Last updated on 10th January 2024
In this article we’re going to take a look at 21 of the best YouTube intros.
A YouTube intro is a short introductory clip that plays at the beginning of all of a channel’s videos.
YouTube intros give channels a stronger brand identity, make videos look more professional, and help to maintain a level of consistency.
So let’s jump in and take a look at 21 of the best YouTube intros…
Why you need a YouTube intro
Before YouTube, there was television.
Okay, television still exists but YouTube is much much more popular. According to Think with Google, YouTube reaches more adults during prime time than any cable network does, on mobile alone. The numbers are staggering: YouTube has approximately 122 million daily active users across the world!
But, focusing on TV for a moment, there’s something all TV shows have in common. They have title sequences.
Here’s one you probably recognise:
TV shows have title sequences for a number of reasons. A title sequence establishes the identity of the show, and familiarises viewers with the locations and characters.
On top of that, the music used in title sequences is a great way to mentally prepare people to leave the stresses of the real world behind for a short period and enter the world of the TV show.
A YouTube intro can do the same thing for your channel. A great intro can get your viewers excited for your video. As they start to recognise the music and the visuals, they may even begin to look forward to seeing your intro every time you release a new video.
This helps to generate buzz and build loyalty among your viewers.
So, now that you know why a YouTube intro is so important, let’s get some inspiration from 21 of the best YouTube intros…
21 of the best YouTube intros
1. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is a channel that takes complex scientific topics and ideas, and breaks them down into easy-to-understand animated videos.
According to their YouTube “about” page, they are “a small team who want to make science look beautiful. Because it is beautiful.”
And boy, do they deliver.
Their animations have a beautiful and distinct style, featuring rich colours and fun characters. All of this is introduced to viewers during the intro at the start of every video.
The intro is only around 6-7 seconds long, but in that time we see an erupting volcano, a beautiful forest (featuring lots of Kurzgesagt’s signature bird characters), a futuristic city (more birds), and finally our own planet in Kurzgesagt’s unique style.
This short sequence lets viewers know they’re about to learn something new and different, and that it’s going to be fun!
2. TED
TED is a channel that features powerful talks and performances from some of the world’s leading thinkers.
It’s very similar to Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell in that the main focus of the channel is learning. However, TED branches out from science – covering many topics from technology, to entertainment to mental health awareness.
Every one of their videos starts with this intro which seems to simultaneously show the expanse of the universe and the depth of the ocean.
It begins with a star or a bubble (accompanied by a ‘raindrop’ sound) that then expands and explodes out – almost like a supernova. Bubbles and atoms shoot from the supernova and then the TED logo is revealed.
Whether the theme is space or the ocean here, this intro has great connotations of obtaining and sharing knowledge.
3. Matt Byrom
Matt Byrom – founder and managing director of Wyzowl – has a great YouTube channel (if we do say so ourselves!).
The channel covers useful marketing tips, tricks, and strategies that Matt has used to grow his businesses over the years.
This animated YouTube intro is slick, short, and well branded, using the logo and colours from the Matt Byrom website to create a consistent image.
4. “Worth it” by Buzzfeed
Worth it is a series from the incredibly successful YouTube channel, Buzzfeed. So, of course, you’d expect nothing less than a high production value, pristine footage, and a bespoke intro theme song – and that’s exactly what you get.
Worth it follows three friends as they try three of the same meals at three different price points to find out which one is the most “worth it”.
Their intro is a fun, high energy montage of footage from their previous episodes. This, paired with the theme song, works to get viewers excited for the upcoming video.
5. Good Mythical Morning
Good Mythical Morning is a long-running YouTube show that features presenters Rhett & Link as they explore new products and trends, conduct crazy experiments, and eat even crazier things.
Their YouTube intro is weird, wonderful, and peppered with Easter eggs and inside jokes for their fans.
6. The Try Guys
The Try Guys are a group of friends that make fun videos of them trying various different things for the first time, such as hugging cows, baking without recipes, or eating spicy noodles.
Their YouTube intro is fast-paced, with a still image of each guy appearing on screen for just one second (followed by all four of them appearing on screen together).
These images are timed perfectly to upbeat pop music and showcase each of the Try Guys’ different personalities.
7. CrashCourse
CrashCourse creates high quality educational videos that cover a range of scientific topics.
The intro for their CrashCourse physics series takes viewers on an amazing animated journey through the history of physics, from the apple that fell on Newton’s head to the Large Hadron Collider.
Animation is a great option for creating a fun and unique YouTube intro because if you can dream it, you can animate it!
CrashCourse probably couldn’t get footage of the real Large Hadron Collider for their intro, for both practical and financial reasons, but with animation it’s no problem!
8. Sophie Michelle ASMR
ASMR is a bit of a YouTube phenomenon. It stands for ‘autonomous sensory meridian response’ and is described as a tingling sensation that induces relaxation.
There are 2.3 million Google searches for ASMR every month and, as such, there are many professional ASMR YouTube channels out there, like Sophie Michelle ASMR.
This intro is perfect for the ASMR genre. It’s calm, slow-moving, and quiet. And the dark, muted tones of the logo also add to the relaxing atmosphere this intro creates as it prepares viewers to unwind.
9. Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution is exactly what it sounds like – a YouTube channel all about dog training!
The intro for Zak George’s videos is really well done and almost feels like a TV title sequence.
Not only does the intro tell you everything you need to know – introducing Zak, his puppy Inertia, and what the series is all about – it also gives you a glimpse of what you’re going to learn throughout the video with an impressive montage.
The end of the intro is particularly impressive with the use of some professional drone shots.
10. Mady Morrison
Mady Morrison is a German fitness channel that specialises in yoga videos.
Similar to the ASMR example above, this short 5 second intro is perfect for its genre. The music, the fast-paced footage of Mady doing different exercises, and the text “are you ready?” all work in conjunction to get viewers pumped and ready to work out.
11. CinemaSins
CinemaSins is a satirical movie review channel. Each video breaks down a movie and counts out the number of “sins” the movie makes (in other words, everything the movie does wrong).
The CinemaSins YouTube intro perfectly matches the content of the channel. It’s very grand and “movie-like”, with dramatic music and lighting.
It also tells viewers everything they need to know about the video in just a few words: Everything wrong with [movie]. Spoilers, duh.
12. Safiya Nygaard
Safiya Nygaard is a wildly popular beauty and lifestyle channel, with almost 10 million subscribers.
The intros for this channel are quick, simple, and easy for fans to remember and recognise. Each intro is slightly different depending on the subject matter of the video.
For example, the above video is called “I Made Lipstick From Scratch” and the last frame of the intro shows text and emojis that relate to this.
Changing the final frame of each intro is a nice touch and also a way to keep the intros current and personalised.
13. WIRED autocomplete interview
WIRED is the YouTube channel of WIRED magazine. You may have seen one of their autocomplete interviews because they get millions and millions of views!
The concept of the autocomplete interview is simple. Celebrities are given the Google autocomplete results for questions about themselves, and then they answer them in real time.
The intros of these interviews are given by the celebrities themselves and have taken on a life of their own because so many celebrities have fluffed their lines, like in the video above.
14. Eddie Hall
Eddie Hall is a former winner of the World’s Strongest Man competition, and his YouTube channel documents his life beyond the event, including fitness challenges and collaborations with other strongmen and celebrities.
His hilarious animated YouTube intro features many references to pop culture. For starters, he’s sitting in The Simpsons’ kitchen, and then he kills Marvel super villain Thanos with one fist.
The intro ends with him squeezing a YouTube subscribe button out from between his pecs! Pretty weird, pretty different, but definitely memorable.
15. 74 Gear
74 Gear is the YouTube channel of pilot Kelsey. Pilot Kelsey makes videos all about aviation, from reacting to different landings to debunking flying myths.
This short yet effective intro features a nice montage of shots and aviation iconography that directly relates to the subject matter of the videos and will appeal to potential viewers of the channel.
16. Yuya
Animation strikes again! This beautiful 2D animated intro by Yuya, one of YouTube’s most popular beauty vloggers, creates a warm atmosphere that almost seems to hark back to simpler times – with the projector slide transitions and subtle sounds of a record being scratched.
The soft colours and intricate touches, such as the steam rising from her tea or musical notes floating from the record player, make this intro feel like it’s really welcoming viewers to the channel.
17. “Map men” by Jay Foreman
“Map Men” is a YouTube series by Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones that covers the interesting, strange, and sometimes unbelievable history of the world’s maps.
The videos in this series are both educational and silly, and the silliness is showcased right out of the gate with their YouTube intro.
With editing that looks like it’s from the early 2000s and a self-written, self-recorded theme song, the Map Men intro is so bad, it’s good.
18. Animal Watch
Animal Watch is a weekly wildlife show that covers stories about dogs, wolves, animal conservation, and more.
The channel is hosted by Anneka Svenska, who has a history in presenting wildlife documentaries on TV and it’s clear she brings this background to her YouTube channel.
The intro feels very similar to the titles of a TV show or documentary, featuring a montage of nature clips and ending on the recognisable channel’s logo.
19. Gerald Undone
Gerald Undone is a channel that provides tech support videos for creatives. Videos range from gadget reviews to in-depth tutorials.
Now, that all may seem kind of dry. But, as you can see from the fun intro, this channel is far from dry.
This short, snappy (and kind of random!) intro is on-brand with the Gerald Undone channel and allows him to showcase his personality.
20. Chris Ramsey
Chris Ramsey makes long-form videos that show him solving the world’s most interesting and complex puzzles.
His intros do an amazing job of generating a buzz and getting people excited to watch the video. And they are visually flawless. The one above feels like the start of a high-budget movie.
Each of Chris Ramsey’s intros are bespoke, based on the puzzle that he’s solving that day. And because of this they do a great job of hooking viewers and grabbing their attention from the start.
21. “The Breakdown” by GQ
“The Breakdown” is a series by GQ that features real-life people reviewing their jobs as represented on screen, for example a Navy SEAL breaking down combat scenes from movies or an ER doctor breaking down movie injuries.
The intros for these videos are slick and on-brand for GQ. The way the kinetic typography moves around the screen is really impressive, and as an additional touch each intro is slightly different (depending on the subject matter), giving every video its own identity.
Final thoughts
A great YouTube intro can really elevate your videos and your channel as a whole. And, as this list shows, you can take your intro in whatever direction you want. There’s really no wrong way to do it!
Ready to create an amazing YouTube intro? Check out our article: 16 Best Intro Maker Tools.
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