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#1 Viral Video Discovery Tool

Find Videos That Went Unexpectedly Viral

Discover content that massively outperformed expectations. These outlier videos reveal exactly what topics and formats resonate with audiences—giving you a blueprint for viral success.

  • Find videos 10x above average
  • Discover proven viral topics
  • Analyze why videos exploded
  • Get video ideas that work
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Loved by 5,000+ YouTubers

OutlierKit Outlier Finder Tool Screenshot

1M+

Outlier Videos Detected

Everything You Need for Unexpectedly Viral

Powerful features to help you grow your channel

Outlier Score Algorithm

Our proprietary algorithm calculates how much each video outperformed its channel's typical performance. A video with a 10x outlier score got 10 times more views than the channel average—indicating the topic or format struck a chord with audiences. This mathematical approach removes guesswork and surfaces truly exceptional content that deserves your attention, not just videos from big channels with built-in audiences.

Niche-Specific Discovery

Find outlier videos specifically within your niche or topic area. Our search filters let you focus on the content categories that matter to your channel—whether that's tech reviews, cooking tutorials, or gaming content. This targeted approach ensures the outliers you discover are actually relevant to your audience, not just random viral videos from unrelated topics that won't translate to your content strategy.

Small Channel Outliers

The most valuable insights often come from smaller channels that had breakout hits. We identify videos from channels under 100K subscribers that achieved millions of views—proof that the content itself drove success, not just existing audience size. These small channel outliers reveal topics and formats that can work for channels at any size, making them especially valuable for growing creators.

Trend Timing Analysis

Understand when outliers emerged and whether they rode a trend wave or created their own. Our timing analysis shows the relationship between publish date and viral growth, helping you identify evergreen topics that consistently produce outliers versus one-time trending moments. This temporal view helps you decide whether a topic still has potential or if you've missed the window.

Pattern Recognition

Across thousands of outliers, patterns emerge. We analyze commonalities in titles, thumbnails, video lengths, hooks, and content structures to surface the formulas that consistently produce viral content in each niche. These pattern insights go beyond individual video analysis to reveal the underlying principles that drive exceptional performance across your entire content category.

Video Idea Generator

Transform outlier insights into actionable video ideas for your channel. Based on the patterns we detect in successful outlier content, our AI generates specific video concepts tailored to your niche and channel style. Each suggestion comes with the data backing it up—the outlier videos that inspired the idea and the specific elements that made them successful. Stop guessing and start creating with confidence.

See Outlier Finder in Action

Watch how easy it is to discover viral content opportunities in any niche. Find the videos that defied expectations and learn what made them succeed.

1

Choose your niche

Select a topic or category to find outlier videos in.

2

Discover outliers

See videos ranked by outlier score—how much they outperformed.

3

Analyze and apply

Study what made them viral and apply those insights to your content.

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OutlierKit Outlier Finder Demo

How OutlierKit Compares to Other YouTube Research Tools

Most YouTube tools show you what's popular. OutlierKit shows you what's exceptional—videos that dramatically outperformed expectations. This distinction matters because truly viral content reveals audience preferences that regular metrics miss. Compare our outlier detection capabilities against other popular tools.

FeatureOutlierKitBest ValueVidIQTubeBuddySocial Blade
Outlier Score Algorithm
Niche-Specific Discovery
Small Channel Outliers
Trend Timing Analysis
Pattern Recognition
Video Idea Generator
Keyword Research
Pricing
$29/mo
Hobby plan
$19/mo
Boost plan
$49/mo
Legend plan
$3.99/mo
Basic plan
Try OutlierKit Free

Simple, Transparent Pricing for Every Creator

Whether you're just starting your YouTube journey or managing multiple channels, we have a plan that fits your needs. Start with a free trial to experience the full power of OutlierKit's outlier detection capabilities. No credit card required, no hidden fees, and you can cancel anytime. Our credit-based system ensures you only pay for what you use, and annual plans offer significant savings for committed creators.

Hobby

$29/month

or $16.6/mo ($199 billed annually)

For content creators

  • 100 credits/month
  • 1 credit per Outlier Research
  • 1 credit per keyword research
  • 5 credits for video script analysis
  • 5 credits for competitor analysis
  • 20 credits for Deep Research
Start Free Trial
Most Popular

Pro

$49/month

or $24.9/mo ($299 billed annually)

For professionals

  • 500 credits/month
  • 1 credit per Outlier Research
  • 1 credit per keyword research
  • 5 credits for video script analysis
  • 5 credits for competitor analysis
  • 20 credits for Deep Research
  • 50 credits per connected channel
Start Free Trial

Max

$199/month

or $83/mo ($999 billed annually)

For serious creators & teams

  • 2,000 monthly research credits
  • Integrate up to 50+ YouTube channels
  • Outlier video detection
  • Competitor channel analysis
  • AI script & hook analysis
  • Deep Research
  • Advanced Competitor Identification
  • Update Data on Demand
  • API Access (coming)
Start Free Trial

What Creators Say About OutlierKit

Join thousands of YouTubers who have transformed their content strategy with outlier video discovery. Here's what they have to say about using OutlierKit to find proven viral content ideas.

“The outlier finder is like having a crystal ball for YouTube. I found a small channel in my niche that had one video with 2 million views while their average was 20K. That 100x outlier told me the topic was gold. I made my own take on it and got 500K views—my biggest video ever. This tool pays for itself with every viral idea it surfaces.”

RP
Ryan Park
Tech Educator · 380K subscribers

“I was stuck in a content rut, making the same types of videos that got mediocre results. OutlierKit's outlier finder showed me formats and topics I never would have considered. The pattern recognition feature revealed that list-style videos in my niche consistently outperformed tutorials. I pivoted my content strategy and tripled my average views.”

LT
Lisa Thompson
DIY Creator · 290K subscribers

“What I love about the outlier finder is that it shows you what actually went viral, not just what's popular. There's a huge difference. Popular videos from big channels tell you nothing about what will work for you. But when a 10K subscriber channel gets 5 million views? That's a signal worth following. OutlierKit surfaces these gems automatically.”

MA
Mike Anderson
Finance YouTuber · 650K subscribers

Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Outlier Videos

Want to understand what makes videos go viral? We've answered the most common questions about outlier detection on YouTube. Learn how to find exceptional content, analyze viral patterns, and use these insights to create your own breakout videos.

What is an outlier video on YouTube?
An outlier video is content that dramatically outperformed its channel's typical performance—often by 5x, 10x, or even 100x the average views. These videos are statistically anomalous, meaning they broke out of the expected performance range and achieved exceptional results. Outliers are particularly valuable to study because they reveal what truly resonates with audiences beyond what a channel's existing subscriber base would normally watch. When a video goes viral relative to its channel's typical performance, it indicates that the topic, format, or execution struck a chord that transcended the creator's usual audience. These insights are more actionable than just looking at videos from huge channels, where success might be attributed to existing audience size rather than content quality.
Why are outlier videos important for content strategy?
Outlier videos reveal hidden audience preferences and unmet content demand that regular analytics miss. While average-performing videos tell you what your existing audience accepts, outliers show you what topics and formats can break through to new audiences and drive exceptional growth. Studying outliers in your niche is like having a roadmap of what works—these videos have already proven their ability to attract massive attention. By analyzing common patterns across outliers (topics, titles, thumbnails, hooks, lengths), you can reverse-engineer success factors and apply them to your own content. Creators who regularly study and learn from outlier videos in their niche typically experience faster growth and higher viral hit rates than those who only look at their own analytics.
How does OutlierKit calculate the outlier score?
Our outlier score is calculated by comparing each video's performance against its channel's historical baseline. We analyze the channel's average views, median views, and view distribution patterns, then measure how many standard deviations each video falls from the expected performance. A video with a 10x outlier score achieved 10 times the channel's typical views—a statistically significant overperformance. We also factor in the channel's subscriber count at the time of upload and the video's age to ensure fair comparisons. This mathematical approach ensures we're identifying truly exceptional content, not just videos that happened to get slightly more views. The outlier score is normalized across channel sizes, so a 10x outlier from a 10K subscriber channel is weighted equally to a 10x outlier from a 1M subscriber channel.
Why should I look at small channel outliers specifically?
Small channel outliers (typically under 100K subscribers) provide the most actionable insights for growing creators. When a small channel gets millions of views, it proves that the content itself drove success—not the creator's existing audience, algorithm favor, or brand recognition. These are pure signals of content-market fit. Small channel outliers also tend to cover more specific, niche topics that large channels might overlook, revealing opportunities in underserved content areas. Additionally, the strategies used by small channels are more replicable for growing creators—you don't need a team, expensive equipment, or celebrity status to apply their approaches. OutlierKit specifically surfaces these small channel gems that would be impossible to find manually.
How do I find outlier videos in my specific niche?
OutlierKit's niche filtering allows you to discover outliers within specific content categories relevant to your channel. Enter keywords, topics, or even competitor channel names to focus your outlier search. We analyze millions of videos to identify those with exceptional outlier scores in your specified niche, then rank them by how dramatically they outperformed. You can filter by channel size (to focus on small channel outliers), time period (to find recent outliers or all-time hits), and minimum outlier score (to see only the most extreme performers). This targeted approach ensures the insights you gather are directly applicable to your content strategy rather than random viral videos from unrelated topics.
What patterns should I look for in outlier videos?
When analyzing outliers, look for patterns across multiple dimensions: Topics—are there subjects that consistently produce outliers? Titles—do certain words, formats (lists, questions, how-tos), or lengths appear frequently? Thumbnails—what visual elements (faces, text, colors, composition) are common among top performers? Video length—is there an optimal duration for outliers in your niche? Hooks—how do the first 30 seconds capture attention? Content structure—do outliers follow particular narrative patterns? OutlierKit's pattern recognition automatically surfaces these commonalities across the outliers you discover, saving hours of manual analysis. The most valuable insights often come from identifying patterns that appear counterintuitive or differ from conventional wisdom in your niche.
How is outlier analysis different from looking at trending videos?
Trending videos show what's currently popular, which is often driven by news, celebrity content, or massive channel reach—factors you can't replicate. Outlier analysis shows what dramatically overperformed relative to expectations, which reveals content strategies that work regardless of existing audience size or external factors. A trending video from a 50M subscriber channel tells you very little about what will work for your 50K subscriber channel. But an outlier video from a 50K subscriber channel that got 5M views? That's a proven formula you can potentially replicate. Outlier analysis is also more timeless—while trends fade quickly, the patterns that create outliers tend to persist because they reflect genuine audience preferences rather than momentary attention spikes.
Can outlier videos help me predict what will go viral?
While no tool can guarantee viral success (the algorithm has inherent unpredictability), outlier analysis significantly increases your odds by grounding your content decisions in data rather than guesswork. By studying what has already proven to dramatically outperform, you identify content characteristics with demonstrated viral potential. Think of it like venture capital—investors can't predict which specific startup will succeed, but by analyzing patterns across successful companies, they can increase their hit rate. Similarly, by consistently applying insights from outlier videos—the topics, formats, hooks, and patterns that correlate with exceptional performance—you increase the probability that any given video will break out. Creators who use outlier analysis typically report a higher percentage of their videos achieving above-average performance.
How often do outlier videos appear in typical niches?
Outlier frequency varies by niche, but on average, about 5-10% of videos achieve significant outlier status (2x or more above channel average), while true breakout hits (10x or more) represent roughly 1-2% of content. This means even successful creators experience outliers infrequently—which is why studying them across many channels is so valuable. You're essentially aggregating rare events to identify common patterns. Some niches have higher outlier rates due to more volatile audience behavior (entertainment, commentary) while others are more consistent (educational, how-to content). Understanding your niche's typical outlier distribution helps calibrate expectations and strategy. OutlierKit continuously analyzes these distributions to surface the most exceptional performers regardless of niche variance.
How do I turn outlier insights into video ideas?
Start by analyzing 10-20 relevant outliers and documenting common patterns in topics, angles, formats, and hooks. Then brainstorm how to create your own unique take on these proven concepts. The goal isn't to copy—it's to understand the underlying audience need each outlier satisfied, then find your distinctive way to meet that same need. For example, if outliers in your niche frequently feature 'mistake' angles ('5 Mistakes Beginners Make'), consider what mistakes your expertise could address. OutlierKit's video idea generator accelerates this process by automatically analyzing outlier patterns and suggesting specific video concepts tailored to your channel. Each suggestion includes the outlier data that inspired it, so you can evaluate the evidence behind every idea.
What's the difference between an outlier and just a popular video?
A popular video might have millions of views simply because it came from a massive channel with built-in audience distribution. An outlier video achieved exceptional performance relative to what was expected—it broke the pattern. This distinction matters enormously for actionable insights. If a 10M subscriber channel gets 5M views on a video, that's actually underperforming their typical reach—not worth studying for viral strategies. But if a 10K subscriber channel gets 5M views? That's a 500x outlier, indicating the content itself (not the existing audience) drove success. Popular videos from big channels tell you what established creators can get away with. Outlier videos tell you what content strategies actually work to break through regardless of channel size.

More OutlierKit Features

Outlier finding is just one piece of the puzzle. Explore all the tools to grow your channel.

Keyword Research

Find high-volume, low-competition keywords to rank your videos and grow your channel organically.

Learn more

Competitor Analysis

Deep-dive into any YouTube channel. See their best videos, growth patterns, and content strategy.

Learn more

Video Analyzer

Analyze any YouTube video. See why it performed well, what keywords it ranks for, and how to replicate its success.

Learn more

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