Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
Danielle Cohn wasn’t yet a teenager when she began gathering fans. She got her start making videos on the shortform lip-synching video app Musical.ly, and her popularity on the platform resulted in a deal with production company Millennial Muzik. Cohn’s first song with the company was “Marilyn Monroe,” for which she and all her friends filmed a glitzy music video. But Musical.ly wasn’t equipped to host a full-length music vid, so once the project was completed, Cohn’s mom decided to upload it on her own YouTube channel to share it with the world.
Things snowballed from there. Cohn (who’s now 15) liked YouTube, and wanted to keep making longer productions — and not just music videos, but lifestyle videos like the ones she saw trending on the platform: challenges, and reaction vids, and stories about her life.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
She made her debut on YouTube by posting “Marilyn Monroe” to her own channel in early 2018. The video got a big reaction from viewers (it currently has more than 10.5 million views), and that summer, she committed herself to ramping up her content production to grow her YouTube audience.
She’s since released a number of other songs, including her most recent, “No Way” (below). She stays on top of YouTube’s top trends, filming things like 24-hour challenges and wild pranks. Cohn currently posts two videos per week, but she’s hoping to ramp that up to three — especially since she’s now an official YouTube Millionaire, with more than 1.1 million subscribers.
Check out our chat with her below.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to hit one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?
Danielle Cohn: I am still in shock that I hit a million. It feels amazing, and I am so thankful. When I found out, I started to cry. I have worked so hard for this. To my fans: I love you all so much. I wouldn’t be here without you guys. Thank you so much for believing me and sticking by my side. I promise to always work hard for you guys.
Tubefilter: You have a huge fanbase spread across multiple social media sites. Where did you get your start? How did you decide to join YouTube?
DC: I started on the app Musical.ly. My family was going through a rough time, so I found Musical.ly and started have fun posting. I blew up on the app and was offered my first song, called “Marilyn Monroe.” I was only 12 years old at the time when my mom decided to use her YouTube channel to post “Marilyn Monroe.” About a year ago, I wanted to do more than just Musical.ly videos, so I decided to start making YouTube videos. I enjoyed it, and my fans started asking me for more, so over the summer, I started posting twice a week. While I was doing that, I also worked hard on building my Instagram page up to a million followers.
Tubefilter: Did you move over to TikTok after Musical.ly shuttered? How does your creative process work differently for YouTube content versus TikTok content?
DC: I was a top creator, and gave Musical.ly so much of my time. Unfortunately, I don’t do much on TikTok, because I enjoy making YouTube videos more. Even though creating YouTube videos takes a lot more dedication and editing time, I love it!
On YouTube, I make 24-hour challenges, and do other trending challenges like turning myself into stuff. Making a normal YouTube video does take long hours — sometimes I make videos for 24 hours straight. But like I said, I love filming and putting out new stuff for my fans.
Tubefilter: Have you ever worked with brands for partnerships or sponsored videos? How did those partnerships and sponsorships come about?
DC: My business contact is on my social pages, so brands usually email me about how we can work together. From there, my mom and I will figure out which the best brands are for me to work with. One of my biggest brand partners is Fashion Nova. I also am an ambassador for Bang Energy.
Tubefilter: What do you think makes your voice stand out on YouTube?
DC: I personally think what makes my voice stand out is how I remain consistent and keep going despite any haters or negativity. Most people couldn’t handle getting dislikes or bad comments. For myself, I don’t care — I keep pushing through because no one can ruin my dream or bring me down.
Tubefilter: How do you come up with video ideas for your channel?
DC: I follow a lot of trends. I go and see what is trending on social media, and then make a video in my own way. I also ask my fans what they would like to see. Besides that, I do things that interest me. I love fashion, so I love to do outfit hauls. I am a fan of 24-hour challenges, so I try to do as many as I can in fun places.
Tubefilter: What else do you get up to in your daily life?
DC: I am in ninth grade, so every day I have school to do. I do it online, so I am able to do work in the early mornings and also at night. I do a lot of photoshoots and go into the studio a lot. I make sure to post once a day on Instagram, so I’m doing that and making YouTube videos most of my day.
Tubefilter: When did you notice your YouTube channel really starting to pick up subscribers? How did you know when you’d found your audience, and how did you grow that audience?
DC: I noticed over the summer that my audience was picking up. I was only doing one video a week. At that moment, I knew I needed to step it up and do two videos a week. I considered all the negative feedback I got and made sure I improved every video, plus continued to do what my fans loved about me. I grew my audience based off wanting to prove to all my haters I am great at what I do.
After working hard for months of doing trending challenges and being consistent, I have over a million followers now! The more I worked and the more videos I put out, the more I gained supporters. I wanted my fans to see the real me, and that’s what they always get on my YouTube channel.
Tubefilter: What’s your favorite part of making content on YouTube?
DC: My favorite part of making content is doing videos that will make my fans happy. I love acting and want to be a reality star one day, so YouTube is helping me with my dream.
Tubefilter: What’s next for your channel? Any plans looking to the future?
DC: I want to put out more music. I have been in the studio making lots of great music. I also want to do a lot more 24-hour challenges. I just recently got a new editor, so I hope to start working on doing three videos a week for my fans. My fans are going to see more of my family — my mom and my brother Chad. I am also going to work on doing more workout routines for my fitness fans.
I’m telling you, if you are not subscribed already, you need to go subscribe and see what I have planned next! Once again, thank you to all my fans for always supporting me. I love you all so much.
You can add yourself to the ranks of Cohn’s more-than-a-million YouTube subscribers at her channel YouTube.com/DaniCohn.
