Guide
YouTubeNiche ResearchStrategyYouTube Niche Research: Find a Profitable Niche in 2026
Choosing the wrong niche is the most expensive mistake on YouTube — you could waste months creating content nobody watches or that pays almost nothing. This guide gives you a systematic framework for finding niches with high demand, manageable competition, and strong earning potential.
Last updated: February 25, 2026
Step-by-Step Guide
List 10-15 potential niches
Write down topics you have knowledge in and could create content about consistently for 6+ months.
Check demand and competition
Search each niche on YouTube. Note recent video views and competitor subscriber counts.
Evaluate monetization
Research RPM data and affiliate/brand deal potential for each niche.
Run a 30-day validation test
Create 15-20 Shorts in your top niche choice using FluxNote. Track performance for 2-3 weeks.
Commit or pivot
If validation metrics are green, go all-in. If yellow, tweak your approach. If red, test a different niche.
The 3-factor niche evaluation framework
Every niche should be evaluated on three factors:
1. Demand (Are people searching for this?)
- Check YouTube autocomplete for keyword variations
- Look at view counts on recent videos (last 3 months)
- High demand: Recent videos getting 50K+ views
- Low demand: Recent videos struggling to reach 5K views
2. Competition (Can you rank?)
- Check the top 10 results for your keywords
- Low competition: Top channels have under 100K subscribers
- High competition: Top channels have 500K+ subscribers
- Also check how many videos are published monthly on the topic
3. Monetization (Will it pay well?)
- Check RPM data (see our YouTube RPM by Niche guide)
- Consider affiliate and brand deal potential
- High monetization: Finance, tech, business (₹80-400 RPM)
- Low monetization: Entertainment, music (₹10-40 RPM)
The sweet spot: Niches with HIGH demand + LOW-MEDIUM competition + HIGH monetization. These are rare but exist, especially in sub-niches and regional content.
Examples of sweet-spot niches in 2026:
- Personal finance for millennials in India (Hindi)
- AI tools tutorials and reviews
- Remote work and freelancing guides
- Electric vehicle reviews and news India
- Home workout routines for Indians
Step-by-step niche research process
Follow this process to find your ideal niche:
Step 1: List your interests and knowledge areas
Write down 10-15 topics you could talk about for hours. Include professional skills, hobbies, and areas of expertise.
Step 2: Check demand for each
For each topic:
1. Search on YouTube
2. Filter by upload date (last month)
3. Note average view counts on recent videos
4. Check how many autocomplete suggestions exist
Remove any topics where recent videos get under 5K views — demand is too low.
Step 3: Analyze competition
For remaining topics:
1. Search the top keyword
2. Note the subscriber counts of the top 10 channels
3. Check if there are channels under 50K subs getting good views
4. If small channels can succeed, competition is manageable
Step 4: Check monetization potential
Use Social Blade, RPM reports, or our niche RPM guide to estimate earnings potential. Prioritize niches with ₹50+ RPM for long-form or ₹15+ for Shorts.
Step 5: Sub-niche if needed
If a niche is too competitive, go narrower:
- "Fitness" → "Home fitness for women over 30"
- "Finance" → "Tax planning for salaried employees"
- "Tech" → "Budget phones under ₹10,000"
Niche validation with test content
Before committing, validate your niche with real content:
The 30-day validation test:
1. Create 15-20 Shorts in your potential niche using FluxNote
2. Post 1 Short per day for 2-3 weeks
3. Track views, engagement, and subscriber growth
4. Compare results against these benchmarks:
Green light (proceed with niche):
- Average 10K+ views per Short
- At least 1 Short exceeds 50K views
- Gaining 5+ subscribers per day
- Positive comments and engagement
Yellow light (tweak and retest):
- Average 3K-10K views per Short
- Inconsistent performance
- Slow subscriber growth
- Try different subtopics or content formats
Red light (consider different niche):
- Average under 3K views per Short
- No Shorts exceed 10K views
- Minimal engagement
- Topic may be too narrow or saturated
Important: Don't judge a niche based on 3-4 videos. YouTube's algorithm needs data points. Give it at least 15 videos over 2+ weeks before deciding.
Evergreen vs trending niches
Understanding this distinction affects your long-term strategy:
Evergreen niches (consistent demand):
- Personal finance and investing
- Health and fitness
- Cooking and recipes
- Education and tutorials
- Career and self-improvement
Pros: Steady traffic, videos earn for years, easier to plan content
Cons: Slower initial growth, established competition
Trending niches (spiky demand):
- AI tools and ChatGPT
- Cryptocurrency
- New social media features
- Current events commentary
- Latest gadget releases
Pros: Fast growth potential, less established competition
Cons: Traffic can disappear when trend fades, need to constantly find new topics
Recommended approach: 80% evergreen + 20% trending
Build your channel on evergreen content that generates consistent views and revenue. Supplement with trending content for periodic growth spikes. This gives you stability with upside.
Example: A finance channel posting daily tips (evergreen) that also creates Shorts about breaking market news (trending). The evergreen content is the foundation; trending content provides growth spikes.
Pro Tips
- The best niches have HIGH demand + LOW competition + HIGH monetization — use all three factors
- Sub-niche for less competition: 'fitness' is saturated but 'home fitness for Indian women' is not
- Test a niche with 15-20 Shorts before committing — don't judge based on 3-4 videos
- 80% evergreen + 20% trending content provides stability with growth spikes
- Use FluxNote to create test content quickly so you can validate niches without massive time investment