There are some 31 million YouTube channels out there, so you will need a bit more than catchy content and fresh ideas to stand out from the competition. This is where YouTube logos come in. With a top-grade, professional-looking logo attached to your channel, you are sure to get subscribers in no time.
But before you start sketching out a design or calling up agencies to style an icon for your channel, take a gander at what the competition is doing and learn from their triumphs and mistakes.
1. PewDiePie
YouTube statistics don’t lie – PewDiePie is big. With 104 million subscribers, PewDiePie is the most popular YouTube personality in the world. And his brofist logo is just as recognizable and well-known as his name or videos.
PewDiePie’s YouTube logo has gone through a couple of changes since he first came onto the scene in 2011, starting from a wordmark in a unique font to the famous brofist fitted in a P-shaped logo. The latest design of this Swedish YouTuber has entirely departed from the previous symbol to just swirls of black and red lines. It’s edgy and pretty out-there, but what else could we expect from PewDiePie?
2. JackSepticEye
Custom and unique content is vital for your brand, according to branding statistics. Seán McLoughlin knows this well. Better known as JackSepticEye, runs a gaming channel and is famous across the globe for his comedy and witty comments.
JackSepticEye’s YouTube channel logo, which is also his mascot, is called Septic Sam, Septiceye Sam, or just Sam. Sam is a giant green eye with a blue iris and tiny, dark-green veins running through the inside.
The idea for the logo actually came from a mishap Jack had as a child, which resulted in him developing an eye infection or septic eye. His eye started to turn a nasty shade of green as it got infected, hence the inspiration for possibly one of the most famous YouTuber logos on this list. The green in the design also stands for his Irish heritage, and it’s his favorite color, as well.
3. VanossGaming
Canadian video game commentator Evan Fong, or VanossGaming, is best-known for his “funny moments” gaming videos. His first logo featured just his initials set against a black background, forming an emblem. It could be a great gaming logo for an e-sports team as well.
In 2015, however, he released a new design that quickly became an extremely popular YouTube gaming logo and his most recognizable symbol. The new icon is a stylized depiction of an owl face in white or gold, with the owl’s beak and face forming the letter V. This minimalist logo represents the mask of Fong’s character model in Grand Theft Auto Online.
4. Markiplier
Markiplier is yet another YouTuber popular for his gaming videos and colorful commentaries. Another thing that he is famous for, in addition to changing his hair color once in a while, is the pink mustache he sometimes wears.
So, it would make sense that his cool YouTube logo would sport one, too. A white, block-style letter M, made to resemble a face, and a bushy, pink mustache — Markpiler’s logotype is colorful and vivid, just like his personality.
5. DanTDM
UK-born Daniel Middleton, aka the Diamond Minecart or DanTDM, is best known for posting Minecraft videos, although he has dabbled in reviews and other gaming videos. True to his name, and his game, his logo has always included the diamond as a focal point.
Although his YouTube logo design is most commonly a light-colored diamond against a darker background, there are alternate versions, such as rainbow flag background for pride month or a yellow-golden one for Halloween.
6. Shane Dawson
Famous in almost every corner of the world for his videos on conspiracy theories and docuseries on other YouTube personalities, Shane Dawson’s iconic logo used to consist of a pyramid with his initials in the center. However, he recently completely changed it to an image of a pig’s head, which is now featured on all his merchandise.
This is one of the YouTuber logos that has gotten some mixed reviews by fans. Some love the new image, while others think it’s ugly. Nevertheless, Shane Dawson still has over 23 million subscribers and his merch is selling like hotcakes, which goes to show that not everyone has to like a logo for it to be popular.
7. Tyler G (Also Known as DIY Tyler)
As the name suggests, Tyler G’s goal is to provide viewers with tutorials on DIY and home improvement projects. His design is an excellent example of how to make a YouTube logo that is a visual extension of a channel.
The word “DIY” in the logo is made out of tools, like hammers and protractors, whereas the entire design is shaped like a construction sign, complete with four nails in the corners. It’s a creative logo, but more importantly, it is a design that speaks volumes about the nature and purpose of the channel.
8. The Tin Can Brothers
This comedy group consisting of three friends from LA posts hilarious parodies, sketch comedy shows, and more. The Tin Can Bros design is one of those cool YouTube logos, and popular logos in general, that are simple, but recognizable.
The logo clearly shows the trio’s love of mustaches (they all wear fake mustaches, their signature look) and the name of the channel — the logo is shaped like, you’ve guessed it, a yellow tin can. It’s playful, memorable, and instantly associated with this comedy channel. Everything one would look for in a YouTube icon.
9. Cocomelon — nursery rhymes
Counting over 80 million subscribers, this kids’ YouTube channel showcases what the name suggests — nursery rhymes, CGI cartoon characters, and places. And the YT logo of Cocomelon doesn’t stray far from that concept.
A colorful and cute image of a child’s face in a watermelon shaped like a TV, complete with a ladybug on the side, this design is a wonderful representation of what an ideal kid-friendly logo for a children’s channel should look like.
10. Marshmallow
Almost everyone on the planet has heard of Marshmallow. He has dozens of hits, 45 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, and one of the most unforgettable, easily-recognizable, and coolest YouTuber logos that acts as his DJ logo as well— the smiley face with the crossed-out eyes and cheerful grin.
This symbol is so irrevocably linked to the DJ’s image, it’s hard to decide what’s more famous: his songs, drum tutorials, or his logo.
11. Smosh
Smosh is a US sketch comedy channel founded by Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla and one of the earliest YouTube sensations. Started in 2002, Smosh has grown quite a bit since then, expanding into other channels and including other personalities in addition to Hecox (Padilla left the channel in 2017).
The Smosh logo for YouTube, designed by former co-founder Padilla in 2006, is basically a fast-forward sign with the letter S in the middle. It has been slightly modified since it originally debuted, most notably for the channel’s 10th anniversary when the letters M and O in the name were made to look like the number ten symbolizing this comedy channel’s jubilee.
12. Long Long Honeymoon
This channel is created by the couple Sean and Kristy Michael who love the outdoors and are devoted to sharing camping tips and reviewing the best camping products. To that end, their YouTube logo image is an outline of an RV with the couple’s names snugly fitting inside.
The logo is not too complex, but it’s a cute and perfect representation of Sean and Kristy’s channel and their love of camping and touring the country in their RV.
13. Binging with Babish
Binging with Babish is a cooking channel hosted by Andrew Rea. It is dedicated to adapting food to pop culture, and at the same time, giving useful and extremely convenient cooking tips.
The first design for this YouTuber’s logo was just a play on the initials of the show in black and white, whereas the newer icon uses an outline of the famous host’s face, complete with his trademark beard and glasses.
The logo is uncomplicated but effective in its simplicity. Instead of employing traditional cooking elements, such as chef’s hats or utensils, this design chooses to concentrate on the personality rather than the cooking part of the channel, making it one of the most creative logos for YouTube on this list.
14. MrBeast
Jimmy Donaldson, AKA MrBeast, is popular for his viral challenges, philanthropy, and his famous tiger logo. Moving from the earlier version of the blue-and-white big cat to a blue tiger with a striking pink thunderbolt across the eye in 2018, the concept behind the design hasn’t changed much although the image has. It can also work as a pretty good, old-school sports logo.
MrBeast has a devoted fanbase, but perhaps none more dedicated than a Twitter user who famously tattooed MrBeast’s unique, custom YouTube logo on his leg in honor of the YouTuber reaching 10 million subscribers.
15. Dude Perfect
The Dude Perfect guys’ logo is straightforward and to-the-point. The black initials stand out against the lighter background, and the font is fun and light-hearted, just like the team behind this sports and comedy channel.
While some might argue that it’s lazy, this design is a great example of how it’s sometimes better to keep things simple than going over the top and completely missing the point of what makes a good YouTube logo.
16. Fernanfloo
Fernanfloo is famous for his gameplay videos and crazy antics. He started his channel in 2011, and since then, he has earned a million subscribers with his gaming performances.
Since it isn’t unusual for his dogs to make an appearance in his videos, it would make sense that his logo would also feature them, albeit in cartoonish form.
17. Felipe Neto
Brazilian Felipe Neto posts comedic videos and vlogs about his life, celebrities as well as current news. Ranking on the list of cool YouTube logos, this popular vlogger’s icon incorporates his name (written in big, plain letters), his eyebrows, and his hair, which is one of his most recognizable symbols. Like other YouTubers, Felipe Neto relies on his own image as his most identifiable asset, and his logo reflects this perfectly.
Available in as many colors as his hairstyle, Felipe Neto’s logo is easy to recognize and immediately associated with this online personality.
18. Philip DeFranco
This is yet another one in the series of YouTubers logos that uses an animal in the design — this time a bespectacled chimpanzee surrounded by golden and red rays.
Philip DeFranco is a news commentator who covers everything from current events to pop culture, so it isn’t quite clear how his logo connects to his channel or personality. That said, there’s no denying that the design is fun, creative, and, most importantly, eye-catching.
19. Gone With the Wynns
Most travel vloggers (and there are so many of them on YouTube at the moment) use photos of themselves in exotic locations in their YouTube logo images. The logo for the channel of Jason and Nikki Wynn can’t be described as groundbreaking; however, it certainly is a departure from the standard set by other YouTube travel vloggers.
Looking like an indy band logo, and using a light blue background, it has a soothing color scheme that has a relaxing influence on your psyche. It also has a striking yellow weathervane, and a plain white W on top, everything about this logo indicates traveling, blue skies, and moving forward to a new adventure, making this one of the freshest YouTube channel logos on the list.
20. Você Sabia?
This Brazilian YouTube channel that translates to “Did You Know?” posts videos of interesting trivia and facts from all over the globe. The logo is simple to the extreme but quite effective — just a question mark set on a bright yellow background.
Even though it isn’t that creative or innovative, it serves the purposes of telling users what the channel is all about, while the contrast between the two colors makes the question mark symbol pop and stand out.
Now It’s Up to You
So, what’s the secret of these YouTube logos? Designs don’t have to be flashy and over-the-top to catch people’s attention. They just need to be an extension of your brand, a visual representation of what you stand for and what you do.
Stick to these rules, and you’ll have no trouble getting a top-notch logo for your channel. Want to make the process even easier? Then try out our logo maker and create a professional-looking design for your YouTube channel in a blink of an eye.