The top 10 independent YouTube earners

16:05 26 August 2010

For some entertaining hopefuls, broadcasting in their bedroom via a webcam or video camera is as close to international fame as they can hope for. But the world of YouTube has turned that notion on its head and become a huge moneyspinner.

New research by TubeMogul, an analytics and internet advertising company,has revealed the names of the ten highest earning independent acts on YouTube, the world's most popular on-line video community

It is estimated that 60,000 new films a week are added to YouTube, which equates to 12 hours of footage each minute. While many of these fade into obsurity, a select bunch are carving a name for themselves.

The research suggests that at least 10 performers, writers and producers earned more than $100,000 (£65,000) each over the last 12 months from their short films. These videos usually receive popularity largely via word of mouth and inventive tagging and titling of videos to lure people who are looking for something else in.

Under a unique partnership deal with the site, which is owned by search engine giant Google, original content creators are able to generate advertising revenues from their work. YouTube splits the revenue from banner ads 50-50 with its partners.

However, even some of the people on the list are skeptical of the figures. Greg Benson of Mediocre Films, (No 7 in the survey), dismissed the findings, with: "I get asked this a lot. It's a fair question but it's kind of rude to ask someone how much money they make.

"It's so wrong everything in the article appears to be wrong... I would be thrilled if I actually had any business being on that list or if I actually made that much money or had that many viewers that they say I have. That would be awesome. It would also be awesome if I could s*** diamonds. But I can't do that either."

The top 10 independent Youtube earners are:

1. Shane Dawson 

Estimated earnings from YouTube advertising on his video clips in past 12 months: $315,000 (£200,000). Views in that time: 431,787,450

Dawson describes himself as an "innocent guy with a dirty mouth", and carved a name for himself as a risque sketch comedian. The success has enabled the 22-year-old to move out of his parents house.

2. The Annoying Orange

$288,000. Views: 349,753,047

Dane Boedigheimer (daneboe) created the obnoxious fruit, who recently celebrated one million subscribers to his own YouTube channel. A TV pilot is in the works.

3. Philip DeFranco

$181,000. Views: 248,735,032

DeFranco is, according to a vote by Wired.com, the world's sexiest geek of 2008. He created his Sxephil channel for YouTube while studying at East Carolina University, which focusses on gossip and politics.

4. Ryan Higa

$151,000. Views: 206,979,909

Creator of the famed 'How to be a Ninja' and 'How to be a Gangster', Higa is also known as Nigahiga. He has ammassed more than 150 million hits.

5. Fred

$146,000. Views: 200,656,150

Lucas Cruikshank, 16, stars as helium-voiced six-year-old. Shot with a $100 camera, his videos are caught the attention of Nickelodeon.

6. Shay Carl

$140,000. Views: 192,309,247

The Shaycarl channel is fronted by a father-of-three from Idaho who used to be a radio DJ. He started out on Youtube in 2008 and never looked back.

7. Mediocre Films

$116,000. Views: 159,030,703

Greg Benson envisioned his unique approach to filmmaking in 2006 and enlisted the help of his wife to write material.

8. Smosh

$113,000. Views: 154,936,876

This shaggy-haired comedy duo Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox uploaded their first video way back in 2005. Time Magazine described them as the "Saturday Night Live of YouTube". They were also the No 1 YouTube channel in 2007.

9. The Young Turks

$112,000. Views: 153,807,362

Cenk Uygur is the host here of the longest-running online (liberal) political talkshow in the US. It came around in 2002 and averages 13 million hits a month and prides itself as beating the networks when it comes to breaking debates.

10. Natalie Tran

$101,000. Views: 138,871,829

The Vietnamese-Australian is famed for 'How to Fake a Six-pack', which pokes fun at web users' apparent obsession with getting a flat stomach. The 24-year-old has had 250 million hits worldwide.