GENRE TRENDS OVER TIME
Some genres rule the charts. Others quietly fade. See how viewership has shifted across categories from 2020 to 2024 — and which genres kept their grip on the trending page.
The Rise and Fall of Genre Popularity
YouTube has over 800 million videos — but only a handful of genres consistently dominate what people actually watch. Over the past 4 years, the gap between the top and bottom genres has only grown wider. So what's driving the top, and who's getting left behind?
Who Owns the Trending Page?
Views tell us what got watched — but the trending page tells us what YouTube chose to amplify. Entertainment and Gaming dominate the trending count, appearing far more frequently than any other category. Interestingly, Music ranks second in total views but doesn't appear on the trending page as often, suggesting that a smaller number of Music videos pull massive view counts rather than a large volume of videos trending consistently. The trending page isn't just a popularity contest — it reflects what YouTube's algorithm decided to put in front of people.