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YouTube's
Impact

From opportunity to impact

At YouTube, our mission is to give people a voice and show them the world.

Canadians are embracing the opportunity to be inspired and entertained, to learn new skills, and connect with diverse communities. From artists to chefs to gamers, YouTube is the platform that's helping creators and businesses find success at home and abroad.

Download YouTube’s 2022 Impact Report by Oxford Economics. All data listed on this page has been taken from research conducted by Oxford Economics, unless otherwise stated.

YouTube’s impact in Canada

* YouTube first-party data as of December 2022

Impact stories

Whatever their passion, creators from all walks of life can share their content and find success on YouTube.

Multiple ways to monetize

On YouTube I built the freedom to go solo as a creator. Financial freedom we never thought we’d know.

- Alex A., Edmonton, AB

Helping grow Canadian businesses

Alex A., Edmonton based business owner and creator behind Curiosity Inc., has grown a global audience of over 530k subscribers.

Originally a brick-and-mortar antiques store, Alex looked to complement his antiques business by creating content that takes his antique-loving viewers on adventures to find unique treasures across Canada and the world.

Since starting on YouTube in 2016, he’s grown and sold two businesses and turned content creation into his full time career. Alex is one of many businesses across the country that has leveraged YouTube to connect with customers.

75%
of SMBs with a YouTube channel agree that YouTube played a role in helping them grow their customer base by reaching new audiences.
68%
of SMBs with a YouTube channel agree that YouTube played a role in helping them grow their revenue.

Because of YouTube, we were signed to an amazing record label. Because of YouTube, almost every child that we walk by on the streets knows who we are.

- @CrashAdams, Toronto, ON

Where Canadian talent finds a global stage

For many Canadian artists, YouTube plays a key role in helping them grow their fan base, both at home and across the world.

It’s helped aspiring artists get discovered both through their music and by connecting them directly with their fans.

Since the live music video series featuring their infamous ‘red couch’ went viral, the Toronto-born artists and musicians behind Crash Adams have quadrupled their subscriber count to 4.57 million and have signed with Warner Music.

Crash Adams are active YouTube creators, attracting new fans by publishing YouTube Shorts, engaging with their subscribers in weekly updates, and publishing music videos in their channel.

78%
of media and music companies with a YouTube channel agree that YouTube has increased the supply of creative talent in the industry.
70%
of media and music companies with a YouTube channel agree that YouTube is critical to breaking new artists and/or music.

We get a lot of messages saying that we’ve given people information and ideas on how they can take action themselves from our videos. We’re empowering people.

- @Steph&Den, Toronto, ON

A place to learn and share

YouTube provides Canadians with a free and open place to learn, from developing professional skills to hobbies to problem solving. It’s also a great resource for students, educators, and parents.

Toronto-based creators Steph G. and Den M. create content that educates and inspires young people to better understand and take charge of their finances. Since 2020, they have grown to over 88,000 subscribers and turned content creation into their full-time jobs.

92%
of users report using YouTube to gather information and knowledge.
72%
of teachers who use YouTube agree that YouTube helps to tackle gaps in education by providing a way to access quality information.

YouTube has magnified my career a thousand fold. My business as a professional organizer went from a community of 200k in my city to now - the entire world is my community.

- @Clutterbug, Windsor, ON

The building blocks of Canada’s creative economy

There are many ways creators can earn money directly through the YouTube platform, from a share of the revenues from the ads on their channel to a share of YouTube Premium and channel memberships. This gives creators the flexibility to grow in a way that supports their creativity, interests, and passion.

Cassandra A. is a Windsor-based mom of three who turned her passion for organizing into a successful career and business, Clutterbug. At first, YouTube helped her find customers but now, with over 750k subscribers, it’s a core part of her business. Cassandra has even hired employees to help her manage her online presence and business.

83%
of creators who earn money from YouTube agree that YouTube provides an opportunity to create content and earn money that they wouldn't get from traditional media.
79%
of creators who earn money from YouTube agree that they want to use the influence they discovered on YouTube to make a positive impact on society.

People say ‘aren’t you GoldenGully from YouTube?’ I’m super grateful for that. If it weren't for them I couldn’t showcase the culture itself. I couldn’t share the cuisine.

- @GoldenGully Toronto, ON

Where diversity thrives

YouTube is home to diverse communities who share their stories and culture with the world.

Bilal is the creative chef behind @GoldenGully, a cooking channel that showcases positivity in Pakistani culture. An immigration paralegal by trade, with GoldenGully he’s had an opportunity to share his culture and creativity via YouTube.

Using his family’s recipes as inspiration for his content, GoldenGully’s videos have been viewed a total of 2.7 billion times and his audience has grown to over 3.73 million subscribers.

79%
of users agree that with YouTube they can hear from diverse communities and/or cultures from around the world.
75%
of users agree that YouTube is home to diverse content and perspectives.