Best YouTube Channels to Sub This Year: Check 'Em Out!
- Jaz The Sag
- Jan 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 23
I enjoy YouTube as much as the next voracious content consumer. My subscription list is kinda-sorta varied, but the common denominator is hella good production mixed with researched perspectives that make for high-quality content. If you appreciate black culture analysis, social commentary, celeb deep dives, design, and self-improvement, I've got some channels for you to check out below.
Here are my top fave YouTube channels and why:
1. Elevated Black Culture & Creators
I really like this channel because the production quality reminds me of the exposes' and celeb documentary specials that came on E!, VH1 and MTV back in the day. The content creator offers thorough and well-researched insights on the video topics not heavily covered already, so you're learning something new. This channel is bringing TV back. Top tier content and packaging.
This channel approaches timely celeb topics from a different angle and provides revelations about pop culture. I appreciate her insights, the storytelling and content production.
I appreciate this creator's interview-style video essays to provide commentary on society and politics -- both touch race, which is a major theme of the channel.
I love TV and films. So does this content creator who shares recaps of some of our faves from a millennial's perspective. Her insightful commentary is down-to-earth and coverage spans beyond Black cinema and TV shows, so it's a good mix of recaps.
Tee gives the real about culture, society, celebs, and everything. Her research is thorough. Her perspective is informed and aware. She's no-nonsense and can switch up her hair game and work it so effortlessly. Check out her video essays and color yourself enlightened.
Respect yourself and gain respect from others. You are a queen. So act like you got some sense. This channel educates on little-known black history and connects it to the errors of our ways today, providing poignant social commentary. SUBSCRIBE.
Tap into your femininity. Mine your social circle. Advance your career. Make time for self-care and self-love. Exude confidence by understanding your best assets and abilities. Ladies, put this channel is right up there with routine doctor visits, eating well-balanced meals, weekly financial check-ins, and getting good sleep each night.
2. Art and Design Inspirations
Where my filmmakers, cinema enthusiasts, and film students at?! Class is in session and I'm here for it. As a one-semester full-time film school student and eventual film minor degree holder, I was elated to discover this channel. It breaks down elements of film by using well-known movies we love.
Do you love food? Do you want to perfect the chocolate chip cookie like I do? Hit this channel up. It's delectable.
I'm gaining an appreciation for interior design and decor and aesthetics in general. How are structures built and why? How far have we come in architectural design? Style, taste and design lives here. And is renting space in my head and screen time.
3. Self-Improvement, Business & Education
The channel offers practical advice on mental health, mindfulness, and personal development with the most comforting British voice narrating. The channel shares thought-provoking posts as part of the community tab and it calls forth all the childhood trauma that we've pushed deep down, but comes bubbling to the surface.
You know all those great books about being successful on all the "best-selling" or "greatest" lists? This channel sums up the gist of a 200+ page book in a 10-minute video with drawing illustrations to drive home the point. To make your life a little bit better.
This channel spotlights CEOs and entrepreneurs who are experts in various topics. The interviews between the content creator/DOAC owner and other CEOs are thought-provoking and educational. Business insights through conversations at the table.
Nischa's channel simply offers financial and productivity tips. It's nice seeing a young woman offer financial insights from a professional financial/investment background. I appreciate the conciseness of her content -- and who doesn't like a proper English accent?!
These are "lessons worth sharing" in a quick video format. These are the bits of info school boards should recommend for classes.
Most things in business -- and life for that matter -- come down to sales. Selling or being sold to. It's a super valuable skill to have for soaring through life and I want to acquire it like last week. The channel is led by Bravo's Million Dollar Listing star Ryan Serhant. He started in the business as a real estate agent and started acquiring million-dollar clients. He branched out to start his own agency and is building a brand. He's an interesting personality to follow and the videos are targeted, pointed, direct, short and efficient.
A thumbnail from his channel may turn you away because he looks so unimpressed, intimidating and kinda gloom-and-doom-y. But he's a straight-shooter and cares more about getting his point across than dressing things up for image. That's the vibe I get. Regardless, his content is INVALUABLE and he pretty much provides a playbook for you to find your niche, think about life differently and moving into action. He talks about content creation and starting a business.
Shark Tank fans, anyone? This channel cuts the one-hour TV shows into 10-minute pitch segments. Apparently, the American business reality show was adapted from international concepts. If you're interested in or learning about investing, pitching your business, gaining capital, and entrepreneurship, along with some reality show production and the chemistry between rich tycoons, check it out.
Ever wondered the point of middle management's role in a company? Or why a whole department is more likely to get laid off than another? Or why insurance companies are raising rates? Money has a lot to do with everything. This channel covers a various topics that affect regular, working-class, middle-class folks and breaks down why certain trends may be taking place at this time.
Do you want to be wealthy and successful? Well, you're just a life-change and step away from the lifestyles you truly want *sarcasm*. At least, this channels packages it that way. There are helpful bits of advice for the ambitious Type-A go-getters among us.
This guy explores business models that succeed and fail because we can learn from both. Ever wondered how haunted houses survive off two months of relevancy out of the year? Or how sandwich shops make rent each month? Put aside the books and get your MBA from real-life companies (case studies).
I don't watch everyday news because of all the doom and gloom and repetitiveness. But this channel spotlights timely issues and current events with a touch of narrative.
4. Music, Movies, Celebs & Entertainment Commentary
Music deep-dives and breakdowns. Remember the CD cover sleeves that listed the song titles and production notes? This channel is that, mixed with "Behind the Music" and "E! True Hollywood."
This channels analyzes trends in pop culture and their impact on society. I was curious about the girly-cute aesthetic, but stayed for the content. The monthly roundups on "what you missed" in pop culture are great.
Combines humor and insight while breaking down complex topics in an understandable way.
Celeb interviews. Your most-searched questions answered. Technology and science. Vital information you didn't know you needed.
This is the channel we needed in history classes because I would've remembered the information for tests. This channel is so relevant. It's the good and salacious stuff about historical figures and events that affects us in some way today.
As a marketing professional, I appreciate the background and expertise she applies to branding on our fave singers and entertainers. She breaks down what works and what doesn't and then offers what she'd do as the marketing brand manager. Love it.
Quick, mini, documentaries with foreboding narrative.
Filmmaking and psychological analysis -- my loves. One of the creators is a licensed therapist and the other is a working filmmaker in LA. They watch movie favorites and breakdown the art and psychology of them. It's entertaining and enlightening (and educational).
I'm so here for her style of storytelling and production value. The way she takes a subject and approaches it from an angle we haven't fully explored is riveting. The way she uses audio clips, visuals, inserts commentary and finds lesser-known archives footage to create a narrative makes me want to tune in for the next expose. She leaves us with a final thought that makes me run the Wikipedia for more answers. Reveal yourself, Be!
Similar to BE THE COMMENTATOR's content, Patrick's is stellar work. He opts for timely celeb subjects to explore and offers insights based on research. He gathers footage and inserts his commentary as storytelling in a way that moves the videos forward. Such good content that leaves you viewing your fave celebs with a different eye.
5. Thought-provoking Deep Dives & Video Essays
When I came across a deep-dive history on "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"and later watched a movie-length video about the search for Disney Channel's theme song all millennials know and love...I was hooked. The storytelling, the production, and the research is top notch.
Commentary on pop culture, life, and academic topics from an interesting personality.
Arts and humanities topics are here for you. If you want to learn the history of your favorite fables or myths, and explore the source behind well-know literature and films, check it out.
Video essays about pop culture and society through your fave television shows and movies , seasoned with a feminist perspective. You're welcome.
Life. Thoughts. Science. Psychology. Business. Relationships. Work. All discussed by published experts. I love it. Improve my life.
6. Health is Wealth
Health is wealth. Simply said. Instead of hitting up the pharmacy for those antibiotics, there's probably a supplement or simple life change that'll remedy that ache you're experiencing. Dr. Berg has probably become the internet's favorite and most followed doc. For good reason.
Got tight hip flexors? Yeah, I didn't know what those were either. Lower back pain? There's a stretch for that. Weak glutes and core? There are some exercises to strengthen all that and more on this channel. You'd be surprised how a fit core affects everyday activities like walking to the door, standing and bending.
Meet your new at-home psychotherapist who breaks down what you've experienced all this time, but couldn't pinpoint the causation or rationale behind it.
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