I've made over $3 million with faceless YouTube channels using three steps: pick a niche where other channels are already making money, copy the video formats that are already working, and build a production system with hired writers, voice actors, editors and thumbnail designers. One geography channel of mine has generated over $700,000 and another channel over $800,000. The number one lesson is to not be creative and do what's already working.
- The whole process is three steps: niche, formats, production.
- Pick a niche where channels are already making money. When I picked geography, other channels in it were making $200,000 a month.
- Five formats work really well: top 10 or listicle videos, explainers, storytelling, news and documentaries.
- To get a new idea, take a proven video and plug in a new keyword. "50 absurd facts about the Florida Keys" becomes the same video about the Rocky Mountains.
- There are three ways to make the videos: AI, doing it manually, or outsourcing. I outsource.
- I track production on a Trello board and hire a channel manager to run it.
Where the $3 Million Came From
I've made over $3 million with faceless YouTube channels. One geography channel has generated over $700,000. Another one of mine generated over $800,000. And I've run a bunch of other channels as well.
All of it comes down to three steps:
- Niche. The topic of the channel.
- Formats. The types of videos you make.
- Production. How the videos get made.
I'm glossing over a lot in this video, but this is the process if you want to make $10K to $30K a month with a faceless YouTube channel. For the longer version, read how to make $30K a month with a faceless YouTube channel.
Step 1: Pick a Niche That Is Already Making Money
All of YouTube (and social media, to be honest) is about creating content around a specific audience.
If you make a video that the people already subscribed to you aren't interested in, it kind of wrecks the metrics and the analytics. You want every video to build a snowball effect. How do I make it so the people already watching my channel love every video that comes out, and it attracts even more people just like them?
That's why you need to pick a niche, and it's why the money comes down to the topic you pick.
| Channel I started | What others in that niche were already making |
|---|---|
| Geography | $200,000 a month |
| History | $50,000 to $100,000 a month |
You want to find people who are already making this work. Whether it's history, health or nutrition doesn't really matter. Pick something that's already working, and then stick to that niche.
Here's how I choose one: how to pick a faceless YouTube niche.
Step 2: Copy the Formats That Already Work
Once you've found a niche that can make you $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000 a month, it comes down to which videos you actually make. How videos work is all about formats, which means what people are already watching.
These are the formats that work really well.
| Format | What it is |
|---|---|
| Top 10 or listicle | A numbered list, like our "50 facts" videos on the geography channel |
| Explainer | Teaching a subject or topic, like my business channels |
| Storytelling | Telling a story. I do this on a channel where I'm on camera |
| News | News or updates on a topic. You see it in sports niches like Formula 1, and in celebrity drama |
| Documentary | You do a bunch of research on a subject, then make a documentary on it |
On the geography channel we do a mixture of explainers and listicles. There's a 50 facts video about the geography of the Blue Ridge Mountains. "Unexplored places in every US state" is kind of a listicle and an explainer at once.
(Yes, I also have a channel with my face on it. I make money off faceless YouTube and off being on camera.)
How to Turn One Proven Video Into a New One
You don't want to be inventive. You find what's already working and turn it into a new topic by plugging a new keyword into the idea.
Take one of my videos, "50 absurd facts about the Florida Keys." You don't need to be a genius and invent a new idea. Take that format from me, or from somebody else, and do "50 absurd facts about the Rocky Mountains."
That's it. You plug in a different keyword and follow the same script and the same video.
Do not try to reinvent the wheel on a new channel. Find a video that's already working and swap the keyword.
I walk through this live, with real channels, in my full process from topic to finished video.
Step 3: Build a Production System
Then it comes down to actually making the videos. There are three ways to do it: AI, making them manually, or outsourcing. I outsource. My students do a little bit of AI and outsourcing.
If you have to develop every skill yourself, it's going to take you forever to make any serious money. You'd have to learn script writing, voiceovers, editing and thumbnails.
Instead, you can jump on freelancer websites and hire scriptwriters, voice actors, video editors and thumbnail designers to make the videos for you.
I manage them on a Trello board. In the video I show the board for Across the Globe. It has a column for scripts, one for voiceovers, one for videos in editing and one for videos in thumbnails. You can see exactly what's being worked on, and those videos get posted over the following weeks.
Then I hire a channel manager. The manager hires, fires and manages the videos that are in production, plus all the logistics of scheduling and posting.
More on building the team: how to outsource faceless YouTube videos.
Why I'm Sharing the Process
I run a coaching program for faceless YouTube channels called Faceless Channel Academy (FCA). I assume that if I teach you all of this, some of you are going to want to work with us to build your channel. That's the whole point.
I'm also tired of the gatekeeping online. I posted this on a new channel where I turn questions from the comments into the next videos, and if people get results from watching them, then I feel like I did my job.
Video Chapters
- 0:00How I made over $3 million with faceless YouTube
- 1:01The three steps: niche, formats, production
- 2:04Step 1: pick a niche that already makes money
- 3:35Step 2: copy formats that already work
- 4:06Listicles and explainers on my geography channel
- 5:08Storytelling, news and documentaries
- 5:40Plug a new keyword into a proven video
- 6:12Step 3: AI, manual or outsourced production
- 7:12My Trello board and channel manager
- 8:15Why I'm sharing this
FAQ
How did Devon Canup make $3 million with faceless YouTube channels?
Devon Canup uses a three step process: pick a niche where channels are already making money, copy proven video formats, and outsource production to hired writers, voice actors, editors and thumbnail designers. One of his geography channels generated over $700,000 and another channel over $800,000.
What video formats work best for faceless YouTube channels?
Devon names five: top 10 or listicle videos, explainers, storytelling, news style content and documentaries. His geography channel uses a mix of explainers and listicles, such as "50 facts" videos.
How do you pick a niche for a faceless YouTube channel?
Devon's rule is to find channels already making money in a niche before starting. When he picked geography, other channels were making $200,000 a month, and in history they were making $50,000 to $100,000 a month.
Should you use AI or hire people to make faceless YouTube videos?
Devon says there are three options: AI, making the videos manually, or outsourcing. He outsources, tracks production on a Trello board and hires a channel manager. His students use a little AI mixed with outsourcing.
Want This Built With You?
Faceless Channel Academy is the coaching program I run for people building faceless YouTube channels: niche, formats, team, packaging, with an advisor and live calls. Book a free strategy call and we'll look at where you are and whether it's a fit.
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