YouTube has got a lot better but it’s still tough to search for the best channels. You can find a YouTube channel without knowing the name but it’s often thanks to serendipity or recommendations. YouTube’s own algorithm that suggests videos isn’t perfect either.
So, how do you take control of your own YouTube search?
Master YouTube’s advanced search to begin with. Or, take the lazy option of using the recommendation sites below.
YouTube Trends
The page displays what’s trending on YouTube for the day. This list is updated every 15 minutes. It’s not a perfect place to find videos according to your tastes.
YouTube says that the Trends page is representative of a diverse range of interests in a region. It isn’t personalized but just aims to showcase the breadth of what’s happening on YouTube and in the world. The left bar gives you a few categories like Music, Gaming, Sports, News, and YouTube’s Fashion vertical to dive into.
But if your interests lie elsewhere in narrower niches like crafts and education then Trends doesn’t surface them here.
Channels Stack
Searching for educational videos on YouTube? You can set up your own personal learning curriculum with the YouTube channels suggested by Channels Stack.
The hand-curated site has neat categories of channels that can teach how to code, play guitar, design a website, take up any craft, or lead a healthier lifestyle. YouTube has always been a free educational platform and with the right channel, you can dip your toes into a topic.
The curated library of educational channels is a project by Alexander Olssen. Right now, you can dig into the four broad categories of Creative, Technology, Business, and Lifestyle.
Neverthink
Sometimes you don’t know what to watch. You may want to find a video that reflects your mood in that instant, or you just want to chill with some cursory entertainment. Neverthink gives you a few themes to click on.
Neverthink is a web app and it also has apps for Android and iOS. All videos are handpicked by the team and curated around themes. Pick a theme and just let go. The app will work like a YouTube remote that showcases the best videos on a specific theme until you stop watching.
The handpicked videos help you avoid YouTube’s algorithm and you don’t have to search and poke around. There’s a good chance that most of the selected videos are of excellent quality. And each video can lead you to the creator’s other work on YouTube.
You can watch YouTube videos without ads too.
Download: Neverthink for Android | iOS (Free)
CreatorSpot
CreatorSpot is quite like ProductHunt for creators on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. The site features eight new creators every day and that gives you a window to discover a fledgling YouTuber to follow.
With thousands of videos uploaded every day, it’s difficult for a new content producer to come to everyone’s attention on platforms like YouTube. The bigger names benefit from YouTube’s algorithm while the fresh creators just about try to survive. This site attempts to help them get some limelight.
The platform relies on user submissions, to begin with. The creators are evaluated on quality, originality, attention, and frequency. You can use the site to not only discover new videos and content creators behind them but also recommend photographers, YouTubers, writers, influencers, and producers you know who are doing great work.
Walnut TV
Social recommendations can take care of your YouTube appetites. Walnut TV combines two popular social platforms into one–YouTube and Reddit.
You can take a chance that the user community on Reddit will upvote interesting videos. Walnut TV steps in to curate those videos in a pleasing interface with a continuous scrolling playlist on the left and a player that occupies the center.
Walnut surfaces the recommended videos from the last 24 hours with the help of Reddit’s “Hot” algorithm. You can search for a topic or use the categories listed on the top to focus on science, documentaries, music, food, crafts, and more.
There’s an Android app if you like to consume them on the go.
Download: Walnut TV for Android (Free)
Bonus: A YouTube Subscription Manager
PocketTube is a neat little subscription manager that helps you slot all the videos you find into a well-organized collection. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Android and iOS.
Videos can also add to your digital hoard even though they are contained within YouTube. The earlier you start organizing your playlists, the easier it gets to search them, add to them, or delete the ones you don’t want.
PocketTube arranges your subscriptions into folders that work like “subscription groups” of channels on the same topic. You can personalize them with different icons and make your layout prettier.
Organize your subscriptions and let the tool show you the latest YouTube video on the topics you follow.
Download: PocketTube for Android | iOS (Free)
Download: PocketTube for Chrome | Firefox (Free)
Stoke Your Curiosity With Hidden Gems on YouTube
YouTube can be a cesspool of bad videos or a sinkhole of distracting ones. But with some thought, you can tap into the creative power of the YouTubers and find hidden gems. A little help from a new YouTube could make you think of a new hobby or help you study a difficult topic.
Of course, these aren’t the only tools you can grab and dig through YouTube. Discover more YouTube channels with the tools below now.
Read the full article: Searching for the Right YouTube Channel Gets Easier With These 5 Sites
