By 1of10 Team in 1of10 Podcast Articles — 01 Apr 2025

How YouTubers Make Millions With Faceless Channels

Most creators grind for years to hit six figures. Noah hit seven, built a team of freelancers, and runs 21 faceless channels with minimal editing work himself. Here's how he did it and how he's thinking even bigger.

Noah doesn’t appear in his videos. Most viewers don’t even know he exists. Yet his YouTube operation made over $1.4 million in revenue last year alone. The secret? Trendy topics, high-volume uploads, and a scalable structure built to move fast.

In this post, we’ll break down how Noah built his faceless YouTube empire, how he spots trends before they take off, and why branded channels might be his next big move.

1. Why Trendy Channels Still Win

There’s a reason some faceless YouTube channels skyrocket seemingly overnight. They’re built around trends, fast-moving topics people are already searching for. While branded or evergreen content has its place, trendy channels still hold massive potential for speed, scale, and reach. And when built right, they don't just survive waves, they ride them straight to six-figure months.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "TRENDY CHANNELS" in white letters. Below the banner are two black speech bubble icons. The left speech bubble contains a white heart symbol, and the right speech bubble contains a white flame symbol. The image visually represents the idea of discovering and exploring channels that are currently popular or trending. — Discover and explore trendy channels.

Fast Topics = Fast Feedback

Trendy channels don’t need months of content planning or high-end production. They’re built to move. When something explodes, whether it's a celebrity scandal, a political moment, or a viral internet clip, there's a window where demand far outweighs supply. That's when a creator can jump in, produce a video within 24 -48 hours, and ride the spike in interest while everyone else is catching up.

Noah, the creator featured in the transcript, gave a perfect example: when the Diddy scandal surfaced, he spun up multiple channels covering the topic. In less than 48 hours, one of them pulled over 1.2 million views. That single wave generated over $100,000 in revenue across two channels, all within weeks. Below are some examples found using the 1of10 tool!

A grid of 24 YouTube video thumbnails, all related to the topic of "Diddy." The thumbnails feature various images of Diddy and include text overlays with sensational or intriguing titles, such as "Diddy Finally Confesses The Truth," "Diddy And His Assets - Asset Protection," "Diddy Party ASMR," "Diddy's 'Apology'," "Diddy's In The Hospital," "Diddy Has EVERYONE On Tape!," "Diddy first day in prison," "CRIMINALS!," "Get Your Mind Out The Gutter," "Diddy Was Always Telling Us," "Diddy, His Kids & The People Who Defend Him," "DIDDY-JAIL CELL RAIDED BY THE FBI," "Breaking: New Lawsuit Accused Diddy," "Diddy Official Court Date Announced," "DIDDY DODGED THE BABY OIL," "CRACKHEAD VIBES," "Diddy - Do It," "Diddy: The Freakest Case In Hip Hop," "Diddy Sounded Just Got Way Worse," "Diddy Snaps In New Filing," "Diddy's unchanged prop," "Diddy Episode - All You Need To Know," "Diddy: The Freakest Case In Hip Hop," "Diddy is much worse than you think," and "Diddy Arrested Charged with Trafficking & Racketeering." — A collection of YouTube video thumbnails related to Diddy, featuring sensational and intriguing titles, found using 1of10

This kind of turnaround doesn’t require massive teams or brand sponsorships. What it takes is a flexible format, quick decision-making, and a system that can pump out videos fast. For Noah, it meant pre-built teams, scriptwriter, voice actor, editor, thumbnail designer, each producing daily content from a list of hot topics pulled by a manager watching the trending tab and social chatter like a hawk.

It’s Not About Being First, It’s About Being Fast Enough

Many new creators think you have to be the absolute first to cover a story. That’s not true. What matters is being early in the cycle while viewer interest is still climbing.

Noah checks competing channels every few days. If a smaller channel in his niche suddenly spikes, he reverse-engineers why: title, thumbnail, tone, or the angle on the story. If multiple others are also growing off the same subject, that’s the cue to jump in. This is how he spots “waves”, topic clusters that are gaining heat but aren’t yet saturated.

Volume Wins Attention

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "SHEER VOLUME OF VIDEOS" in white letters. Below the banner is a bar graph illustration with several black bars of increasing height, representing increasing volume. A minus sign (-) is on the left, and a plus sign (+) is on the right, further emphasizing the concept of increasing volume. The image visually represents the idea that a large volume of videos can have a significant impact. — The power of a large volume of videos.

When a trend is hot, it’s not just one video that pulls views, it’s the volume of videos that multiplies reach. Noah doesn’t just make one video about a story. He creates three channels, each with their own angle or voice, and uploads multiple times a day.

This flood strategy isn’t for everyone. It works because the content is designed to be low-lift. Think voiceover-led commentary, recap-style storytelling, and basic visuals. It’s not flashy. But it’s fast, and fast wins when the clock is ticking on a trend.

2. Revenue Breakdown: How Much These Channels Actually Make

Most people hear “faceless YouTube channel” and think automation equals easy income. But the truth is, while the structure can scale quickly, the earnings swing heavily depending on format, niche, timing, and topic. To really understand how these channels make money, you have to look at the math, and not just the total, but how it breaks down.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "REVENUE BREAKDOWN" in white letters. Below the banner is a line art illustration of a money bag with a dollar sign ($) on it, symbolizing revenue. To the right of the money bag is a bar graph with an upward trending line, representing growth in revenue. The image visually represents the idea of analyzing and understanding the different components of revenue. — Understanding your revenue breakdown.

Real Numbers from Trend-Driven Channels

Take Noah, for example, a 21-year-old faceless channel operator who made over $1.4 million in YouTube ad revenue last year alone, with another $400,000 from side ventures. He’s not relying on a single upload or channel. He’s running 17+ active channels, with earnings that vary from $90,000 to $300,000+ per month depending on how many trends hit at once.

When the Diddy scandal broke, he launched multiple channels covering the story. One pulled in $112,000 in a single month, and another saw 1.2 million views in just 48 hours. These weren’t high-production videos either. They followed a simple format: script, voiceover, clips, thumbnail, total cost per video sat around $100, and sometimes less when scaled.

A grid of 30 YouTube video thumbnails, all related to the topic of "Diddy." The thumbnails feature various images of Diddy and include text overlays with sensational or intriguing titles, such as "Diddy Done Did It," "The Insane Business Empire of P. Diddy," "Diddy - 100 NEW VICTIMS," "Diddy BE LIKE...," "Diddy is Genuinely EVIL...," "Diddy Became EVIL because of THIS," "Diddy Out Here Tripping," "Diddy Arrested By Federal Agents," "Diddy Eats Human Flesh," "The Man Who Brought Diddy Empire Down," "The Truth About Diddy," "Diddy - Freak Off Tapes Exposed," "Diddy's Darkest Secret Exposed by Hatem Haters," "Diddy is Going to Prison," "Diddy is Broke," "Diddy Island," "Diddy's Time With Justin Bieber," and "Diddy's Hidden Hole Secrets Finally Revealed." — A collection of YouTube video thumbnails related to Diddy, featuring sensational and intriguing titles.

Cost Structure Per Video

The average spend per video looks like this:

$20 for voiceover
$30 for scriptwriting
$30 - $40 for video editing
$10 - $15 for a thumbnail

That means a channel uploading one video a day might spend $3,000 per month, and that’s generous. Some setups bring that cost down even further, especially when using generalist teams who can pivot across topics.

Now compare that to the revenue. If a video pulls 500,000 views at a modest $10 CPM (cost per thousand views), that’s $5,000 from one upload. When a creator runs multiple videos daily across different channels, the upside stacks fast.

Evergreen vs Trend

Not every channel is built to spike like that. Some channels Noah runs bring in $15,000 to $50,000 a month consistently with evergreen content, things like “celebrity meets crush” compilations or list-style breakdowns. These might not have the viral push of a news story, but they offer a floor. The trendy channels offer the ceiling.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "EVERGREEN VS TREND" in white letters. Below the banner are two line graphs. The left graph, labeled "TREND," shows a red line that rises sharply to a peak and then declines sharply back to the starting point. The right graph, labeled "EVERGREEN," shows a green line that rises steadily over time, forming an upward sloping line. The image visually represents the difference between trend-based content, which has a short-lived spike in popularity, and evergreen content, which maintains consistent relevance and growth over time. — Understanding the difference between evergreen and trend content.

The key difference? Predictability vs potential. Evergreen content builds steady cash flow. Trend-focused channels swing wider, but when they hit, they pay out big, fast.

The Big Leverage: RPM and Audience Type

What really pushes earnings higher isn’t just the views. It’s who is watching. Channels targeting older U.S.-based viewers, especially in categories like politics, tech, or finance-adjacent topics, consistently earn higher RPMs, sometimes $15-$20+ during Q4. That’s double or triple what general entertainment might pull in the same timeframe.

For example, a creator targeting Southern U.S. Republican audiences during election season can earn 3-4x more per view than a general meme compilation channel. When paired with hot-button topics, that earning power multiplies quickly.

3. Team Setup: Scaling with Clusters

Running a single faceless channel is one thing. Scaling to 10, 15, or even 20, that’s a different game entirely. The secret isn’t just about pumping out more videos. It’s about how the team behind them is built. The best operators don’t just hire freelancers randomly. They run what’s called a cluster model, and it’s one of the fastest ways to scale while keeping things consistent.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "SCALING WITH CLUSTERS" in white letters. Below the banner are four groups of stick figures, each labeled "CHANNEL 1," "CHANNEL 2," "CHANNEL 3," and "CHANNEL 4." Each group contains four stick figures arranged in a cluster. The image visually represents the idea of scaling content by creating multiple channels with related themes or target audiences, forming clusters of content. — Scaling your content with clusters of channels.

What a Cluster Actually Looks Like

A cluster is a self-contained unit that handles the full video production process: scriptwriter, voiceover artist, video editor, and sometimes a thumbnail designer. This team is assigned to one channel and produces one video per day. That’s it. No overlap, no juggling tasks across different channels.

Each cluster runs on a rhythm, and the process becomes second nature. When the system is tight, quality stays level and deadlines don’t slip. Want to double output? Add another cluster. Need to scale down? Drop one without breaking everything else.

Example: How It Works on a Celebrity Channel

Take Noah’s celebrity-based channels. He runs five clusters per channel, each producing one video per day. That means the channel outputs five videos daily without burning anyone out. And because every cluster only touches one video at a time, there’s no confusion, no bottlenecks.

Let’s say one video does 500K views, and the average RPM is $10. That’s $5,000 revenue from a single upload. Multiply that across five uploads per day, and you're at $25,000 daily potential, from one channel alone. With three channels riding the same trend? You’re pushing $75,000 a day, all because the structure allowed for fast, parallel execution.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. The graphic is divided into two sections, separated by a "VS" in the center. Left Section: Labeled "1 CHANNEL," it features four stick figures grouped together. Below the stick figures is the text "500K VIEWS" in green letters. Right Section: Labeled "4 CHANNELS," it features four groups of four stick figures each, arranged in a grid. Each group is accompanied by the text "500K VIEWS" in green letters. The image visually represents the idea that while a single channel may achieve a certain number of views, distributing the content across multiple channels can potentially reach a wider audience, even if the total views remain the same. — Comparing the potential reach of one channel versus four channels, both achieving the same total views.

Why Generalists Matter

Instead of hiring only “YouTube scriptwriters” or “gaming editors,” Noah builds teams full of generalists, people who can shift between topics fast. That’s especially important for trend-based channels. One week might focus on political drama. The next could be celebrity scandals or tech mogul controversies.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "GENERALISTS MATTER" in white letters. Below the banner is a line art illustration of a magnifying glass in the center. Surrounding the magnifying glass are four gear symbols, connected by a dotted line. The image visually represents the idea that generalists, who possess a broad range of skills and knowledge, play a crucial role in connecting and integrating different aspects of a project or team, similar to how gears work together. — The importance of generalists in a team or project.

Because these team members aren’t boxed into one niche, the clusters can pivot quickly when a new wave hits. If Diddy’s in the news one day, and Elon Musk the next, the same team can cover both without needing retraining.

The Role of the Manager

Above each group of clusters is a channel manager. Their main job isn’t creative, it’s follow-up. They’re the ones checking timelines, keeping workflow on track, and nudging people if something slips. Noah’s setup has each manager overseeing several clusters, acting as the only point of contact between the creator and the production team. That one layer keeps chaos from reaching the top.

5. Finding Trends Before They Blow Up

Every creator wants to ride a trend, but by the time most spot it, it’s already halfway done. The key is spotting signals early, when it’s still quiet, but bubbling. If you can learn to spot patterns before they break mainstream, you get the advantage of being first. And being early is the whole game in faceless YouTube.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "FINDING TRENDS" in white letters. Below the banner is a line art illustration of two stacked documents with horizontal lines representing text. A magnifying glass is positioned over the documents, symbolizing the act of searching and analyzing information. The image visually represents the process of identifying and analyzing trends through research and investigation. — The process of identifying and analyzing trends.

Reverse Niche Research

Instead of guessing what might trend, smart creators watch what’s already working in small doses, then reverse-engineer why.

For example, one channel Noah built around the Diddy controversy started gaining traction after just a few uploads. But the idea didn’t come out of nowhere. He was already checking the “similar channels” tab inside YouTube Studio across all his celebrity-focused channels. Every few days, he’d scan what smaller creators in the space were uploading. One day, multiple channels uploaded Diddy-related videos, and they were outperforming their usual numbers. That’s a green flag. The channels below were found with the 1of10 tool!

This software tool helps YouTube creators find channels related to the topic of "celebrity drama."

He didn't wait. Within days, he had three new channels covering different angles of the same topic, each with five clusters producing videos. One of them hit 1.2 million views in 48 hours. The difference was speed, and early detection.

How to Spot a Pattern (Without Guessing)

Look for repeatable behavior, not isolated viral hits. A single video going viral doesn’t mean the topic is hot, it could just be a great title or thumbnail. What matters is if multiple videos on the same theme are doing better than usual.

Let’s say a small finance channel posts a breakdown of a tech CEO’s fall from grace. It gets 200K views when their average is 30K. Then another channel drops something similar. Same bump. That’s your signal.

A grid of 30 YouTube video thumbnails, all related to the topic of finance or accounting. The thumbnails feature various visuals, including people, graphs, charts, and text overlays. The titles of the videos suggest a range of content, such as "Basic Financial Statements," "MBA Intro to Financial Management," "Analyzed My Finance With Local LLMs," "Financial Derivatives Explained," "The T Accounts and the Accounting Seats," "Finance Quiz With @financewithsharan," "The Art of Tech-Led Finance," "What is Accounting?," "How Financial Firms Actually Make Money," "How to Read Company Financial Statements," "Financial Literacy - A Beginners Guide to Financial...," "High Paying Finance Courses you CAN'T Miss in 2022!," "Business Loans," "Non-Investment Banking Finance Job with High Pay &...," "How to Make the Cash Flow," "Daily Book and Major Accounting | Business...," "Accountant Explains Should You Buy...," "Financial Statements: all the basics in...," "Episode 4: How to read a company's balance sheet? | Par...," "Money, increase income, financial success, prosperity...," and "Steps for Money Management and Financial..." — A collection of YouTube video thumbnails related to finance and accounting, featuring tutorials, explanations, and discussions.

Now go deeper: are other creators starting to test it? Are shorts on the same topic climbing? Are Google searches for that name spiking? Don’t wait until it hits Twitter trending. By then, it's already crowded.

Two-Day Test Rule

Noah’s method for trend validation is tight: launch a channel, upload 3-5 videos in 48 hours, and watch performance. If one crosses a view threshold (say, 100K for a fresh channel), it means the topic has demand and the format is working.

Even if the others don’t hit, that one breakout justifies doubling down. Add more clusters. Upload daily. Ride the wave.

Examples That Worked

Politics & Pop Culture: Channels built around the US election cycles or high-drama celebrity stories (like Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard) often show early signals in Reddit threads and low-follower TikToks. When you see the same talking points getting thousands of shares in low-view places, it’s time to act.
Tech & Business: The fall of big names like FTX or sudden Elon Musk updates often trend hard in niche podcasts and newsletters before the YouTube crowd catches up.

6. Why Volume Matters More Than Perfection

For most creators, the instinct is to obsess over every frame. Perfect timing, perfect script, perfect thumbnail. But with faceless channels, especially ones chasing trends, perfection slows you down. And in this game, speed beats polish.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a blue grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "VOLUME OVER PERFECTION" in white letters. Below the banner are nine small, simple video icons arranged in a grid on the left. An arrow pointing to the right leads to a larger, more detailed video icon on the right. The image visually represents the idea that creating a large volume of content is more important than striving for perfection in each individual piece. — The importance of prioritizing volume over perfection in content creation.

One Hit Covers a Lot of Misses

Let’s get clear on the math. Noah shared that he starts several channels every month, and around 80% fail. That might sound reckless, until you look at what happens when one hits. A single viral video can bring in $50K-$80K, easily covering the loss of 5-10 channels.

He spent $1,500 testing one political channel. The first 15 videos did nothing. Then the 16th went viral, 1.2 million views in 48 hours. That one video made more than the cost of all 15 combined. That’s the power of volume.

If he had waited to perfect those early videos, tweak everything, or gather more data before uploading... that channel wouldn’t have existed in time to catch the wave.

Trend Waves Move Fast

Trendy channels move in bursts. You're riding spikes in interest that last weeks, not months. If you’re spending two weeks per video, you’ve already lost. The cycle is too short for slow iterations.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "TRENDS MOVE FAST" in white letters. Below the banner is a graph with a red line that fluctuates rapidly, forming a series of peaks and valleys. Three video icons are placed at the peaks of the graph, visually representing the idea that trends rise and fall quickly. The image emphasizes the importance of acting swiftly when capitalizing on trends. — Understanding the fleeting nature of trends.

The goal isn’t to make every video amazing. The goal is to test formats fast, then double down on what sticks.

You don’t need 10 perfect videos. You need 1 that hits.

Clusters Make It Possible

That’s why the "cluster" system exists: scriptwriter, voiceover, editor, thumbnail, each assigned to one video per day. When you scale up to 5-10 clusters per channel, you can push volume without burning anyone out.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "CLUSTER POSTING" in white letters. Below the banner is a graph with a red line that fluctuates, forming a series of peaks and valleys. Video icons are placed at various points along the line, including the peaks and valleys, visually representing the idea of cluster posting. The image emphasizes the strategy of posting multiple videos in a short period to capitalize on a trend or maximize visibility. — Understanding the strategy of cluster posting.

Let’s say you’ve got five clusters working. That’s five shots a day at going viral. In a week, that’s 35. You only need one to land. That’s a better bet than obsessing over one perfect upload that still might flop.

Perfection Wastes Time in the Wrong Place

One mistake beginners make is focusing on things that don’t move the needle early on, cinematic transitions, complicated graphics, or overpolished voiceovers. Those details are great if you're building a personal brand or a film portfolio. But they don't drive results in volume-based channels.

The reality: most viewers won’t care if your video had a fade instead of a cut. But they will care if you uploaded too late and missed the trend entirely.

7. Choosing the Right Audience for High RPMs

Making money on YouTube isn’t just about views, it’s about who’s watching. That’s where RPM (revenue per mille) comes in. Two videos with the same number of views can make drastically different amounts, just based on who clicked. Smart creators don’t just chase volume, they aim for the right audience.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. At the top is a blue banner with the text "RIGHT AUDIENCE FOR HIGH RPM" in white letters. Below the banner is a target with an arrow hitting the bullseye, symbolizing accurate targeting. Below the target is a group of three people, representing the audience. The image visually represents the idea that targeting the right audience is crucial for achieving high RPM, which is a key metric for content monetization. — Targeting the right audience to achieve high RPM (revenue per mille).

US Viewers Pay the Most, But Not All US Viewers Are Equal

Noah breaks this down with precision. His top-performing audiences aren’t just American, they’re specific regions and demographics within the US. For example:

Older US Republicans
Viewers in cities like Dallas, Atlanta, and areas across Mississippi
Tech-savvy audiences watching content about Elon Musk or financial news

These aren’t just data points, they’re proven to consistently drive higher RPMs. In his case, content targeted at these groups delivered RPMs as high as $15-$16 during Q4. That’s almost double what you’d get from a broader audience at the start of the year.

High Views Mean Nothing Without High RPMs

Let’s say you make a celebrity video that hits 2 million views, but it attracts a younger international crowd. Your RPM might be $2-$3. Now take a video with half the views but aimed at an older US audience with purchasing power. That might earn $5-$8 per thousand views or more.

A white rectangular graphic with rounded corners and a light gray grid pattern in the background. The graphic is divided into two sections, each representing a different RPM scenario. Left Section: Labeled "LOW RPM," it features two bar graphs. The "VIEWS" bar is tall and red, while the "REVENUE" bar is short and green. This illustrates a scenario where a large number of views generates relatively low revenue. Right Section: Labeled "HIGH RPM," it also features two bar graphs. The "VIEWS" bar is short and red, while the "REVENUE" bar is tall and green. This illustrates a scenario where a smaller number of views generates significantly higher revenue. The image visually represents the idea that RPM (revenue per mille) plays a crucial role in determining the revenue generated from views. High RPM means more revenue per thousand views, while low RPM means less revenue per thousand views. — Understanding the impact of RPM on revenue generation.

Here’s a practical example:
Two channels ran the same style of video, both hit similar view counts. The one focused on US political stories made around 3x more per video simply because of the audience difference. Same editing. Same effort. Triple the return.

How to Choose the Right Audience

The trick isn’t just picking a niche. It’s figuring out who’s most likely to watch, and pay well for it. That’s where many creators miss the mark.

If you're running faceless content, here are a few cues that suggest higher RPM:

Content about finance, politics, or tech
Viewers from major cities or developed regions (US, UK, Canada, Australia)
Age group 25+ with interest in news, career growth, or investing

Don’t just look at what’s trending, look at who it’s trending with.

Tools That Help

Your YouTube analytics will show you geography, age range, gender, and more. Combine that with what you see from competitor channels. Noah checks his “similar channels” tab every few days. If someone’s pulling big numbers with content targeting high-RPM audiences, it’s a clear green light to adapt or clone the strategy.

It’s Not About Viral, It’s About Profitable

You can chase millions of views and still feel broke. Or you can be intentional with who you target, and turn average view counts into serious income.

In the faceless channel game, high RPMs are the multiplier. The right viewer doesn’t just watch. They make each view worth more.

Conclusion

Once you learn how to spot what’s gaining traction, YouTube starts to look different. Trends aren’t just noise, they’re signals. And when you combine that with sharp systems, a clear target audience, and teams built to move fast, you’re no longer guessing. You’re building. Stay curious, keep testing, and pay attention to the patterns others miss. Your next viral channel might already be sitting in your “similar channels” tab, you just have to be fast enough to act on it.