If you’re in the kids content space, you’ve probably come across Jason Vlogs. It’s a YouTube channel with over 23 million subscribers and billions of views on skits, challenges, and learning games.
We’ve worked with them for a while, and recently sat down with Ali Kaplan, the Founder and Executive Producer of Jason Vlogs, to talk about what’s working, what’s changed, and what they wish they’d done earlier.
If you run a kids or family-friendly channel, you’ll want to hear these firsthand tips.
YouTube Shorts Work
A lot of creators are jumping into YouTube Shorts hoping for explosive growth. Jason Vlogs did the same.
When we asked what experiments paid off recently, he said YouTube Shorts drove strong viewership but it didn’t help revenue.
- AIR: What experiment worked well recently?
- Jason Vlogs: Creating Shorts worked well for viewership,” he admitted. “But it hasn’t worked well looking at the overall channel’s revenue.
Over the last year, we’ve seen this trend across hundreds of kids channels: YouTube Sorts volume drives visibility. Channels posting 2–10 Shorts a day are getting serious reach.
But here’s what matters: shorts are for views, not revenue. Even though CPMs on Shorts have started to grow recently, they still can’t compare to the long-form CPMs.
Reach is the job Shorts are built to do. They’re a top-of-funnel tool.
One of the strategies that can also work well for kids channels is creating a separate Shorts channel. Keep your main channel focused on long-form content that retains viewers and drives monetization. Use your Shorts channel to pull in new eyeballs and direct them to your core videos.
Start with one Short per day. Consistency matters more than perfection. Once you’ve built a rhythm, scale up to 5 to 10 Shorts daily and see what volume drives the best results for your channel. Then use that traffic to guide viewers toward your full episodes. We can help with the strategy and even make the Shorts for you.
When done right, Shorts fuel your whole channel’s growth and set up long-form videos to earn. Just don’t expect them to carry the revenue load alone. That’s not their job.
Longer Is Better for Long Videos
We followed up by asking what Jason Vlogs stopped doing — and again, it ties back to content length.
- AIR: What have you stopped doing?
- Jason Vlogs: We stopped making videos that were too short,” Ali explained. “We’ve seen a switch. More YouTubers are uploading longer videos, and we’ve joined that trend.”
Longer videos are helping with retention, monetization, and even algorithm visibility. For them, it's a clear shift away from bite-sized content unless there's a solid strategy behind it.
But there’s another reason creators are leaning into longer formats: more kids are watching YouTube on TVs.
We’ve seen a spike in big-screen viewing across dozens of kids' channels. Kids aren’t just tapping through videos on a phone. They’re sitting on the couch, watching with family, or playing videos back-to-back while doing something else.
This shift makes longer videos—compilations, full episodes, even specials—not just better for monetization, but better for the viewing experience itself.
If you’re creating 5-minute clips optimized for phones, you might already be behind.
Some creators are even streaming pre-recorded compilations live, 24/7, using tools like Gyre — or handing it off to AIR to run and optimize. It’s low effort, high impact.
Go longer.
Captioning Works and Here are Some Tools
We wanted to know what really made a difference behind the scenes. The answer? Captioning tools.
- AIR: What tools improved your workflow?
- Jason Vlogs: Using CapCut and VEED.io to add big, colorful captions has made a huge difference,” he said. “It helps kids follow along, even if they’re watching without sound.”
This matters more than you think. Especially for younger audiences who rely heavily on visual cues.
Thumbnails Make or Break Performance
Ask any veteran creator and they’ll eventually say it: thumbnails matter. For Jason Vlogs, it was a lesson learned too late.
- AIR: What’s one thing you wish you knew earlier?
- Jason Vlogs: “Thumbnails are everything,” Ali said. “I used to just take random pictures. Now I spend extra time designing thumbnails that make kids excited to click.”
Spend time on your thumbnails to give your videos a real chance to get watched. Or let our YouTube design team handle it for you.
Translation Opened the Floodgates
We asked what had the biggest impact on overall viewership. The answer? Localization.
“Localization has opened up much more viewership across all our channels,”
Ali said.
At first, they weren’t sure it was worth the effort. But once they saw how translated content performed in new regions, it became one of their top growth levers.
We translated and dubbed their videos into various languages, launching new localized channels.
Each new language unlocked a new region, new viewers, and entirely new revenue streams. All from content they’d already made.
- Their main channel now got 23M subscribers
- Spanish-speaking channel over 7M
- Hind - over 9M
- and many more.
If you’ve already built an audience in one market, translation is the next step. It’s one of the fastest ways to 10x a kids channel—and it works even better when your content is already visual and easy to follow.
The Risk That Paid Off
Some creators find growth carefully. Others through risk. We asked Jason Vlogs about their riskiest decision, and it was a big one.
“I switched from regular educational videos to story and challenge-based content,” Ali told us. “I was worried my audience wouldn’t like the change, but it actually grew even faster because kids love this content way more.”
Don’t be afraid to test. Kids' preferences shift fast and formats that worked a year ago might feel stale today.
Don’t Rely on AdSense Alone
We asked about diversifying income because too many creators still rely on AdSense as their only source.
Their advice was clear:
“Don’t just rely on YouTube AdSense. Some great revenue streams include merch, live events, and brand deals with kid-friendly companies.”
That mix — digital and physical — has helped Jason Vlogs build a business, not just a channel.
Want to diversify revenue streams?
We’ll help you choose and apply the right strategies. Contact us.
Collaborations Performed a Lot
One thing Jason Vlogs is doing more of right now: collaborating with other kid-focused creators in the same style and age group.
- AIR: What’s actually working for you right now?
- Jason Vlogs: Collaborating with other kid-friendly creators has brought us a lot of new viewers,” he told us.
These aren’t random collabs. They’re planned crossovers with creators whose audiences already watch similar content. That overlap means higher retention, better click-through, and a real bump in subscribers.
If you're in the kids space, find 2–3 creators in your niche. Swap characters, appear in each other’s videos, or run connected storylines. It works.
Mix Content Types
No one’s immune to algorithm changes. We asked how they’re dealing with YouTube's shifting priorities, especially for kids' content.
“YouTube’s algorithm changes constantly,” Ali said. “The best way to keep up is to test new content types like Shorts, and to keep content fresh and fun. If kids love it, the algorithm will favor it.”
Their team is also planning ahead, transitioning content and creating videos for a slightly older demographic as their audience grows up.
Consistency and Storytelling Still Win
Jason Vlogs sticks to a release schedule and they don’t break it.
“It’s important to keep uploading regularly, and keep schedules that you’ve set for yourself,” Ali said.
On top of that, they treat every video like a story. Whether it’s a skit, challenge, or game, there’s always a narrative that keeps kids watching.
Strategy That Moves the Needle
Finally, we asked about their experience working with AIR Media-Tech. Many creators hesitate to partner with a growth service. Jason Vlogs was no different at first.
“At first, I wasn’t sure if I needed help,” Ali said. “But once I saw how AIR could boost my reach and improve monetization, I realized it was the right move. They’ve done a great job on localization of our channels.”
So what’s been most useful?
“The biggest help has been the strategy,” Ali told us. “AIR provided insights into thumbnails, titles, and audience retention. Their growth strategies made a real difference in boosting engagement”
If you’re trying to grow, the right partner can make all the difference. For Jason Vlogs, a mix of smart strategy, creative tips, and global reach helped turn their channel into a worldwide brand.
Tool Stack: What They Actually Use
We asked Jason Vlogs what they’re using right now to get ahead.
Here’s what they recommend:
- TubeBuddy – for SEO and title optimization
- Canva – for making strong thumbnails
- Epidemic Sound – for clean, kid-friendly background music
- VidIQ – for trends and strategy
- CapCut + VEED.io – for subtitles and editing
Lessons From 23M+ Subs
Here’s what’s driving growth for Jason Vlogs and what might work for you, too:
- Use Shorts to build reach, but focus long-form content on monetization.
- Go longer. Compilations and full episodes perform better on TVs.
- Add captions. Big, bold, and easy to read.
- Level up your thumbnails.
- Translate your content. Metadata, captions, or even full dubbing.
- Don’t get stuck in one format. Keep testing new content types.
- Build revenue beyond AdSense. Think merch, brand deals, and live events.
- Find smart collab partners. Planned crossovers can drive real growth.
- Stay consistent and give kids a reason to come back.
- Work with experts when it makes sense. The right support can accelerate everything.
Jason Vlogs didn’t just get lucky. They tested, adapted, and grew with their audience.
And now you’ve got the playbook.
