What is a VTuber, and how do you become one in 2025?

Key takeaways

• A Vtuber is a real person behind a digital avatar, blending performance, storytelling, and creativity to connect with audiences through livestreams, games, podcasts, and more.

• Becoming a VTuber involves designing a unique avatar (2D or 3D), using motion capture for animation, and leveraging software tools like Live2D, VSeeFace, and AI voice modifiers.

• In 2025, VTubing success often starts with short-form mobile platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Cross-posting to Discord, X, or Twitch helps build community and drive monetization.

• Aspiring VTubers should be aware of risks like burnout, privacy breaches, platform dependency, and unpredictable income.

Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, have gained popularity in recent years. VTubers create content for their channels using computer-generated avatars. 

Although VTubers are particularly popular in Japan and other Asian countries, the trend is slowly spreading across the world.

So, what exactly is a VTuber? How does VTubing work, and how can you become one in 2025? 

This article explores what a VTuber is, the tools and software, and how to start VTubing in 2025. 

What is a VTuber?

Have you ever scrolled Twitch or YouTube and stumbled upon a virtual anime-style character live streaming, playing games and chatting with viewers? That was a VTuber.

A VTuber is a digital content creator who uses a virtual avatar to produce videos or live content. 

These avatars are often animated in real-time using motion tracking and face capture, creating an online personality. These avatars can look like anime characters, animals, robots or even abstract creatures. 

However, behind every VTuber is a real person, using their voice, expressions and personality to bring the character to life.

But how does an avatar actually copy your movements? 

Motion capture, or mocap, is the technology behind avatars that records a person’s movements using sensors to create realistic animations for virtual characters in games, movies or virtual reality. It converts real-world movement into digital 3D data for more lifelike animation.

Some VTubers are run by professional businesses or agencies, while others are single creators with their own background stories and hand-crafted avatars. 

Whether they’re broadcasting games, selling merchandise, podcasting or just vibing with their audience, VTubers have established a space where technology meets creativity, and it’s growing day by day.

VTuber vs. traditional YouTube content creator

Aren’t VTubers just YouTubers with cool avatars? Well, not exactly. It all comes down to how they show up on screen. While traditional YouTubers appear as themselves, VTubers use animated avatars to represent their online persona, whether a space alien or a talking cat.

The core content and interaction with the audience might be similar. Still, VTubing often leans into storytelling, roleplay and unique esthetics to create a more immersive experience for their fans, making the methods and approaches differ.

Did you know? In 2024, the VTuber market was valued at $2.55 billion; by 2035, it is projected to reach $20.0 billion.

How VTubing works and what tools are needed

As more creators dive into VTubing, the preparation required has also evolved, with a greater emphasis on crafting recognizable and unique characters to stand out in a crowded space. 

Below are the key aspects that make up the process of becoming a VTuber, ensuring your avatar captures attention and engages audiences. 

Virtual avatar

The process of creating a VTuber avatar in 2025 begins with concept development that involves designing the avatar’s appearance, personality and backstory. 

Once the concept is in place, you can move on to creating the 2D or 3D model using specialized software such as Live2D Cubism for 2D models and Blender, Viverse Avatar or Vroid Studio for 3D models.

Choosing between a 2D or 3D avatar depends on your desired level of detail and animation, with 2D offering a more stylized, simpler look and 3D allowing for more dynamic, lifelike movement and depth.

After designing the avatar, the next step is rigging, which involves adding bones and joints to enable movement. This process is done by using rigging software like Live2D or VUP for 2D and tools like VSeeFace for 3D models. These tools allow the virtual avatar to replicate the performer’s movements, making the character blink, talk and gesture in real-time.

To capture and animate the performer’s movements, many VTubers use face-tracking mocap software such as VTube Studio or VSeeFace to track facial expressions. 

Livestreaming and content creation

The VTuber can start creating livestream content once the virtual avatar has been designed and animated. 

Livestreaming on platforms like YouTube and Twitch and gaming streams can be realized using software like OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS.

To edit pre-recorded videos, creators rely on software such as DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro. Additionally, voice changers like…