Counting the Cash: How Much Money Do the Top 10 YouTube Channels Really Make?

Baby Shark… doodoo… We’ve all heard it, and we all know it, but let’s get real: how much money did Baby Shark make?

 

How many times have you listened to “Baby Shark?”

The most watched video on YouTube, “Baby Shark Dance” by Pinkfong Kids Songs & Stories, has generated at least $22 million in revenue from views alone.

The parents I know probably think all that revenue is from their household alone, but that is a lot of money for a 2-minute and 17-second video!

If you think of all the time you spend listening to Baby Shark when dancing indoors with your kids, that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the number of views on the video!

Baby Shark Revenue

Have you ever wondered how many views the really popular YouTube videos get and how much money they earn? You might be astonished to know. The following list documents the current Top 10. The earnings are based on views alone; they do not take into account any other revenue they generate for the creators.

To make this estimation, Bonus Insider used the online YouTube Money Calculator by InfluencerMarketingHub, which shows the potential earnings from the platform based on the number of daily views, average engagement rate, the number of subscribers, and the number of total views for the channel.

Note that the revenue they are focusing on in this list is from views alone – they are not considering creators’ additional earnings.

Here are a few key takeaways from the report:

– The original “Baby Shark Dance” video makes around $283k each month from roughly 150 million views, which is 5 million views and revenue of $9.4k per day

– The second-most watched video on YouTube, Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito”, has more than 8 billion views and has generated more than $15 million in revenue

– LooLoo Kids’ “Johny Johny Yes Papa”, which is currently the third most popular video on the platform, has generated more than $12 million from views alone

 

“Baby Shark Dance” (Pinkfong Kids Songs & Stories)

 

If you have young kids, you’ve probably seen/heard this song introducing members of a family of sharks. It leads the pack at 11.65 billion views and revenue of $22 million.

 

“Despacito” (Luis Fonsi Featuring Daddy Yankee)

 

The video for this mix of Latin pop and reggaeton, which is credited for reviving the popularity of Spanish-language pop music, has garnered 8 billion views and $15 million from them.

 

“Johny Johny Yes Papa” (LooLoo Kids)

 

This video brings to life an English nursery rhyme about a boy caught eating sugar when he’s not supposed to. With 6.5 billion views and revenues of $12 million, it’s #3 in the world.

 

“Shape of You” (Ed Sheeran)

 

Released in 2017, the video for this English singer-songwriter’s tune about a man falling in love with a woman has won critical acclaim. It also has attracted 5.8 billion views and $11 million.

 

“See You Again” (Whiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)

 

A rap song featured in Furious 7, the video for it has 5.68 billion views and $11 million in revenue. Both the song and the video are a tribute to franchise actor Paul Walker after his death in a car crash.

 

“Bath Song” (Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes)

 

For young children, this video can make bath time more fun (viewed safely, of course). It’s no wonder it’s attracted 5.71 billion views and brought in $11 million.

 

“Phonics Song with Two Words” (ChuChu TV)

 

The phonics-based song in this video teaches children the sounds of the alphabet. 4.98 billion views and $9 million in revenue attest to its effectiveness.

 

“Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars)

 

A mix of funk-pop, disco-pop, soul, and boogie, this song about fashion, self-love, and masculine bravado was a smash hit. The video followed suit, so far getting 4.74 billion views and generating $9 million from them.

 

“Learning Colors – Colorful Eggs on a Farm” (Miroshka TV)

 

This 5-minute video, which is in Russian, uses animated farm eggs to teach kids about colors. With 4.7 billion views, it’s earned $9 million.

 

“Gangnam Style” (Psy)

 

South Korean rapper Psy makes fun of the nouveau riche lifestyle in Seoul’s Gangnam District. The video went absolutely viral, and it now sits at #10 on YouTube with 4.59 billion views that have produced $8 million in revenue.

 

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