Trending Video
Finder

A trending video shows above-average performance relative to typical content in its niche. This includes factors like: view velocity (views gained per hour), engagement rate (likes and comments relative to views), growth trajectory (accelerating vs. decelerating), and algorithm signals (appearing in recommendations and search). Our virality score combines these factors to identify videos that are genuinely trending rather than just having high view counts.

The virality score (0-100) considers multiple factors: View velocity (how fast views are accumulating), relative performance (compared to similar videos and the channel's average), engagement ratio (likes and comments per view), and recency (newer videos with strong performance score higher). A score of 90+ indicates explosive viral growth, 70-89 is hot content, 50-69 is rising, and 30-49 shows notable trending status.

Trending data is refreshed multiple times per day to catch emerging viral content quickly. For fast-moving niches like gaming and entertainment, trends can shift within hours. Our regular updates ensure you're seeing current opportunities rather than stale data. However, keep in mind that by the time any tool shows a video as trending, some of the first-mover advantage may already be captured.

Never copy directly - this hurts your channel and violates YouTube guidelines. Instead, use trending videos for inspiration and insights. Ask: What topic or format is resonating? Can I cover this topic with my unique perspective? What did the audience love in the comments that I could do better? The goal is to create original content that capitalizes on proven audience interest, not to duplicate someone else's work.

It depends on the trend type. Viral videos (90+ score): 24-48 hours max - these trends peak quickly. Hot videos (70-89): 2-4 days is often acceptable. Rising videos (50-69): 1-2 weeks for quality content. Trending videos (30-49): Take time to create the best possible content. For news and events, speed matters most. For evergreen topics riding a viral wave, quality often beats speed.

Some niches naturally have more viral content due to: Audience size (gaming has more viewers than niche hobbies), content shareability (entertainment spreads faster than tutorials), news cycles (tech has constant product launches), and platform demographics (YouTube's audience skews certain ways). This doesn't mean smaller niches can't have trending content - it just means the threshold for "trending" differs by category.

Absolutely! Small channels can benefit by: Finding trending topics before they peak (rising videos with 50-69 scores), offering unique angles big channels won't cover, targeting long-tail keywords around the trending topic, and creating more in-depth content while big channels make quick takes. Trending topics level the playing field because all content on that topic is relatively "new" to the algorithm.

Don't force it. Chasing irrelevant trends confuses your audience and YouTube's algorithm about what your channel is about. Only pursue trends that: genuinely relate to your niche, interest your existing audience, and leverage your expertise. If a trend doesn't fit, wait for one that does. Consistent, focused content beats random trend-chasing for long-term growth.

Use the custom topic search feature. Enter specific keywords related to your niche (e.g., "mechanical keyboards" or "oil painting techniques") to find trending videos in your exact area. You can also combine category selection with custom keywords for more refined results. For very small niches, consider what broader categories your audience also watches.

Total views shows how many people watched - but doesn't indicate momentum. Growth rate shows how fast views are accumulating now. A video with 10M views might be slowing down (old viral), while a video with 500K views might be accelerating (new viral). For identifying opportunities, growth rate often matters more than total views because it indicates current algorithmic push and audience interest.

Currently, you can check back regularly to monitor how videos perform over time. We recommend bookmarking interesting trending videos and revisiting them after a few days to see if they maintained momentum or faded. This helps you understand trend lifecycles in your niche. Many creators check trending data daily as part of their content planning routine.

Virality score measures performance relative to expectations, not absolute numbers. A 24-hour-old video with 200K views from a small channel shows stronger viral signals than a week-old video with 1M views from a 10M subscriber channel. The smaller video is outperforming expectations dramatically, indicating stronger algorithmic momentum and a fresher opportunity to capitalize on.