- Only in-depth independent book on YouTube- Gripping tech and business saga- Valuable insight for creators, media students and marketing professionals

Chris Stokel-Walker is a British journalist whose work regularly appears in WIRED, The Economist and Newsweek.He is known for breaking major news about social media and often reports on YouTube and TikTok for television, radio and podcasts.For YouTubers he travelled around the world, speaking to behind-the-camera producers and powerbrokers, including creators KSI, Hank and John Green and Emma Blackery.His follow-up book is TikTok Boom, also published by Canbury Press.

PART I. POWER AND BEGINNINGS 1. UPLOADING: CASEY NEISTAT AND THE POWER OF YOUTUBE. Introducing the power and reach of YouTube, now owned by Google, by focussing on the single post uploaded by a YouTube veteran. Mentions YouTube registered users, YouTube extraordinary growth, Netflix, Facebook, television, American cable network HBO2. JAKE PAUL: CARS, MONEY, AND A BURNING SWIMMING POOL. A character portrait of a leading YouTuber the brother of Logan Paul and resident of a mansion with a pool in Los Angeles. Mentions Tesla, Lamborghini, merchandise shop, Ohio, Beverly Grove, California, YouTube persona, Audemars Piguet Swiss watches3. ME AT THE ZOO: JAWED KARIM AND THE WORST VIDEO OF ALL TIME. The launch of YouTube, featuring the video Me At The Zoo shot by co-founder Jawed Karim, who joined forces with Steven Chen and Chad Hurley, backed with investment from Sequoia Capital. Mentions Ask Jeeves, Altavista, Google4. VIRAL COMEDY: YOUTUBE LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. YouTube's big breakthrough comes when comedy clips from TV shows such as Saturday Night Live go viral. Mentions Lazy Sunday, NBCUniversal, Jorma Taccone, copyright infringement, Grouper, Viacom, lonelygirl15, Michael Buckley, WhatTheBuck?5. GRACE HELBIG AND THE FIRST STARS OF VLOGGING. How the first creators exploded in popularity, looking at case studies such as Grace Helbig and Michael Buckley. Mentions multi-channel networks, YouTube salary, VidCon, Vlogbrothers, Philip DeFranco, YouTube managers, MCN, YouTube secrets, YouTubers6. FROM RUSSIA TO LATIN AMERICA: YOUTUBE GOES GLOBAL. Charting how YouTubers gained fame across the world, featuring the biggest Spanish-language YouTube channel Enchufe.tv, the Brazilian music video star Kondzilla and the Russian game player FROST. Mentions Martin Dominguez, Ecuador, El Rubius, PaladinPART II. ENGINE ROOM: HOW YOUTUBE WORKS7. THE ALGORITHM: YOUTUBE'S SECRET FORMULA. Explaining the secret computer code that matches YouTubers to viewers and determines who will become a star. Mentions PewDiePie, Google Brain, artificial intelligence, VideoDays, Jim McFadden, YouTube Kids, Little Monster Media Co, Charlieissocoollike8. POLICING YOUTUBE: EXTREMISM AND THE ADPOCALYPSE. How conspiracy theorists got away with bogus claims in online videos before Google belatedly started cutting ad revenue from extremists and hoaxers. Mentions David Zublick, QAnon, UFO, Flat Earth, red pill, Alex Jones, Islamic extremism, 9/11 theory9. SPONSORED CONTENT: THE TALE OF DODIE CLARK AND HEINZ BEANS. How the LGBTQ+ Pride star came to be paid by a grocery brand for advertising its product in a YouTube video. Mentions bisexual, mid-roll ads, pre-roll ads, Fabian Göbel, Carat Global, Beckii Flint, Kwebbelkop, adpocalypse, I Hart FoodPART III. CHARTING THE STARS10. KNOW YOUR YOUTUBE: ELITE, MACRO-INFLUENCER AND MICRO-INFLUENCER. Marketing agencies have understood and categorised the differing power of YouTubers. Jake Paul, Casey Neistat, influencers, MediaKix, YouTube video views, subscribers, nano-influencer, creators, brand deals, celebrity, terminology11. ELITE INFLUENCERS: FIGHTING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP. Introducing a new way for YouTube stars to earn money: pay TV events such as at the boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul. Mentions Copper Box Arena, Upload Events, Olajide William Olatunji, Caspar Lee, Joe Weller, Jake Paul, PewDiePie, Zoella12. CHILD STARS: MEET MATTYB, WHO GETS TWO MILLION VIEWS A DAY. By the time he was 11 American Matthew David Morris had racked up one billion views, the latest in a line of very young YouTubers. Mentions Justin Bieber, Ben Hampton, Troye Sivan, Dua Lipa, Mister Max, Miss Katy, Jacob Sartorius, funniflix13. MACRO-INFLUENCERS: BEAUTY, CRIME AND DIY. The British YouTuber Eleanor Neale shows how going through'beauty hauls' of new purchases attracts viewers and sponsorship.