YouTube Canada: Year in Review
Zaitoon Murji is the Head of Communications for YouTube in Canada. In her role, she collaborates with global and local teams to tell a holistic YouTube story in-market. She leads the communications strategy for YouTube in Canada, including public affairs, media relations, cultural and creator storytelling, and issues management.
From YouTube Canada
Karaoke, parkour, gaming and live performances: See what captivated Canadians and explore the top talent and must-see videos of the year
The lists are in! A Year on YouTube shows the creators, songs and moments that captivated Canada this year. In 2023, Canadians hit peak fandom, and came to YouTube to connect with their favourite YouTubers and celebrities – from Rihanna and Mr. Beast, to Corey Tonge and Adele. Canadians watched in awe as drones delivered medicine to Rwanda, wept at Putri Ariani’s beautiful audition on America’s Got Talent, and shook in fear watching a real experience at the Conjuring House.
Top Trending Videos:
Rihanna’s FULL Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, NFL
$1 vs $1,000,000,000 Yacht!, MrBeast
Amazing Invention- This Drone Will Change Everything, Mark Rober
Pedro Pascal Cries From His Head While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones, First We Feast
Top Shorts:
How long do trickshots take?, Tricksters
Gostra in Malta, The Wonton Don
Kid Fried Rice, Uncle Roger Shorts
The World’s Strongest Chef, Jake Ceja
When it comes to creators, Canadian creators are finding ways to tap into pop culture through a range of subjects, from food to sports to gaming. And they’re using their expertise to connect with viewers on a personal level. This year’s Top Canadian Creator is Anna McNulty, a self-taught contortionist, helping viewers improve their range of motion and flexibility. And gaming creator Corey Tonge is the Breakout creator of the year. This year he celebrated his 10 million subscriber milestone, more than 8 million of which he gained in 2023 alone. Anna, Corey and Iron Chef Dad are examples of the huge surge in new talent on the platform.
Top Canadian Creators:
Canadian Breakout Creators:
More on YouTube Year in Review: HERE
A Conversation
I had the absolute pleasure of asking Zaitoon Murji some questions about YouTube’s year in review – including some questions on diversity, what separates Canadian viewers from others around the world, and advice for new content creators.
Adam Manery: How would you describe the shifts in YouTube as a platform from its inception to now?
Zaitoon Murji: One of the shifts we’re seeing is where Canadians are watching – and that’s the living room. Right now 17M Canadians stream YouTube on their TV’s each month. Videos like the Sidemen charity match are being streamed live like any other sports match. Similarly with the Super Bowl performance, Canadians are watching and re-watching Rihanna’s performance on the big screen.
Are there any specific genres or niches within the Canadian creator community that have seen significant growth or innovation in 2023?
In today’s on-demand world viewers ultimately decide what’s popular, and our creators are building dedicated fan bases which fuel viewership. This means that whether you’re creating content on gaming, parkour or cooking, you’re able to find an audience.
Canada has one of the richest creator economies, and when we look at the growth of creators like Anna McNulty, Corey Tonge and Iron Chef Dad, it’s clear that the creator opportunity is growing. The wonderful thing about this year’s list is that each creator is very different from the next, and they’re each taking their passion and turning it into a content business.
How does YouTube support and celebrate diversity among creators, especially considering the multicultural landscape in Canada?
YouTube is a platform that gives everyone the opportunity to create, and see themselves reflected on screen. In fact, 79% of Canadian users agree that with YouTube they can hear from diverse communities and/or cultures from around the world. We see that in the Top Music Videos of the Year list, where three of the top videos are from Punjabi artists. This comes alongside a variety of other diverse music genres including Country, Afrobeats, and UK rap. This not only reflects the diverse content throughout 2023 but also the diverse interests of Canadian viewers.
What differences can you see in the most popular content between North American creators in Canada and the United States versus those located internationally?
YouTube reaches 98% of Canadians, so the lists are a great reflection of what’s keeping Canadians coast to coast engaged! And YouTube is a place where culture is created and reflected. So looking at the lists this year, it’s clear that Canadians came to YouTube to connect with their favourite creators and stars, re-watch some of the epic cultural moments of the year (like the Super Bowl and the Sidemen Charity Match), and explore new sounds.
Looking at the top music videos of 2023, we see artists who have grown “organically” rather than relying on major record labels, such as Oliver Anthony and Ice Spice. What has allowed these artists to rise without initial backing from established labels?
Artists on YouTube are able to build an engaged audience and community of fans behind them, which can often lead to explosive growth on the platform.
Similarly, three of Canada’s top ten music videos are Punjabi. Has this been a long-term trend for Canadian listeners and viewers, or has Punjabi music on YouTube seen more sudden growth? What would you attribute this to?
This is the first year we’ve seen three of the ten songs on the list go to Punjabi artists, and this is part of a much larger trend of Canadian Punjabi artists becoming global music powerhouses.
In the list we see Karan Aujla and Ikky, but other artists like Shubh and AP Dhillon have also seen massive growth on the platform. The widespread affection for the sound and scene can be attributed to Canada being home to one of the biggest Punjabi populations outside of India.
YouTube has increasingly emphasized “Shorts” over the previous year. How do the trends in short-form content compare to longer-form videos on the platform?
Shorts is designed to complement all the other formats creators use on YouTube, including long-form, live, audio and more, and we’re seeing average daily views of YouTube Shorts grow by over 150% year-on-year in Canada.
Creators and artists are pushing innovation with how they use the multiple formats available to them on YouTube — be it Shorts, longer videos, audio or live — in order to express themselves creatively, drive viewership and find a new audiences
What advice would you give to new creators struggling to grow their channel and reach new viewers?
Continue making content that you’re passionate about. The creators that made the top lists this year used their expertise in their fields to connect with viewers on a personal level.
For example, one of the top creators this year Corey Tonge, who has seen significant growth in 2023 by leaning into Shorts with his gaming-themed sketches. This year Corey celebrated his 10M milestone, more than 8M of which he gained in 2023 alone
I’ll also say that the stats for Canadian content creators on YouTube are very encouraging for any new creators hoping to grow their channels. Over 5.5K channels have more than 100K subscribers, an increase of more than 20%, year over year and 1 in 3 creators in Canada who earn money from YouTube agree that YouTube is their primary source of revenue.
Looking ahead to 2024, are there any emerging trends or changes that creators, especially in Canada, should be mindful of for continued success on the platform?
Something exciting we’re seeing this year and expect to see in 2024 as well is how creators are leveraging short-form content to grow exponentially. This year’s top Canadian creators are multiformat creators who are finding ways to tap into larger pop culture trends through a range of verticals, and we expect to see that trend continue. When you look at Iron Chef Dad and Corey Tonge, both creators found sizable subscriber counts in only a year and made it on our top creators list.
Can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store!
Be sure to check out more Points of Review content in 2024…
