Retention Mastery on YouTube: Top 6 Methods for Engaged Audience Growth

6 Ways To Increase Audience Retention on YouTube

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

• Part 1: What is Audience Retention?
• Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?
• Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?
• Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

• Part 1: What is Audience Retention?
• Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?
• Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?
• Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

• Part 1: What is Audience Retention?
• Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?
• Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?
• Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

• Part 1: What is Audience Retention?
• Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?
• Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?
• Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Evolution of Engagement: Key Post-VidCon Events

Beyond VidCon - A Guide to the Most Important YouTube Events

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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