🎯How to Group YouTube Channels by Topic (Gaming, Cooking, Study, and More)

Picking the right number of folders

A reasonable starting point is a small number of broad folders rather than many narrow ones. Too few and the folders barely separate anything; too many and you stop opening the ones you never use.

Start broad and split a folder only when it gets too crowded to scan. That keeps your folder list manageable.

Template 1 — The Gaming setup

Gaming viewers often follow a wide mix of creators across genres and formats. A topic-only split usually is not enough; mixing format and intent works better.

• Daily Plays — creators you watch every upload from.
• Reviews & News — gaming journalism, patch breakdowns, release coverage.
• Esports — pro highlights, tournament VODs, analysis.
• Guides — tutorials, build orders, walkthroughs.
• Background — long Let's Plays you put on while doing other things.

Template 2 — The Cooking setup

Cooking viewers typically subscribe across very different cuisines and skill levels. Splitting by use-case keeps recipes findable when you actually want them.

• Weeknight — quick, low-effort recipes for after work.
• Weekend Projects — bread, slow cooks, anything that takes hours.
• Baking & Pastry — sweets, doughs, desserts.
• Cuisines — Japanese, Italian, Mexican, etc. (split when one fills up).
• Technique — knife skills, stocks, fermentation, fundamentals.

Template 3 — The Study setup

If you use YouTube as a learning platform, mixing study channels with entertainment is the fastest way to lose focus. A clean split helps.

• Currently Learning — your active topic. Rotate as you finish a course or book.
• Reference — channels you go back to when you need a refresher.
• Lectures — university channels, conference talks, full courses.
• Study With Me — body-doubling and ambient channels for focus sessions.

Template 4 — The News setup

News on YouTube spans wildly different formats — daily reports, deep analysis, interviews. Group by tempo, not topic.

• Daily — short, must-watch updates.
• Deep Dives — long-form analysis, documentaries.
• Interviews — podcasts, long conversations.
• Local / Niche — region- or industry-specific channels.

Template 5 — The Music setup

• New Releases — labels and artists who post new tracks.
• Live & Sessions — concerts, Tiny Desk, KEXP-style sets.
• Mixes — DJ sets, lo-fi streams, hour-long mixes.
• Music Theory & Production — educational music channels.

Building your own template

If none of the above fits, the framework is simple: list your most-watched channels from the last month, then group them by what need they serve. Need-based folders (Learn, Relax, Stay Informed, Background) often work well when your viewing spans many topics.

Once your folders are set up

Topic folders alone make a huge difference, but if you find yourself wanting more granularity inside a single folder, that is the right time to enable subfolders. For the broader strategy, see the complete guide to organizing YouTube subscriptions.