Cocomelon (/koʊkoʊmɛlən/, stylized as CoComelon) is a children's YouTube channel operated by Candle Media-owned Moonbug Entertainment. The channel specializes in 3D animation videos of traditional nursery rhymes and original children's songs. As of May 2024, Cocomelon is the 3rd most-subscribed and 2nd most-viewed channel on YouTube.

The channel was launched in 2006, and rebranded to Cocomelon in 2018. It has since expanded globally in multiple languages, with spinoff series, a Netflix TV show, merchandising, and special events. It was purchased by Candle Media in 2021 for a reported $3 billion.

Cocomelon's videos, for a core audience of two- to five-year-olds, feature animated children, adults, and animals who interact with each other in daily life. The lyrics appear at the bottom of the screen in the same way on all displays. Formats include standalone music videos, compilations, and livestreams.

The YouTube channel was created in 2006 by Jay Jeon, registered under the name "checkgate", later rebranded to "ABC Kid TV". The channel began by posting educational videos focused on the alphabet. In 2016, it transitioned to 3D animation, with the first 3D video. In 2018, the channel rebranded to Cocomelon, and introduced a recurring cast of characters.

On September 1, 2006, Cocomelon was created on YouTube under the username "checkgate", a month before Google acquired YouTube. According to Jeon, it was initially a hobby with his wife, sharing animations that their own kids enjoyed. Two versions of the alphabet song were uploaded on the first day. A third video was uploaded nine months later, titled "Learning ABC Alphabet – Letter "K" — Kangaroo Game". Most videos on the channel taught the alphabet, with a typical length of between one and two minutes. At the time, the Jeon's were operating ThatsMEOnTV.com, a web-based business where parents could have their child's photo incorporated into an animated educational video program returned on DVD. Video titles on the channel were appended with "from www.ThatsMEonTV.com".

In 2013, the channel rebranded to "ABC Kid TV" and began remastering older videos, followed by a transition from alphabet videos to nursery rhymes. On April 8, 2016, computer animation was introduced, with the first 3D character appearing in a video for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Later in 2016, 3D animation videos became longer, some videos used motion capture technology, and uploads became more frequent. Animation and music production continued to become more sophisticated, and a recurring cast of characters formed before the 2018 rebrand.

In the summer of 2018, the channel rebranded again to Cocomelon, introducing a new intro and outro for all of their videos. The next year, analytics firm SocialBlade estimated Cocomelon's monthly YouTube advertising revenue between $638,000 and $10.2 million; The Wall Street Journal estimated annual ad revenue at $120 million.

In early 2020, Jeon granted his first ever media interview, for a Bloomberg Businessweek profile of the "unassuming mogul" and his business. Jeon, 55 at the time, agreed to the interview on condition of,no photos, and that his wife not be name or discussed, to preserve their privacy. For most its history, he and his wife had run the channel largely on their own, keeping a low profile; even their neighbors didn't know they owned Cocomelon.

In July 2020, Jeon sold his 100%-owned Treasure Studio, Cocomelon's production company with about 20 employees, to Moonbug Entertainment, a British firm specializing in children's content. Jeon had previously avoided expansion, declining investors and sponsors, language translations, sequels, and merchandising.The channel began to increase its reach by securing deals with platforms in South Korea, China, and Europe. By 2021, the channel had expanded its content to include Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, German, and Arabic.

In 2021, Moonbug, owner of other popular YouTube children's channels in addition to Cocomelon, was acquired by Candle Media, founded by former Disney executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs and backed by the Blackstone Group, for a reported $3 billion.

Cocomelon participated in the 2021 Riyadh Season annual festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, collaborating with Spacetoon and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority to present the Cocomelon Town show for three months.

On August 1, 2023, Moonbug was awarded $23.4 million in a copyright violation case against BabyBus, a company based in Fuzhou, China, which was accused of imitating CoComelon videos.

A spinoff series, Nina's Familia, premiered on September 29, 2023, focusing on Latinx culture and bilingual content, The Nina Reyes character first appeared on Cocomelon in 2019. The show follows the Cocomelon format with educational songs and nursery rhymes. Centered around Nina and her Mexican American family, it was designed for both Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking children, and aims to accurately represent Latino culture..

A new original series, Cocomelon Lane, based on the Cocomelon franchise, was released on Netflix on November 17, 2023. The series was described as "a more traditional preschool TV version" of the YouTube channel., narrative- rather than singalong-driven. It was built around a "`social-emotional learning curriculum": milestone moments for preschoolers, and the accompanying feelings. The series introduced for the first time characters speaking directly to the audience.

A spin-off series, Cocomelon Classroom featuring Ms. Appleberry, premiered on September 21, 2024.

After nine years on YouTube, Cocomelon reached 1 million subscribers on May 16, 2016; it reached one billion total views later in the month. The channel grew rapidly following the July 2017 release of "Yes Yes" Bedtime Song, a video in which TomTom has to use stuffed animals to get JJ to prepare for bed; "Yes Yes" became Cocomelon's most-viewed video, with over 1 billion views.

In 2018, a YouTube study by Pew Research Center found that "some 81% of all parents with children age 11 or younger let their child watch videos on YouTube", with 34% indicating on a regular basis. Of the 50 most recommended videos found in the study, 11 were "oriented toward small children". The Cocomelon video titled "Bath Song | + More Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs" was the most recommended video in the research project. (As of September 2020, that video had received over 3.2 billion views on YouTube, making it the 19th-most-viewed video on the site.)

In 2019, Cocomelon had the second-largest YouTube channel subscription gain, with an increase of over 36 million, ending the year on 67.4 million subscribers. Between May and June 2019, it received 2.5 billion total views, averaging 83 million daily viewers worldwide. It "[dwarfed] the turnout for most of the world’s sports leagues, pop stars, and scripted TV." Comparatively, the "major four [American] TV broadcast networks averaged just 13 million viewers daily during the TV season".

After a July 2019 settlement with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), YouTube began implementing major changes to its recommendation algorithm, data collection and ad targeting for children's content. The changes, along with a $170 million fine, followed a complaint to the FTC under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Several children's channels were affected, including Cocomelon, which "dropped from 575 million total views the week before the change, to 436 million the week of,to 307 million the week after, and 282 million the week after that".

On September 2020, Netflix ranked Cocomelon as its third most popular show. On December 12, 2020, Cocomelon became the third YouTube channel to get 100 million subscribers. Following predictions that Cocomelon would surpass PewDiePie in subscriptions, PewDiePie released the diss track, "Coco", in February 2021. YouTube removed the video, citing its harassment and child safety policies (audio of the song remains on Spotify). Cocomelon surpassed PewDiePie in April 2021 to become the second-most-subscribed YouTube channel at the time.

As of September 2024, Cocomelon ranked third in YouTube subscriptions, with approximately 182 million subscribers and just under two billion monthly views.

In 2020, Cocomelon began moving into new product areas, including merchandising, albums and movies. This coincided with the change in YouTube's advertising policies around child-focused content, and the resulting estimated 50-60% revenue loss for the top children's channels.

In February 2020, Cocomelon announced a partnership on a line of toys, including plush dolls and toy vehicles, with manufacturer Jazwares.

In 2022, Cocomelon and Spotify partnered on a podcast, Cocomelon Story Time, Cocomelon’s first spoken-word product. "Storybook classics" are featured in American and British English, Spanish, German, and Brazilian Portuguese. The podcast is available only by subscription to the Spotify Family Plan.

A live tour, Cocomelon Party Time, was launched in the US in June 2023. The interactive event allowed families to "sing, dance and play" with Cocomelon characters, including JJ, YoYo, TomTom, Nina, Cody and Ms. Appleberry. Activities included games like ring toss, coloring and party hat making, a light-up dancefloor, a simulated hot air balloon ride, storytelling, singalong, and photo opportunities. Tickets were required for everyone aged 12 months and older.

In 2020, Treasure Studio added Cocomelon content to Netflix, Roku, and Hulu. The company also delivers music through popular streaming services. Cocomelon programming has aired on Universal Kids since June 21, 2021, and on Cartoonito from January 31, 2022, to February 16, 2024. It has also been broadcast on SAB TV in Pakistan since March 29, 2021, Cartoonito in the United Kingdom from April 4, 2021, GMTV Kids in the UK since June 18, 2021, Tiny Pop in the UK from November 15, 2021, TV5 in the Philippines as part of Moonbug Kids since September 2022, and Gulli in France since November 7, 2022. Additionally, Cocomelon airs on RTÉ Jr Radio in Ireland.

In 2022, Netflix began airing Cocomelon as a Netflix Original.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original release date
Season 6
1	1	"Fun with Family and Friends"	September 5, 2022 (2022-09-05)
Season 7
2	1	"It's Cody Time"	February 15, 2023 (2023-02-15)
3	2	"Happy Days"	February 15, 2023 (2023-02-15)
4	3	"Wild Imagination"	February 15, 2023 (2023-02-15)
Season 8
5	1	"Learning with JJ"	April 10, 2023 (2023-04-10)
Season 9
6	1	"Nina's Familia"	January 15, 2024 (2024-01-15)
7	2	"Learning is Fun"	January 15, 2024 (2024-01-15)
8	3	"Friends and Family Fun"	January 15, 2024 (2024-01-15)
Season 10
9	1	"Pet Adventures"	March 11, 2024 (2024-03-11)
10	2	"CoComelon Music Time"	March 11, 2024 (2024-03-11)
11	3	"Let's Get Outside!"	March 11, 2024 (2024-03-11)
Season 11
12	1	"Cozy Time"	September 16, 2024 (2024-09-16)

Reviewing the TV series, Common Sense Media rated it appropriate for ages two and up and gives it 3-out-of-5 stars, noting that it coexists with the YouTube channel. The series "touches on typical preschool themes" and depicts teamwork and mutual support. The characters are "gender-balanced" with a "variety of skin tones, but main toddler JJ and his family are White." Some "inconsistencies" are cited such as the babies, who appear to be about age one, at times do things like use scissors, and usually speak in baby babble, but sometimes speak normally.

In The Guardian, entertainment reporter Stuart Heritage wrote "Cocomelon is not the sort of thing that holds up to scrutiny well. It’s cloying and simplistic and repetitive and ... not designed to be watched by adults at all. ... Some songs ... are genuinely unbearable to endure. But guess what? They’re not for you. If you’re a preschool child, though, this stuff is like crack. ... The key to Cocomelon’s success isn’t that it’s good ... [it's] that it’s just about reliable enough. ... a series of inoffensive, if slightly unsettling, songs that go on and on and on for long enough to let you sneak off and cook dinner."

• List of most-subscribed YouTube channels
• List of most-viewed YouTube channels

• Official website