Dalston beat master

The word YouTube instantly conjures up images of lo-fi virals, grainy music videos and pirated films recorded by Handycam-­touting bedroom geeks.

Most of us are guilty of wasting time browsing mind-numbing video clips on the site and then sending them round to distract friends.

But there is a more ­productive side to the site, which is encouraging enterprising young creatives to use it as a platform for their work and a source of income.

Touting your artistic wares through sites such as YouTube is ­nothing new. But translating a viral buzz into cash is a relatively fresh concept.

Since 2008, YouTube’s Partner ­Programme has boosted the number of video bloggers to the site ­worldwide – 20 hours of video is ­uploaded to YouTube every minute.

It’s a simple scheme: “­vloggers” (video bloggers) upload their videos to YouTube in return for a share of the revenue from the ­ads that run against them.

London is the vlogging capital of the UK, with 6.3m of the total 20.8m UK YouTube users residing in the capital.

There’s also a growing elite of YouTube stars who, armed with a loyal following of subscribers, who get instant updates every time they upload, are cashing in on their virtual fame.

From style gurus doling out beauty tips to aspiring comedians, sci-fi rockers, and eco warriors all promoting their missions, there’s a whole range of ­talented types who are earning money.

Here’s our guide to ­London’s top 10 YouTube hotshots.

The pop sensation

Name: Mia Rose

Age: 22

Subscribers: 207,751

Vlogging debut: Mia uploaded her first video, of her singing in her bedroom, in ­December 2006. In less than three weeks, she had 30,000 subscribers and is one of the most popular musical acts on YouTube today.

Cashing in: It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Mia. She initially signed to hip hop mogul Ryan Leslie’s NextSelection label and released two singles, Hold Me Now and Hot Boy, neither of which charted. Today, she’s with Portuguese label Cherry Entertainment.

Tip for the top: “Do what you love. I’ve been singing since I was six and have never stopped.”

200,000 subscribers. Mia Rose is one of YouTube's biggest success stories. Born in Wimbledon, her videos generated huge interest from the outset. She is now living in New York and pursuing her music career while signed to major label and with a hard-hitting agent.

The female funny girl

Name: Paperlilies, aka Bryony Matthewman

Age: 25

Subscribers: 54,433

Vlogging debut: Freelance graphic designer ­Bryony started uploading comic sketches in May 2006. She was soon a global hit thanks to her satirical humour and funny impressions of celebs such as Britney Spears (below).

Cashing in: Bryony carefully selects which products and TV shows to promote on her vlogs. She’s found fame as a YouTube pundit on ­programmes such as E4’s Rude Tube and has made a short documentary for BBC Three called Bryony Makes A Zombie Movie.

Top tip: “Identify a niche and work hard at it.”

The sci-fi rocker

Name: Nerimon, aka Alex Day

Age: 20 Subscribers: 55,587

Vlogging debut: Alex first popped up for fun in August 2006. But he got serious once he ­realised more than 1,000 people had started watching his videos.

Cashing in: He uses his web fame to promote his TROCK (Time Lord Rock) band Chameleon Circuit, whose debut album can be bought on iTunes for £7.90.

Top tip: “Be yourself and chat to the camera like it’s a mate.”

52,000 subs. Is working with other YouTubers on a new genre of music called Trock (Time Lord Rock), inspired by Doctor Who. His dedication to YouTube saw him fly to Sydney to be part of the YouTube Australia launch party.

The beauty expert

Name: Lollipop26, aka Laura Farrant

Age: 29

Subscribers: 44,699

Vlogging debut: Laura’s rise to web fame began in October 2006, when she stumbled across a make-up tutorial video by American beauty expert, Amy04, and was inspired to create her own.

Cashing in: Laura reviews plenty of products and has been approached by brands to plug their items. She also does quite well in the freebie department, with companies sending her everything from “bucket loads of make-up” to free festival tickets.

Top tip: “Have the confidence to get started. At first, I just used the camera on my MacBook.”

The style guru

Name: WhatStyleIsToNickel, aka Richie Nickel

Age: 19

Subscribers: 31,213

Vlogging debut: Richie took his ­particular brand of style tips and ­fashionista etiquette online in June 2008.

Cashing in: This beauty-mad boy claims to make about £500 a month from ad ­revenue. He’s been ­approached by beauty companies and fashion labels to talk about promoting products and is swamped with freebies.

Top tip: “Keep it simple.”

The Russell Brand-alike

Name: Ben Loka

Age: 26

Subscribers: 24,341

Vlogging debut: This Hare Krishna-loving comic first logged on back in March 2007. Since then, he’s been ­giving witty insights into everything from being a sexy vegetarian to life ­inside a Krishna temple (yes, really).

Cashing in: Ben hit the big time appearing in the ­Confused.com ads. The YouTube community has accused him of selling out, but he claims he was being sarcastic in the advert. Ben’s also ­using his web fame to ­promote his music and is recording an ­album of his spacey, ­indie dirge.

Top tip: “Be yourself, try to do something a bit ­different, and keep your videos as short as possible!”

23,000 subs. A little like a young Russell Brand minus the West Ham fixation. Predominately comedy/observational videos.

Eco yuppies

Name: Giving It a Go, aka Colin Munro and his housemates

Age: 29

Subscribers: 783

Vlogging debut: Colin and his two housemates started their vlog, giving tips on sustainable living, in May 2007.

Cashing in: Ad revenue aside, the group has scored mainly by gaining support for their eco mission and saving on food bills through growing their own veg.

Top tip: “If you’ve got an idea just give it a go. We knew nothing about gardening when we started out.”

The odd job man

Name: Terry the Odd Job Man, aka Jody Kamali

Age: 26

Subscribers: 368

Vlogging debut: Jody created Bristol handyman Terry in October 2007. His DIY adventures in ­London as he struggles to make £8,000 and get his own TV show were an ­instant hit. Episodes such as My ­Girlfriend Left Me For A Gay Man racked up nearly 8,000 views.

Cashing in: Terry/Jody doesn’t have the largest number of subscribers, but he’s had plenty of press ­attention. He’s appeared on BBC Three’s Upstaged, ­performed on the London stand-up ­circuit and is filming a self-funded DVD called Terry’s Guide To Bristol.

Top tip: “Just plonk a camera in front of you and say what you want. YouTube has a freedom that TV doesn’t – it ­captures the 18-35-year-old demographic that industry is desperately chasing. It’s ­really worked for me.”

Dalston beat master

Name: NSG Music, aka Nutyas Surya Gumilang

Age: 23

Subscribers: 6,901

Vlogging debut: Producer and rapper NSG started ­uploading clips of himself making music in the studio in June 2006.

Cashing in: He’s been ­recruited to make music for ­computer games (listen out for his beats on DJ Hero, out in the autumn), has an ­album out on iTunes and even had a vlog played to world leaders at this year’s World ­Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Top tip: “Take your time learning to express yourself and just have fun.”

6,500 subs. Dalston's finest danceteer, currently promoting his Bear Attack album while dancing up and down Brick Lane.

The jokey bloke

Name: Smivadee,

aka Matt Smith

Age: 23

Subscribers: 4,237

Vlogging debut: This London YouTube fave first brought his brand of open, emotional humour to the site in 2006. His witty ­musings on music, film, football and the oddities of life quickly earned him a sizeable following.

Cashing in: Jobless before vlogging, Matt is considering a career in presenting, having produced a football video for Nike and interviewed big-name ­players such as ­Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. ­Despite a few offers to do stand-up, he’s not sure he wants to go down that route.

Top tip: “Enjoy your work!”