10 best faceless YouTube niches that actually make money (2026)

I've been down this rabbit hole for way too long.

You search "best faceless YouTube niches" and every article says the same stuff. Motivation, finance, facts. Okay cool thanks. None of them explain why I watched a channel in one of these "guaranteed" niches post like 200 videos and still have 800-something subscribers while some random dude doing basically the same thing blew up to 100k.

The niche matters but it's maybe 40% of it? I keep going back and forth on this honestly.

If you're trying to figure out which faceless niche to go with in 2026 I'll break down what I've actually seen work. Not a list you'll forget in 20 minutes—the actual differences between channels that make it and ones that don't.

Already picked your niche? Learn how to grow your channel from 0 to 100K subscribers or check out the full guide on creating and monetizing faceless content.

Before we get into it

Not every niche here will work for you. Some need real knowledge. Some need more production effort.

I know a guy doing aquarium content—like fish tank stuff—who hit almost 400k subscribers. Aquariums. Who would've guessed that. But he actually knows fish and he posted every single day for two years straight. That consistency thing matters more than which niche you pick.

Okay here's the list.

1. Finance stuff

Everyone recommends this and there's a reason.

CPMs are stupid high. Like $20-40+ depending on your angle. I saw a screenshot from someone in a Discord showing $38 RPM on a video about credit cards. Meanwhile entertainment niches are getting like $3. The math is just different.

Reddit stories about money mistakes do well. The controversial takes get engagement even if you walk them back. Specific numbers in titles—"How I'd invest $10k" beats "how to invest" every time.

But it's crowded. Really crowded. And you need to actually know things or comments will destroy you. There's compliance stuff too if you're giving real advice though most channels just say "entertainment purposes only" and call it a day.

High risk high reward. Finance background? Go for it. Learning as you go? Maybe start somewhere easier.

2. Scary stories

This one's interesting because showing your face would actually hurt the content. Dark visuals, creepy voice, maybe some subtle animations. The format wants faceless.

I saw a channel go from like 2,000 subs to almost 90k in a few months. Just r/nosleep stories with okay narration and spooky music. Nothing special production-wise.

Pacing matters more than the story quality honestly. And people binge horror—they'll watch 15 videos in a row which the algorithm loves.

Monetization is trickier though. CPMs aren't great and there's no obvious affiliate stuff. But Patreon does surprisingly well. Saw someone say they make more from around 1,200 patrons than from half a million monthly views. Weird but

3. AI and tech

Most tech content is either "what is ChatGPT" level basic or assumes you have a CS degree. There's a gap in the middle for normal people who want to understand new stuff without feeling stupid about it.

The play here is speed. New AI tool drops, there's a search spike. Big personality channels can't cover everything fast enough. A faceless channel can have a video up within hours explaining what something does. That adds up.

I don't know if this stays hot forever. Feels like it could get saturated in a year or two. But right now there's still room.

Software affiliates are everywhere for monetization. VPNs, the tools you're reviewing, productivity apps. Someone told me their NordVPN link alone does a few grand a month but who knows if that's true.

4. History and random facts

The classic "did you know" format.

Simple to make. Hook, fact, sixty seconds, done. Platform algorithms love this format because it's literally designed for short attention spans.

Obscure beats famous now. "Why American cheese is orange" is more interesting than "WW2 facts" because everyone's done WW2. Regional history is weirdly underserved—state stuff, city-specific things. Less competition.

The problem is it gets repetitive fast. After six months every facts channel covers the same things. I saw one channel that only does facts about numbers—why 7 is lucky, history of zero, that kind of thing. Sounds incredibly boring but they have like 200k so what do I know.

Low barrier to start. Also kinda low ceiling unless you find a weird angle.

5. Motivation

Okay I'll be honest I hate most motivation content. The quotes over sunset footage makes me want to close the app.

But.

Done well it makes insane money. Like actually insane. The courses and journals and planners and coaching—people in this audience want to improve and they'll pay for tools. I know people doing $20-30k a month from digital products with maybe 50k subscribers. That's not ad revenue, that's products.

The difference between cringe and good is specificity. "The exact morning routine that got me through burnout" hits different than "wake up early bro." Systems not inspiration. The best motivation channels are really productivity channels pretending to be motivation channels.

Also calling out popular advice as BS gets engagement. "Why most productivity tips are useless if you have ADHD" type stuff.

6. Gaming

Wait gaming without showing your face?

Actually works. Tons of channels are just gameplay with commentary or text. No facecam. And gaming audiences are massive with built-in search traffic.

Guides for popular games never stop getting searched. Hidden secrets and Easter egg content. Tier lists and rankings. Update news if you're fast enough.

You're at the mercy of what games are popular though. Channel built around one game dies when that game dies. Smart to diversify but then you're competing in multiple

7. Cooking

Nobody needs to see your face while you chop an onion.

Overhead shots with text instructions—like how Tasty started—still work great for shorts. And weirdly the niche isn't as packed as you'd think for short-form specifically.

Speed matters. Recipe in 45 seconds. Weird combinations get curiosity clicks. Budget cooking, dorm room stuff, specific diets like keto—all have dedicated audiences.

More production work than others since you actually have to cook things. But content does well because everyone eats. One person told me a single viral cooking video's Amazon affiliate earnings paid their rent for three months. So there's that.

8. ASMR and satisfying stuff

People watch hours of soap cutting and pressure washing videos. Literal hours. Watch time is insane which algorithms love.

Once you find your thing you just keep doing it. No scripts no research. The person cutting soap just... cuts soap. Consistency is built into the format.

Not for everyone. Tedious. But competition is low because most people can't be bothered. Monetization is harder—Patreon mostly, sometimes selling the actual items you feature.

9. Psychology

People love learning why they do things. "Why you procrastinate even when you know better." "Why you can't get over that ex." Hooks write themselves.

Dark psychology stuff gets clicks if you frame it ethically—"how to recognize manipulation tactics" rather than "how to manipulate people." Relationship dynamics. Cognitive biases explained through actual scenarios not just definitions.

You need to know this stuff though or at least research properly. Psychology audiences will call out surface-level content immediately.

Actually I want to go back to something. I said earlier the niche is like 40% of success. I'm second-guessing that now. Looking at psychology channels specifically—the ones that blow up usually have someone who genuinely studied this or at least reads actual papers. The niche matters less than whether you can go deeper than competitors. Maybe the niche is like 20% and depth is 40%. I don't know. Thinking out loud here.

10. News commentary

Not news. Commentary. Your take on things.

This works faceless with text-to-speech over footage and graphics. Key is speed—first to cover something gets search traffic before everyone else shows up.

Exhausting though. News doesn't stop. You need systems to find script and produce fast. If you're not already obsessed with following news in some area you'll burn out within months.

Niche down. Tech news. Gaming news. Entertainment industry. "News" broadly is impossible for one person.

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How to actually pick

Start with what you already know about.

Not passionate about. Knowledgeable about. If you understand something you make better content faster because you're not researching everything from scratch. Compounds over time.

Test before committing. Make like 15 videos before deciding anything. You'll learn more from making stuff than reading articles about making stuff.

The people actually making money from this picked a niche six months ago and just kept posting. That's the whole thing.

Once you've picked your niche, here's how to actually grow your faceless channel to 100K subscribers.

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Quick questions

Easiest for beginners? Facts/history. Just research and basic editing.

Most money? Finance. Also hardest.

Multiple niches one channel? Algorithm doesn't love it. Start a second channel instead.

How long until money? Six months to a year to hit partner requirements if you're consistent. Meaningful income usually more like 12-18 months. Some faster, most slower.

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Whatever you pick the hard part isn't picking. It's showing up when nobody's watching. That's the filter. Most people quit.

Need help actually making the videos? Frameco generates shorts from a topic. Saves editing time so you can just focus on posting.