Sometimes a 10-second Snapchat video just isn't enough time to get your point across. That's where YouTube comes in. The massive platform has launched the careers of social media legends like Lilly Singh and Tyler Oakley, but even your fave stars from Nickelodeon and Disney Channel can be found on YouTube.
In between killin' it on the big and small screens, these actors and actresses find time to run their own YouTube channels for thousands of subscribers. That certainly deserves a thumbs-up!
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Ashley Tisdale
The High School Musical and Suite Life star has been going strong on YouTube for 10 years now. She started out vlogging about all things HSM, but now she's moved on to posting Q&A sessions and covers like the one above.
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Drake Bell
Bell's music career is thriving on YouTube, where he typically posts original songs and music videos. But last month, Drake Parker — his Drake & Josh character — crashed the channel with a somber video. "Walter, my dad, is missing," he said. "I don't know what's going on. We don't know where he is. I've called Josh, I've called Megan."
This started the social media frenzy #WheresWalter to find Mr. Nichols. He's still lost at the moment, but fans and cast members are doing their best to locate him. [Note: Nickelodeon and MTV News are both owned by Viacom.]
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Devon Werkheiser
Ned Bigby of Ned's Declassified School Guide grew up and started his own life survival guide in the form of a web series. In the past year, he's covered topics like body image, spirituality, FOMO, and more. Watch his first episode above and find out what Survival Guide tip he used in real life.
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Jennette McCurdy
McCurdy just launched her channel last month, so there's not much there yet. In her intro above, she promises to fill it with her directing, producing, and writing work. Her most recent video tackles her 2017 resolution: completing the 21 Early Days Challenge, which requires you to wake up every workday at 4:30 a.m. Godspeed, girl.
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Alyson Stoner
After hosting Mike's Super Short Show, Stoner busted a move in Missy Elliott's iconic "Work It" music video. Now her YouTube is chock-full of original music and dance tutorials, plus the Missy tribute above. Basically, Stoner was the original Maddie Ziegler.
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Jamie Lynn Spears
Zoey BrooksSpears hosts sporadic Q&A sessions on her channel. Her new country music also lives there for your listening pleasure. Watch an acoustic performance of her latest single, "Sleepover" — not to be confused with big sister Britney's "Slumber Party" — above. -
Max Schneider
Zander from How to Rock continues his rocking on YouTube, where his music really took off. He now goes by MAX and has more than 1 million subscribers. He's collaborated with Hoodie Allen, fellow Nickelodeon alums Victoria Justice and Leon Thomas III, and plenty more. His latest record, Hell's Kitchen Angel, was released last April.
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Daniella Monet
The Victorious alum has a little bit of everything on her channel: recipes, makeup tutorials, vlogs, and Snapchat Stories that deserve more than 24 hours. Her focus is definitely on cooking, however. She's a total foodie and loves sharing her fave vegan recipes, as she's been vegan for more than a decade.
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Carlos PenaVega
The Big Time Rush star manages a joint channel with his wife, Alexa PenaVega of Spy Kids. They vlog all about their lives together, though their more recent videos focus on something especially exciting: Alexa's pregnancy! They welcomed their baby son, Ocean King, to the world last month.
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James Maslow
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Kel Mitchell
Years after All That and Kenan & Kel, Kel Mitchell is still making your stomach hurt from laughing too much. His channel is home to standup comedy and two episodes of his short-lived web series, "The R&B Kicked Outz." He hasn't updated it in a while, possibly because he's too busy chugging (diet!) orange soda somewhere.
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Lisa Foiles
All That's Foiles also took her talents to YouTube. She posts a variety of videos, but fans will especially love her scoop on what went down behind the scenes of Nickelodeon's hit sketch comedy. She uploads new clips practically every week, so there's always something new to check out.
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Ashley Argota
Argota, best known for her role on True Jackson, VP, quit her old YouTube last year to start fresh with a new one. So far, she's posted covers of songs by Tove Lo, Shawn Mendes, and Halsey. It's worth noting that two of those artists got their big break thanks in part to social media — Mendes on Vine, Halsey on Tumblr — so who knows what the future holds!