YouTube Channels You Should Know
These notable YouTube creators offer unusual takes on entertainment, education, music, travel and more
by Anam Vaziri and Eric Villalobos
Do-It-Yourself
Simone Giertz. A designer and “prototype artist,” Giertz went viral for useless inventions, including a helmet that brushes your teeth and a robot that cuts vegetables. Her oddball creations are a humorous watch and led to the launch of her direct-to-consumer brand.
2.68 million subscribers, @simonegiertz
kipkay. On this popular DIY YouTube channel, Kip Kedersha, aka the Gadget Guru, shares creative tips and hacks for at-home projects. He walks viewers through easy projects to get the most out of devices found around the home, including spy gadgets, phones and cameras.
2.53 million subscribers, @kipkay
Entertainment
Jenny Nicholson. Jenny Nicholson posts 90-minute rants on obscure cultural phenomena, such as her hot takes on Marvel’s Infinity War. Her most-viewed videos include a two-and-a-half-hour analysis of every episode of the 2000s television series The Vampire Diaries and an hour-long dissection of the 2016 Star Wars prequel titled Rough One.
1.03 million subscribers, @jennynicholson
Patrick (H) Willems. The self-proclaimed “Terence Malick of YouTube” doesn’t just make videos about movie plots. Instead, he weaves narratives and traditional film language into his feature-length reviews of classic pop culture.
410,000 subscribers, @patrickhwillems
Chris Stuckmann. Think of him as the “Roger Ebert of YouTube.” Every week, Stuckmann reviews everything from blockbuster tentpole films to unheard-of and largely unseen indies. As an American filmmaker, he uses his own experience with films to offer concrete critique.
2.03 million subscribers, @chrisstuckmann
Education
Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell.
A German design studio focuses on scientific, technological, political, philosophical and psychological education through a style of art no other YouTube channel has managed to copy.
20.5 million subscribers, @kurzgesagt
Elizabeth Filips. You can learn anything. As a medical student at King’s College London, Filips teaches viewers how to read more effectively, build healthy habits and address difficult concepts like emotional regulation.
766,000 subscribers, @elizabethfilips
Crash Course. John and Hank Green have launched the American Public Broadcasting System’s most successful digital media initiatives, while becoming New York Times best-selling authors and starting nine educational YouTube channels on topics ranging from history to healthcare to space.
14.7 million subscribers, @crashcourse
Johnny Harris. His weekly explainers on obscure topics in geopolitics and
history challenge the way his viewers see the world.
3.92 million subscribers, @johnnyharris
Science & Technology
Cleo Abram. She combines her video journalism skills with her bubbly personality to produce easily digestible videos on complex topics like nuclear energy, curing cancer and creating artificial wombs.
682,000 subscribers, @cleoabram
Marques Brownlee. He began reviewing technology on his laptop when he was 16 years old. Now, he uses $50,000 cameras to shoot reviews and explainers on consumer electronics.
16.8 million subscribers, @mkbhd
Mark Rober. Viewers tune in to see this former NASA and Apple engineer drop eggs from space and teach squirrels to run through backyard mazes.
23.9 million subscribers, @markrober
Fun
Michele Khare. “YouTube’s daredevil” has run marathons in the hottest desert on Earth and has trained with Secret Service members, SWAT teams and America’s No. 1 cheer team at the
University of Kentucky.
3.69 million subscribers, @michellekhare
Casey Neistat. YouTuber Van Neistat’s little brother is known for uploading short films about his life every day for more than 800 days. They featured members of his family, and more prominent names like Jamie Foxx and Tony Hawk. His journeys across New York City captivated nearly 2 million people daily.
12.5 million subscribers, @casey
Sports
Dude Perfect. Four former college roommates turned viral basketball trick shot videos into a multi-million-dollar sports and lifestyle business.
59.3 million subscribers, @dudeperfect
Highlight Heaven. NFL fans come here for videos of football’s funniest and most dramatic moments—everything from interview bloopers to bench-emptying brawls.
1.28 million subscribers, @highlightheaven
Travel
The Planet D. This channel is devoted to a couple who live by the motto “adventure is for everyone.” Together, they were named one of the Top 10 travel influencers in the world in 2008 by Forbes, and their passion for travel has become their full-time job.
63,900 subscribers, @theplanetd
Yes Theory. Originally a YouTube channel founded by Thomas Brag, Ammar Kandil, Matt Dajer and Derin Emre that showcased throwing parties in stranger’s backyards, Yes Theory has become the premier extreme travel channel on YouTube. The videos focus on subjects like isolated African tribes, the lifestyle of Japanese sumo wrestlers and psychedelic honey found only in remote Nepalese villages.
8.35 million subscribers, @yestheory
Kara and Nate. This husband and wife duo from Nashville, Tennessee, share their travel stories while they bounce around the world from Japan to Antarctica to the Seven Wonders of the World.
3.51 million subscribers, @karaandnate
Lexie Limitless. By the time she was 21, she broke the Guinness world record by becoming the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. In the four years since receiving the award, she has produced travel guides on the best pizza in Italy, hiking through the Amazon rainforest and general advice on solo traveling.
445,000 subscribers, @lexielimitless
Music
Middle8. Frank Furtado produces high-quality video essays on the creation of iconic music, such as Radiohead’s album Kid-A, and on the music that defined the new rock revolution, including The White Stripes.
647,000 subscribers, @middle8
T-Series. India’s largest music label and film production company is also among the YouTube channels with the most subscribers. Most of its videos offer contestants from Indian Idol and snippets of songs showcased in films.
241 million subscribers, @tseries
Theneedledrop. Anthony Fantano, YouTube’s music tastemaker, reviews music from all genres and is known for thoughtful yet sometimes controversial opinions. He’s only given seven albums a perfect 10 so far.
2.74 million subscribers, @theneedledrop
