No matter how much you love making music, there are times when you just need to stop creating, kick back, and relax. That doesn't mean you can't keep thinking about music though, and checking out videos on YouTube is one of the easiest ways to do this.
There are tons of great music-related YouTubers and YouTube channels out there. To put this list together I pulled a few of my personal favorites as well as some of the most popular music-related YouTubers to make the ultimate starting point.
1. Andertons Music Co
Andertons may be a major U.K. music retailer, but that doesn't mean they don't have fun. Guitar players, look no further than the "Chapper and The Captain" videos, while there are other videos covering acoustic guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, and more.
2. Creative Sound Lab
Which do you spend more time doing: making music inside of a computer or recording musical instruments? If your answer is the latter, check out Creative Sound Lab, as the channel has a ton of informational videos about microphone techniques, proper use of compression, and more.
3. Ricky Tinez
If your answer to the above question was that you spend more time making music either with a computer or with bits and pieces of other sound making gear, check out Enrique Martinez aka. Ricky Tinez. The entire channel is well worth watching, but my personal favorites are his Compact Creations, where he takes you through the process of building a song or piece of music from scratch.
4. Earthquaker Devices
If Earthquaker Devices sounds familiar to readers on this site, it's because we've talked about their videos before while talking about music documentaries on YouTube. This one is especially worth checking out if you're building out a home studio thanks to Earthquaker's Show Us Your Junk series.
5. BoBeats
That's "Bo" and "beats," not "Bob eats." If you're into electronic music production—especially synthesizers—you can't miss this channel. Bo's mix of technical knowledge, musicality, and humor make this worth watching even if you go into a video unsure of what it may end up being about.
6. D A W L E S S J A M M I N '
The idea of making music without a computer involved, even if you're using synths, drum machines, and grooveboxes is becoming increasingly popular. If you're interested in this technique, Jade Wii's Dawless Jammin' channel is essential viewing. She reviews gear, puts together advice for beginners, and as the title suggests, sometimes just jams.
7. Ave Mcree
There are tons of people making videos about hip hop production and beat creation on YouTube, but Ave Mcree seems to be among those having the most fun doing it. He also keeps up an incredibly strong stream of output, with new videos coming at a steady clip. His instructional videos on gear like the Akai MPC One are also incredibly well put together.
8. Rick Beato
Rick Beato is one of the most popular music-related YouTubers out there, and it's mostly thanks to his "Why Is This Song Great?" videos. Beato breaks down hit songs ranging from classic rock to modern pop and uses music theory to explain just why they hit you the way they do.
9. Andrew Huang
If he's not the most popular YouTube creators around music, Andrew Huang has to be among the top few, because as I write this, he's hovering around 2 million subscribers. There's a reason he's so popular, because no matter what type of music you're into or what type of instrument you play, he's probably got something about it on his channel, and if he does, it will be impeccably done.
10. That Pedal Show
If you play guitar, you need to subscribe to this channel, even if you never have any intention of using a pedal. Hosts Dan and Mick have an encyclopedic knowledge of classic guitar gear, as well as a knack for picking up on new gear quickly. Throw in the numerous guitarists that have been guests on the show including Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and Blur's Graham Coxon, and you're missing out if you're not watching.