Trying find good quality content can be pretty hit or miss on YouTube. Most of the good YouTubers get drowned out by sensationalist one-hit mainstream videos. Sadly, the platform doesn't do a very good job of promoting new and upcoming channels.
Below I have compiled a list of channels which I actively follow and avidly wait for new content from. I have put a suggested video with some of the channels so you can see if you like them, right here. I hope you find it useful.
The Channels
I've loosely bundled together all of my most watched channels into some categories.
Somewhat educational
Most of the videos I watch are somewhat educational by nature. I like the feeling coming away from a video thinking I've learned something, rather than just watching funny trash.
Tom Scott
By far one of my favourite YouTubers. One of his best series is Amazing Places.
austinmcconnell
Austin McConnell is a filmmaker who creates high quality videos on on particular subject.
Matt D'Avella
Matt D'Avella is a filmmaker. His YouTube channels features crisp, well crafted videos that attempt to advertise the benefits of being a minimalist in everyday life.
Sterling Grinnell
Sterling was recently popularised by Matt D'Avella by a fantastic video which copies Matt's video style. Sterling is still young but the quality of his videos is already very high.
Second Thought
An animated channel which mostly considers "what would happen if" scenarios.
PolyMatter
Another animated channel similar to Second Thought.
CPG Grey
A fun animated channel. The videos are somewhat sciency.
Tapakapa
Tapakapa is essentially an Austrian version of CPG Grey - the videos are done in a similar animated style and they cover similar topics.
Tech
Marques Brownlee
MKBHD makes super high quality videos on up and coming tech. Half of the reason I watch him is because the quality of his filmography is top notch. He's known for reviewing smart phones, I recommend watching his review on a smart phone before you buy it.
Linus Tech Tips
LTT releases plenty of videos almost daily. They cover anything from building computers with hardware to reviewing cheap Amazon steals.
He feels a bit like he's a shill (as in he's getting paid to say good things about certain products), but for the most part it's a great channel.
TechLinked
A spin off from Linus Tech Tips, TechLinked releases 3 videos a week which briefly explain what new things have happened with tech.
News
Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a well known news outlet. They mostly focus on market and business news.
Vox
Vox features a mishmash of content, which is probably aimed at younger more liberal audiences.
TLDR News
A very new channel with a simple animated art style. They have mostly been attempting to explain what going on with Brexit in an easy to digest way. They're also experimenting in creating a "This Week In Parliament" series where they explain the latest going-ons in the British parliament.
Educational
Two Cents
This channel helps explain the everyday economics of life in a simple way.
CrashCourse
CrashCourse has a number of different series where they quickly explain subjects such as economics, history, psychology and many more.
Music
Middle 8
A fairly new channel which covers mostly newer music artists in details.
Video games
UpIsNotJump
UpIsNotJump used to mostly focus on recreating scenes from popular TV using a video game such as Fallout... I have to say I'm not a fan.
But recently his channel has taken a turn and he's recently been making a series where he explains, with plenty of funny jokes, why a specific game is good or bad in VR.
I can safely say that his videos are one of the big reasons why I want to get into VR.
SovietWomble
SovietWomble creates compilations of him making jokes and otherwise having fun with his friends in a variety of multiplayer games.
Travel
Abroad In Japan
Since I was young I had wanted to travel to Japan. In 2018 I finally got the chance and I wanted to find out about Japan and I came across Abroad In Japan. This channel features a British guy, making rubbish (British) jokes, while explaining his experiences of living in Japan.
Monkey Abroad
Monkey Abroad makes a very good series where he shows how cheap you can travel abroad - for just $20 a day he'll shows what's possible.
Science
Kurzgesagt
Kurzgesagt always makes super high quality, beautifully animated videos. They don't release very regularly but I'm always looking forward to their next video.
Their videos also have a strong chance of giving you existential dread.
Vsauce
Vsauce is likely the most popular science based YouTube channel.
It covers science in a pretty simple way which I feel that anyone can understand. The science has perhaps been dumbed down a little bit and it also he tends to go on these crazy tangents which aren't directly related to the topic of the video.
For example, in the video below (called "What If Everyone JUMPED At Once?"), the video also covers what "decimated" means and what "Dunbar's Number" is (nothing to do with jumping). However, the videos are very entertaining.
Vsauce also does this weird thing where, between cuts of the video, he sort of springs upwards. It's easy to ignore at the start but I notice it every time now.
Veritasium
Veritasium is a lot like Vsauce in the topics which he covers, except I feel like his approach is more aimed at properly teaching science.
In a number of his videos, he will explain an idea by first asking the general public what they think the answer is. He's done research showing that videos which just explain what something is don't tend to teach us anything. By showing telling us what other people might answer, then telling us the correct answer, apparently it helps us retain the lesson learned.
minutephysics
Minutephysics has a cool hand drawn art style which is used to explain physics.
It's worth noting that the videos are rarely a minute long.
MinuteEarth
MinuteEarth is a lot like minutephysics but it covers topics such as biology and geography.
Numberphile
Numberphile is pretty nerdy. It mostly features maths professors talking about maths while scribbling on a bit of paper.
My favourite video is the one below, where a (crazy enthusiastic) man has klein bottles hand made and stored in boxes under his house. The space under his house is quite small, so he built a cute little robot which can grab the boxes for him.
Programming
Devin Crawford
Devin Crawford is an enthusiastic programmer who's at uni. He records himself building his projects.
LiveOverflow
LiveOverflow makes videos about programming and hacking.
Motorbiking
FortNine
ForNine is unlike most motorbiking channels on YouTube, where it's just some douche riding his bike around, or they're just trying to sell you something with a vaguely educational video...
FortNine makes cinematic videos which tell tale about a bike. Production value of the videos is pretty high and they try pretty hard to make each video feel new.
Existential crisis
exurb1a
Exurb1a creates videos which appear to be designed to give existential dread.
The creator also has a channel called exurb2a which features content which doesn't quite fit with the main channel.
Film study
Every Frame a Painting
Every Frame A Painting covers cinematic techniques which are used in movies. Since watching this channel, I find myself looking more at how a scene is filmed. For example, the video below explains how movies make use of single takes. I've really begun to notice when movies are using single takes, such as in Children of Men which for me, is a pretty iconic movie.
Now You See It
Now You See It is a lot like Every Frame A Painting, it's worth checking them both out.
Languages
Language Transfer
I've used this free language training course to help me learn German, and I have to say that the style of teaching is very good for those of us who hate memorising languages. I strongly recommend Language Transfer for anyone who wants to start learning a new language.
Trash
apandah
Apandah makes videos are purely post modern trash. Viewer discretion is advised.
an0nymooose
More random trash.
Have something to say?
I hope you found this list of videos somewhat helpful.
If you have a list of videos you want to share, or a specific channel you're really into, please share it below!