $500. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube RPM for self-improvement?
Long videos in self-improvement earn an estimated $2–$5 per 1,000 views (Motivation 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 self-improvement channel?
40% of the 25 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: person talking to camera (42%), narrated documentary / explainer (29%), vlog (16%).
How competitive is the self-improvement niche?
We track 25 channels. In the last 90 days 4 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 self-improvement channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $150 – $375 a month and gets a median of 6,281 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.