Table of Contents

PART I. POWER AND BEGINNINGS
1. UPLOADING: CASEY NEISTAT AND THE POWER OF YOUTUBE. Introducing the power and reach of YouTube, now owned by Google, by focussing on the single post uploaded by a YouTube veteran. Mentions YouTube registered users, YouTube extraordinary growth, Netflix, Facebook, television, American cable network HBO

2. JAKE PAUL: CARS, MONEY, AND A BURNING SWIMMING POOL. A character portrait of a leading YouTuber – the brother of Logan Paul and resident of a mansion with a pool in Los Angeles. Mentions Tesla, Lamborghini, merchandise shop, Ohio, Beverly Grove, California, YouTube persona, Audemars Piguet Swiss watches

3. ME AT THE ZOO: JAWED KARIM AND THE WORST VIDEO OF ALL TIME. The launch of YouTube, featuring the video Me At The Zoo shot by co-founder Jawed Karim, who joined forces with Steven Chen and Chad Hurley, backed with investment from Sequoia Capital. Mentions Ask Jeeves, Altavista, Google

4. VIRAL COMEDY: YOUTUBE LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. YouTube's big breakthrough comes when comedy clips from TV shows such as Saturday Night Live go viral. Mentions Lazy Sunday, NBCUniversal, Jorma Taccone, copyright infringement, Grouper, Viacom, lonelygirl15, Michael Buckley, WhatTheBuck?

5. GRACE HELBIG AND THE FIRST STARS OF VLOGGING. How the first creators exploded in popularity, looking at case studies such as Grace Helbig and Michael Buckley. Mentions multi-channel networks, YouTube salary, VidCon, Vlogbrothers, Philip DeFranco, YouTube managers, MCN, YouTube secrets, YouTubers

6. FROM RUSSIA TO LATIN AMERICA: YOUTUBE GOES GLOBAL. Charting how YouTubers gained fame across the world, featuring the biggest Spanish-language YouTube channel Enchufe.tv, the Brazilian music video star Kondzilla and the Russian game player FROST. Mentions Martin Dominguez, Ecuador, El Rubius, Paladin

PART II. ENGINE ROOM: HOW YOUTUBE WORKS
7. THE ALGORITHM: YOUTUBE’S SECRET FORMULA. Explaining the secret computer code that matches YouTubers to viewers and determines who will become a star. Mentions PewDiePie, Google Brain, artificial intelligence, VideoDays, Jim McFadden, YouTube Kids, Little Monster Media Co, Charlieissocoollike

8. POLICING YOUTUBE: EXTREMISM AND THE ADPOCALYPSE. How conspiracy theorists got away with bogus claims in online videos before Google belatedly started cutting ad revenue from extremists and hoaxers. Mentions David Zublick, QAnon, UFO, Flat Earth, red pill, Alex Jones, Islamic extremism, 9/11 theory

9. SPONSORED CONTENT: THE TALE OF DODIE CLARK AND HEINZ BEANS. How the LGBTQ+ Pride star came to be paid by a grocery brand for advertising its product in a YouTube video. Mentions bisexual, mid-roll ads, pre-roll ads, Fabian Göbel, Carat Global, Beckii Flint, Kwebbelkop, adpocalypse, I Hart Food

PART III. CHARTING THE STARS
10. KNOW YOUR YOUTUBE: ELITE, MACRO-INFLUENCER AND MICRO-INFLUENCER. Marketing agencies have understood and categorised the differing power of YouTubers. Jake Paul, Casey Neistat, influencers, MediaKix, YouTube video views, subscribers, nano-influencer, creators, brand deals, celebrity, terminology

11. ELITE INFLUENCERS: FIGHTING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP. Introducing a new way for YouTube stars to earn money: pay TV events such as at the boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul. Mentions Copper Box Arena, Upload Events, Olajide William Olatunji, Caspar Lee, Joe Weller, Jake Paul, PewDiePie, Zoella

12. CHILD STARS: MEET MATTYB, WHO GETS TWO MILLION VIEWS A DAY. By the time he was 11 American Matthew David Morris had racked up one billion views, the latest in a line of very young YouTubers. Mentions Justin Bieber, Ben Hampton, Troye Sivan, Dua Lipa, Mister Max, Miss Katy, Jacob Sartorius, funniflix

13. MACRO-INFLUENCERS: BEAUTY, CRIME AND DIY. The British YouTuber Eleanor Neale shows how going through 'beauty hauls' of new purchases attracts viewers and sponsorship. Mentions YouTube fanbase, Social Circle, Lucy Moon, Chez Rossi, Ultimate Handyman, Jawed Karim, Justin Bieber, Granny Potty Mouth

14. MICRO-INFLUENCERS: SPEAKING TO A DEVOTED AUDIENCE. Muslim modesty vlogger Eniyah Rana makes a full-time living by serving up videos to a devoted audience. Mentions Asian housewife, hijab, Snapchat followers, Instagram, Bengali, haram, YouTube entrepreneur, Rincey Abraham, Booktube

PART IV. BEHIND THE SCENES: SNAPSHOTS
15. SUMMER IN THE CITY: A GATHERING OF THE INFLUENCERS. With the stars and fans: behind the scenes at the biggest UK event for online video. Mentions London Docklands, Creator Day, YouTubers, content networks, Zoella, Alfie Deyes, VidCon, HelloWorld!, Thomas ‘TomSka’ Ridgewell, Dodie Clark, Taha Khan

16. COLLABORATION: SAPPHIRE BUILDS A CAREER. The 16-year-old YouTube star has already played Wembley twice. She is now looking to collaborate with other creators to increase her appeal further. Mentions VideoDays, Camp Rock, Nick Upshall, uploading videos, Summer in the City, Zoella, famous YouTubers

17. MANAGEMENT: SARAH WEICHEL, STAR AGENT. She represents some of the world’s biggest YouTubers such as Lilly Singh, nickname IISuperwomanII. Mentions PewDiePie, Carson Daly, Zoe Sugg, Alfie Deyes, A to Z Creatives, @Zoella, KSI, Anthony Padilla, Patrick Starrr, VidCon, Hannah Hart, My Drunk Kitchen

18. TRAINING CAMP: WITH THE 11-YEAR-OLD YOUTUBERS. In a villa 20 miles from Madrid, scores of teenage YouTubers are in bikinis and swimming shorts, excitedly chattering over the sound of summer pop hits and Disney songs. Mentions Bastian Manintveld, professional YouTuber, YouTube channels, Maker Studios

19. YOUTUBE SCHOOL: WITH THE ADULT ENTREPRENEURS. How chief executives, advertisers and marketers learn to post videos to attract business. Mentions Brighton, Vlog on the Beach, Caspar Lee, YouTubing basics, Mi Elfverson, Amazon statistics, traditional broadcast media, celebrity vlogger, creator

PART V. CAUGHT IN THE MACHINE
20. PRANKS FOR VIEWS: WHY MONALISA PEREZ SHOT HER BOYFRIEND. The dangerous, sometimes fatal risks creators take to get hit videos. Mentions Pedro Ruiz III, LaMonaLisa, Dammit Boy, Halstad, Curtis Combs, Trikkstar, Laci Green, Sam Pepper, Tyler Oakley, Vlogbrothers, DaddyOFive, TGFBro, Crazy Sumit

21. AUTHENTICITY: THE FOURTH WALL FOR YOUTUBERS. How speaking directly to the camera builds intimacy between presenter and viewer. Mentions lonelygirl15, Bree Avery, Creative Artists Agency, Los Angeles Times, Tyler Oakley, Charlie McDonnell, Facebook, KhanStopMe, Lucy Moon, social media, 2btube

22. BURNOUT: SLAVES TO THE ALGORITHM. Showing how posting online videos can become an exhausting round-the-clock job for workaholic creators, at a cost to their mental and physical health. Mentions YouTube homepage, OlgaKay, Olga Karavayeva, lonelygirl15, Lisa Donovan, popular YouTuber, iMovie, view count

23. FANATICAL FANS: OBSESSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. Singer Christine Grime was shot dead by a YouTube follower in Orlando, Florida. Mentions meet-and-greet, favourite YouTuber, Internet fame, James Charles, Logan Paul, Tom Burns, Zoella, Alfie Deyes, parasocial relationship, Tahj Deondre Speight, VidCon

PART VI. THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL
24. YOUTUBERS FOUND A UNION. Fed up with low earnings from YouTube's advertising revenues or from Multi Channel Networks (MCNs), YouTube influencers strike back. Mentions Grace Helbig, MyDamnChannel, DailyGrace, amateur vlogging, Rhett and Link, Rhett McLaughlin, Hank Green, Internet Creators Guild

25. PATREON: SEEKING INDEPENDENT SUPPORT. Creators discover they can generate income direct from fans and, more particularly, superfans. Mentions Laura Chernikoff, Internet Creators Guild, YouTube AdSense, Pomplamoose, Sean Palmer, Little Monster Media Co, Matt Gielen, secret algorithm, Phil DeFranco

26. MERCHANDISE: FROM BOOKS TO POP SOCKETS. YouTubers capitalise on another source of income - by storming the bookseller bestseller charts. Mentions Zoella, Penguin Books, Girl Online, New York Times bestseller for young adults, Pointless Books, Keri Smith Wreck This Journal, Cordially Invited

PART VII. THE FUTURE: YOUTUBE V TV

27. THE FUTURE: YOUTUBE v TV. YouTube makes it big - big enough to attract Hollywood stars like Will Smith. Mentions James Corden, Jack Whitehall, YouTube Rewind, Kate Stanford, Kevin Hart, Jake Paul, KSI, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Ellen DeGeneres, Carpool Karaoke, Netflix

28. INVASION OF THE HOLLYWOOD STARS. The likes of Will Smith launch their own YouTube channels. Mentions James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Kevin Hart, YouTube Rewind, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, Jake Paul, KSI, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lawrence, Wiz Khalifa

29. IS YOUTUBE KILLING TRADITIONAL TV? The shift from terrestrial linear television to on-demand online viewing. Mentions Derek Holder, Little Baby Bum, animated educational videos, El Bebe Productions, CBeebies, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Google, L’Oréal, Wheels On The Bus, Justin Bieber,YouTube Kids

30. ONLINE VIDEO WAR: YOUTUBE v FACEBOOK. As it becomes more popular, rival online platforms vie to control internet viewing. Mentions Mark Zuckerberg, Goubran ‘Goubtube’ Bahou, Jahannah James, viral video skits, Major League Baseball, Facebook Watch, BuzzFeed, TikTok, creator cash, Instagram Stories

PART VIII. CONCLUSION
31. A FLAWED WINNER. Mentions Summer in the City, VidCon, YouTubers, peer-to-peer TV, adpocalypse, Elsagate, extremism, YouTube brand deal, conspiracy theories, YouTube stunts, Alice Marwick, James Bridle, TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, Kevin Allocca, MeTube, UsTube, YouTube personality,YouTube book

GLOSSARY. Explains terms used in this YouTube book such as algorithm, authenticity, creator, Facebook, haul, influencer, merch, parasocial relationships, Patreon, stanning, streamer, subscriber, TikTok, unboxing, Vine, vlogger, YouTuber

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Mentions Laura Chernikoff, Anthony D’Angelo, Matt Gielen, Zoë Glatt, Harry Hugo, Internet Creators Guild, Wired UK, New Scientist, Bloomberg, Oli Franklin-Wallis, Tom Rowley, Angelika Strohmayer, Bastian Manintveld

NOTES. Full references for the book, such as: 1. Means a Life of Poverty, Casey Neistat, YouTube, accessible at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVdZrL3Sbo 2. 2. four billion people: everyone on Earth with an internet connection: Internet World Stats, at https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

INDEX. A full index of mentions within the book, listing media sources, YouTube stars, technology companies etc

About the Author

Chris Stokel-Walker is a British journalist whose work regularly appears in WIRED, The Economist and Newsweek.

He is known for breaking major news about social media and often reports on YouTube and TikTok for television, radio and podcasts.

For YouTubers he travelled around the world, speaking to behind-the-camera producers and powerbrokers, including creators KSI, Hank and John Green and Emma Blackery.

His follow-up book is TikTok Boom, also published by Canbury Press.

Reviews

No one understands the intricacies of YouTube like Chris Stokel-Walker.

- Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic

For anyone trying to understand the bonkers world of YouTube, this is essential reading.

- Sam Parker, Esquire

It is smart, sweeping, and significant.

- Simon Clark, YouTuber

It's both absorbing and highly illuminating.

– Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller

Brilliant, witty and extraordinary... a must-read book for anyone who wants to truly understand the future of media

- Hussein Kesvani, MEL Magazine