2025 YouTube Benchmark Report
Learn how brands are reaching and retaining audiences on YouTube in 2025.
Download the Benchmarks
YouTube remains a powerful channel for driving deep engagement and long-form storytelling. As audience behavior shifts between On-Demand videos and Shorts, understanding what’s performing well (and why) is essential for shaping the right content strategy. This report outlines how brands are capturing attention and building lasting momentum on the platform.
Key Takeaways: 2025 YouTube Benchmark Report
On-Demand video views rise, Shorts decline. Average views per post are up +121% for On-Demand video and down -20% for Shorts compared to six months ago.
Users are watching longer. Average watch time per video has increased from 64% to 86%, with retention at 99% for Shorts and 65% for On-Demand.
On-Demand drives reach, Shorts drive engagement. On-Demand videos generate nearly six times more views than Shorts. While Shorts see fewer views, they drive significantly more likes, comments, and shares.
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Average YouTube Performance Across All Industries
The average brand on YouTube has a sizable audience and maintains a consistent publishing rhythm, posting six videos per week. While subscriber counts are high, per-post engagement remains relatively modest. Brands that prioritize quality content and audience alignment are more likely to turn reach into real engagement.
Download the full YouTube benchmark report to access the Monthly Follower Growth, Percentage Viewed and Video Views Per Post, all broken down by brand size.
Average YouTube Performance By Industry
YouTube performance looks different across industries, with major variations in audience size, posting cadence, and interaction. Media brands lead on volume, posting an average of 22 videos per week and earning the highest comment count. Meanwhile, CPG brands generate strong engagement per post with a slower cadence, showing that impact can look different depending on content strategy and industry.
Download the full YouTube benchmark report to access the above metrics and more.
Top Brands on YouTube by Shorts Video Views
These brands earned the highest average views within our sample. Their success highlights how consistency and recognizable formats are helping creators stand out in YouTube’s short-form and On-Demand feeds.
Burger King fuels YouTube viewership with timely and relevant videos, from pop culture tie-ins to humorous limited-time menu reveals in its Shorts. The brand’s bold visuals and playful campaign style makes its content stand out.
LANEIGE US keeps YouTube viewers engaged with fast, purposeful edits of product textures with major ASMR vibes, while its On-Demand videos have more of an educational approach.
Dash Social pulled a sample of global companies across TikTok (n=970), Instagram (n=2,967), and YouTube (n=630) analyzing their activity between January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 to determine average performance against a predetermined set of KPIs. These benchmarks include organic, boosted and promoted content but exclude paid ads. They apply to handles with at least 1K followers, covering both customers and non-customers.
