For story-driven channels
Find story premises drawing viewers on YouTube
Study outlier videos in your genre before you spend weeks on a script. OutlierKit brings the title, channel context and transcript into your research.
I make true crime and mystery stories. Which premises are beating channel averages right now?
Three premises from 2026, against each channel's average:
- 1.A girl vanished in 1990; 31 years later an officer notices something (labelled fiction)87×Channel: Cold Ledger Stories · Subscribers: 1.6K
- 2.The creepiest mysteries in history5.1×Channel: Echo Tomb · Subscribers: 3.2K
- 3.A secret she thought no one would ever discover4.4×Channel: Unreal True Crime · Subscribers: 144K
Highlighted figure: vs channel average.
Hold one fact back. Each premise withholds a secret or a clue and promises to reveal it. The top one is a labelled dramatization that beat its channel's average 87 times.
Story-driven channels, broken down
Full breakdowns of documentary and storytelling channels, with the premises behind their outliers:
Johnny HarrisDocumentary storytelling
- Subscribers
- 7.8M
- Avg views
- 2.3M
Est. $39K to $214K/mo
Read the analysis →
LEMMiNOMystery documentaries (faceless)
- Subscribers
- 5.9M
- Avg views
- 4.0M
MrBallenTrue Crime & Paranormal Storytelling
- Subscribers
- 11.0M
- Avg views
- 3.5M
Est. $50K - $278K/mo
Read the analysis →
FernDocumentary storytelling
- Subscribers
- 5.1M
- Avg views
- 4.2M
Est. $35K to $112K/mo
Read the analysis →Figures reflect the saved channel snapshots. Open an analysis to review the full context.
How it works
Choose a premise, then study the telling
- Find stories that reached beyond the baselineStart with a solved cold case.
- Compare how the titles frame a storyPut the time gap first.
- Read how the story unfoldsDecide what you hold back.
Step 1 · Outlier Finder
Find stories that reached beyond the baseline
Search your genre for videos that beat their channel average. Check the premise and source material before choosing one to develop.
- Claude calls
- outliers_search
- In this example
- Start with a solved cold case.
I make true crime and mystery stories. Which premises are beating their channel's average?
Four premises beat their channel average, from a 1973 cold case to a stalking case:
- 1.A woman vanishes from home in 1973 and the case is solved decades later4.8×Dark Trail Stories · 2.8K subscribers · 13.4K views
- 2.A compilation of horrifying true crime cases2.3×poi · 435K subscribers · 469K views
- 3.A stalking ex-husband returns on a child's birthday2.2×Unreal True Crime · 148K subscribers · 125.7K views
- 4.A woman disappears in 1995 and one search solves it 12 years later (labelled fiction)2.0×Cold Ledger Stories · 1.6K subscribers · 4.9K views
Highlighted figure: vs channel average.
Start with a solved cold case. The 1973 disappearance scored 4.8× on a 2.8K-subscriber channel. Check the source material before you develop it. Cold Ledger Stories labels its version a fictional dramatization.
Step 2 · Outlier Finder
Compare how the titles frame a story
Look for patterns in the titles, then decide which fit your own story. A strong result is a reference, not a forecast for the same title.
- Claude calls
- outliers_search
- In this example
- Put the time gap first.
What title shapes do these true crime outliers share?
The titles fall into four shapes. The most common one states a year or a gap in years:
- 1.A year or time gap, then "solved"4.8×"UK 1973 Oldest Cold Case Solved - She Vanished From Home and Was Never Seen Again". Also "Missing Daughter FOUND ALIVE After 42 Years" at 1.6×.
- 2.A secret that turns into a crime10.6×"A SECRET Affair Turned Into a Cold-Blooded Murder | True Crime Story" · The Missing Hour · 151 subscribers · 3.8K views
- 3.A plain label for a compilation2.3×"Horrifying True Crime Cases" · poi · 435K subscribers · 469K views
- 4.The narrator's reaction as a warning2.2×"CAUTION!!! This Case Made Me Question Humanity! True Crime Documentary" · Unreal True Crime · 125.7K views
Highlighted figure: vs channel average.
Put the time gap first. Four titles in the pull name a year or a number of years and scored 1.3× to 4.8×. The 10.6× title sits on a 151-subscriber channel.
Step 3 · Video Analyzer
Read how the story unfolds
Use transcripts to study the order of information. Mark where the story raises a question and where it answers it.
- Claude calls
- videos_transcript
- In this example
- Decide what you hold back.
Read the transcripts of three of these. Where does each story raise its question, and where does it answer it?
All three raise the question in the first two minutes. Two give away the outcome right there:
- 1.Dark Trail Stories, UK 1973 cold case: outcome held backOpens on a cold cup of tea and an unfinished crossword. By minute 2 it promises a 52-year answer: "This is how it finally happened." At 11:27 the break is still ahead.
- 2.Unreal True Crime, stalking case: outcome firstOpens as a car pulls up at a birthday party. The first 90 seconds state who dies and who flees. At about 3:00 it goes back to a 2008 divorce and builds forward.
- 3.The Missing Hour, secret affair: verdict firstOpens with a news clip of the conviction. The first minute lists the affair and a failed poisoning. Backstory starts near 1:40, the poisoning testimony near 4:30.
Decide what you hold back. Two of the three state the outcome inside 90 seconds and spend the runtime on how it happened. The cold case keeps its break back past minute 11.
Before you record: packaging and script tools
Once you pick the idea, OutlierKit writes the packaging and checks your script. You still film and edit the video yourself. The Title tool ranks its titles against real breakout videos near your topic. All four are on every plan and the 30-credit trial. On Pro and Max, the MCP connector also lets Claude run OutlierKit research for you.
Title
Writes 16 titles and ranks them against real breakout videos near your topic, with a score and a one-line reason for each.
Open in the app →How it worksDescription & hashtags
Writes the 150 characters people see and the rest of the description separately, then picks your hashtags.
Open in the app →How it worksChapters
Writes chapter titles that help viewers scan the video and jump to the part they came for.
Open in the app →Script review
Scores the script you wrote and shows what to fix before you record, so you reshoot and re-edit less.
Open in the app →How it works
A worked example
The story examples include both mysteries and labelled fiction
Unreal True Crime has 144K subscribers. "A secret she thought no one would ever discover" drew 298K views, 4.4 times its average.
Cold Ledger Stories labels its cold cases as fictional dramatizations. Its 1990 disappearance story drew 265K views on a 1.6K-subscriber channel. If you dramatize, say so, the way this channel does.
The example shows a dated research result in Claude. Use the prompts below to explore your own topic.
Try a research question →I make true crime and mystery stories. Which premises are beating channel averages right now?
outliers_searchchannels_searchvideos_getThree premises from 2026, against each channel's average:
| Premise | Channel | Subscribers | vs channel average |
|---|---|---|---|
| A girl vanished in 1990; 31 years later an officer notices something (labelled fiction) | Cold Ledger Stories | 1.6K | 87× |
| The creepiest mysteries in history | Echo Tomb | 3.2K | 5.1× |
| A secret she thought no one would ever discover | Unreal True Crime | 144K | 4.4× |
Hold one fact back. Each premise withholds a secret or a clue and promises to reveal it. The top one is a labelled dramatization that beat its channel's average 87 times.
See the research tools in action
Watch the product walkthrough for a tour of channel research and Competitor Studio. The feature sections above show how those tools fit your work.
“Great addition to my stack and simple to use. Hit an issue and the team worked hard to fix it. Great product, hardworking team.”
“Been creating for years, running multiple YouTube channels. OutlierKit is the first tool that actually improved our view counts almost instantly. The competition analysis revealed gaps we never knew existed.”
“I use Outlier Kit for supplemental channel audits and to help clients brainstorm video ideas and/or explore pivot strategies. It's a fantastic competitive intelligence tool to have in your arsenal.”
“I was consistent with uploading videos, but at a certain point, I wasn't able to understand how things were working. With OutlierKit, I was really able to understand the competitor landscape and identify the kinds of opportunities I could bet on.”
“It's really simple and gives really useful data and insights for choosing WHAT to make and how to structure it better. Will recommend to anyone seriously committing to YouTube.”
“After implementing the recommendations from the first report last week, my latest video has nearly tripled in views (2000) compared to my previous best one (700), so the recommendations do work.”
One creator on a small channel. Not a typical or promised result.
More reviews people have posted on Product Hunt, X and LinkedIn, unedited.
Choose where to do the research
Use OutlierKit for public research. Your own YouTube analytics supply the private performance data. Claude is an optional way to query OutlierKit.
| Task | OutlierKit app | OutlierKit in Claude | YouTube Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research other channels | Outlier searches and channel analysis. Pro and Max add niche-wide Competitor Studio. | Request channel data and outlier results with the OutlierKit connector. | Use your channel analytics to understand your own audience and uploads. |
| Read video context | Review video analysis and research results in the app. | Request public transcripts and comments, then ask follow-up questions. | Check your own retention and traffic sources to assess a published video. |
| Package the video | Title, Description & hashtags, Chapters and Script review. Titles are ranked against breakout videos near your topic. | Ask Claude to draft packaging from the research data. The ranked Title tool and Script review run in the app. | Edit the title, description, tags and chapters after upload. No comparison with other channels. |
| Choose a plan | Hobby starts at $49/month. Competitor Studio requires Pro or Max. | Included with Pro, Max and the active free trial. Calls use your OutlierKit credits. | Included with your YouTube channel. |
Read the connector guide or YouTube’s analytics guide for the available reports.
Choose a research plan
Hobby includes outlier research. Choose Pro if you want to work through transcripts and research prompts in Claude after the trial.
Hobby
Best for experts and coaches running one channel
billed monthly
- ✓100 credits per month
- ✓Outlier Research
- ✓Keyword Research
- ✓Single-channel analysis
- ✓Single-video idea research
- Competitor Studionot included
- MCP & API accessnot included
Pro
Best for experts, consultants and brands publishing every week
billed monthly
- ✓500 credits per month
- ✓Everything in Hobby
- ✓Deep Research
- ✓AI script and hook analysis
- ✓Competitor Studio: niche-wide intel
- ✓MCP & API access
- ✓50 credits per connected channel
Max
Best for agencies running client channels, API pipelines
billed monthly
- ✓2,000 credits per month
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓50+ channel connections
- ✓Niche-wide sponsor & comment intelligence
- ✓On-demand data updates
- ✓Priority API access
Start with a research question
Explore your genre with up to 15 outlier searches in the 30-credit trial.
No credit card required. Competitor Studio needs a paid Pro or Max plan and 50 credits per run. You choose whether to upgrade.
Start free trial →A note from Aditi
Story research should leave room for your own judgment. Past videos can suggest a premise; the reporting and telling remain yours.
I built OutlierKit to make this research easier to use. If you don’t find an insight worth pursuing during your trial, email me at hello@outlierkit.com. I’ll walk you through your YouTube strategy. If I still can’t help you find something useful, you get a full refund.
Aditi, founder of OutlierKitUpdated
Optional: research inside Claude
Ask a follow-up question about the data
The OutlierKit connector lets Claude request research and shape it into a brief. Pro, Max and active trials include access. A prompt may require several paid tool calls.
I make [genre] stories. Find videos from the last 90 days that beat their channel's average. List the premises.
- You get
- 10 example premises
- Tools called
- outliers_search
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
What title shapes do the top 10 share?
- You get
- Title patterns
- Tools called
- outliers_search
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
Read the top 3 transcripts. Where does each one reveal the twist?
- You get
- A structure map
- Tools called
- videos_transcript
- Cost
- 2 to 10 credits per tool call
Connect OutlierKit to Claude. For custom workflows, explore the API.
Before you get started
Does it measure retention?
No. It measures views against the channel's normal. Retention lives in your own YouTube Studio.
Does it work for faceless story channels?
Yes. The outlier signal works the same with or without a face on camera.
What is YouTube intelligence for narrative creators?
It means checking which story premises already pull viewers before you commit weeks to production.
Which paid plans include the tools on this page?
Hobby starts at $49 a month with 100 credits. Pro is $99 with 500 credits and adds Competitor Studio, MCP and API access. Max is $399 with 2,000 credits and adds niche-wide sponsor research and on-demand updates. Annual billing is available.
Do I need Claude to use OutlierKit?
No. You can research in the OutlierKit app. The optional MCP connector lets Claude request public channel data, outliers, transcripts and comments. It is included with Pro, Max and an active free trial. Niche mapping and sponsor intelligence stay in Competitor Studio in the app.
What can I try before choosing a plan?
The free trial includes 30 credits with no credit card. Outlier and keyword searches cost 2 credits each; single-channel analysis costs 10. Competitor Studio costs 50 credits per run. Connecting the MCP connector adds 20 credits, so a trial can cover one run. On paid plans it is on Pro and Max. The Title tool costs 2 credits per run. Description & hashtags, Chapters and Script review are also included in the trial.
Can I change or cancel my plan?
Yes. Use your account settings to change or cancel your plan. The change takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. Email hello@outlierkit.com if you need help.
Research a premise for your next story
Free trial · 30 credits · No credit card
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