Is true crime a good niche?
True crime 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. 3 new channels appeared in the last 90 days, but none has broken out yet. 59% of channels are faceless, so you don’t need to show your face.
Pros
- The median channel earns an estimated $890 – $2.2K a month
- 59% of channels are faceless
- Videos get a median of 52,656 views
Cons
- 3 new channels in 90 days, none has broken out yet
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
Everest Files55,500 subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)329×$985 – $2.5KByNiche estimate, monthly
Dark Bonds -True Crime Documentary25,800 subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)80×$838 – $2.1KByNiche estimate, monthly
Morgan Makes Money49,100 subscribersShorts(opens YouTube in a new tab)77×$812 – $2KByNiche estimate, monthly
Breakout videos, last 90 days
- The Turkey Leg Hut: The Rise & Fall of a Houston EmpireParke Jones, 1M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
664× - Inside the Hijacked Flydubai Plane: What Actually HappenedNovera, 316.6K views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
444× - They Had NO IDEA Who They Were Threatening 💀Morgan Makes Money, 15.5M views(opens YouTube in a new tab)
370×
How to start a true crime channel
59% 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 (59%), person talking to camera (18%), compilation / clip montage (13%).
Study the example channels below: which titles and thumbnails multiply their average, and how long are the videos?
Pick a narrower angle inside true crime: focus on one audience or one question instead of the generic videos everyone makes.
Aim for the median first: here that’s 52,656 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 true crime?
Long videos in true crime earn an estimated $2–$5 per 1,000 views (Crime 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 true crime channel?
59% of the 39 channels we track here are faceless. The most common formats: narrated documentary / explainer (59%), person talking to camera (18%), compilation / clip montage (13%).
How competitive is the true crime niche?
We track 39 channels. In the last 90 days 3 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 true crime channel make?
The median channel earns an estimated $890 – $2.2K a month and gets a median of 52,656 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.