YouTube Released Culture and Trends Report 2024: Highlights to Note

YouTube has just released its Culture & Trends Report for 2024, giving us a detailed glimpse into this year’s hottest topics, most influential creators, and most popular songs across the globe. Unfortunately, there is no YouTube Recap like they did for YouTube Music.

This annual roundup replaces the old YouTube Rewind heavily criticized by people for being out of touch. This time, the report focuses on insights and highlights based on the data instead. So what does it say?

Key Highlights from YouTube Trending 2024

The report includes different trends from 9 countries: 

1. United States
2. India 
3. Mexico
4. United Kingdom 
5. Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
6. Brazil 
7. Germany 
8. Indonesia 
9. Canada 

You can check the YouTube Trends report yourself if you want. In case it is only showing the report of your country, you can check the global trends report here. That being said, here are some key highlights from the YouTube Trends report you will find interesting.

Rise of Digital (Star) Influencers

This year saw the rise of ‘digital franchises’—content from independent creators that online communities have embraced. For example, franchises like Amazing Digital Circus and Dress to Impress became globally recognized. 

Olympics 2024

The Paris 2024 Olympics made a big impact, trending in 7 of the 9 countries covered in the report. 

People Love Games and Podcasts

Podcasts and games also had a huge cultural influence in all the countries, with shows like Club Shay Shay and games like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Minecraft, and Iron Lung becoming the top cultural drivers on YouTube in 2024.

However, each country also had its unique trends. Here’s a rundown of highlights for each: 

United States

• Indie animation like Amazing Digital Circus was a big hit, racking up 25 billion views. Netflix even picked it up for same-day streaming.
• Podcasts were a huge deal. Even presidential candidates skipped traditional interviews in favor of chatting on podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience.
• Roblox’s Dress to Impress became a cultural sensation, mixing gaming with fashion. Creator projects like Iron Lung also expanded storytelling beyond gaming.
• Artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar dominated music charts and Shorts trends.

India

• Cricket World Cup, Ambani wedding, and movies like Kalki 2898 AD became shared digital moments.
• Comedian Samay Raina launched India’s Got Latent, a reality talent show that grabbed 150 million views and took fan engagement to a whole new level.
• The Marathi wedding anthem Gulabi Sadi was everywhere—from local celebrations to the Ambani wedding, inspiring over 3 million Shorts worldwide.
• Moye Moye videos gained 4.5 billion views

Mexico

• Deadpool & Wolverine and Jujutsu Kaisen were huge in digital conversations, with viral challenges like the N’Sync Shorts dance adding to the buzz.
• Xavi’s La Diabla went global, racking up over 1 billion views thanks to fans putting their own spin on it.
• Events like Copa América and the Olympics became much more than competitions—they were platforms for creators and fans to tell their stories.

United Kingdom

• Football fever was real, with EA Sports FC 24 and UEFA Euro 2024 bringing people together both online and offline.
• Female artists, including Taylor Swift and Charli XCX ruled the pop scene, leading trends with content people found relatable.
• Amazing Digital Circus and Hazbin Hotel tapped into the UK’s love for eerie, escapist stories.

Indonesia

• Games like Free Fire MAX and esports tournaments like MPL Indonesia were massive hits, keeping gaming fans glued to YouTube.
• Volleyball star Megawati and the Indonesia National Football Team became icons, inspiring loads of creator content and Shorts.
• Jedag Jedug remixes and Dangdut music trends took off globally, showcasing Indonesia’s unique musical creativity.

Canada

• Amazing Digital Circus and Hazbin Hotel struck a chord with viewers, drawing millions and sparking endless fan creations.
• Sabrina Carpenter’s song Espresso became more than a hit—it led to dance challenges on Shorts and fueled creative fashion content.
• Dress to Impress blurred the line between gaming and self-expression, pulling in Canadian creators with its customizable avatars.

Brazil

• Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 was a huge sensation, with over 2 billion views in Brazil alone.
• Brazilian Funk, Gospel, and Sertanejo took over Shorts trends, turning each song into a creative playground for content creators.
• The Paris Olympics drew over 1 billion views from Brazil, with creators sharing their experiences through vlogs and Shorts.

Germany

• Retro hits like Pedro made a big comeback through Shorts, while Amazing Digital Circus won the hearts of younger audiences.
• Reaction videos and companion content became a staple, with shows like 7 vs. Wild reinventing reality formats.
• UEFA Euro 2024 and Brawl Stars brought fans closer to their favorite games and events.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

• Spiritual and cultural content made especially for Ramadan became a big attraction on YouTube.
• Games like Poppy Playtime and Free Fire were hugely popular, with creators like AboFlah and BanderitaX leading the way.
• Dubai’s Knafeh Pistachio Chocolate Bar became an internet hit, sparking tons of recreations and tutorials.

What Do You Think?

This year’s YouTube Culture and Trends report highlights the platform’s role in pop culture. While we only listed the highlights from each country, the report does a decent job of diving deep and also offering trending topics, top creators, top songs, and songs on shorts for each country.

Did anything on the list surprise you, or are these exactly the trends you expected to see?

Ravi Teja KNTS

Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi's writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he's not breaking down the latest tech, he's often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.