The most valuable business ideas emerge when an unmet need is transformed into a strategic opportunity. Today, parents have a multitude of children’s songs at their disposal because, at some point, someone felt the acute need for such content and decided to create and distribute it, animation by animation, on YouTube.
Alexandru Badan, an engineer by profession and self-taught entrepreneur, launched the TraLaLa channel in 2012, alongside his wife, Cristina. They started from a rented apartment, with no prior experience in media or production. Today, LooLoo Kids – the international brand that evolved from TraLaLa – boasts over 60 million subscribers on YouTube, operates two TV channels, and holds an undisputed global presence.
It all started with 200 euros and a Christmas without gifts, recounts Alexandru Badan in an interview granted to spotmedia.ro.
How was the project born?
In 2012, we had two young children and lived in a rented apartment. I worked in sales, and Cristina was a dental technician. We were fine, we were happy, but we felt we could do more. We wanted to build something sustainable, impactful, but we never dreamed we would end up owning and operating such a powerful brand. Or that we would be able to launch two TV channels under TraLaLa, one with music and one with cartoons, TraLaLa DSN.
During that time, Cristina was constantly looking for songs for our children, who were 2 and 4 years old. At that time, Spotify did not exist, and YouTube was the only option, but there, children's content was extremely limited and, especially, lacked animations.
Being an engineer, I started analyzing what it would mean, concretely, to transform this need into a real project. We realized we needed two key partners: one for the audio part and another for animation. The idea began to take shape, but it was difficult; we knew we would launch, even though we didn't have our own resources for production.
We tried to license songs from artists who already had well-known children's repertoires. However, the responses were rather discouraging: "no, thank you" or "call me if you succeed." We needed those songs to start, not after. Fortunately, we met Elena Nicolai, a teacher at Meloritm, who immediately understood the idea and was as excited as we were.
I remember that Christmas in 2012 perfectly: the animation collaborator we had contracted informed us that the winter songs were ready and we had to pay for them. We did, at the expense of holiday gifts for our loved ones, because we had no other available funds. We didn't buy anything for our children that year, but, unbeknownst to us, we gave a gift to all children in Romania.
Then we faced another challenge. We didn't know how to publish on YouTube. The platform was only in English, and my conversational level was very low. But we learned as we went: how to upload, set titles, and descriptions. On December 12, 2012, we launched all four videos at once, a strategy that we later found out was not recommended at all.
We were extremely surprised by the feedback from parents; all the comments were appreciative, asking when we would release more. This encouraged us a lot, and that's why we tripled the number of animations we had planned, and slowly, the children's song channel TraLaLa began to grow.
What was the plan you started with?
When we started, the motivation was to create something that would be good for parents, educators, teachers, because financially there was no hope of profit.
YouTube was not officially launched in Romania. In practice, we were creating something that we didn't know if and when we could monetize it. Only in 2013, towards the end, YouTube was officially launched, and indeed, the first money started to come, but we're talking about 7 dollars per month. We were doing the math: "If we keep growing at this rate, we might be able to cover our rent at some point." And yes, soon we covered our rent with a song, as Moga sings. That moment was a dream come true for our family.
Fortunately, the channel's growth was much faster than we expected, and we managed to create and launch many animations, original songs, and traditional Romanian songs.
How did you take the step towards global expansion?
In 2014, when we started, the initial dream was to create something with a great impact, and big for us meant global. I remember exactly the moment when we were discussing with Cristina and thinking about launching an international channel. We had two options: English, where there was fantastic competition, hundreds of new channels were appearing every day, and Spanish, where the competition was much smaller. However, we decided to go for English, even though we anticipated the difficulty and fierce competition in the US market.
That's how the LooLoo Kids adventure began. But we quickly realized we had a problem: the animations didn't look good enough for the international market, which was much more advanced. If we wanted to have any chance in such a large competition, we had to raise the bar significantly.
The solution was clear, 3D animation. But that meant much higher costs. However, we were lucky. We found a partner in time to help us create the first 3D animations, and in August 2014, we officially launched LooLoo Kids.
Since then, all the extra money we earned was reinvested in production, in 3D animations. Everything went back into content so we could grow. Over 90% of the investments were destined for the international channel.
Think about it, one animation cost double the value of the car I was driving. We have a Logan, so one animation cost double. The results weren't showing much; a year had passed, all the money we had was invested in music and animation, we were thinking of giving up. Around us, parents and friends started to worry.
How did you not give up?
We said we could push a little more, forced ourselves to take another step. And in 2016, indeed, the channel started gaining momentum, traffic from the United States began to grow, the audience from Asia and the UK began to subscribe to LooLoo Kids. We moved back to Iași from Bucharest and in 2016, we established the first office, started hiring to professionalize our project, which was truly becoming a business.
Now we are a team of 16 people in Iași, a very strong and cool team of professionals, plus many collaborators both in the country and abroad.
When we started to approach things as a full-fledged business, the results began to show clearly. In 2019, we were the first channel in Central and Eastern Europe to receive the diamond button. The diamond button is a recognition for reaching the milestone of 10 million subscribers.
Meanwhile, LooLoo Kids has 60 million subscribers, and last year we were awarded the second diamond button for LooLoo Canciones Infantiles, our YouTube channel in Spanish.
Basically, the only diamond buttons in Romania are in our office, signs that they will multiply, maybe from the Portuguese channel or even from TraLaLa.
What did the pandemic mean for you?
During the pandemic, we truly realized the impact we have on the international community of parents and educators. We were all at home, and the children no longer went to kindergarten or school. That's when we saw, in real-time, how educators from the United States, Asia, or Brazil used our animations as teaching aids in the distance learning process.
We knew that LooLoo Kids was used daily in classrooms and kindergartens around the world, but in that special context, we truly saw the scale and relevance of our work. It was a defining moment that confirmed that what we do matters.
From there, things evolved naturally. Building on the success on YouTube, we aimed to be present in all media where parents and children have fun or learn. At the fans' request, we launched mobile applications that work offline, to be accessible anytime and anywhere. We started licensing content to airlines, offering children access to LooLoo Kids animations during flights.
Starting in 2017, TraLaLa and LooLoo Kids officially surpassed the status of YouTube channels. We are no longer talking about just a Romanian and an English channel; LooLoo Kids content is available in over 25 foreign languages, part of a global ecosystem that encompasses over 130 channels. Last year, we recorded over 15 billion views. To put it into perspective: it's as if every person on the planet watched a LooLoo Kids video twice.
A relevant example is the animation "Johny Johny Yes Papa," which remains in the top 5 most viewed videos ever uploaded on YouTube, with over 7 billion views. It's a strong confirmation that we can create globally impactful content, appreciated and loved by children from all corners of the world.
What else has this expansion entailed?
We have developed an international partnership with Netflix, being the first Romanian company to distribute children's content on this platform.
We are also present on less known platforms in Romania, such as Roku or Tubi, but extremely popular internationally. For example, in Brazil, we are ranked 1st in the Kids & Family category, and in the United States, we are ranked 5th in the top audio platforms for children.
We followed the principle "Video is King, but distribution is King Kong," because we understood that it's essential to reach your audience wherever they are. Today, LooLoo Kids is no longer just a single business but an architecture with several pillars, each with its specificity and challenges.
This diversification gives us stability: when one segment is slower, another compensates. And this allows us to continue to innovate and grow sustainably.
We have many competitors who have launched a YouTube channel and stopped there. We wanted to increase our reach with the target audience, which is why we took a number of lateral steps.
The most delayed and desired initiative was the launch in Romania, in 2022, of the first TraLaLa television channel. We launched the first 100% Romanian children's TV channel. It is a TV channel with songs for children, I would say a children's MTV, and we had to adapt because television is a completely different business model, with different rules, and different players.
We entered direct competition with Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, and the largest international media conglomerates. In April 2025, we launched the second TV channel, TraLaLa DSN with cartoons. It entered Digi, we are in testing with Orange, and the other distributors are also set to pick it up very soon.
In the television business, we created the Romanian product as a beta product and started the learning process of the industry. Two to three years ago, we thought that a television channel in the United States would be beneficial for the brand and business. On the last day of last year, December 31, 2024, at 10:00 PM, we received an email from Direct TV, one of the largest cable television distributors in the United States, stating that LooLoo Kids TV is live for 12 million subscribers.
We made this happen after quietly listening for years that it was impossible for a small company from Romania to develop a linear television business in the United States. It was true that outside the United States' TV channel lineup, there was absolutely no children's channel. There were only European state channels, Deutsche Welle, BBC, which were distributed there. We, a small company from Romania, are the first to have succeeded in developing a viable concept in such a competitive market.
How did you manage?
I believe that our agility and adaptability, a combination of careful data analysis, deep observation of consumer behaviors, and a lot of perseverance, have greatly helped. And creativity, of course, as we are in the creative industries sector.
This year, we aim to expand distribution in the United States, in a context where consumer habits are constantly changing. As technology has evolved, we have seen the audience move from desktops to tablets, then to mobile phones, and now we are witnessing a significant migration to smart TVs.
That is why, starting last year, we launched under the LooLoo Kids brand TV channels of the FAST type (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television), a new way to consume video content, integrated into smart TV platforms. Although this format is not yet available in Romania, we are already present in Europe: we have an active partnership with Samsung for the distribution of LooLoo Kids in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and other territories are set to be launched. Recently, we also signed a contract with LG for FAST, which means that more and more users will have access to our content directly on smart TVs.
We remain faithful to an essential principle: to be where families with children are, regardless of platform, technology, or format, and to offer safe content that combines education and entertainment. We constantly adapt, guided by data, trends, and the real needs of our audience.
How is this new type of consumption?
In Romania, viewers subscribe to a cable operator and have access to 200 channels. In Europe or the US, those who, for example, have Samsung TVs do not need cable; they access the Samsung Plus section and choose from over 400 available channels.
In our country, cable TV distribution is relatively accessible to the population, up to 10 euros, but in England, it can start from 80 pounds per month, and then families give up this service, migrating to Netflix, Fast TV, or various other streaming services.
It is a completely different consumption model that bypasses traditional TV distribution and opts for a FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) experience, integrated directly into smart TVs.
What was the first investment, and how much have you ended up investing in this extensive project with all its ramifications?
Our first investment was extremely modest: four animations, each costing 50 euros, totaling 200 euros, which was half of the rent we were paying in Bucharest at that time. That's how we started.
Today, things look completely different. We invest between 1.5 and 2 million euros annually, with the majority going towards the production of original music and animation. We allocate constant resources for linguistic adaptations of our catalog, as well as for technology. The entire endeavor is aimed at supporting our international distribution and delivering relevant, quality content to children worldwide.
This year, a significant portion of our budget is allocated to opening a children's TV channel in the Czech Republic. The setup, dubbing, distribution, and operation of the TV channel in this country are very costly, but it is the kind of opportunity that challenges us.
We are always looking for new opportunities and actively analyzing markets where our presence can add value. By the end of the year, we aim to expand into Greece, Hungary, and Spain, markets with high potential for our content.
At the same time, we are already in advanced discussions for a stronger presence in Brazil, which is, after the United States, the second-largest market for LooLoo Kids. The audience there is extraordinary, and we aim to strengthen this relationship with the local audience through a broader distribution of the LooLoo Kids concept, including on linear TV.
In direct response to parents' requests, we have started developing physical products, especially toys and books for children. In partnership with Editura Gama, we have launched a series of educational TraLaLa books: sound books, activity notebooks, and interactive games designed to help children learn the alphabet, letters, or numbers in a fun way.
This direction comes as a natural extension of our digital universe, and we are open to as many collaborations through licensing models, both in Romania and internationally.
Have you ever turned to banks or loans for financial support in your evolution?
Before starting the TraLaLa project, it was a challenging period for us. After the 2008 financial crisis, we were left without jobs, and Cristina was pregnant. It was a turning point when we had to turn to a bank loan, an experience that made us promise that in the future, we would build a sustainable business model that would allow development without depending on external funding.
Since then, we have learned to manage resources prudently. A portion of the income is constantly allocated for investments, and another part is used to create a safety buffer for less favorable periods.
There is a misconception regarding views and revenues. Many believe that a large number of views automatically means high revenues. We too believed that we were in the children's entertainment industry, but in reality, we realized that we work in an advertising industry. If there are no active advertising campaigns, revenues can be zero, regardless of the high number of views. And the advertising market is extremely sensitive to any economic or geopolitical fluctuations.
We live in a world where anyone can publish online video content, and it is practiced. Yet, what is the secret to success and longevity in this environment that steals you, especially as a young person?
We believe that success naturally comes when you create products that truly meet the needs of families with children. We focus on providing valuable, educational content that supports the harmonious development of children and gives parents a sense of security.
We have chosen to say "no" to many forms of content that we do not consider suitable for children, even if they are popular or potentially viral. Platforms like YouTube are increasingly difficult to control; with just a few clicks, a child can access inappropriate content or short videos (Shorts) that bypass parental filters.
On the other hand, our mobile applications, such as TraLaLa, provide a safe, controlled environment dedicated 100% to children. We already see a significant increase in installations because parents are looking for reliable alternatives.
This responsibility is even more critical as, more and more often, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, children respond: "vlogger" or "YouTuber," not doctors, not astronauts. This shows us how powerful the digital environment's influence is on younger generations and reinforces our belief that we must be present there with positive, educational, and balanced content.
We are parents ourselves, and we know how challenging it is to limit access to online content. That is why we take on the mission of creating a healthy digital space where children can learn, enjoy music and stories, and develop beautifully and, most importantly, safely.
From the experience gained, what advice would you have for someone who wants to start a business?
The first step is simply to start. To try. Compared to the time when we launched LooLoo Kids, when a few hundred English-language channels were launched per day, we are now talking about hundreds of thousands of new channels every day. The volume of content has exploded, and in such a crowded market, the only real chance of success is to create something truly exceptional, original, quality, and relevant to the audience.
The second ingredient is perseverance. Growth does not happen overnight. Most of the time, it is a slow process, with many intermediate steps, with many valleys of despair. In the case of LooLoo Kids, for example, it took a year and a half of sustained work and substantial investments before we truly managed to enter the homes of families in the United States.
Success does not come by chance; it comes when you start with intention, remain consistent, and have the patience to grow step by step.
What was the most important asset in this journey?
Everything we build is thanks to the team. It is the most valuable asset we have. People who not only share the same vision but who constantly learn, adapt, and bring new ideas every day.
We have a team that delivers at the highest level, regardless of challenges. We join forces, support each other, and motivate each other to be better. Our energy comes from here, from passion, from professionalism, and from the sincere desire to create something that matters.
