We started tracking YouTube in 2021 with a handful of launches. Now there are 306 products in the index. The growth curve and engagement data are below.
Five years of YouTube launch data. Volume, engagement, and the products that stood out.
We started tracking YouTube in 2021 with a handful of launches. Now there are 306 products in the index. The growth curve and engagement data are below.
| Quarter | Launches | Avg Interest Score | Top Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 14 | 95 | YouTube Transcript Tool |
| Q2 2026 | 1 | 110 | Claras |
| Q1 2025 | 19 | 95 | Beatoven.ai |
| Q2 2025 | 27 | 97 | Rumora |
| Q3 2025 | 19 | 56 | Loop MCP by SimpliflowAI |
| Q4 2025 | 12 | 99 | TubeGuide |
| Q1 2024 | 23 | 111 | Gyre |
| Q2 2024 | 16 | 153 | AutoRepurpose |
| Q3 2024 | 29 | 90 | Tubit AI |
| Q4 2024 | 9 | 73 | AI Podcast Clips |
| Q1 2023 | 17 | 144 | Eightify |
| Q2 2023 | 20 | 117 | Thumbnail Test |
| Q3 2023 | 21 | 139 | Ultimate Free Online Teleprompter |
| Q4 2023 | 33 | 135 | Scriber |
| Q1 2022 | 7 | 138 | Clipbot.tv |
| Q2 2022 | 7 | 93 | Image Background Remover |
The YouTube category has been steady over the past 6 years of tracked data. Total launches went from 7 in 2021 to 15 in 2026.
Average engagement ratio across all YouTube launches: 0.27. Products above that line tend to solve a specific, painful problem. Products below it often entered a crowded space without clear differentiation.
YouTube peaked in 2023 with 91 launches. That was 3 years ago. The decline since then could signal market consolidation, saturation, or attention shifting to adjacent categories.
Average engagement per product dropped from 0.33 in 2021 to 0.22 in 2026. More products competing for the same attention pool. The community is spread thinner, which makes high-engagement launches more impressive.
The highest-performing quarter was Q2 2024, with an average interest score of 153 across 16 launches. AutoRepurpose led that quarter.
211 B2B launches (68%) vs 95 B2C (32%) across the full YouTube dataset. YouTube leans B2B, but a meaningful share of products target individual users.
2021: 7 launches. Average interest: 257. Average engagement: 0.33. Top launch: Mubert Render (685 interest).
2022: 39 launches (+457% vs 2021). Average interest: 116. Average engagement: 0.25. Top launch: Publer (392 interest).
2023: 91 launches (+133% vs 2022). Average interest: 134. Average engagement: 0.21. Top launch: Eightify (503 interest).
2024: 77 launches (-15% vs 2023). Average interest: 108. Average engagement: 0.31. Top launch: AutoRepurpose (608 interest).
2025: 77 launches (0% vs 2024). Average interest: 87. Average engagement: 0.33. Top launch: Beatoven.ai (850 interest).
2026: 15 launches (-81% vs 2025). Average interest: 96. Average engagement: 0.22. Top launch: YouTube Transcript Tool (218 interest).
We report what happened. We don't predict. Five years of data shows patterns, but markets surprise people for a living.
Three common reasons. The market consolidated around winners. The technology matured and stopped generating new startups. Or builder attention shifted to adjacent categories. Usually it's a combination.
Volume without engagement is saturation. Engagement without volume is opportunity. Check which one you're looking at.
Sum of all interest scores in the quarter divided by number of products. Simple average. We don't weight by category or product age.
Depends on what's declining. If volume drops but engagement rises, the market is maturing. That's often good for existing players. If both drop, the category may be dying. The quarterly breakdown on each page tells you which pattern you're seeing.
At least three. Two data points is a line, not a trend. We have five years of data for most categories, which is enough to distinguish real shifts from noise.
Current year launches compared to the same period last year. Positive means more products launching. Negative means the category cooled. Neither is inherently good or bad. A mature category with fewer but better launches is often healthier than one flooding the market with clones.