YouTube has made it possible for anyone, anywhere to become famous and make money while doing it. The only qualification: the ability to create engaging content. Started in 2005, YouTube was one of the first video sharing platforms available and even today remains one of the largest and most accessible. (Porn sites not withstanding :-P)

Content creators around the world have grown popular creating content that is often intended for a specific audience that shares a specific interest. Very often though, the type of content that is loved by all such as comedy and generally interesting videos are what end up being most popular. Being a YouTuber can become a big business, especially if you develop a good following and it can provide individuals and brands with a platform to connect with the world.

YouTube in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, though, the YouTuber craze is only now going into full swing. The cause for the delayed popularity of YouTube in Sri Lanka is multi-faceted. On one hand, until pretty recently there wasn’t a big enough audience, on the other hand it wasn’t possible to monetize videos and another factor was the unavailability of affordable equipment to create quality content. What Sri Lanka has never lacked, though, is creative individuals and those with something meaningful to say.

The game has now changed. With the smartphone revolution in full swing, most Sri Lankans have access to YouTube and thanks to

IdeaHell becoming the first and only Multi-Channel Network (MCN) for YouTube in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankans can now monetize their videos. Along with this, IdeaHell has also setup a collaborative creator space with a fully equipped 20,000 square foot studio in the heart of Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s YouTubers

Now that a substantial audience is accessible, videos can be monetized and access to equipment, either in the form of great mobile hardware or IdeaHell’s studio equipment is affordably available, YouTube fever is in full force in Sri Lanka.

We’ve seen some great Sri Lankan talent on YouTube and one of the first Lankan YouTubers was the infamous JehanR who, through his witty content, has garnered over a 100,000 subscribers. Others such as Gappiya, Stephanie Sansoni, Apé Amma, LakaiSikai and JanaiPriyai along with tech YouTubers such as ChanuxBro have also achieved great popularity, fame and fortune.

How Can You, as a Sri Lankan, Become a (Money Making) YouTuber

You need to create good content that will appeal to a wide audience or at least the target audience you have in mind. You will also need to gain a following, which is not easy, can take years and will depend entirely on the quality of your content.

To monetize your videos, you just need to become a member at IdeaHell, which is free. You can use their equipment to produce the content you want as well, for a fee.

Another great way to earn money through YouTube videos is to feature brands and products in your videos, either as outright paid promotion or as a form of influencer marketing, where content creators give honest views and opinions about a product and in return receive a small fee from the brand itself. To do this though, you’ll need to have large following. Basically, if you want tobecome a YouTuber there are two important things to focus on: your content quality and gaining and keeping subscribers. It’s not easy, but it is very simple!

Popular Sri Lankan YouTubers

These are some of the most popular YouTubers in Sri Lanka today:

Spot	YouTuber	Subscribers	Type of Content
1	Anoma’s Kitchen	140,000+	Cookery
2	Ape Amma	433,000+	Cookery
3	Chanux Bro	378,000+	Tech and gadgets
4	Gappiya	109,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos
5	Hisham.M	142,000+	Self-Help/Motivation
6	Janai Priyai	236,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos
7	KushanSrimalShow	54,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos
8	LakaiSikai	144,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos
9	Nawran	85,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos/Music
10	SL Diaries	144,000+	News, Politics & Current Affairs Commentary
11	SL Geek	225,000+	Tech and gadgets
12	Stephanie Sansoni	57,000+	Music Covers
13	TechTrack	110,000+	Tech Education
14	Travel With Wife	29,000+	Travel
15	Vishwa Karma	313,000+	Self-Help/Healing/Spiritual
16	Wasthi Productions	413,000+	Comedy/Fun Videos

So there you have it, everyone wants to be a YouTuber – And Anyone Can! Would you like to be a YouTuber? Are you already one? Do you enjoy the content created by our local YouTubers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!