Most channels die because the operator picked the wrong niche on instinct and discovered the math six months later. Scoring a niche before you commit is the single highest-leverage 30 minutes in a portfolio operator's week.
The Niche Scorer is the free public tool VideoCue uses to evaluate any niche on five dimensions - search volume, monetization, competition, evergreen-ness, and personal fit. Below: what each dimension measures and how to read the score.
The five dimensions
Search volume. How many people are actively searching for content in this space, monthly. Below 10k, you're fishing in a puddle.
Monetization. RPM (revenue per mille) ceiling for the niche. Finance and B2B SaaS top out near $30 CPM; gaming-let's-plays bottom out near $2. The niche caps your channel.
Competition. How many established channels already own the space, weighted by recency. A niche with 50 dormant channels is more enterable than one with 5 active ones.
Evergreen-ness. Do videos published 2 years ago still earn views today? Or does every video peak at 7 days and die? Evergreen niches compound; trending niches treadmill.
Personal fit. Can YOU make 100 videos in this niche without hating yourself? The most-honest number on the score card.
Reading the score
Each dimension scores 0-10. Niches that score below 25/50 total are red-flag bad. 25-35 is workable with a strong wedge. 35+ is rare and worth pursuing.
Bring it to VideoCue
Use the Niche Scorer (free) before you spin up a new channel. Then promote winning niches into a Project, attach a Source Pack, and start filling the Topic Queue.