How to get your first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube

A new channel has no history. YouTube doesn't know yet who likes your videos, so it has little reason to recommend them. Each early video is a test that teaches YouTube, and you, who your viewers are.

The good news: YouTube doesn't need you to be big. It recommends videos that viewers enjoy, and small channels' videos can spread if the topic and packaging are right. See what outlier videos are.

People subscribe when they expect more of what they just enjoyed. If your videos jump from gaming to cooking to travel, nobody knows what they're signing up for.

Pick a clear viewer and a clear promise, like "easy weeknight meals for students" or "honest reviews of budget cameras". You can widen later. Read how to choose a YouTube niche.

Search is the easiest door for a new channel, because it doesn't need anyone to know you. Someone types a question, your video answers it, and some of those people subscribe.

• Make how-to, review, comparison and "for beginners" videos on your topic.
• Use the exact words people type. Read YouTube's search suggestions.
• Pick specific questions with fewer strong answers over big topics everyone covers.

See our YouTube keyword research guide.

Look for videos from channels your size that got many times their usual views. They prove an idea can work without a big audience. Make your own version with a fresh angle.

Small channels often lose before anyone presses play. A clear title and a bold thumbnail matter more for you than for big channels, because viewers don't know your name yet.

Plan them before you film. Read how to write YouTube titles and how to make YouTube thumbnails.

"Please subscribe" is a request. A reason works better. Tell viewers what they'll get if they come back.

• Say what's coming next: "Next week I'm testing the $20 version of this."
• Ask at the moment of value, right after a useful tip, not in the first seconds.
• Make series, so one video naturally leads to the next.
• Set a channel trailer and a clear channel description saying who the channel is for.

Check which videos bring subscribers in YouTube Studio. Repeat the ideas that convert, not just the ones that get views.

Most channels need many videos before one takes off. A steady pace you can keep, like one video a week, gives you more chances to learn what works.

After each video, write down one thing to improve: the hook, the pacing, the thumbnail. Small gains on every video add up faster than waiting for a perfect one.

Shorts can reach many new viewers fast. They work best for subscriber growth when they clearly come from the same channel as your long videos: same topic, same style, and a link to a related long video.

Read how to grow with YouTube Shorts.

• Sub for sub. People who subscribe as a favour don't watch. That makes your videos look less interesting to YouTube.
• Buying subscribers. It breaks YouTube's fake engagement policy, and fake accounts can be removed.
• Spamming links in other creators' comments. It annoys viewers and can be flagged as spam.
• Giving up after five videos. Early videos are practice and data, not a verdict.

At 1,000 subscribers, plus 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, you can apply to the YouTube Partner Program and share ad revenue. In many countries, an earlier tier opens at 500 subscribers for memberships, Super Thanks and Shopping.

Read the details in YouTube monetization requirements.