Too ugly for youtube how to overcome this

There's a HUGE chunk of Youtube content creation that's essentially faceless, mine included. For whatever reason, if you choose to not show your face, that doesn't mean you can't find success and progression in your own content creation journey. The unfortunate reality is that people on the internet sometimes suck since instant physical judgements are rampant on any kind of site that has a social aspect, Youtube included. That of course shouldn't deter you from making videos, so I hope you start soon :)

I don't show my face in any of my videos and the engagement is great for the size of channel it is. If your videos are good, people will interact with you!

There’s tons of people on YouTube who absolutely do not care about how you look. That what separates YouTube from all the other platforms. It’s people who are willing to sit down and watch a minute plus long video to hear what you have to say. Let them know who you for who you are. And eventually you’ll publish so many videos you wouldn’t even care.

Also if you haven’t even posted your video yet how do you know your looks even decrease the audience retention rate. Take a chance on yourself.

I know there’s tons of faceless YouTubers but nothing connect better than actually knowing who your talking too.

That's your inner saboteur speaking, really. My favourite travel channel is called "Mundo Sem Fim" and they are not conventionally attractive, nor they try to be. A very down to earth couple, wearing comfortable clothes and no make up. Travel videos need relatability, not being made by supermodels. And I would much rather look at a person's face than a cartoon avatar or a voice-over, any day of the week.

I'm in a niche that features a lot of buff outdoorsy dudes and here I am some old, fat guy trying to make a go of it. Over time I built enough confidence to stop giving AF but I do appreciate where you are coming from. In time you will gain confidence and then can just focus on making great content. Best of luck!

Sometimes you just can’t GAF 🤷‍♂️ if you do, it’s going to show in your videos. Just do you and let your personality shine. By the way, two of my favorite travel channels are Les Frenchies and Wolter’s World and they are both very successful. Neither of those channels are winning any modeling contests, but that’s not why they’re popular. They popular because they make good videos with great information.

I was totally like you. Not attractive nor do I put in any effort on my appearance ie no make up.

Until I lost everything in my life and appearance is the least of my concern. I’ve done emotional videos on my channel not caring about how I’m preserved.

The way I started was posted without appearing in the video. I posted about a week of content without me being on it then realised I need to talk to the camera because I wanted to be completely honest about my situation. First video that I posted with my face actually on it was just me messing up saying ‘this is the first time showing myself on YouTube’ - didnt get one comment about my appearance. Felt okay and didn’t care what happens after. I’ve posted countless videos since and no bad comments.

All I can say it’s all in your head. Most people will switch off if they don’t like your content whether that’s to do with appearance or otherwise. That’s YouTube in general. Start slow and see where it gets you.

Hi OP! I recently started a YouTube channel with some content related to travelling. I have a mix of showing my face briefly and some videos are faces. Surprisingly, my best performing videos are actually faceless. The important thing is providing value for watchers. The reason that I have a mix is that I’m not completely confident yet with filming myself, but I’m improving.

My channel is linked to my Reddit profile so you can check it out. One of my faceless videos doing the best is How to spend 4 days in Quebec City. With some of my videos showing my face, usually it’s only for a brief moment, like in my first ever video I created for the intro. Other than that, it’s completely faceless afterwards.

The great thing about making videos is that you can get creative with it. You can start off faceless, and then maybe work towards filming half of your body doing a task. And just maybe, eventually be comfortable enough to film yourself. The important thing is that you grow from it.

I’m rooting for you :)

Dont ever say you are “too ugly” for YouTube.

We have a Travel Channel that does Vegas based content and that means we are front and center and on camera the whole time. And I am going to say this… We are both gay, married, plus sized, and both have nose rings.

(And a lot of the negative comments always remind us of that - the negative comments are rare, but they still happen and always revolve around horrible feedback on our appearance- and frankly it’s immature on their part)

We are not the easiest on the eyes and are an “acquired taste” but if we can get out there and do it and put ourselves out there, you can too.

No one is ever “too ugly” for YouTube. There’s billions of people watching, you’ll find your tribe ❤️

Don't say this about yourself, who cares what others think. Everyone has value and your talent should shine through.

I'd rather watch a not-so-pretty vlogger but with meaningful and helpful content than a pretty one but with useless vids. You'll find the right audience for you!

Part of being successful as a youtuber is having a certain "fuck it" mentality. If your videos are good, people in general are really going to give 0 fucks about your accent, voice, looks, etc.. apart from the occasional troll.

I'm an obese and ugly man doing Youtube with rc cars, I know this feeling all too well! But honestly, no one cares. Be yourself! And never be ashamed of how you look 😀 Covering how you look may attract more unwanted attention as it'll show you're insecure. I do get the occasional fat comment, but I just ignore it, and for any repeat offenders, I just block them. honestly, I get more hate comments about my opinion because it might not align with them. Because of this fear, I put off making my channel for nearly two years because of my size and what others would think of me... that was the worst decision I have ever made for my channel because I'm now close to 20k subscribers, with an awesome audience and now I look back and think, where would I be if I just started two years ago!!

Go for it! And don't look back.

I have autoimmune conditions where I have some bad pain days. I made the decision that I wanted to be able to do videos & not be hindered by whether I would look decent enough or not to film that day, so all of my stuff is off camera. But to be honest, if you are knowledgeable or entertaining, that is all that matters. Cruel people will attack whether you’re on camera or not. I take it as an initiation or sign of success. I see all sorts of people on YouTube, all kinds. But in the end, if you don’t feel comfortable, I get it. Do whatever you’re not comfortable with so it doesn’t impact your content.

160k subcribers here and I'm a faceless Youtuber. I swear when I started youtube, I do afraid about making faceless video too but it turns out great. You should obtain a intermediate editing skills first and trust the process.

The truth is that. The way you might see your self is so different from how others might see you. I think you just need to work on your confidence by accepting yourself . Look, there are thousands of people out there who would consider you more beautiful than "Cinderella". " Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" We all see a particular things different. So girl.... face the camera and do your thing

Thanks for all the encouragement. I wish there was a way to do a love heart react or something instead of just upvoting

I think we need to work on loving yourself and accepting who you are before any of this. You don’t have to be a supermodel for people to be interested in your content

I can think of 6 channels off the bat that don't show their faces. One of those six actually did show his face, and it's the first time I've ever seen it in years. One of those six also don't even talk, just text over the video. You don't need to show your face

I have three channels. My main one features ME. Although over the years I have acquired 4100 subscribers, my views are piss poor. My second channel is a travel channel basically just me pointing a camera forward and walking around. No face, no comment. It’s a fairly new channel and even though only 300 subscribers at present it’s going well (compared to my main channel. Getting far more views, and far more watch time and it’s the most low effort footage I could make. Now, as for your looks. Obviously, I don’t know what you look like so I can’t judge. But, I’m a fat, old man. My glory days are long gone. Just be you and let your personality shine through. How about maybe trying a wig and glasses to ‘disguise’ yourself if it helps? Regardless, good luck with the channel.

Nobody is so ugly that they can't make successful videos. Just go for it.

I’m not as worried about showing my face but I detest my voice. Whenever someone plays back my videos I physically have to leave the room or cover my ears. It’s an insecurity that I’ve had to work through and over time when you start feeling more comfortable and posting more, you begin to care less what others think.

I'm an old, bald guy with missing teeth... and set out to prove that I could create and monetize a channel - and I did it in only 8 months - showing myself in all videos talking to the camera. I'm now working on two more channels. I think viewers are sick of seeing perfect smiles, teeth, etc. See SwellerVanDweller, APassportADollar, LifeInATinCan

im a fellow YouTuber whos a girl and just want to say, go for it! doesn't matter what people think of your appearance, its the content that matters.. believe me. we are all beautiful in our own ways, cliche sounding or not, society wants to make people insecure so they make money.

dm me if you need, I know its harder to find girls on these subreddits :)

There are many popular YouTubers that don't look good, and their audience doesn't care. Only stupid people would comment about someone's appearance, and you should learn to ignore them.

I never found myself too attractive with my big nose, bad teeth and beetling brows. But when I began making videos and livestreaming, I just forgot about all that. And I don't remember a single comment about that.

I wouldn’t consider myself to be a conventionally attractive person. I really struggled with whether or not I wanted to go “faceless” when I first started my YouTube channel. It was in the middle of the pandemic and I had gained a whole bunch of weight.

Reluctantly I decided to give it a go. I was afraid people would say rude things about my weight in the comment section. And as it turns out, they did.

They said I was fat. They compared me to Peter Griffin.

And they didn’t just say rude things about my weight. They also commented on my skin, the shape of my nose, my voice. If I mispronounced a word or made an error in a video inevitably someone would be there to point it out.

I was very bummed out. But I kept going.

Those comments from trolls were still just a tiny fraction of the people commenting on my videos, but they were there. I blocked them and moved on.

Over time I found slightly better angles that de-emphasized my belly. I got better lighting (although it’s still far from perfect). That simmered down the rude comments a bit. I figured out what I needed to do in order to feel more comfortable and confident on camera.

Now after a few years I now have over 17,000 subscribers, 3 million lifetime views and do YouTube semi-full time.

I’m glad I stuck with it and kept going. But it’s still a journey. I think showing your face on camera helps stand out in an increasingly AI-fueled landscape. It helps build empathy and have a genuine connection to your audience.

But though I wish I could say “just don’t worry about anything,” I know there’s always going to be trolls somewhere. That comes with the territory online. And it’s ESPECIALLY complicated for women.

What I can say is to do what feels right for you. Find people and situations that make you feel safe.

Some creators I know have had a better time on TikTok than YouTube as it feels a like more body positive atmosphere. Others go faceless if it’s what makes them feel most comfortable. And others, like me, stick to it despite the trolls.

But don’t feel obligated or pressured by anyone to go in any one direction. Make your mark on the world in the way that makes the most sense for you. And take time for self-care outside of YouTube, too.

I think MrBeast is ugly. Make of that what you will.

I wouldn't worry about what people though of you tbh. Everyone is beautiful in their own little way inside or out. Regardless of what you did people are always unhappy and negative and they just love leaving hate no matter how perfect you are. My advice would be just go for it. Delete the negative comments and just focus on the positive. As long as your nice and respectful and your content is what the individual person is looking for. Never hold back on what you want based on looks. What people fail to remember is looks fade but personality is present always

We use a simple “stop motion” like animated character to represent us. It’s just a hand drawn avatar that will just change pose as we talk, we’re working on adding facial expressions to this.

It’s standard in our niche as most people who do it are awkward nerds and don’t want our faces out there on the internet beyond our personal social media.

If you really don't want to be seen, you could just narrate and not show your face. Plenty of content does that, and a number are more for reasons of privacy than anything else. My kids love "Slick Slime Sam," where every video is headless when the human YouTuber is in frame and the channel is very successful.

That said, I would recommend trying to seize in a grain of confidence and look for the best way to light and present yourself so you can at least be seen on camera briefly and feel alright about yourself. Lighting does a lot.

I always get called fat or i look like a fat version of Michael reeves just cuz I wear glasses. Idk. I find it funny when people take the time to try to hurt me. It’s only a few people and you just gotta learn to have thick skin. If someone says something mean, let that influence you to make even better content. You’ll find people that enjoy watching you no matter your appearance. Trust. Goodluck!

You can always have a little cartoon of yourself that is a representation of you. So that way you don’t have to worry about showing your face.

Often we are you own worst critic. As an artist myself, I will look at all the little imperfections and think that I could have done better. But there is only so much you can do. Sometimes you just need to fake your self confidence if your goal is to show yourself. There will always be haters out there on the internet, it depends on how much you think you can handle it mentally.

Thank you all for your encouragement . I am quite surprised at the mature and kind comments. ( Sometimes Reddit can be a little unpredictable)

I was gonna upload a pic for context lol! But there's no option on here. But I am ugly but there's nothing I can really do about it.

Some of my favorite content reators don't show their face.

Im ugly too OP but i noticed when i did a face reveal i started to get more views. But i did get people who wrote me some rude ish comments

Same bro. I went facecam though.

just make videos without revealing your face. Use your voice and everything should be fine

I am conventionally attractive. But I'm older. I figured nobody young would ever watch me. Boy, was I wrong! Most of my audience is 10-20+ years younger, and they don't seem to care at all that I could be their mom.

I say do faceless and face-showing and see what happens. Don't try and guess.

If you're doing bathing suit haul try on videos then I would say you're right, if you're not attractive they may not go over well with guys who watch those.

But for travel videos, I would go as far saying looks has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the videos. Your personality is most important. I watch a lot of travel videos, some of the ones I sub to and pour tons of hours into are Walk With Me Tim, Noel Phillips, and Brennen Taylor. The first two guys are quite unattractive, Brennen is pretty good looking but I'm still a straight guy so I don't really care. The thing with all those guys is they are all incredibly charismatic and have great personalities. If you have the personality then you really shouldn't care about your looks. If you don't have the personality then the cold hard truth is you probably won't have success with vlogging of any type.

Be yourself and people will love you regardless of your appearance. But if you feel uncomfortable showing your face (like me) it's not a show stopper. you can still make content with a faceless channel. You'll just need to deliver your emotions in another way.

WTF!

Not showing your face doesn’t mean no success. Channels like vanossgaming,internet anarchist, daily dose of internet all use no face cam. It may be a little harder but not impossible. Your looks are not gonna be a problem, sure there are gonna be trolls and haters who will attack you but all you need to combat it is confidence and a idgaf attitude. Everyone has an opinion and everyone is a critic. The only thing you need to ask yourself is that really Gonna stop you from achieving your dream?

So I watch a lot of travel vlog style content. Plenty of popular women do it that are not "conventionally attractive".

I don't really think you will have any issues. Youtube is filled with "normal" looking people (aka not super attractive men/women) that do just fine.

You can also make a faceless channel if you are super concerned about it. Plenty of travel channels do it as well.

Too ugly you say? Yeah use a mask or a v tuber model or a little drawn character or literally talk but have an image edited on you that covers your face. I watch faceless creators. There should be a path for you available if you don't want to shoe your face bit still be successful.

I have never really showed my face because I am not photogenic.

Plenty of creators are faceless, including myself. I've been making videos for 2 and a half years and I got monetised about 3 months ago. It would be pretty difficult without talking though

AI

First of all, you're being too hard on yourself. Second, I wouldn't call Jeremy Clarkson a classically handsome man. Hasn't stopped him from becoming one of the most successful TV presenters of our time.

I'm also NOT a Sexy Person, I'm Old AF at 47, I've got no hair, and the good lord has gifted me in my old age with a Turkey neck.

My Channel is half and half. I stay off camera as much as I can, HOWEVER, If I need to I step in.

Not all of us are models, BUT some of us have other things of Value to bring to the table.

I would recommend leading with those items of Value, and showcasing them.

Life is about selling yourself, most sells people will tell you to lead and showcase what people will find attractive. Just remember, Thats not always looks, sometimes Value is much more attractive...

Why I made my kids the focus and not myself... But looks are subjective and I can think of several very successful youtubers who are different looking. Just remember the jerks who make comments on someone's appearance are typically super insecure about themselves so they are probably just projecting...

Do what you are most comfortable with but stay true to yourself. Good Luck!

Don't worry about it. I look like a bearded thumb so I just don't put my face on my videos .

I make video essays over retro video game topics, I never show my face in videos but still have managed to grow to around 60k subs in a few years.

Making content without showing your face is totally doable and I think there’s a bigger market for it than a lot of people realize actually as I think many even prefer it, but the thing is if you’re not gonna show your face then you really have to try hard to either give a lot of personality to your voice or make it stand out in some way even if it’s not super emotive. I made a community post recently and there was a comment from someone that had a lot of likes on it saying “I read this in your voice” which let me know that even though I don’t show my face, I’ve still created a recognizable personality/brand for the channel

But at the end of the day, don’t be scared to show your face if you want to! Bottom line make the content you want to make regardless if that includes showing your face or not. If your content is good it will find an audience!

Sounds like a Milli Vanilli for OP. Just kidding, i think there are lots of talented youtubers in my subscribed section which don‘t seem to conform the „social ideal of beauty“. Fuck this thought! Bet you‘re perfect the way you are. Hope this doesn’t count as toxic positivity :)

If you are truly ugly, which I doubt, it’ll help you get clicks. Legitimately. Look at Casey Neistat. 

I just started a channel where I roleplay video games basically, I don't show myself nor do I use my real voice.

I much rather have the audience feel immersed as if they are actually watching the struggles of my protagonists through their eyes.

I'm slowly growing and I'm receiving engagement, so it is definitely possible.

If you are concerned about your appearance, rely on your personality, communication, and your voice to send your message.

You got this!

Vtubing is what I do for being too ugly to show my face

People like relatable content creators. I love channels for their content more than their looks because I am blind. I love listening to specific voices and storytelling and since I am less affected by physical beauty. People will comment about anything and I get called all kinds of things, it comes with the territory of being female content creator.

First, I want to say that when I watch YouTube, I'm not usually watching just to see someone "hot," and I certainly don't stick around watching someone "hot" if their content sucks. Yes, being attractive helps, but it's not a make-or-break thing when it comes to content creation. People who like your content will watch it regardless of how you look. It matters infinitely more about your work ethic, consistency, and promotion. Second, it's nice to be self-aware, but please be kinder to yourself. There are 80 billion people in the world. Even if only 1% of those people find you attractive, you're still looking at 80 million. Plus, regardless of what social media might show, your personality wins overall. 

I think people get more beautiful or ugly when you get to know them. If your personality shines through your true fans and ideal audience will love you regardless of what you look like. Just make great content, whether faceless or not. Follow your heart. There will always be haters and trolls, no matter what you do. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

I’ve found that appearances aren’t necessarily what drives viewership. People enjoy stories and personalities. Don’t beat yourself up over how you think you look. If people make judgements based on your appearance then that speaks more about them than it does about you.

Listen, I'm gonna be real. A lot of people gonna gas you up on here and tell you it doesn't matter. But they're not you and you have your lived experiences. As you probably know unattractive men can get away with not being attractive by having a great personality or very knowledgeable. Women have a harder time at this and we all know it. So your apprehension is warranted. But that doesn't mean you can't give it a shot. If you have tough skin and a willingness to take on all the eventual terrible people on the Internet, then do it. If that's too much, try faceless. Many channels, including myself have found great success with a faceless channel. I think it liberating because I get the focus more on the subject matter and not on myself. I'm not looking for fame or recognition, just a place to showcase my art and get paid for it. Whatever you do, put in the effort and have a good time doing it. It shouldn't be struggle to make videos of you want success on YouTube.

Confidence is so important on YouTube. We just need to Focus on making banger content. Ofcourse we can improve our fitness and skin care along the way.

Honestly, I have never cared if someone is attractive or not....I mean, Mr. Beast is far from looking hot and look where he is. My daughter watches many different channels and some people she watches are far from good looking. If your content is good, people will watch!!

Like others said don't be discouraged. Like I'm going to be honest, bald and bankrupt youtube channel does a lot of traveling videos and he's not what you would call a cool looking dude at all. It's about content, how you carry yourself and lotsa other things than looks.

Your physical looks are always subjective hurts to see you talk about yourself like this

Please don’t let it stop your goals

Are you in the gym? Your physical health can help you massively

if you get your courage and decide to do it with or without face (i assume vlogging or something like that) get a nice quality camera. I saw too many “pretty” people not making it because their quality of content was ass and many unattractive people making it because they had nice quality of video, good script, were funny etc. Best case study is fattypillow imho. Hes a czech streamer/youtuber and as his name suggests, he is fat. He made it his personality and it allowed him to do incredibly hilarious stuff just because he embraced it. Note to you - no matter how good or bad you actually look, you will eventually attract haters. So if thats something you can not deal with, reconsider your career choice:)

Whhhhhat? Honestly, I’m not going to lie, been in your place at the start of my channel before it went full-time. But then I said screw it and have never been happier. I used to never show my face and I did okay, but there are plenty of AI based channels, people who actually wear a mask and make it their identity. But you be YOU, that’s all that matters.

You can go faceless, its pretty common nowadays. Honestly though (and not trying to be crude) I have done video editing for a couple female youtubers, I personally find them very unattractive, but they have a good audience and even people simping over them in the comments. So I would just go for it.

I have a travel vlog. Like you, I also feel that I'm unattractive. I am short, obese, and an amputee. I don't wear make-up and I dress for comfort, no style whatsoever.

When I first started my vlog, I rarely showed my face. Maybe 1-2min out of a 10min video. I would often opt to do voice overs instead of actually talking to the camera. I understand that starting a vlog opens up the possibility of attracting the toxic side of the internet. And that scares me to this day. But recently, I have been trying to show more of myself. Like some have mentioned, relatability matters more. And I feel like the types of videos I want to put out need that connection that only comes from talking to the camera.

I still don't have that confidence that I want, but that won't stop me from posting either. My voiceover was really quiet and monotone when I started, but now, I feel like it has gotten better. So right there, is proof for me that I can probably improve. I like what I'm doing, and as long as that works for me, I'll continue on.

I guess my point is, start at a point where you're comfortable at. If you're not yet ready to show your face then do a faceless one. Eventually, try popping in the frame for a minute or two. Test the waters as they say. You just really never know until you start.

No-one gives a shit what you look like.

Push record. Upload.

There’s no such thing as not pretty enough for YouTube. Even the most conventionally attractive people sometimes get trolled and mocked over their looks, so don’t let that hold you back.

I’ve watched many videos from people with actual facial deformities due to genetic conditions or injuries such as one eye, acid attack scarring, etc. People from every single walk of life are able to build an audience and thrive if they put themselves out there and have useful content. Also, lots of people will relate to someone who looks like them and I can guarantee that no matter what you look like, there’s many who look like you and many more who don’t care what you look like and are ready to embrace your content.

We truly are our own worst enemies with things like this. You deserve to exist and be heard, so get out there 🙂

It can definitely seem like there is an attractive standard with social media channels. Especially on the female side where you see females that are extremely good looking have exponential growth in short form/photo content... but those looks can only get you so far when producing longer videos. There needs to be substance and style.

There are many creators that never show themselves.

Start watching youtube, not only for its entertainment value, but as a tool to learn what works for others and how theyre doing it.

Bro Casey Neistat looks like a cave goblin but no one cares, he makes great content and is a great storyteller

Do voiceovers and put anime girls on everything lol. In all seriousness most of YouTube is faceless content now it’s totally acceptable. Just have good editing and keep things interesting.

Jojo Pratt-hickey is a good YouTuber, is new, isnt pretty, and doesn’t really wear makeup. Check out their channel.

Make the video. People really care about how relatable you are and that’s it

There’s a popular streamer rn that’s pretty ugly, I mean he gets comments based off his looks all the time and turns it into content.

Is it sad and heart breaking? Yes

Is it lucrative and is he rolling in money? Also yes

I’d say if you care about getting insulted all the time then maybe just be a faceless channel. But if you don’t care then just do you boo

You can definitely make travel videos without showing your face and/or without talking. There is many big ones that show footage of different areas and food etc and do voiceover, and some that show faces but cant speak english well and have bot talking. I personally prefer those types of travel videos myself anyway with more fancy camera shots and scripted voiceovers, those feel more high effort to me tbh.

Myself my cohosts and most of our counterparts don't show our faces on my channel we use stylized versions of ourselves drawn by an artist in our community and a program that animates them somewhat when we speak

If you really feel like a blob flish? Have you considered getting in a better shape? A workout/cardio routine? Changing diet? It can really change your life and health .

Look at the YouTuber cuffed and just use it as fuel and go along with the jokes, but on a real as many others have said just go without face cam for the start and then once you feel more comfortable/confident you can then decide to use face cam. Just go for it!!

As long as you make yourself presentable and clean, your perceived level of attractive should play too much of a role. Obviously you have your assholes but if it’s not your looks they are trolling it’s something else.

when you upload many quality videos people forget about your appearance at some time. Roasting is part of the process though

ps. on second thought I stopped watching a travel youtube channel one time because the couple who present it was ugly and off putting

If you feel unattractive, don't worry about it. People you attract to become part of your community will join your community because they SEE THE TOTAL PACKAGE - your personality, your stories, your unique take on things

This is the community you should want because they invest in YOUR TOTAL PACKAGE.

If you still feel that you're too unattractive for FACE videos, you can go faceless and use your voice. You can enhance your voice for free using Adobe Podcast enhance. You can also use AI for graphics and AI generated music. Put it all together for free using OpenShot. I have my VAs do the above and have managed to get my costs down to $1.50 per video minute.

If you look like a “blob fish” but are a girl that is unfortunate, you’ll have to compete like most of the men on the site, you’ll actually have to either have talent, have charisma or be good at your niche. Good luck on your journey

Every thumbnail with my face lacks clicks.... I'm not ugly but maybe not click worthy. Yeah you don't need to show yourself unless you are talking fully about yourself on your channel

Do a face reveal at 100k subscribers....I've watched plenty of YouTube channels having no idea what the person looks like

You're not too ugly for YouTube.

No one is. Imagine you said this statement about someone with a physical disability or facial disfigurement or even to a conventionally good looking person, everyone here would be telling you off, and rightfully so.

So don't apply that toxicity to yourself.

P.S. I've gotten negative comments on my appearance. You gotta just see the humour in it I guess.

Wear a nice mask. Make it a thing. Mystery it up a bit maybe. Down the line start selling masks as merch.

I may be wrong but isn't Allan Walker basically famous for always wearing a mask... and his songs i guess :-P

I follow a ton of channels on You Tube. I don't care what they look like. I care if they are informative and have a personality. I am not exactly Brad Pitt and nobody has ever commented about my appearance.

Most of the You Tubers I follow with the most followers are so big because they are relatable. So if you find people easily relate to you, you're likely fine.

Personal view and insecurities are something I think most of us here can relate to. I'm not going to try to talk you out of it but just remember at least that you probably have a lower view of yourself than others would :)

You can absolutely make videos in various genres with no facecam, especially things where the conversation etc. is the central part. Having no facecam is a real blessing in ways too as having to make yourself presentable and buy/maintain/check a lighting setup etc. is one of the biggest burdens of the whole thing. Not having to deal with any of that really opens up the accessiblity of it and reduces the prep time and equipment space needed. Can just jump in any time :)

Even blob fishes are cute though!

ohhhh Your words make me sad! "blob fish" :( . imagine this. there is a youtube "niche" for everything. and as such, there is a "niche" for every persons face. beauty is subjective.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure many people think you're beautiful :)

I also bet that NO ONE in this post would actually say ugly people shouldn't show themselves on camera

We are not shallow.

Use a vtuber avatar

Lots of channels I've followed for a while do not show their faces. It's about the content!

A lot of utuber arent the best looking people, just saying

I also look like a blob fish and have a successful faceless youtube travel channel. You don't always need to show face. And I'm sure yours is just fine.

It's true.. beauty is a factor in the game.... however, personality is a huge part as well. And let's not forget content. Editing. Scripting. Thumbnails. You arent disqualified simply because you don't others definition of beauty. Get out there and make content :)

Facemask?

Your videos don’t sound like they need to have a face in it but I will also say this. “Ugly” and “pretty” are almost always attitude. That being said I get that some people don’t want to show faces and that’s fine too. Make good content that’s what matters. Also work on yourself. I have a feeling you are way uglier to yourself than you are to the rest of us

Have you thought about becoming a vtuber?

If you're a good person, show who you are, and the viewers who matter will find you attractive no matter what you look like. Seriously. I watch some YouTubers who definitely don't fit the usual definition of "pretty," but I love watching them, and I'd sit down with them and enjoy their company any time without thinking about the way they look,

Two sides to this.

1) People are judgemental and YT is a visual medium for the most part. Ugly people are going to have a harder time getting traction than beautiful people. This is especially true for women.

2) YouTube has a MASSIVE audience so the reality is you’ll find an audience who aren’t judging you on your appearance but on the quality of your content. It will be harder at first, but if you stick to it and make things people want to watch, you’ll overcome it.

If you’re not terribly attractive, you’re going to need thicker skin if you out yourself out there on the internet where anonymous idiots can talk shit about you without fear of repercussions.

These are just the sad realities of online society.

The other thing to bear in mind is that most people who lack confidence about their appearance are often more attractive than they believe they are. Something to think about.

but I am a girl and look like fucking blob fish so it's hard to make videos.

Have you seen some of the people who have youtube channels?

It is absolutely possible to have a successful youtube channel no matter what you look like.

Yes, being a girl who may not fit into the "conventional" beauty mold will mean you'll have some challenges, mostly from trolls and haters in the comments (but you can block those).

Growing some self confidence and a bit of a thick skin is pretty much a requirement for anyone dealing with a youtube comment section.

 

For a travel channel, appearing on screen (at least occasionally) will help viewers connect with you as a real person whose experiences they should care about.

Hiding behind a mask will reduce that connection. As will not including your own voice.

As soon as I read your post I thought of this traveling channel I watch called “Solo Solo Travel” and he doesn’t reveal his face or talk but still gets a lot of views. He just uses subtitles to talk to viewers. Even when he films reflective surfaces like a mirror he does at an angle that doesn’t reflect his face. Sometimes he will just blur it. When he wants to portray a certain emotion for example shock, he would shake the camera violently. You could watch and study and maybe incorporate your own way of filming as well. Perhaps somewhere down the road when you feel comfortable enough to, you could show your face. By then your viewers would be watching for your content, not for how you look like. Wish you the best of luck!

Dude. If Paul from Mitten Squad can become a youtube legend an have millions of adoring fans, so can you.

Have you seen what a lot of successful Youtube creators look like (especially in the gaming space)? I don't think you have anything to worry about OP.

People will come for your content, but stay for your personality.

If you provide or add value you will be fine.

Don’t worry I’m ugly too and my entire channel so far is just my face 😜

I think it might depend on what kind of content you're planning on making?

As a fellow blobfish, I don't show my face, but I'm doing a let's play series so the focus is on the game. Personally I think fun content, decent audio and decent editing are enough to have at least a small amount of success. But it really depends on your niche. And besides, you get better the more you make videos so even if your first ones aren't great, no one will probably watch them anyway, so you might as well practice and find what you're comfortable with.

I'll admit I did stop watching some let's players who had a face cam, not because they were ugly, but because they were just slumped in their chairs in their PJs and an oversized hoodie, with poor lighting to boot. It just wasn't engaging. I would have preferred to see just the game and hear their voice.

If you aren't doing gaming content though, personally I think animations and avatars are cringe, so I'd go ahead and show the blob. You could probably do educational content or critiques without showing your face, but travel or lifestyle stuff would require you to put yourself out there and do it. Embrace the blob.

Honestly , if the content is good enough people will watch and keep watching. I film travel content and literally wear the same black t-shirt every day ( well the same 3 in rotation) I don't care what I look like really . My wife and I just film ourselves for ourselves. I also watch plenty of travel content which doesn't show face , I follow Japanese travel channels that don't even talk, just cute little subtitles. I follow art/vlog channels where they use an avatar they drew, which has like 6 or so poses, but it's enough with voice over to get a point across.

You got this, make some content you like and that's all that matters

I would highly suggest you to do faceless content. You can do the voiceovers for it. Or you can outsource your voiceovers too. Just because you do not show your face doesn't mean that you cannot be successful on YouTube. There are MANY faceless channels that have a ton of subscribers and that receive a lot of views. I follow a few of those channels personally.

Hi OP! I totally understand your sentiment haha, it’s what put me off from uploading for a bit! I haven’t commented much here but I can really relate to your feelings. For me, it’s been a mixed bag. I’ve never been incredibly secure in my appearance, and I have received some mean spirited comments about my appearance on my more popular/controversial videos, but I can say that how you look should not affect views at all! In fact, despite me feeling unattractive and having received some insults from YouTube comment lowlifers, my videos without me in the thumbnail typically bomb.

I think people really connect with seeing another person in the thumbnail, and if you can overcome your fears of being judged unfairly by mean spirited losers with nothing better to do than insult people, then I’d really recommend showing your face in content! It helps people relate to you much more, and I’m sure it’ll earn more clicks than a faceless travel channel! It can be tough when you receive hurtful comments, but I’ve seen firsthand that thumbnails with me in them do much better than faceless ones on my channel.

Go for it girl! Im one of those ugly feeling people but ive managed 3k subs in six months with monetization and a semi viral video! I’m sure you look amazing and there’s lots of people out there who’d love to see your content!

Coming from a non-conventional (I don't really look like the modern beauty standard etc.) looking female: come as you are and focus on the quality of the content.

I've made peace with my appearance but sometimes I look like I crawled out of a hole. If that's what is driving people away from my videos, then so be it. I typically have faceless videos because I suffer from RBF and it takes too much effort to appear friendly on camera. My face just looks mean haha

Tbh, all I care about when I watch a video is the content. Like the scenery, explanation about that place, and essential information e.g. how to get there by train/plane/boat, how much it costs to travel there, etc. Just record good scenery (HD-4k, stable, angle to shoot, ya know), edit with a simple or cool transition, and add subtitles to communicate with the audience and give us information. 100% will watch ur video just send me ur channel link.

I have fucked up, swollen and inflamed eyelids. Promise I'm uglier lmao. I literally have monster eyes. Just go for it.

People who aren't camera friendly in appearance can still attract people through a charismatic personality. Plenty of people have become successful this way... Bette Midler, "Mama" Cass Elliot, Jack Black, Steve Buscemi, etc.

If you approach ur videos with the same confidence and just own it, you will be fine . If I m watching a video in YT, I am more concerned about content quality vs what you look like. If I wanted to stare at bimbos with fake boobs , I would be looking on platforms other than YT.

You will always have haters and trolls in comments, but that has nothing to do with ur looks . That's just the sort of people who spend their lives in the comments section. But at least they help with the "engagement part"

I mean, you don't have to show your face if you are making content about work and travel, just record the locations and stuff, simple.

Use a filter

Depends on your content. Some content needs a face, and some don't.

Since yours is a budget travelling and working, you might need to show yourself at times. Maybe a glimpse here and there. Just don't look like you're trying so hard to be pretty. The viewers should focus on the video topic, not on your really long eyelashes and heavy makeup. Kidding!

I noticed some japanese quiet or relaxing videos don't show their faces. They show their side, back, or a blurry far shot of their face. I recommend you watch lots of faceless videos and see which style you'll want to integrate to yours.

I never had showed my face on my social media channels and profiles and still made success , I did talk but never showed my face , did tutorials for iPhone and computers and then switched to gaming content

There's a lot of successful youtubers and influencers out there that I personally don't find "attractive" and I still watch them. Attractiveness will definitely help with your initial success, but it's not that important in the long run. You can still do your vlogs without showing your face. There's a lot of travel vlogs just pointed forward, no commentary, just the ambiance of the environment, and it has millions of views. Or just turn off the comments until you feel more confident about it.

I have the same situation — I went v-tuber, although I didn’t know vtubing was a thing when I started. I just found ways to use an avatar (currently I’m using a custom avatar I had made and use with Animaze), and it’s worked fairly well for me

I'm never watching a YouTube video for someone's looks. If you have something interesting to share, don't hold yourself back!

If you think your physical appearence would make it harder to retain attention you can always use a mask, like design one that makes the identity of your channel one that anyone of your subscribers could recognize OR just dont show yourself, showing your actual face is not really mandatory

Looks don’t matter, personality and humor does but the one thing that really stands out is how unique you are. Think of it as a consumer of your videos and what they gain from your content, as long as it’s beneficial usually not much else matters.

Who cares about, at the end, it’s between you and camera, at the beginning I care what people think about me, but after a while, I don’t really bother, you shouldn’t bother what people think about you unless you bother people space, but if you’re being respectful, then who cares

When I eventually start adding webcams to me video I will wear a paper bag with eye slits, a vent-style mouth opening, and a flaming decal on my left eye.

That is to say, if you feel uncomfortable to show your face you can creatively cut out your face. Or pose your shots in such a way where the camera actively avoids the face like some faceless videogame protagonist (namely a series called Halo, you should look up some of its cinematic shots).

Yeah this is really disgusting😑

I’ve never not watched a youtube channel just because somebody was unattractive. Good content is good content regardless of whose content it is.

I decided to sit in front of the camera despite my messed up eye (it's a fake eye actually, a prosthetic shell). Nobody has ever commented on it. I've seen a channel where the guy has a seriously noticeable lisp. I scanned the comments to see if anyone commented on that, but didn't find any. There's another channel I know of where this woman is overweight and probably not winning any beauty contests, but her content is great because she knows her shit and has proof to back it up. She's doing awesome.

If you wanna make videos, just go for it! Your content is what matters.

I am the same but I just sort of...did it anyway 😅 Not that I'm particularly popular, mind 🤔

Hey, don't worry.. I ain't a Brad Pitt either.. I show my face on my channel, and some of them do comment on my looks.. I simply ignore those comments, or if the comments are too abusive, I simply hid the user from my channel.. Lastly, accept this and move on.. these comments cannot stop you from being successful on YouTube or on any platform.. Haters will hate!

You can be faceless, but also you could just amp up your personality and let that shine beautifully. I like YouTube precisely because it’s not handpicked tv type people but real people. Interesting people. Let your content do the talking, embrace your face and slay.

Some niches do very well with no face - like cooking channels. Travel might be a bit hard but not impossible - important thing is to be creative and think outside the box - let the storytelling, the creativity shine and experiment with what works and what doesn't. BUT, regardless of whether or not you plan to show your face, you have to develop very thick skin because there WILL be bad comments no matter what you do - and a lot of them. So if you can't handle those, this thing won't last long. And like many have said, you are NOT too ugly for Youtube.

I think that as long as your content is interesting and offers up a unique prespective then people won't care what you look like.

One of my favorite travel/food vloggers looks like a meth addict and it's become somewhat of a running joke but I still enjoy watching his content.

I don't think its about Beauty. I don't Look for people i fall in Love on YouTube. Its for different things. If the Content is good its good. Bring personality or entertaining or educational or whatever. Some Hollywood actors are ugly af u still Like them.

Along with making videos on my own channel, I make videos as a freelancer for a large tech channel (228k subs)

I’m overweight, have crooked and stained teeth, grey hair, a not so fashionable accent…I occasionally get comments about this stuff

But ya know what…

I’m not gonna let those people ruin my dream career. I love what I do and I’m passionate about it. Hopefully that comes across in my content.

Adopt this mindset. Forget the idiots in the comments. Focus on the positive people.

👍🏻

First person point of view and VERY good writing, editing, sound recording and voice acting

You could look into “Vtubers” basically using an avatar that tracks your face motion and turns you into an anime or cartoon character, it’s actually pretty cool.

Or you could bite the bullet and just put your face out there. Honestly most people won’t care or even notice your physical attractiveness unless your videos are focused on makeup/beauty or something like that. People who click your videos are interested in seeing the topic of the video and the actual substance of the content.

As for going faceless, that is an option, but putting your face out there will help your videos perform better wether you are conventionally attractive or not. It helps the audience relate and connect with you, and there’s also some science about people being drawn to facial expressions (hence why all of those “reaction” YouTubers put an outlandish facial expression on their thumbnails) that causes more viewers to click and watch your video through.

I don't know if this will help or not, but I hope so.

I used to show my face in my vidoes, but then unfortunately I got very sick last year.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I now use a VTube Avatar I created by using VRoid Studio which you can download for free on Steam and VFace for the motion capture, which is also free. I mainly use it for my Formula 1 / Racing channel, but I'm also a big anime fan, so I watch some VTubers as well. I've also used my avatar for some gaming vidoes on my anime art and gaming channel.

Plus it's another creative outlet, giving your character a wardrobe etc. I gave mine sunglasses and a Miami t-shirt for my Miami GP Fantasy Team video and a Gojo [Jujutsu Kaisen] cosplay for a few Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash videos. Silly, but fun.

You said a travelling channel right? So my thoughts would be put a video of all the clips together then do an overlay recording with you character [or whatever it may be] if you decide to try something like this.

Anyway, like I say, I hope it helps give you some ideas at least. Wishing everyone here all the best. Good luck! 👍

I'm not attractive and I show my face. Some people just don't care. It depends on your content though.

First person point of view and VERY good writing, editing, sound recording and voice acting

Make an avatar

if you want privacy, dont youtube.

I wasn't attractive in my 20's and that was almost 40 years ago.

Despite spawning in the shallow end of the physically-attractive gene pool, I'm hoping to hit 60k subscribers in June. I show my face in every single video. No one is tuning in to watch my pretty face. But I am happy being me. Besides, my channel is more focused on the viewer anyway.

My advice is to embrace who YOU are. It's hard to watch anyone who isn't comfortable being themselves. That discomfort translates to the viewer.

Dm me your channel please. I love travel stuff and looks mean nothing to me either

You’re not ugly. You can do it. I would try to look as perfect as I could. The moment I stopped caring, it was easier to stay consistent and see my channel move.

Charisma>Attractiveness.

If you're interesting or a good entertainer it doesn't matter what you look like. That said there is no issue with not showing your face if you are not comfortable doing so, especially if you fear ridicule over your appearance. Even if you're conventionally attractive you will have haters once you get some viewership, that is just the nature of the beast.

I think anyone who is putting themselves out there needs to think about the hate you might get and try to think about how it would affect you mentally. People are brutal and to some extent you have to just not care about what some people say, or gracefully take it with some humor. Not giving a crap is the best way since most bullies just want a reaction and if you feed it more will follow.

confidence is key, even if there are haters, they are giving you watchtime and engagements by commenting on your post/etc. Always remember CONFIDENCE IS KEY

What about doing the video in first person view ? Audience can View the world through your eyes ? Type of thing ? It’s unique and with your narrative , get a good clip on mic on the go.

And slowly get into putting your face in when you feel comfortable or want to ,if not that’s okay too. For me , as audience , it’s the content , presentation and information in the video that matters .

There are so many people on Youtube that I've never seen the faces of. I also want to say that it would never matter to me. I know for some people it does but it would never matter to me. I watched one person who had over 10 million subscribers for years and still have no idea what that person looks like. This person also was on YouTube before they had TikTok and other things to help generate engagement, but you could post clips of your videos on TikTok and bring people over to your YouTube channel.

Wishing you the best of luck! And please don't be harsh on yourself. I'm sure you are lovely.

If you’re that self conscious I would suggest either masked or maybe even trying out vtubing to help you break out of your shell. Don’t forget your harshest critic will always be yourself.

Wear a mask

I have a problem with when I film myself on iPhone in landscape it makes my face look lopsided ASF. It's fine filming landscape on my iPhone for showing scenery around me etc. I look "better" when I film myself portrait in iPhone. I think maybe I can only tolerate to make shorts of showing my face directly etc

Does anyone have any tips for making my face look less lopsided when filming horizontally in iPhone?

Have you seen Glitterandlazers ? She's running a successful lifestyle and fashion channel. If she can do it, you can too.

You also need to understand that you're probably being more critical about yourself than anyone else will be. And even if you are correct about looking like a blobfish, there are people out there who are into and would watch hours of blobfish.

What I'm saying is: Do it. It gets easier as you go. We're also a travel blog and not conventionally attractive, but we already have almost 300 subs in under 2 months. There's a billion people on YouTube. There's enough audience for everyone.

If you ever want to collaborate on some Vegas travel content, let us know.

I know how you feel op! I just started youtube again after a few years but this time round I felt super self conscious and so have made a pic stand in instead of live me! So viewers see what i look like but I know as much as I listen/watch what i like regardless of if ppl are shown or not shown I personally really connect and like to watch ppl in their vids! Especially in social commentary I think the human connection is important so one day I may get brave enough lol.

Hey don't hold yourself down like that. Beauty is subjective. And in no way a stop for any sort of career, do your own thing , don't live life going on about "ifs and maybes' just do the thing you want to do and do it with every ounce of you, with every ounce of self power, ambition and pride. You shall find glory. Keep us updated.

I wouldn't let it stop you if it's your passion. I look like absolute garbage; overweight, adult acme, bad haircut, long beard, bad teeth, the works. But, I love making my videos even though finding viewers and subs is always a challenge. Don't hold yourself back! Maybe you could start with b-roll and voice over videos and feel yourself out before getting behind camera, ease yourself into it!

I think you could definitely do a faceless channel about traveling if you really want. Look at the DFB (Disney Food Blog) she never shows her face and she has a great channel about traveling to Disney and exploring the parks. I think you might be overthinking. Good luck and keep us updated.

No matter how you look, there will be people out there who will try to make you feel bad by being a jackass to you. If you really don't want to do face cam, then don't! Plenty of people don't. You could wear a half mask, maybe get a cute one that you like. You could be a Vtuber or PNGtuber. I use a PNGtuber and love it. Used to use facecam but it was exhausting so I ditched it but I'm open about how I look and keep old videos up and don't care.

Just do what makes you comfortable or you won't have fun.

You could maybe try being a vtuber or pngtuber, but that's more of a thing in the gaming, art, or commentary side of youtube. but just letting u know that there are options/alternatives if u don't wanna show ur face

Overweight and old taking on a second channel with my face; my plan is to have a segment making an example of those who hate themselves so much they have to make the rest of us hate ourselves too. Honestly; try best you can not to care, and be you. Embrace your uniqueness because there are always people who can relate to you.

I do faceless content, and I'll tell you why in a second. But first, there are tons of channels that watch and they don't do cams or anything revealing their face. Even on their Twitter/Facebook/whatever pages. What draws me to them is their personality.

Sometimes their voice is enough, it's authentic or engaging, you can tell they're either playing a comical role, or, just being their authentic personalities and figuring out ways to be engaging, that's all it takes. I can tell when people have a true passion for their niche/project, and it's fine that people put on personas to get across their info, points or content. Entertainment, informational, comical, or just enjoying what you do in life, it shines in putting yourself out there as is.

Why I personally go faceless is part confidence, part privacy. I toyed with the mask ish idea, but ultimately decided I'll do it when I'm ready. I'm not what I consider unattractive, there's not a lot of reason besides privacy that warrants going faceless, but nonetheless I'll do it when I'm comfortable receiving any criticism or safety matters to do that. Don't put your discomfort above others.

To be honest, I watch plenty of people religiously who wouldn't be considered attractive or cam worthy. But their deliverance, personality, a touch of creativity, goes a long ass way and I appreciate someone being passionate about what they do above how they look. Final thought, do what makes you the most comfortable, it'll pay off but be as authentic as possible. That's what's really key to content that sticks around for 2/5/10 years.

If you want to be creative with not showing your face you could draw a picture to act as your face and then use and editing software to track your face

Make it your brand

You just need to make good content. Sure it helps if you fit the traditional look, but it's not a necessary thing. Just make videos.

I would say work your way up to it, but don’t be scared. Yu see people all the time that are considered attractive and they still get hate. It’s a process and it can suck sometimes but yu just really have to coach/motivate yourself not to care either way. Yu don’t have to jump out there but yu can warm up to it. If yu’re thinking about it then yu must have some desire to do so and I say go for it. But only yu know how yu feel so do what would make yu the happiest after it’s all said and done.

Some people would probably be into it