For story-driven channels
Find story premises drawing viewers on YouTube
Study outlier videos in your genre before you spend weeks on a script. OutlierKit brings the title, channel context and transcript into your research.
Choose a premise, then study the telling
Outlier Finder
Find stories that reached beyond the baseline
Search your genre for videos that beat their channel average. Check the premise and source material before choosing one to develop.
Explore Outlier Finder →Outlier Finder
Compare how the titles frame a story
Look for patterns in the titles, then decide which fit your own story. A strong result is a reference, not a forecast for the same title.
Explore Outlier Finder →Video Analyzer
Read how the story unfolds
Use transcripts to study the order of information. Mark where the story raises a question and where it answers it.
Explore Video Analyzer →
A worked example
The story examples include both mysteries and labelled fiction
Unreal True Crime has 144K subscribers. "A secret she thought no one would ever discover" drew 298K views, 4.4 times its average.
Cold Ledger Stories labels its cold cases as fictional dramatizations. Its 1990 disappearance story drew 265K views on a 1.6K-subscriber channel. If you dramatize, say so, the way this channel does.
The example shows a dated research result in Claude. Use the prompts below to explore your own topic.
Try a research question →I make true crime and mystery stories. Which premises are beating channel averages right now?
outliers_searchchannels_searchvideos_getThree premises from 2026, against each channel's average:
| Premise | Channel | Subscribers | vs channel average |
|---|---|---|---|
| A girl vanished in 1990; 31 years later an officer notices something (labelled fiction) | Cold Ledger Stories | 1.6K | 87× |
| The creepiest mysteries in history | Echo Tomb | 3.2K | 5.1× |
| A secret she thought no one would ever discover | Unreal True Crime | 144K | 4.4× |
Hold one fact back. Each premise withholds a secret or a clue and promises to reveal it. The top one is a labelled dramatization that beat its channel's average 87 times.
See the research tools in action
Watch the product walkthrough for a tour of channel research and Competitor Studio. The feature sections above show how those tools fit your work.
Choose where to do the research
Use OutlierKit for public research. Your own YouTube analytics supply the private performance data. Claude is an optional way to query OutlierKit.
| Research task | OutlierKit app | OutlierKit in Claude | YouTube Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research other channels | Outlier searches and channel analysis. Pro and Max add niche-wide Competitor Studio. | Request channel data and outlier results with the OutlierKit connector. | Use your channel analytics to understand your own audience and uploads. |
| Read video context | Review video analysis and research results in the app. | Request public transcripts and comments, then ask follow-up questions. | Check your own retention and traffic sources to assess a published video. |
| Choose a plan | Hobby starts at $29/month. Competitor Studio requires Pro or Max. | Included with Pro, Max and the active free trial. Calls use your OutlierKit credits. | Included with your YouTube channel. |
Read the connector guide or YouTube’s analytics guide for the available reports.
Choose a research plan
Hobby includes outlier research. Choose Pro if you want to work through transcripts and research prompts in Claude after the trial.
Hobby
Best for solo creators researching one channel
billed monthly
- ✓100 credits per month
- ✓Outlier Research
- ✓Keyword Research
- ✓Single-channel analysis
- ✓Single-video idea research
- Competitor Studionot included
- MCP & API accessnot included
Pro
Best for creators & brands growing on YouTube
billed monthly
- ✓500 credits per month
- ✓Everything in Hobby
- ✓Deep Research
- ✓AI script and hook analysis
- ✓Competitor Studio: niche-wide intel
- ✓MCP & API access
- ✓50 credits per connected channel
Max
Best for agencies, API pipelines & developers
billed monthly
- ✓2,000 credits per month
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓50+ channel connections
- ✓Niche-wide sponsor & comment intelligence
- ✓On-demand data updates
- ✓Priority API access
Start with a research question
Explore your genre with up to 15 outlier searches in the 30-credit trial.
No credit card required. Competitor Studio needs a paid Pro or Max plan and 50 credits per run. You choose whether to upgrade.
Start free trial →Story-driven channels, broken down
Full breakdowns of documentary and storytelling channels, with the premises behind their outliers:
Johnny HarrisDocumentary storytelling
- Subscribers
- 7.8M
- Avg views
- 2.3M
Est. $39K-$214K/mo
Read the analysis →
LEMMiNOMystery documentaries (faceless)
- Subscribers
- 5.9M
- Avg views
- 4.0M
MrBallenTrue Crime & Paranormal Storytelling
- Subscribers
- 11.0M
- Avg views
- 3.5M
Est. $50K - $278K/mo
Read the analysis →
FernDocumentary storytelling
- Subscribers
- 5.1M
- Avg views
- 4.2M
Est. $35K-$112K/mo
Read the analysis →Figures reflect the saved channel snapshots. Open an analysis to review the full context.
A note from Aditi
Story research should leave room for your own judgment. Past videos can suggest a premise; the reporting and telling remain yours.
I built OutlierKit to make this research easier to use. If you don’t find an insight worth pursuing during your trial, email me at hello@outlierkit.com. I’ll walk you through your YouTube strategy. If I still can’t help you find something useful, you get a full refund.
Aditi, founder of OutlierKitWhat OutlierKit customers say
Reviews from customers using OutlierKit for their own work.
“Great addition to my stack and simple to use. Hit an issue and the team worked hard to fix it. Great product, hardworking team.”
“Been creating for years, running multiple YouTube channels. OutlierKit is the first tool that actually improved our view counts almost instantly. The competition analysis revealed gaps we never knew existed.”
Optional: research inside Claude
Ask a follow-up question about the data
The OutlierKit connector lets Claude request research and shape it into a brief. Pro, Max and active trials include access. A prompt may require several paid tool calls.
I make [genre] stories. Find videos from the last 90 days that beat their channel's average. List the premises.
- You get
- 10 example premises
- Tools called
- outliers_search
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
What title shapes do the top 10 share?
- You get
- Title patterns
- Tools called
- outliers_search
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
Read the top 3 transcripts. Where does each one reveal the twist?
- You get
- A structure map
- Tools called
- videos_transcript
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
Connect OutlierKit to Claude. For custom workflows, explore the API.
Before you get started
Does it measure retention?
No. It measures views against the channel's normal. Retention lives in your own YouTube Studio.
Does it work for faceless story channels?
Yes. The outlier signal works the same with or without a face on camera.
What is YouTube intelligence for narrative creators?
It means checking which story premises already pull viewers before you commit weeks to production.
Which paid plans include the tools on this page?
Hobby starts at $29 a month with 100 credits. Pro is $49 with 500 credits and adds Competitor Studio, MCP and API access. Max is $199 with 2,000 credits and adds niche-wide sponsor research and on-demand updates. Annual billing is available.
Do I need Claude to use OutlierKit?
No. You can research in the OutlierKit app. The optional MCP connector lets Claude request public channel data, outliers, transcripts and comments. It is included with Pro, Max and an active free trial. Niche mapping and sponsor intelligence stay in Competitor Studio in the app.
What can I try before choosing a plan?
The free trial includes 30 credits with no credit card. Outlier and keyword searches cost 2 credits each; single-channel analysis costs 10. Competitor Studio costs 50 credits per run and requires Pro or Max, so the trial allowance does not cover it.
Can I change or cancel my plan?
Yes. Use your account settings to change or cancel your plan. The change takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. Email hello@outlierkit.com if you need help.
Research a premise for your next story
Free trial · 30 credits · No credit card
Find my next stories →