{"id":1646,"date":"2023-02-27T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ganknow.com\/blog\/?p=1646"},"modified":"2023-09-21T10:25:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T10:25:21","slug":"vtuber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ganknow.com\/blog\/vtuber\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a VTuber? The Ultimate Guide to Virtual YouTubers!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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You keep asking: \u201cWhat is a VTuber?\u201d And that question begs an answer as you’re so curious about it? You’re not alone!\u00a0<\/p>\n

VTubers are definitely captivating the world of online entertainment and getting massive popularity among audiences. In fact, as of 2021, they’re reaching up to 16000 content creators<\/a>. You heard that right!<\/p>\n

VTuber stands for virtual YouTuber. They are content creators who use digital avatars to stream or create videos instead of showing their face in a camera.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are you curious about this type of content creators? We’re exploring everything you need to know about them here. Read on!\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What is a VTuber?<\/h2>\n

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The term VTuber is short for virtual YouTuber. A VTubers is a content creator who produces engaging content on multiple platforms but hides behind a digital avatar.<\/p>\n

\"Vtubers<\/p>\n

The virtual avatar<\/a> will make it easier for a virtual YouTuber to build a unique character to stand out. That being said, you\u2019ll never see the real person behind their virtual character.<\/p>\n

You’ll see a VTuber as an anime-inspired character brought to life using motion capture and virtual reality technology. This is what makes this content creator different from most YouTubers.<\/p>\n

You can think of virtual YouTubers as virtual celebrities who entertain and interact with their fans online. Sometimes they can play as an influencer, too.<\/p>\n

Despite its name, VTuber’s meaning is not restricted to the use of YouTube as the sole platform. In fact, many VTubers use other platforms like Twitch, Facebook, or even Nico Nico Douga for a more specific Japanese audience.<\/p>\n

Gawr Gura is one of the most popular VTubers that attract huge audiences. She has more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube. That’s quite amazing for a channel with a virtual character.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What’s more, the popularity of VTubing even entices Pewdiepie to join the trend. In some of his videos, he uses an animated character to join the hype.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Pewdiepie<\/p>\n

In fact, content creators with virtual identity have exploded in popularity in recent years. Millions of fans worldwide tune in to watch their favorite personalities play games, sing, dance, and just hang out.<\/p>\n

Read More: Finding the Best Games as a New Streamer<\/a><\/p>\n

A Brief History of VTuber as A Trend<\/h2>\n

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With the fact that virtual YouTubers are taking the world by storm, you may ask: “How did this start?”. Here are the story of it:<\/p>\n

2011<\/h3>\n

Ami Yamato is a Japanese vlogger<\/a> that started her debut on YouTube on May 18, 2011. She uploaded videos talking about random topics in a 3D avatar.<\/p>\n

While some might argue that Amy Yamato is more as a 3D Vlogger than a VTuber, her videos truly inspire creative content creators worldwide to make anything alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That’s when the idea of VTubing, whether in 2D or 3D animation, comes to reality and influences people to join in. So, if you ask: “Who was the first VTuber?” Ami Yamato is the one.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

2017<\/h3>\n

Kizuna AI was not the first VTuber as she just debuted in November 2016. However, she was considered as the one who coined the term “Virtual YouTuber” and set the VTuber trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kizuna AI quickly became a sensation, inspiring countless others to follow in her footsteps. Not only in Japan, where she comes from, she was widely known as one of the first VTubers in the modern sense of the word.<\/p>\n

\"Kizuna<\/p>\n

As a VTuber, Kizuna AI was part of Activ8, a Japanese talent agency. Later on, she moved to its own company called Kizuna AI, Inc. The Japanese agency focused on managing talents with 2D anime characters<\/p>\n

It turns out that the use of agency later became a trend as many virtual YouTubers are part of certain agencies to serve a global audience.<\/p>\n

2018<\/h3>\n

The trend of virtual content creation continued to grow as more content creators adopted the virtual persona<\/a> using their own avatars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That year, companies like Nijisanji and Hololive entered the market. They set themselves as virtual talent agencies, helping the content creator to manage their characters and grow their audience on many platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It turns out that many popular VTubers are under their management.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2020 – Beyond<\/h3>\n

The pandemic of 2020 accelerated the trend of virtual content creation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Firstly, the condition of staying at home encourages people to spark their creativity by creating online content. Secondly, more people turned to online entertainment to become huge potential audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The result is not only a spike to almost 1600% in 2021 according to UserLocal Japan, but it’s forecasted to have an increasing value at US$ 22,410 million<\/a> by 2029.<\/p>\n

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How Does VTuber Work?<\/h2>\n

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A VTuber works by making content. However, they\u2019re not creating ordinary content videos. Instead, they use decent computer graphics to make a virtual avatar to produce awesome entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Behind their anime characters, virtual YouTubers create content centered around diverse niches or activities, such as:<\/p>\n