ChatGPT answers, unedited

Yes. For an art/creative YouTube channel, I’d look at these tools because they cover slightly different parts of the workflow:

For what you described

vidIQ is probably the closest match if you want one system to examine competing channels, research keywords, identify successful/outlier videos, and generate title/metadata ideas. Its competitor tools can surface top-performing videos, while its keyword tools provide demand/competition signals. vidiq.comvidiq.com

ViewStats is particularly interesting if your biggest problem is "What should my thumbnail look like?" It focuses heavily on outlier discovery, thumbnail research, and a library of observed thumbnail A/B tests. It can be useful for studying patterns among successful art/tutorial channels rather than simply generating generic thumbnails. vidiq.com

TubeBuddy is useful if you want to go from research → metadata → testing. Its workflow includes Keyword Explorer, SEO tools, thumbnail analysis, and testing capabilities. vidiq.com

A workflow I'd use for an art channel

1. ViewStats: Find 20–30 high-performing videos from comparable art channels.
2. Look for recurring thumbnail patterns: subject size, background contrast, color palette, text/no-text, before/after presentation, finished artwork closeups, etc.
3. vidIQ: Analyze the titles and keywords associated with those videos and identify related search terms.
4. Generate several title/thumbnail concepts rather than copying competitors.
5. YouTube Studio: Test your actual packaging and use your own impressions CTR and watch-time data to determine what resonates with your audience.

That combination is more useful than relying on a tool's generic "SEO score." Competitor data tells you what's happening externally; your own Studio data tells you what works for your viewers. vidiq.comvidiq.com

If you tell me what kind of art channel you have (digital painting, watercolor, drawing tutorials, AI art, painting, illustration, etc.), I can suggest a specific competitor-analysis + thumbnail + keyword stack for that niche.

For an art/YouTube channel, vidIQ is probably the closest match to what you're describing.

• vidiq.com — Strongest all-in-one option. Its competitor tool can compare channels, surface competitors' top videos, and export competitor keywords. It also analyzes titles/thumbnails and provides optimization suggestions. vidIQ vidIQ
• TubeBuddy — Good alternative, particularly if you want more emphasis on testing and managing your existing video library. It includes keyword research, SEO tools, thumbnail features, and A/B testing. vidIQ
• YouTube Studio — Worth using alongside either tool. YouTube provides native title/thumbnail A/B testing for eligible videos, so you can validate whether your new packaging actually performs better rather than relying solely on an SEO score. vidIQ

For your specific use case

I'd use vidIQ like this:

1. Add 5–10 art channels whose audiences overlap with yours.
2. Find their highest-performing/outlier videos.
3. Examine the title + thumbnail combination, rather than copying individual keywords.
4. Look for recurring search terms and topic phrases. vidIQ provides search volume/competition estimates and related keywords. vidIQ Help Center
5. Generate several title/thumbnail concepts for your own artwork.
6. Preview your packaging alongside competing videos before publishing. vidIQ's Thumbnail Preview can show your proposed title/thumbnail alongside competitors or videos for a particular search term. vidIQ Help Center
7. After publishing, use YouTube's A/B testing where available to see which thumbnail/title actually gets better results.

One particularly useful feature for an art channel is that vidIQ can now generate thumbnail concepts from your video or supplied visual assets, while also providing title, description, tag, and keyword suggestions inside the YouTube upload workflow. vidIQ Help Center vidIQ Help Center

If you tell me what kind of art channel you have (digital painting, watercolor, drawing tutorials, AI art, art history, speedpaints, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and the exact workflow I'd use to analyze your competitors.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d look first at vidIQ. It is particularly suited to the workflow you described: competitor research → keywords → titles → thumbnail ideas → metadata.

Best fit: vidiq.com

vidIQ’s competitor tool can track specific channels, surface their top-performing videos, show their titles and thumbnails, and export competitor keywords. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center

It also has tools that can turn that research into recommendations:

• Competitor analysis: identify which videos are performing strongly and examine their titles/thumbnails. vidIQ
• Keyword research: find relevant search terms and assess search volume/competition.
• Title suggestions: generate alternative titles based on your topic and target keyword. vidIQ Help Center
• Thumbnail analysis: evaluate composition, contrast, readability, visual impact, and differentiation from competing thumbnails. vidIQ
• AI thumbnail generation: create concepts based on your video, frames, or references. vidIQ Help Center
• Metadata suggestions: generate/optimize descriptions and tags alongside the title. vidIQ Help Center
• Thumbnail preview: compare how your thumbnail looks alongside competing videos or against specific YouTube searches. vidIQ Help Center

Another option: TubeBuddy

tubebuddy.com is worth considering if you're more interested in testing and optimizing your own channel than deep competitor intelligence. vidIQ's current comparison describes TubeBuddy as emphasizing channel management, testing, and bulk updates, while vidIQ puts more emphasis on competitor research and discovery. vidIQ

One important point for an art channel

Don't optimize purely for keywords. YouTube itself recommends considering whether a title is searchable or intriguing, and evaluating thumbnail/title performance using your actual CTR and audience data. YouTube Analytics can also show what your audience is searching for and what other videos they watch. Google Help Google Help

So I'd use the workflow:

Competitors → identify winning topics → extract recurring keywords → study thumbnail patterns → create your own distinct thumbnail/title → test against your channel's CTR.

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can also suggest a specific competitor-analysis workflow and the keywords/thumbnail patterns I'd look for.

For an art channel, you’ll want a tool that does more than keyword research: it should help you study competitor titles, thumbnail styles, audience hooks, and metadata patterns. These are some of the better options:

My suggested stack for an art channel

1. Use vidIQ for discovery

• Find competitor videos with unusually high views.
• Extract recurring keywords: - “digital painting tutorial”
• “procreate tips”
• “oil painting process”
• “art challenge”
• “beginner mistakes”
• Look for title formulas that repeat.
• Use Younalyse or Contentine for pattern analysis

Study:

• Thumbnail colors and composition
• Whether creators show the finished artwork first
• Whether faces, hands, tools, or before/after comparisons get used
• First 10–30 second hooks
• Common video structures
• Use TubeBuddy for packaging experiments

Test variations such as:

• “I Painted ___ for 30 Days”
• “I Tried ___ So You Don’t Have To”
• “5 Mistakes Every Beginner Artist Makes”
• “Turning a Bad Sketch Into a Finished Illustration”

Thumbnail-specific workflow

Create a spreadsheet of 50 competitor videos and record:

• Thumbnail subject (face / artwork / process / tools)
• Main color palette
• Amount of text (0–5 words is often common)
• Emotional trigger (surprise, curiosity, transformation)
• Title structure
• Views compared with channel size

Then create 3–5 thumbnail variations before publishing.

For an art channel specifically, I would start with vidIQ + TubeBuddy if you want a simpler setup, or vidIQ + Younalyse/Contentine if you want deeper competitor reverse-engineering. Buffer Younalyse

If you tell me your art niche (digital painting, anime, watercolor, AI art, tattoo design, tutorials, etc.) and your platform (YouTube long-form vs Shorts), I can suggest the best tool combination and competitor research workflow.

For an art channel on YouTube, you’ll want a tool that does more than find keywords — ideally it should analyze:

• competitor titles and phrases
• recurring keyword patterns
• thumbnail styles (colors, faces, composition, text)
• videos that outperform a creator’s average
• content gaps and new ideas

Here are the strongest options:

My recommended workflow for an art channel

1. Find winning competitors

• Pick 10–20 channels similar to yours (same art style, audience, skill level).
• Use vidIQ or OutlierKit to identify their top-performing videos. Buffer OutlierKit
• Analyze title patterns

Look for repeated structures:

• “I Tried ___ for 30 Days”
• “Beginner’s Guide to ___”
• “Painting ___ Step by Step”
• “The Mistake Every Artist Makes”
• Study thumbnails manually

Track:

• dominant colors
• amount of text (often 0–4 words works better)
• close-up artwork vs artist face
• before/after comparisons
• strong contrast areas
• Generate improved versions

Use AI tools or your own brainstorming to create:

• 5–10 title variations
• 3 thumbnail concepts
• stronger hooks

If you only want one tool:

• Beginner / budget: vidIQ
• Serious channel growth: OutlierKit + YouTube Studio
• Optimization after publishing: TubeBuddy + YouTube Studio

For an art channel specifically, I’d prioritize thumbnail pattern analysis and outlier videos over tags. YouTube discovery is usually driven more by whether people click and keep watching than by having a perfect keyword list. OutlierKit TubeAnalytics

If you tell me your art niche (digital painting, watercolor, anime, sculpture, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can suggest the best competitor-analysis setup and what metrics to copy.

Yes. For an art/creative YouTube channel, I’d prioritize tools that can study competitors’ titles + keywords + thumbnails + outlier videos, rather than generic SEO software.

My top picks

1. vidiq.com — best overall

• Tracks competitor channels and identifies their top-performing videos.
• Lets you inspect titles, thumbnails, views, engagement, and competitor keywords.
• Keyword research includes search demand, competition, related terms, and rising keywords.
• Its AI tools can help turn that research into title, description, and thumbnail ideas. vidIQ vidIQ
• Best choice if: you want one tool to answer “What are successful art channels doing, and how can I package my next video better?”
• tubebuddy.com — best for testing

• Strong Keyword Explorer and SEO workflow.
• Particularly useful if you want to test different thumbnails/titles and optimize an existing library of videos.
• Its workflow complements YouTube's own thumbnail/title A/B testing. vidIQ
• Best choice if: you already have videos and want to systematically improve their packaging.
• tubeanalytics.net — interesting for deeper strategy

• Focuses more on connecting competitor patterns to your own channel's performance.
• Useful for figuring out why a competitor's video may be outperforming yours rather than simply copying its keywords. TubeAnalytics
• Best choice if: you're getting serious about competitive analysis and want data-driven publishing decisions.

For your particular goal

I'd start with vidIQ.

For example, if your art channel is about digital painting, you could analyze 5–10 competing channels and look for patterns like:

• Titles: “I Painted X in 24 Hours” vs. “How to Paint X”
• Keywords: digital painting, Procreate, concept art, portrait painting, etc.
• Thumbnail composition: face vs. finished artwork, before/after, large text, color contrast
• Outliers: videos getting dramatically more views than that creator's normal videos
• Packaging gaps: topics competitors haven't covered well yet

vidIQ specifically provides competitor top-video analysis and keyword export, making that workflow fairly direct. vidIQ

One important distinction: don't simply copy competitors' titles or tags. The most valuable use is finding patterns and opportunities—then creating a better title/thumbnail combination that fits your artwork and audience.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (e.g. digital painting, watercolor, drawing tutorials, AI art, tattoo art, etc.), I can recommend the best tool and give you a competitor-analysis workflow specifically for that niche.

If your goal is specifically “study competing art channels → find the keywords/titles that work → improve my thumbnails + metadata,” I’d start with vidIQ.

Best options

• vidiq.com — Best overall for your use case.

Its competitor tool can track competing channels, identify their top-performing videos, and export competitor keywords. It also analyzes titles and thumbnails and provides optimization suggestions. vidIQ vidIQ

• tubebuddy.com — Best if you want testing and channel management.

It has keyword research, SEO tools, title generation, thumbnail tools, and stronger A/B-testing/channel-management capabilities than vidIQ. vidIQ

• morningfa.me — Best for simpler SEO guidance.

It focuses more on guided analytics, channel reports, and keyword grading rather than deep competitor/thumbnail intelligence. vidIQ

What I'd use for an art channel

vidIQ + YouTube Studio is probably the strongest combination.

For each competitor, I'd look for:

1. Outlier videos — videos getting dramatically more views than that channel normally gets.
2. Title patterns — e.g. “I Tried X,” “How I Paint X,” “Painting X in 10 Minutes,” “The Mistake Every Artist Makes…”
3. Keyword opportunities — search volume vs. competition, particularly long-tail art terms. vidIQ provides search volume, competition, related terms and keyword scores. vidIQ Help Center vidIQ
4. Thumbnail patterns — subject placement, close-ups, finished artwork vs. process, text/no text, colors and contrast.
5. Title + thumbnail combinations — don't analyze either in isolation. vidIQ's preview can put your proposed thumbnail/title next to competitor videos and even let you select competitors for comparison. vidIQ Help Center
6. Metadata — descriptions, tags and relevant keywords. vidIQ can generate title/description/tag suggestions inside YouTube Studio. vidIQ Help Center

One important point: don't simply copy competitors' keywords or thumbnails. For an art channel, I'd use competitor data to identify patterns and gaps, then make the visual concept distinctly yours.

If you give me your art channel URL plus 3–5 competitor channels, I can also break down what I'd look for in their titles, thumbnails, keywords, and metadata and give you a concrete competitor-analysis framework.

For an art/YouTube channel, I’d look at these tools:

• vidiq.com — best overall for your use case. It can analyze competitor channels, identify high-performing/outlier videos, research keyword demand and competition, and help generate titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnail concepts. vidIQ vidIQ
• viewstats.com — best for studying thumbnails and competitors. Its research workflow emphasizes outlier videos, thumbnail inspiration, competitor monitoring, and observed thumbnail A/B tests. vidIQ
• tubebuddy.com — best if you want SEO/metadata plus testing. Its Keyword Explorer and SEO tools can help with titles, keywords and metadata, while its testing workflow is useful for optimizing packaging. vidIQ
• YouTube Studio — essential and free. YouTube now lets eligible creators A/B test up to three combinations of titles and thumbnails, with the winner determined using watch time. Google Help

What I'd use for an art channel

vidIQ + Viewstats + YouTube Studio is probably the strongest combination.

For example, if you make digital painting tutorials, you could:

1. Put 5–10 competing art channels into vidIQ.
2. Find their videos that dramatically outperform their normal views.
3. Look for recurring keyword patterns in titles: e.g. digital painting tutorial, Procreate portrait, how to paint skin, etc.
4. Use Viewstats to study the thumbnails of those winning videos—composition, subject size, colors, text/no-text, before/after presentation, facial expressions, etc.
5. Create 2–3 substantially different thumbnail concepts rather than copying a competitor.
6. Use YouTube Studio's A/B testing to see which packaging actually wins with your audience.

One important distinction: competitor keyword data can suggest opportunities, but thumbnail performance is much more about packaging than keywords. For an art channel, I'd prioritize outlier videos + thumbnail patterns + title concepts over obsessing about tags.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the best specific tool/workflow and free-vs-paid option for you.

Yes. For an art/painting channel, I’d focus on tools that can do three things: analyze competing videos, uncover keyword opportunities, and improve the title/thumbnail “packaging.”

My top picks

• vidIQ — best overall for competitor research.

It tracks competitors, finds outlier videos, researches keywords, spots rising topics, and generates title/content ideas. Its keyword tools show search volume, competition, trends, and related queries. vidIQ vidIQ
vidiq.com

• TubeBuddy — best for optimizing and testing your actual videos.

Its Keyword Explorer handles keyword/competition research, while its Thumbnail Analyzer evaluates thumbnails and can compare potential thumbnail designs. It also has strong title/thumbnail A/B-testing capabilities. TubeBuddy TubeBuddy
tubebuddy.com

• YouTube Studio — don't overlook this.

YouTube itself now lets eligible creators test up to three titles and thumbnails on a video, and YouTube Analytics can show what your audience is searching for and which other videos they're watching. Google Support YouTube Blog
studio.youtube.com

What I'd use for an art channel

If your goal is something like:

“Find the painting videos competing with mine → identify their successful titles/keywords → figure out what thumbnail styles are working → give me a better title + thumbnail concept.”

I'd start with vidIQ.

For example, if you make watercolor tutorials, you could research competitors around:

• “watercolor landscape tutorial”
• “easy watercolor painting”
• “watercolor for beginners”
• “loose watercolor techniques”
• “how to paint skies in watercolor”

Then look for outlier videos—videos that substantially outperform that creator's normal views. That's often more useful than simply copying the biggest channels.

For the final packaging, I'd use TubeBuddy + YouTube's native testing to test different thumbnail/title combinations rather than assuming an AI-generated thumbnail will perform better.

My recommendation: start with vidIQ's free tools, and only pay for another tool if you find yourself needing deeper thumbnail testing/optimization. vidIQ currently provides keyword data and rising-keyword information directly on its platform. vidIQ

If you tell me what kind of art your channel covers (e.g. watercolor, digital art, acrylic, drawing, oil painting, AI art), I can also give you a competitor-analysis workflow specifically for your niche, including exactly what to look for in their titles, keywords, and thumbnails.

Yes. For an art/illustration YouTube channel, I’d look at these in particular:

My pick for your use case

I'd start with vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

For example, if you make videos like “I painted a fantasy castle in watercolor”, you could use vidIQ to investigate:

• What keywords competitors use around watercolor painting, fantasy art, painting process, etc.
• Which competitor videos are unusually successful relative to that channel's normal performance.
• Recurring words/patterns in successful titles.
• Related and rising search terms.
• Competitor tags/keywords. vidIQ

Then I'd use YouTube Studio to turn that research into your actual title/thumbnail decisions, because your own audience data is ultimately more valuable than copying a competitor's SEO strategy. YouTube specifically recommends looking at videos your audience watches for title and thumbnail inspiration. Google Help

One important distinction: don't optimize an art channel around keywords alone. For visual art, the thumbnail + title combination is often more important than stuffing metadata with tags. YouTube says viewers typically encounter the thumbnail and title first, and recommends keeping thumbnails relatively simple and titles either clearly searchable or curiosity-driven. Google Help

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, anime, portraits, AI art, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the best 2–3 tools and a specific competitor-analysis workflow for your channel.

For an art channel, you’ll want a tool that can do more than keyword research — you need competitor thumbnail pattern analysis, title hooks, search terms, and content gaps. These are some of the strongest options:

For an art channel specifically, I’d use this workflow:

1. Find 10–20 competing art channels

• Digital painting
• Concept art
• Illustration tutorials
• Procreate art
• Speedpaints
• AI art (if relevant)
• Traditional drawing/painting
• Analyze their top 20 videos

Look for:

• Title structures: - “I Tried ___”
• “How I Paint ___”
• “Beginner Mistakes ___”
• “Painting ___ From Memory”
• Thumbnail patterns: - Close-up artwork
• Before/after comparisons
• Face + artwork reaction
• Limited color palettes
• Large readable text (often 1–4 words)
• Use keyword tools to find gaps

Examples:

• “watercolor portrait tutorial”
• “character design process”
• “digital painting workflow”
• “how to paint realistic eyes”
• Generate variations

Example:

• Competitor title: “Painting a Fantasy Castle”
• Better packaging ideas: - “I Painted a Fantasy Castle Using Only 3 Colors”
• “Can I Paint a Fantasy Castle in 1 Hour?”
• “The Mistake Ruining Your Fantasy Landscapes”

My suggested stack for an art creator

• Starting out: vidIQ + YouTube Studio + Canva/Photoshop for thumbnail testing
• Growing channel: vidIQ + ViewStats + TubeBuddy
• AI-heavy workflow: Titles.video or similar AI packaging tools for rapid title/thumbnail experiments

One caution: competitor tools can identify patterns, but they cannot know a competitor’s private click-through rate or exact algorithm advantage. Use them to find repeatable patterns, then test ideas on your own audience. nichebreakout.com

If you tell me your art niche (digital painting, anime, watercolor, tattoo art, AI art, etc.) and your channel size, I can suggest a more targeted competitor-analysis setup.

For an art channel, you’ll want a tool that does more than SEO keywords — you need competitor thumbnail pattern analysis, title formulas, topic discovery, and metadata suggestions. These are the strongest options:

For an art channel specifically, I’d use this workflow:

1. Find 10–20 competing channels

• Digital artists
• Speed painters
• Concept artists
• Illustration tutorials
• Art challenge channels
• AI art creators (if relevant)
• Use vidIQ or ViewStats to study:

• Repeated title structures: - “I Tried ___”
• “How I Draw ___”
• “Beginner Mistakes in ___”
• “Turning _ Into _”
• Keyword clusters: - “digital painting tutorial”
• “character design”
• “Procreate tutorial”
• “painting process”
• Thumbnail patterns: - Close-up artwork
• Before/after comparisons
• Strong color contrast
• Face + artwork reaction
• Large readable text (if used)
• Use an AI thumbnail/title analyzer

Tools like contentine.ai focus on analyzing hooks, thumbnails, pacing, and content structure rather than just metadata. Contentine

My suggested stack by budget

Free/low budget

• YouTube Studio (your own analytics)
• vidIQ free tier
• Social Blade
• Manual competitor spreadsheet

Serious growth

• vidIQ + TubeBuddy
• ViewStats for thumbnail research
• Canva or Photoshop for thumbnail iteration

Advanced creator/research workflow

• vidIQ + OutlierKit + an AI analysis tool

One important note: competitor tools can analyze public signals like titles, thumbnails, views, and upload patterns, but they generally cannot see competitors’ private metrics like retention curves or traffic sources. nichebreakout.com

If you tell me your art niche (e.g., watercolor, anime, digital painting, AI art, tutorials, commissions, speed drawing), I can suggest the best competitor-analysis setup and the exact keywords to track.

For an art channel, you’ll want tools that do more than just SEO—they should analyze competitor titles, keywords, thumbnail patterns, audience demand, and “why this video got clicks.” These are some of the strongest options:

My suggested stack for an art creator

If you are growing from small/medium size:

1. Use vidIQ to study 10–20 successful art channels:

• Which titles repeat?
• Which keywords appear often?
• Which videos outperform the creator’s average?
• What thumbnail styles get clicks? Buffer
• Use ViewStats to find winning formats:

• “I painted ___ every day for 30 days”
• “Beginner vs professional artist”
• “I tried ___ art style”
• “Can I recreate ___?”
• “Fixing my old artwork”
• Use TubeBuddy or YouTube’s own testing tools to experiment with:

• Thumbnail A vs thumbnail B
• Shorter vs curiosity-driven titles
• Different keyword placement vidIQ TubeBuddy

For art thumbnails specifically, analyze competitors for:

• Face/emotion: surprised, focused, proud, frustrated
• Before/after contrast: sketch → final painting
• Color blocking: bright subject against simple background
• Text amount: usually 0–4 words works better than paragraphs
• Visual promise: the viewer should understand the result instantly

A practical workflow:

1. Pick 5 competing art channels.
2. Export their top 50 videos.
3. Sort by views relative to subscriber count.
4. Identify repeated title formulas.
5. Make 5 thumbnail variations before publishing.
6. Review your CTR after upload and iterate.

For most art channels, I’d start with vidIQ + Canva + YouTube Studio, then add TubeBuddy when you have enough uploads to run meaningful tests. vidIQ TubeAnalytics

Yes. For an art/illustration YouTube channel, I’d prioritize tools that can analyze competitors’ actual videos rather than generic SEO tools.

My top picks

1. vidiq.com — best overall for competitor research

• Track specific competing channels.
• See their top-performing videos, titles, thumbnails, views and growth.
• Export competitor keywords.
• Research search volume/competition for keywords.
• Get AI suggestions for titles, descriptions, tags and thumbnails. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center vidIQ Help Center

For your use case, this would be my first choice.

2. studio.youtube.com — essential and free

• YouTube itself provides audience research showing what other videos your viewers watch.
• You can use that to identify competing topics, title patterns and thumbnail styles.
• YouTube also supports title/thumbnail experimentation for eligible creators. Google Support
• As of August 2026, YouTube is gradually replacing the old Inspiration tab with Ask Studio, so I'd focus on the current Studio tools rather than older tutorials about Inspiration. Google Support
• tubebuddy.com — good alternative

• Strong keyword research and SEO workflow.
• Particularly useful if you have a large existing library and want bulk metadata management.
• Its testing workflow is another advantage; YouTube also has native A/B testing for eligible videos. vidIQ

What I'd use for an art channel

I'd actually combine YouTube Studio + vidIQ:

Competitor channels → identify their best-performing art videos → analyze recurring title/keyword patterns → study thumbnail composition → generate several new title/thumbnail concepts → test them against your own analytics.

For example, if your niche is digital painting, you could compare 10–20 channels and look for patterns such as:

• "I Painted..." vs. "How I..." vs. "Painting X in..." titles
• subject-specific keywords like digital portrait, concept art, Procreate, speedpaint
• thumbnail use of finished artwork vs. before/after
• close-up faces vs. full artwork
• text/no text
• color contrast and focal-point placement
• which topics repeatedly generate unusually high views relative to the creator's subscriber count

That last metric is particularly useful: vidIQ's competitor tools can surface high-performing/outlier videos rather than simply telling you which channels are biggest. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center

If you tell me what kind of art channel you have (e.g. watercolor, digital painting, portraits, drawing tutorials, AI art, anime, oil painting), I can recommend a specific competitor-analysis workflow and the exact tools/metrics I'd use to find better titles, keywords, and thumbnails.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d look at tools that can analyze competitors’ titles + keywords + thumbnails, rather than relying on a generic SEO tool.

My top picks

1. vidiq.com — best overall for competitor research

• Track specific competing channels.
• See their top-performing videos, titles, thumbnails, and upload patterns.
• Export keywords competitors are using.
• Keyword research includes estimated search volume, competition, related terms, and trends.
• Its AI can also generate title/description ideas and thumbnail concepts. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center vidIQ

For your use case: I'd start here if you want to answer “What are successful art channels doing that I could adapt?”

2. tubebuddy.com — best for packaging/testing

• Competitor analysis and keyword research.
• Compare competitors' tags and metadata.
• Thumbnail Analyzer evaluates thumbnails and gives an AI-based predictive score.
• Click Magnet helps improve titles/thumbnails for CTR.
• SEO Studio helps optimize titles, descriptions and tags. TubeBuddy TubeBuddy TubeBuddy

For your use case: particularly interesting if you're serious about improving the thumbnail + title combination, not just finding keywords.

3. ViewStats — useful for finding “outlier” art videos

• Good as a second research tool for discovering videos that are dramatically outperforming a channel's normal performance.
• That can reveal unusual thumbnail/title concepts worth studying rather than simply copying the biggest channels.

What I'd use for an art channel

I'd actually use a 2-tool workflow:

vidIQ → competitor/topic/keyword research
↓
TubeBuddy → thumbnail/title optimization and testing
↓
YouTube Studio → measure the actual CTR and watch-time result

That's because competitor data can tell you what appears to be working, but your own YouTube data tells you whether it actually works for your audience. TubeBuddy and vidIQ serve somewhat different purposes: vidIQ emphasizes research and competitor discovery, while TubeBuddy puts more emphasis on testing and channel-management workflows. vidIQ

For example, if you make digital painting videos, I'd want the software to uncover patterns such as:

• I Painted ___ Every Day for 30 Days
• Can I Paint ___ With Only 3 Colors?
• Turning ___ Into a Fantasy Character
• I Tried Painting Like [Artist]
• keywords such as digital painting tutorial, Procreate painting, character design, concept art, etc.
• which thumbnail compositions repeatedly appear on the videos that substantially outperform the creator's average.

One important caveat: don't optimize around tags alone. YouTube performance ultimately depends heavily on whether the topic, title, and thumbnail generate clicks and then satisfy viewers. TubeBuddy itself describes ranking as involving factors including CTR, watch time, retention, relevance and viewer satisfaction. TubeBuddy

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (e.g. watercolor, digital painting, drawing tutorials, AI art, acrylics, portraits, anime, etc.), I can recommend the best tool + exact competitor-analysis workflow for your niche.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d focus on tools that can reverse-engineer competitor videos, identify keyword opportunities, and then help you improve the title + thumbnail combination, rather than just generic SEO tools.

My top picks

• vidiq.com — Best overall for your use case.

It combines competitor tracking, keyword research, outlier-video discovery, title ideas, and thumbnail/AI tools. You can look at which videos are outperforming a competitor's normal baseline and use those patterns to generate ideas for your own channel. vidIQ Buffer
I'd start here.

• tubebuddy.com — Best if you want to test your packaging.

It has keyword/SEO research, competitor research, a Thumbnail Analyzer, and stronger experimentation tools. It's particularly useful once you have several thumbnail/title concepts and want to test what actually improves performance. vidIQ Monitor YT

• viewstats.com — Best for studying what's already winning.

I'd use it alongside vidIQ to find outlier videos in competing art channels—videos that dramatically outperform that channel's typical performance—and then study their titles, thumbnails, topics and timing. TubeAnalytics

• studio.youtube.com — Don't overlook the free option.

YouTube itself provides audience research and, for eligible creators, title/thumbnail testing. YouTube specifically recommends looking at videos your audience watches when developing title and thumbnail ideas. Google Help Google Help

What I'd use for an art channel

vidIQ → ViewStats → YouTube Studio

For example, suppose you make watercolor tutorials. I'd research 5–10 competing channels and look for patterns such as:

Competitor: "I Painted a Rainy Paris Street in Watercolor"
Outlier: 4× the channel's typical views
Thumbnail: finished painting + strong before/after contrast
Keyword cluster: watercolor, Paris, rainy street, painting tutorial
Your variation: "I Tried Painting PARIS in the Rain — Watercolor Tutorial"

The goal isn't to copy their title or thumbnail. It's to identify the packaging pattern that repeatedly wins and adapt it to your own artwork.

One important distinction: keywords alone aren't enough. YouTube says titles can work either by being searchable or by creating curiosity, and thumbnail/title performance should ultimately be evaluated through impressions and CTR in context. Google Help Google Help

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, AI art, acrylics, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can recommend the best 2–3 tools specifically for that niche and give you a competitor-analysis workflow you can use for every upload.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d start with vidIQ. It’s unusually well matched to what you’re asking for: competitor research + keyword discovery + title optimization + thumbnail analysis.

My top picks

1. vidiq.com — best overall

• Track specific competitor channels and see their top-performing videos, titles, thumbnails, and growth patterns. vidIQ
• Research keywords using search volume, competition, related terms, and rising searches. vidIQ Help Center
• Generate/improve titles and get thumbnail feedback based on things like composition, contrast, readability, and emotional impact. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• Its current tools can also suggest descriptions, tags, and metadata directly inside YouTube Studio. vidIQ Help Center

For your use case: 9/10.

2. tubebuddy.com — best if you want testing

• Strong keyword/SEO tools and competitor research.
• Particularly useful if you want to experiment with different titles/thumbnails and manage metadata across an existing library.
• Compared with vidIQ, TubeBuddy is more focused on channel management and testing, while vidIQ puts more emphasis on research and discovery. vidIQ

For your use case: 8/10.

3. viewstats.com — excellent for studying what actually goes viral

• I'd use this alongside vidIQ if you're serious about competitor analysis.
• It's particularly useful for finding outlier videos—videos that dramatically outperform a channel's normal performance—and studying their packaging.
• That can be especially valuable for an art channel because you can identify recurring thumbnail/title patterns rather than simply copying the biggest channels.

What I'd actually use for an art channel

I'd use vidIQ + YouTube Studio, rather than trying to optimize everything around "SEO."

For each video, I'd research:

Competitors → Outlier videos → Title patterns → Thumbnail patterns → Keywords → Your version

For example, if you're making a video about watercolor landscapes, you could have vidIQ identify competing videos around:

• "watercolor landscape tutorial"
• "easy watercolor painting"
• "watercolor sunset"
• "watercolor techniques"
• "painting a landscape"
• "watercolor for beginners"

Then look at which competitor videos substantially outperform their channel averages. That's more useful than simply finding videos with lots of views.

I'd pay particular attention to the relationship between title and thumbnail. For art content, a thumbnail showing the finished painting plus a compelling visual transformation can often be more important than stuffing additional keywords into the title.

One interesting current feature: vidIQ now lets AI assistants access its real-time YouTube intelligence through its MCP integration, including competitor channels, videos, titles, thumbnails, trends, and creator analytics. vidIQ Help Center

If you tell me what kind of art your channel covers (digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, watercolor, portraits, etc.), I can recommend the best tool/workflow specifically for that niche and show you exactly how I'd analyze 5–10 competing channels.

One interesting current feature: vidIQ now lets AI assistants access its real-time YouTube intelligence through its MCP integration, including competitor channels, videos, titles, thumbnails, trends, and creator analytics.

Yes. For an art YouTube channel, I’d focus on tools that can analyze winning competitor videos, then turn those patterns into better titles, keywords, and thumbnail concepts.

My top picks

• vidiq.com — best all-around choice.

It combines competitor research, keyword demand/competition, rising keywords, title ideas, and AI optimization. Its keyword tools specifically show estimated search volume, competition, trends, and related queries. vidIQ vidIQ
Best for: figuring out what people are searching for and how to package your art videos.

• viewstats.com — best for studying competitors' thumbnails.

It's particularly useful for finding outlier videos—videos that substantially outperform a channel's usual results—and researching thumbnail patterns. It also has a library of observed thumbnail A/B tests from other channels. vidIQ
Best for: “What thumbnails are actually working in my art niche?”

• tubebuddy.com — best for optimization/testing.

It has keyword/SEO tools, metadata workflows, and testing features. It's especially useful once you've chosen a topic and want to optimize the actual upload. vidIQ
Best for: titles, descriptions, tags, and testing variations.

• YouTube Studio — don't overlook it.

YouTube now lets eligible creators test up to three titles and thumbnails on a video, making it the most important place to validate whether your new packaging actually wins. Google Help YouTube Blog

What I'd use for an art channel

If you're trying to grow rather than just do SEO, I'd use:

ViewStats → vidIQ → YouTube Studio

For example, if you're making a video called “I Painted a Portrait Using Only 3 Colors”, I'd use ViewStats to find successful art videos and inspect their thumbnail composition, facial expressions, text/no-text choices, colors, and visual hook. Then use vidIQ to research related searches such as limited color palette painting, 3 color portrait, portrait painting tutorial, etc., and generate stronger title variations. Finally, test your best title/thumbnail combinations in YouTube Studio.

If you only want to pay for one: I'd start with vidIQ because it covers the largest portion of your specific request—competitor research + keywords + titles + optimization. If thumbnail strategy is your biggest weakness, I'd lean toward ViewStats instead. vidIQ

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, watercolor, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the best specific tool + workflow for your channel, including which features are worth paying for.

Yes. For an art/YouTube channel, I’d narrow it down to a few tools rather than buying a generic SEO suite.

My top picks

• vidiq.com — best overall for competitor research + keywords

• Tracks competitors and identifies their high-performing/outlier videos.
• Keyword research includes estimated demand, competition, trends, and related queries.
• Can help generate titles and thumbnail concepts.
• Particularly useful if you want to answer: “What art topics are working for channels like mine, and how can I package my version?” vidIQ vidIQ
• tubebuddy.com — best for optimizing/testing your actual uploads

• Strong keyword/SEO workflow.
• Competitor comparison and thumbnail tools.
• Particularly attractive if you want to test different thumbnails/titles rather than simply analyze competitors. TubeBuddy vidIQ
• studio.youtube.com — essential free companion

• Gives you the authoritative data for your own CTR, impressions, watch time, and audience behavior.
• YouTube's thumbnail-impression reports let you see how impressions translate into views and watch time. Google Help
• OutlierKit / similar outlier-research tools — worth considering for serious competitor research

• Their main advantage is finding videos that dramatically outperform a channel's normal baseline, which is often more useful than simply looking at a competitor's most-viewed videos. OverseerOS

What I'd use for an art channel

If your goal is specifically:

Competitor titles → keywords → thumbnail patterns → better title/thumbnail suggestions

I'd start with vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

The workflow I'd use is:

1. Put 5–10 competing art channels into vidIQ.
2. Find their outlier videos rather than just their biggest videos.
3. Group the winning videos by subject: e.g. watercolor landscape, portrait painting, acrylic tutorial, sketchbook, digital art, art challenge.
4. Analyze recurring title structures and keywords.
5. Analyze thumbnail patterns: subject size, background, color contrast, text/no text, before/after, finished artwork vs. process shot.
6. Create 3–5 original title/thumbnail combinations for your video.
7. Publish and use YouTube Studio's CTR/impressions data to determine which packaging actually works for your audience.

One important caveat: don't optimize solely for keywords. For an art channel, visual packaging and curiosity can matter enormously. A competitor may rank for “watercolor painting tutorial,” but a thumbnail showing a dramatic finished painting plus a compelling transformation can outperform a technically perfect SEO title.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel covers (painting, drawing, digital art, tutorials, AI art, watercolor, etc.), I can recommend the best 2–3 tools specifically for that niche and give you a competitor-analysis workflow you can use on your next 10 videos.

Yes. For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d prioritize tools that can analyze competitor titles + keywords + winning thumbnails, rather than generic social-media analytics.

My top picks

• vidiq.com — best all-around choice.

It can track competitors, identify their top-performing videos, expose competitor keywords, and provide title/content ideas. Its competitor tool specifically lets you examine titles, thumbnails, views, upload timing, and keyword data. vidIQ vidIQ
Best for: “My competitor made a successful watercolor video—what title, keywords, and packaging could I use for my version?”

• viewstats.com — best for studying winning thumbnails.

It's particularly useful for finding outlier videos and examining thumbnail patterns. It also catalogs thumbnail tests from other channels, which can be valuable for understanding what visual packaging is working. vidIQ
Best for: “Show me what thumbnails are working in the art niche.”

• tubebuddy.com — best for optimization/testing.

Stronger if you want to take your research and actually optimize titles, metadata and thumbnails, including A/B testing workflows. vidIQ TubeAnalytics
Best for: “I've got three possible thumbnails/titles—which one should I test?”

• studio.youtube.com — don't overlook the free option.

It gives you the most important data about your own channel and supports YouTube's native thumbnail/title testing for eligible videos. It won't give you the same competitor intelligence as the tools above, though. vidIQ

What I'd use for your art channel

I'd actually combine vidIQ + ViewStats + YouTube Studio:

Competitor videos → ViewStats → identify winning thumbnail/title patterns → vidIQ → research keywords and generate alternatives → YouTube Studio → test your versions.

For example, instead of simply copying a competitor's:

“Easy Watercolor Landscape Tutorial”

you could discover that videos around “loose watercolor,” “beginner landscape,” “5-minute painting,” etc. are outperforming the channel's baseline, then have vidIQ help develop several title/keyword combinations while using ViewStats to study the visual conventions of their successful thumbnails.

The important thing is to reverse-engineer patterns rather than copy individual videos.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (watercolor, digital art, acrylic, drawing, painting tutorials, AI art, etc.), I can recommend the best tool + exact workflow for analyzing 5–10 of your competitors, including what thumbnail/title/keyword data to extract.

For an art YouTube channel, I’d narrow it down to these:

1. vidiq.com — best overall for your use case.

It can analyze competitor content, research keywords with search-volume/competition estimates, suggest titles, evaluate thumbnails, and generate metadata. Its current tools specifically include competitor insights and AI thumbnail/title optimization. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center vidIQ

2. tubebuddy.com — best if you want testing.

Its Keyword Explorer analyzes competition and search demand, while its Thumbnail Analyzer evaluates thumbnails. It also has A/B testing so you can test different titles/thumbnails against your actual audience rather than relying entirely on predictions. TubeBuddy TubeBuddy

3. Morningfame — good for simpler, guided SEO.

It's more focused on channel-relative analytics and keyword strategy, rather than giving you as broad a suite of AI thumbnail/competitor tools as vidIQ. vidIQ

What I'd choose for an art channel

Start with vidIQ. It fits particularly well if your workflow is:

Find successful art channels → identify recurring titles/topics/keywords → find underserved keywords → generate stronger title ideas → improve thumbnail concept → optimize description/tags.

One important caveat: don't simply copy competitors' thumbnails or titles. Use their successful patterns—subject, composition, emotional hook, curiosity gap, color contrast, wording—and create your own version.

For example, instead of copying a competitor's title like:

“I Painted a Portrait Using ONLY 3 Colors”

you could use the underlying concept to develop:

“Can I Paint a Realistic Portrait With Just 3 Colors?”

That's where these tools become much more useful than simply copying competitor metadata.

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital painting, watercolor, acrylic, drawing, portraits, AI art, etc.), I can also recommend the best tool + exact competitor-analysis workflow for that niche.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d narrow it to two main choices:

1. vidiq.com — best overall for competitor research

This is probably the best fit for what you described. Its Competitors tool lets you compare your channel with competitors and surface their top-performing videos, including sorting by views, views/hour, and publishing period. vidIQ Help Center

It also provides:

• Keyword research with search-volume and competition estimates. vidIQ Help Center
• Competitor and keyword overlays directly on YouTube.
• AI suggestions for titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails. vidIQ
• Competitor research that can help identify patterns in successful titles and thumbnails. vidIQ Help Center

For an art channel: You could enter several channels in your specific niche—digital painting, watercolor, concept art, drawing tutorials, speedpaints, etc.—and look for recurring combinations of subject + keyword + title style + thumbnail concept.

2. tubebuddy.com — best if thumbnails/A-B testing matter most

TubeBuddy has a particularly strong combination of SEO + thumbnail optimization. Its tools include Keyword Explorer, competitor analysis, SEO Studio, a Thumbnail Analyzer, and thumbnail A/B testing. TubeBuddy TubeBuddy

Its Thumbnail Analyzer uses AI to evaluate thumbnails, while its A/B testing can compare different thumbnail variants based on actual performance. TubeBuddy

My recommendation

One important point: don't optimize an art channel purely around SEO. For art content, the thumbnail/title concept can matter enormously—for example, showing the dramatic transformation from sketch → finished painting may be more compelling than stuffing the title with keywords.

Also, YouTube itself now has a native Test & Compare feature that can compare up to three thumbnails, so you don't necessarily need a third-party tool just for thumbnail testing. support.google.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (e.g. watercolor, digital painting, AI art, portraits, tutorials, traditional drawing), I can recommend the best tool + exact competitor-analysis workflow for that niche.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d narrow it to three tools:

• vidiq.com — best overall for competitor research + keywords. It can surface competitor patterns, outlier videos, keyword demand/competition, related queries, and rising keywords. Its research-oriented workflow is particularly useful for figuring out why similar art videos are getting attention and adapting the topic/title strategy. vidIQ vidIQ
• tubebuddy.com — best for thumbnail/title optimization. Its Keyword Explorer provides competition and search-related data, while its Thumbnail Analyzer can compare thumbnails and provide AI-based analysis. It also has A/B testing capabilities, which is valuable for actually learning which packaging works on your audience. TubeBuddy
• YouTube Studio — don't overlook the free option. YouTube's own Inspiration tools can suggest titles and thumbnails based on related content, while Analytics can show what videos your audience watches and what they're searching for. Google Help Google Help

What I'd choose for an art channel

If your main problem is “What are my competitors doing that I should learn from?” → vidIQ.

If your main problem is “How do I make my thumbnails/titles more clickable?” → TubeBuddy.

If you want the strongest workflow → use vidIQ + YouTube Studio, then use TubeBuddy if you want serious thumbnail/title testing.

One important caveat: don't simply copy competitors' keywords. For art, I'd look for patterns such as:

subject + emotion + transformation + curiosity

For example, instead of a generic title like “Watercolor Landscape Painting Tutorial”, research whether your competitors are succeeding with concepts such as “I Tried Painting a Storm in Watercolor”, “This One Watercolor Mistake Ruined Everything”, or “Can I Paint This Landscape in 30 Minutes?”

Then make the thumbnail communicate the visual payoff rather than repeating the title.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, acrylic, drawing, AI art, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the best specific tool + workflow for analyzing 5–10 competing channels.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d focus less on generic SEO tools and more on tools that can identify outlier videos, title patterns, keywords, and thumbnail/packaging patterns among channels similar to yours.

My top picks

• vidiq.com — best all-around choice.

Strong for competitor tracking, keyword research, trends, outlier videos, and AI-assisted title/content ideas. It’s particularly useful if you want to study what competitors are doing and turn that into your own video ideas. vidIQ TubeAnalytics

• tubebuddy.com — best for optimization/testing.

Good for keyword research, metadata/SEO, title and thumbnail analysis, and testing different packaging. Its advantage is what happens after you've generated ideas: you can optimize and test them rather than just copying competitor patterns. vidIQ TubeSpanner

• outlierkit.com — interesting if competitor research is your main goal.

It emphasizes finding videos that dramatically outperform a channel's normal performance, which is much more useful than simply looking at a competitor's most-viewed videos. That can reveal unusual art topics, hooks, titles, and formats worth investigating. UTubeKit

• viewstats.com — good for seeing what's actually winning.

Particularly useful for competitor/outlier research and studying successful video trends and packaging. TubeAnalytics

What I'd use for an art channel

If your goal is:

“Show me what successful art channels are doing, find gaps, then tell me how to make my title + thumbnail more clickable.”

I'd start with vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

The workflow would be:

1. Put 5–10 successful art competitors into vidIQ.
2. Find their outlier videos rather than simply their highest-viewed videos.
3. Look for recurring title structures: - “I Tried ___”
4. “I Painted ___ Every Day for 30 Days”
5. “Can I Paint ___?”
6. “The Problem With ___”
7. “I Turned ___ Into Art”
8. Research the keywords around those topics.
9. Study the thumbnails for recurring visual patterns: face/no face, finished artwork size, text/no text, color contrast, before/after, extreme close-up, etc.
10. Generate several distinct title + thumbnail concepts rather than one “optimized” version.
11. Test the strongest candidates on your own videos.

YouTube itself now supports testing up to three titles, thumbnails, or combinations of both on eligible long-form videos, with the winner determined by watch time. Google Help

One important caveat: competitor tools can tell you what correlates with success, but they can't reliably tell you that a particular thumbnail will perform better for your audience. Your own A/B tests are the final arbiter.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, traditional painting, drawing, AI art, watercolor, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and a competitor-analysis workflow specifically for your niche.

For an art channel (painting, digital art, illustration, tutorials, speedpaints, process videos), you’ll want tools that analyze competitor titles, keywords, thumbnails, and “why this video won” patterns rather than just generic SEO.

Here are the strongest options:

My recommended setup for an art channel

If you are under ~10k subscribers

Use:

1. vidIQ → find what art videos are already winning
2. TubeBuddy → refine titles, tags, and thumbnails
3. YouTube Studio → test thumbnails/titles with your actual audience data

For competitor analysis, study:

• Title formulas - “I Painted ___ Every Day for 30 Days”
• “Turning a ___ Into a Realistic Painting”
• “Beginner vs Professional Artist”
• “I Tried ___ Art Style”
• Thumbnail patterns - Close-up artwork
• Before/after comparisons
• Strong color contrast
• Face/emotion if you appear on camera
• A single focal object instead of a cluttered canvas
• Keyword clusters - “digital painting tutorial”
• “procreate art tutorial”
• “watercolor techniques”
• “character design process”
• “concept art workflow”
• “painting challenge”

For an art creator specifically, I’d start with vidIQ + TubeBuddy together: vidIQ is stronger for discovering competitor patterns and ideas, while TubeBuddy is stronger for upload optimization and testing. vidIQ vidIQ

If you tell me your art niche (digital painting, anime, watercolor, portraits, AI art, tutorials, etc.) and your channel size, I can suggest a more targeted tool stack and competitor-analysis workflow.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d look at these first:

• vidiq.com — Best overall for competitor + keyword research. It can compare competitors, identify their top-performing videos, surface titles/thumbnails, export competitor keywords, and provide keyword volume/competition/trend data. vidIQ vidIQ

Best if: you want the software to tell you what topics/keywords to target and how competitors are packaging them.

• tubebuddy.com — Best for optimizing and testing your own packaging. Its strengths include keyword research, SEO optimization, thumbnail analysis, and title/thumbnail testing. vidIQ

Best if: you already have ideas and want to systematically improve CTR.

• ViewStats — Best for studying winning videos/outliers. It's particularly useful for seeing which videos dramatically outperform a channel's normal baseline, then examining their titles and thumbnails for patterns. TubeAnalytics

Best if: your question is “What kinds of art videos are actually breaking out?”

What I'd use for an art channel

If you're trying to improve titles + keywords + thumbnails simultaneously, I'd start with vidIQ. Its competitor tools specifically expose competitor top videos, titles, thumbnails and keywords, while its keyword tools provide search-volume, competition and trend information. vidIQ vidIQ

Then I'd use YouTube Studio's own A/B testing to validate the thumbnails/titles on your actual audience rather than trusting a tool's predicted score. YouTube now supports testing up to three titles and thumbnails on eligible videos. vidIQ

For example, if your art channel is about digital painting, I'd have the workflow analyze 10–20 competing channels and look for:

1. Recurring keywords — e.g. “digital painting tutorial,” “Procreate portrait,” “paint like…”
2. Outlier topics — videos getting dramatically more views than that creator normally gets.
3. Title structures — curiosity vs. tutorial vs. challenge vs. transformation.
4. Thumbnail patterns — finished artwork, before/after, close-up detail, face/reaction, text/no text, color schemes.
5. Content gaps — topics competitors aren't covering well.
6. Your opportunity — generate several title/thumbnail concepts that use the successful pattern without copying the competitor.

My pick: vidIQ first, TubeBuddy second if you want serious A/B testing, and ViewStats if competitor/outlier research is your main priority. vidIQ TubeAnalytics

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (painting, digital art, drawing, photography, AI art, etc.), I can also recommend the best specific tool + workflow for your niche, including which competitor metrics to pay attention to.

If your goal is specifically “analyze competing art channels → find winning keywords/titles → suggest stronger thumbnails and metadata,” I’d start with vidIQ.

My top picks

1. vidIQ — best match for what you described

vidIQ Competitor Analysis

It can track competitors, identify their top-performing videos, compare views/growth, analyze their titles and thumbnails, and export competitor keywords. vidiq.com

Its optimization tools also evaluate titles, thumbnails, keywords, descriptions and tags, and generate alternative titles and thumbnail concepts. vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

For an art channel, I'd use it to find patterns such as:

• “watercolor painting” vs. “watercolor tutorial”
• portrait/landscape/fantasy keywords
• recurring title structures among successful artists
• which competitor videos are unusually successful relative to that channel's normal views
• thumbnail styles/color schemes that repeatedly appear on high-performing videos
• keyword combinations with high search volume but lower competition

vidIQ's keyword tool specifically provides search-volume/competition information and related/matching keywords. support.vidiq.com

2. TubeBuddy — particularly good if you want testing

TubeBuddy

I'd put TubeBuddy second. Its strength is more in channel management, SEO workflow and testing, whereas vidIQ currently puts more emphasis on competitor research and discovering winning content. vidiq.com

3. YouTube Studio — don't overlook the free option

YouTube Studio

YouTube itself gives you valuable audience/search information. Its Audience tab can show other videos your viewers watched, which can be extremely useful for finding the actual thumbnail/title patterns your audience responds to. YouTube also recommends keeping titles concise and putting important words toward the beginning. support.google.com

What I'd do for an art channel

I'd actually combine YouTube Studio + vidIQ rather than rely entirely on an SEO score.

Workflow:

1. Put 5–10 competing art channels into vidIQ.
2. Sort their videos by views, views/hour and recent performance.
3. Pull out the titles and thumbnails of their biggest outliers.
4. Identify recurring subjects + keywords + title structures.
5. Run those subjects through vidIQ's keyword research.
6. Generate 5–10 title variations.
7. Create 3–4 genuinely different thumbnail concepts—not just color variations.
8. Use YouTube's own analytics/A/B testing where available to determine what actually wins with your audience.

One important caveat: don't optimize purely for keywords. For art content, the thumbnail and title's promise often matter more than stuffing metadata with tags. vidIQ's current own optimization system, for example, weights title and thumbnail much more heavily than description and tags. vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, AI art, acrylic, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the best specific software/workflow and the competitor channels I'd analyze.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d focus on tools that can analyze competitor videos + titles + keywords + thumbnails, rather than generic social-media analytics.

My top picks

What I'd use for your art channel

If you want one tool: I'd start with vidIQ.

Its current feature set is particularly suited to your question because it combines keyword research, competitor tracking, outlier discovery, trends, and AI-assisted titles/thumbnails. vidIQ

But if thumbnail optimization is your biggest concern, I'd lean toward:

vidIQ → research competitors/keywords → TubeBuddy or YouTube Studio → test your thumbnails/titles.

YouTube itself now has native A/B testing for eligible videos, while TubeBuddy adds its own testing workflow. vidIQ

For an art channel specifically

I'd analyze competitors for things like:

• Subject: portrait, landscape, digital painting, watercolor, etc.
• Viewer intent: tutorial vs. inspiration vs. challenge vs. process
• Title structure: "I Painted...", "How to...", "The Secret to...", etc.
• Keywords: digital painting tutorial, Procreate portrait, oil painting techniques, etc.
• Thumbnail composition: finished artwork vs. before/after vs. artist + artwork
• Color/style: which thumbnail visual patterns repeat among high-performing videos
• Outliers: videos getting dramatically more views than that creator's normal baseline
• Content gaps: topics competitors aren't covering well

The important distinction is that high view count alone isn't enough. You want to find videos that overperform relative to that competitor's normal channel performance. That's where outlier/competitor tools become especially valuable. TubeAnalytics UTubeKit

My recommendation: start with vidIQ, and don't pay for several tools immediately. If you tell me what kind of art you make (e.g. watercolor, digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints), I can also recommend the best tool + exact competitor-analysis workflow for your niche.

Its current feature set is particularly suited to your question because it combines keyword research, competitor tracking, outlier discovery, trends, and AI-assisted titles/thumbnails. vidIQ

But if thumbnail optimization is your biggest concern, I'd lean toward:

vidIQ → research competitors/keywords → TubeBuddy or YouTube Studio → test your thumbnails/titles.

YouTube itself now has native A/B testing for eligible videos, while TubeBuddy adds its own testing workflow.

For an art channel specifically

I'd analyze competitors for things like:

For an art YouTube channel, I’d narrow it down to these:

My pick for your use case

I'd start with vidIQ if your main question is:

“What are successful art channels ranking for, and how can I make my title/keywords better?”

Its keyword research provides search volume, competition, related terms, questions, and rising keywords, while its optimization tools specifically evaluate titles, thumbnails, descriptions, and SEO. vidiq.com

Choose TubeBuddy instead if your priority is:

“Show me what my competitors are doing and help me test different thumbnails.”

Its competitor tool can benchmark against multiple competing channels, while its thumbnail tools and A/B testing are particularly useful for improving CTR. www.tubebuddy.com

One important caveat: don't blindly copy competitors' tags or titles. For art, I'd use competitor analysis to identify patterns—subject matter, title structures, color/contrast, composition, emotional hooks, and recurring search phrases—then build something distinctive around your own artwork.

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can also tell you which tool/plan is most worth paying for and how I'd use it to analyze 5–10 competing channels.

Yes. For an art/visual YouTube channel, I’d narrow it down to these:

My pick: vidIQ

For what you're describing, vidIQ is probably the closest match. Its current tools can analyze competitors, research keywords using search volume/competition, score titles, and provide AI thumbnail suggestions. support.vidiq.com

For example, you could research 10 successful art channels and look for patterns such as:

• Titles: I Tried Painting Like ___, The Secret to..., I Painted...
• Keywords: watercolor, acrylic painting, digital art, oil painting, plein air, etc.
• Thumbnail patterns: close-up artwork vs. artist + artwork, bright backgrounds, before/after, large text/no text
• Outlier videos: videos getting dramatically more views than the channel normally gets
• Content gaps: subjects/styles competitors aren't covering
• Packaging combinations: which title + thumbnail concept repeatedly appears on successful videos

vidIQ also integrates its optimization tools directly into YouTube Studio, including title, description, tag and thumbnail suggestions. support.vidiq.com

I'd actually use a 2-tool setup

vidIQ + ViewStats would be particularly useful for an art channel:

ViewStats → discover what's winning
vidIQ → figure out why it might work and optimize your version

If you're serious about thumbnails, I'd also consider TubeBuddy, because its workflow emphasizes testing titles/thumbnails rather than simply giving you an optimization score. www.learningrevolution.net

One important caveat: don't blindly copy competitors' keywords or thumbnails. The goal is to identify patterns—especially why viewers click—and then translate those patterns into your own artistic identity.

If you tell me what kind of art channel you have (painting, digital art, drawing, AI art, tutorials, art history, etc.), I can recommend the best specific tool + workflow for analyzing your 5–10 biggest competitors, including exactly what metrics to look at.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d look at three layers rather than relying on one tool:

What I'd use for an art channel

vidIQ + YouTube Studio is probably the best starting combination.

For example, suppose you make watercolor tutorials. You could use vidIQ to investigate competitors and discover patterns such as:

• "watercolor landscape tutorial"
• "easy watercolor painting"
• "watercolor mistakes"
• "I tried painting ___"
• specific subjects that repeatedly outperform the channels' averages

Then look at the top-performing videos, not merely the videos with the most views. Examine the relationship between:

subject → title promise → thumbnail image → apparent emotional hook

YouTube itself recommends using the Audience/Analytics data to see what other videos your viewers watch, and its Inspiration tools can generate title and thumbnail ideas based on related content. support.google.comsupport.google.com

One important distinction

Don't let a tool convince you that "SEO score = good video."

For an art channel, I'd optimize in this order:

1. Thumbnail concept → 2. Title/curiosity → 3. Topic demand → 4. Keywords/metadata

A beautiful thumbnail with a strong visual idea can outperform a heavily keyword-optimized title. YouTube notes that viewers generally encounter the thumbnail and title first, and recommends keeping thumbnails relatively simple and titles either clearly searchable or curiosity-driven. support.google.comsupport.google.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel covers (painting, digital art, drawing, AI art, tutorials, art history, etc.), I can recommend the best 2–3 tools specifically for your niche and show you a competitor-analysis workflow for finding better titles, keywords, and thumbnail concepts.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d start with vidIQ, then optionally pair it with ViewStats or TubeBuddy.

What I'd use for an art channel

1. vidIQ → research competitors + keywords

Give it 5–10 art channels you consider competitors. Look for:

• Titles that repeatedly outperform the channel's normal views
• Recurring keywords: acrylic painting, watercolor tutorial, digital art, sketchbook, procreate, etc.
• Search volume vs. competition
• Title structures that create curiosity
• Thumbnail patterns that recur among successful videos

vidIQ specifically provides competitor research, keyword scores, related keywords, title recommendations, descriptions, tags, and thumbnail tools. support.vidiq.com

2. ViewStats → find the "why did THIS video blow up?" videos

This is especially valuable for art because you can identify visual patterns such as:

finished artwork + dramatic transformation
unusual color palette
recognizable artist/style
before → after
"I tried X"
extreme challenge
large close-up of artwork

Then compare those patterns across several competitors rather than copying one thumbnail.

3. TubeBuddy → test your packaging

Once you've made a video, test different thumbnail/title combinations rather than assuming the highest-scoring SEO title will get the most clicks.

One important distinction

Don't optimize an art channel only for keywords.

For many art videos, the bigger opportunity is packaging: the combination of thumbnail + title + concept. A keyword like "acrylic painting tutorial" may be useful for search, but a title such as "I Tried Painting With ONLY 3 Colors" can create much stronger curiosity if the thumbnail makes the challenge immediately understandable.

So my preferred stack would be:

vidIQ → discover keywords/competitors → ViewStats → study winning thumbnails → YouTube Studio → measure CTR/retention → TubeBuddy → A/B test

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (painting, drawing, digital art, mixed media, AI art, tutorials, etc.), I can also tell you exactly what competitor metrics and thumbnail patterns I'd analyze for that niche.

Yes. For an art channel, I’d look at three tools in particular, because they cover slightly different parts of the job:

My pick for your use case: vidIQ + ViewStats

vidIQ is probably the best starting point if you want the software to help answer “What are other art channels doing that I could do better?” It provides competitor research, keyword data, trend discovery, outlier videos, and AI-assisted title/content ideas. www.previral.ai

ViewStats is particularly useful for the visual side: finding competitor videos that dramatically outperform that channel's normal results and studying their titles/thumbnails. Recent comparisons specifically identify it as a strong tool for outlier and thumbnail research. www.tubeanalytics.net

Then use TubeBuddy when you actually publish. Its strength is optimization and experimentation, including thumbnail/title A/B testing and metadata workflows. www.tubeanalytics.netwww.overseeros.com

For an art channel, I'd use this workflow

1. Find 10–20 competing art channels in your exact niche.
2. Use vidIQ/ViewStats to identify their unusually successful videos.
3. Look for repeated patterns in:
   • title wording
   • subject matter
   • keywords
   • thumbnail composition
   • colors
   • facial expressions/emotion
   • amount of text
   • before/after or transformation imagery
4. Build your own title around the same audience demand, rather than copying the competitor's wording.
5. Create 2–3 genuinely different thumbnail concepts.
6. A/B test the strongest variants with TubeBuddy or YouTube's own testing functionality.
7. Feed the resulting CTR/watch-time data back into your next round.

One important caveat: no tool can reliably tell you “this thumbnail will get X% CTR.” Thumbnail analyzers can identify obvious visual problems, but actual performance depends heavily on the audience, title-thumbnail combination, topic, and competing videos shown alongside yours. www.overseeros.com

If you tell me what kind of art channel you have (digital painting, drawing tutorials, watercolor, AI art, painting restoration, art history, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and the exact competitor-analysis workflow I'd use for your channel.

Yes. For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d look at these tools:

What I'd pick for your specific use case

Start with vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

Use vidIQ to study, for example, the 10–20 art channels you consider competitors:

• Which subjects consistently get views
• Repeated keywords in their titles
• Title structures that outperform their normal videos
• Thumbnail patterns
• Topics where smaller channels are getting disproportionate views
• Related search terms and content ideas

Then use YouTube Studio for the information that matters most: how your audience actually responds. YouTube specifically recommends using its Research/Audience tools to see what viewers search for and what other videos they watch. support.google.com

One important caveat: don't optimize primarily around tags. YouTube says your title, thumbnail, and description are more important for discovery, while tags play only a minimal role except for things like common misspellings. support.google.com

For an art channel, I'd therefore optimize the workflow as:

Competitor videos → winning topics → keyword/search intent → title concepts → thumbnail concepts → publish → measure CTR/retention → iterate.

YouTube itself emphasizes that the title and thumbnail are crucial to getting viewers to choose the video, while actual performance depends on whether viewers continue watching and are satisfied. support.google.comsupport.google.com

If you tell me what kind of art you make (digital painting, drawing, watercolor, AI art, tutorials, painting restoration, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and a competitor-analysis workflow specifically for your niche.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d start with vidIQ and TubeBuddy—but they’re strongest in slightly different ways.

My picks

If I were running your art channel

I'd use vidIQ as the main research tool.

For example, suppose you're making a video about watercolor landscapes. You could research competitors and discover that:

• "watercolor painting tutorial" has high competition
• "loose watercolor landscape" has better opportunity
• certain competitor titles repeatedly use formats like "I Tried...", "Paint This With Me", or "5 Mistakes..."
• successful thumbnails consistently use a finished painting + close-up detail + very little text

vidIQ can surface competitor keywords and provide title/thumbnail optimization suggestions directly in YouTube Studio. vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

Then I'd use TubeBuddy to test the actual thumbnail concepts, rather than blindly copying what competitors do. Its Thumbnail Analyzer specifically evaluates designs and supports thumbnail A/B testing. www.tubebuddy.com

One important point: don't optimize purely for keyword density. For art, the title + thumbnail "package" is often more important than stuffing metadata with tags. Even vidIQ's current optimization system puts substantially more weight on title and thumbnail than description/tags. support.vidiq.com

Best overall stack:
vidIQ → competitor/title/keyword research → create 2–4 thumbnail concepts → TubeBuddy → test/compare → YouTube Studio → watch CTR and retention.

If you tell me what kind of art your channel covers (digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, tutorials, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can recommend the cheapest tool/plan combination and a competitor-analysis workflow specifically for your niche.

For an art-focused YouTube channel, I’d start with vidIQ. It’s particularly close to what you’re describing because it combines competitor research, keyword analysis, title suggestions, thumbnail feedback, and metadata optimization.

Best options

1. vidIQ — best all-around choice

• Analyze competitor channels and their successful videos. support.vidiq.com
• Research keywords using search volume and competition estimates. support.vidiq.comwww.tubebuddy.comwww.tubebuddy.comwww.tubebuddy.com
• Get AI suggestions for titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails. support.vidiq.com
• Its thumbnail analysis looks at things like contrast, readability, emotional impact, visual balance, and differentiation from competitors. vidiq.com

2. TubeBuddy — best for thumbnail/CTR experimentation

• Keyword Explorer helps identify high-volume and lower-competition opportunities. www.tubebuddy.com
• Its Thumbnail Analyzer gives AI-based feedback and predictive scoring.
• Its Click Magnet/A-B testing tools are aimed specifically at improving CTR and comparing thumbnail/title variations. www.tubebuddy.com
• It can also inspect competitors' tags and compare them with yours. www.tubebuddy.com

What I'd use for an art channel

If your goal is something like:

“Show me what successful digital-art / painting / drawing channels are doing, identify patterns in their titles and keywords, then tell me how I could make my thumbnail and metadata more compelling.”

I'd choose vidIQ first, because its competitor research + keyword research + AI thumbnail/title workflow is unusually well aligned with that job.

One important caveat: don't treat keyword scores as the whole strategy. For art, thumbnails and the concept of the video often matter more than stuffing keywords into metadata. In fact, vidIQ's current optimization system weights title and thumbnail at 96% of its optimization score, versus only 3.5% combined for description, tags, and posting time. support.vidiq.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing tutorials, AI art, concept art, etc.), I can also recommend a specific competitor-analysis workflow and the best tool stack for that niche.

For an art channel, I’d prioritize competitor intelligence + thumbnail analysis + keyword research, rather than a generic SEO tool.

My top picks

1. vidIQ — best all-in-one choice
   • Lets you track/analyze competitors and identify their top-performing videos. support.vidiq.com
   • Keyword research includes search volume, competition, related terms, questions, and rising keywords. support.vidiq.com
   • Its current tools can suggest titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnail concepts, and score/critique your existing packaging. vidiq.com
   • Particularly useful for answering: “What are successful art channels doing that I could adapt?”

2. TubeBuddy — good alternative
   • Strong on YouTube keyword research, SEO, and thumbnail creation. vidIQ's current comparison also lists competitor analysis among the capabilities being compared. vidiq.com
   • I'd choose it over vidIQ if you mainly want SEO/keyword workflow rather than deeper competitor research.

3. YouTube Studio — essential free baseline
   • Don't overlook your own Analytics. Competitor tools can tell you what they are doing, but your impressions, CTR, retention, traffic sources, and returning viewers tell you what your particular audience responds to.
   • For thumbnails especially, compare your own high-CTR videos against low-CTR ones before copying competitor styles.

What I'd use for an art channel

I'd actually build a workflow like:

Competitor videos → identify outliers → analyze title patterns + keywords → study thumbnail patterns → create 3–5 packaging concepts → test against your own historical CTR.

For example, suppose you make digital painting videos. Instead of simply targeting “digital art tutorial,” you could discover that competitors are getting disproportionate views from concepts such as:

“I Tried Painting ___ in 7 Different Styles”

or

“I Ruined This Painting… Then Fixed It”

The important thing isn't copying the title. It's identifying the repeatable concept, emotional hook, keyword, and visual thumbnail pattern behind the successful videos.

My recommendation: start with vidIQ. Its current feature set is unusually close to exactly what you're asking for: competitor tracking + keyword intelligence + title optimization + thumbnail feedback/generation. vidiq.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing, AI art, acrylics, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can also recommend the best 2–3 tools specifically for that niche and explain what each would analyze for you.

For an art YouTube channel, I’d shortlist these:

1. vidIQ — best all-around choice
   • Analyze competitors and their top-performing videos.
   • Research keywords with search-volume/competition estimates.
   • Generate/improve titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails.
   • Its upload tools can score your title/thumbnail and suggest alternatives. support.vidiq.com
   • Particularly useful if you want one tool covering competitor research → keywords → metadata → thumbnail concepts.

2. Viewstats — best for thumbnail/competitor research
   • Strong emphasis on finding outlier videos and analyzing what is working in a niche.
   • Its Thumbnail Search lets you study high-performing thumbnail styles, while Competitors tracks other channels. www.viewstats.com
   • I'd choose this if your biggest question is “What kinds of thumbnails are getting clicks in art right now?”

3. TubeBuddy — good SEO-focused alternative
   • Keyword research, SEO optimization, thumbnail tools, and title/metadata assistance.
   • It overlaps considerably with vidIQ, so I wouldn't pay for both initially. vidiq.com

What I'd use for an art channel

Start with vidIQ + YouTube Studio. Use vidIQ to identify patterns among competing art channels—e.g. “oil painting tutorial,” “procreate process,” “watercolor landscape,” “drawing challenge,” etc.—then compare:

Competitor video → title structure → keyword → thumbnail composition → views relative to channel size

For thumbnails specifically, I'd add Viewstats if you want deeper competitive thumbnail research. It is designed around identifying successful thumbnail patterns and outlier videos. www.viewstats.com

One important caveat: don't optimize purely for keyword scores. For art channels, the visual promise and curiosity in the thumbnail/title often matter more than stuffing metadata with keywords. Even vidIQ's current optimization system gives title + thumbnail 96% of its optimization score, versus 3.5% combined for description, tags, and posting time. support.vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital art, painting, drawing, AI art, tutorials, speedpaints, etc.), I can recommend the best 2–3 tools and a specific competitor-analysis workflow for your niche.

For an art/creative YouTube channel, I’d narrow it down to two serious options:

1. vidIQ — best overall for competitor research

This is probably my first choice for what you described. vidIQ can:

• Track and compare competitor channels
• Analyze what competitors are doing successfully
• Research YouTube keywords, including search volume, competition, trends, and related terms
• Generate title and description suggestions
• Analyze/recommend thumbnails
• Identify breakout videos and content opportunities support.vidiq.com

A particularly interesting feature in 2026 is vidIQ MCP, which can connect its live YouTube intelligence to AI assistants. It can analyze competitor titles, thumbnails, videos, trends, and channel analytics conversationally. support.vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

For your use case: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. TubeBuddy — best for thumbnail + metadata optimization

TubeBuddy is especially compelling if your priority is "How should I package this video better?"

Its tools include:

• Competitor Analysis — compare your channel with up to 10 competitors and identify videos/content patterns that are working. www.tubebuddy.com
• Keyword Explorer — keyword demand, competition, related keywords and search opportunities. www.tubebuddy.com
• SEO Studio — scores and helps optimize titles, descriptions and tags. www.tubebuddy.com
• Thumbnail Analyzer — gives a predictive thumbnail score and analyzes what viewers are likely to notice. support.tubebuddy.com
• A/B testing for thumbnails/titles, allowing you to test which packaging actually gets more clicks. www.tubebuddy.com

For your use case: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I'd choose for an art channel

My recommendation: start with vidIQ. Its competitor + keyword + content intelligence combination is particularly well suited to figuring out why other art channels are getting views rather than simply copying their tags. support.vidiq.comsupport.vidiq.com

One important caveat: don't optimize purely for keyword scores. YouTube search volume estimates are estimates, and even TubeBuddy explicitly recommends using human judgment and keeping keywords relevant to the actual video. support.tubebuddy.com

If you tell me what kind of art your channel makes (digital painting, watercolor, drawing tutorials, AI art, painting, illustration, etc.), I can also compare vidIQ vs TubeBuddy specifically for that niche and tell you which features are actually worth paying for.