Subscribe now and stream yourself out of boredom with these 10 binge-worthy YouTube podcasts and channels.
If you’re looking for some entertainment, education, or inspiration, YouTube has you covered. There are thousands of podcasts and channels on the platform that cater to every taste and interest. Whether you want to laugh, learn, or listen, you can find something that suits your mood and style. But with so many options, how do you choose what to watch? Don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you.
Below we’ve compiled a list of the best binge-worthy YouTube podcasts and channels for 2023. These are the shows that will keep you hooked, entertained and informed for hours on end. From comedy to culture, science to sports and even from politics to pop culture, these are the podcasts and channels that you need to subscribe to right now.
So grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy the top YouTube podcast channels of 2023.
Best True Crime YouTube Channel: Bailey Sarian
Even if you’re not a total fan of makeup, you can’t help but be captivated by the candid storytelling of Bailey Sarian. She’s just so relatable! Not to mention her true crime podcasts are heavily in-depth. With new videos being uploaded to YouTube weekly, as well as hours of content already published, you’ll have plenty of serial killers and cannibals to binge on with Bailey Sarian. Matched with stunning makeup skills, and you’ve got the perfect night in. Just beware: some videos are not recommended before bed. Like this one. Viewer discretion is advised!
Best Music YouTube Channel: NPR Music
Nothing does music justice quite like NPR Music, made famous by their super intimate Tiny Desk concerts. They’ve hit-up the big guys like Dua Lipa and Lizzo, while equally supporting all the smaller indie artists that are bringing new flavour to the music industry. Their videos are not made to be played in the background, but to truly watch and experience the music as well as the artists behind them. You’ll be singing for days with this YouTube channel.
Best New Ideas YouTube Channel: Kurgesagt
Kurgesagt is the place where big ideas come to life. Uploading a new, 10-minute-long animation every two weeks, Kurgesagt’s helps you explore topics in science, philosophy, tehcnolog, and so much more. These videos can make you rethink the world, uncover peculiar curiosities, or even develop new skills like boosting your memory. Expand that brain of yours in all areas of humanity; from new technology to personal triumphs, all from the comfort of your own home by subscribing to Kurgesagt!
Best History YouTube Channel: Weird History
Learning about history is pretty easy with Google and, not to mention so easily accessible. But, did you know there’s an abundance of weird history to know? The stuff they likely didn’t teach you at school! In this YouTube history channel, Weird History, you learn that the original Queen Elizabeth’s makeup was the likely culprit to her eventual death. That’s all sorts of weird. And there’s much more to see, from questionable Aztec hygiene to Kamikaze pilots. If you love history, then binge and stream your way through this channel.
Best Science YouTube Channel: Veritasium
Veritasium is not only ridiculously in-depth, but it’s also insanely interesting – especially if you are a little nerdy like we are. But, more than that, the passion of the guys behind Veritasium makes it so easy to binge. You can watch crazy optical illusions, understand the logic behind infinity, uncover the wonders of the universe and, you can even find out why a reservoir is filled with 96 million black balls. This science-based YouTube channel will definitely expand your mind!
Best Animals YouTube Channel: Nat Geo Wild
You’ll be filled with cuteness thanks to Nat Geo Wild – the best YouTube channel focused on animals. Both thoroughly educational and ultra adorable, you can spend hours looking at cute and cuddly animals while immersing yourself in their wild stories. In this particular video, zookeepers at Taronga Zoo are finding new ways to feed their animals, and by far the pickiest eaters are lemurs. But we can forgive them because lemurs are just so cute! This is one YouTube channel where you’ll have no hesitation to stream your way through the entire series – it will be as if the zoo has come to you!
Best ASMR YouTube Channel: Gibi ASMR
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is the sensation you get from hearing specific sounds. Tingles up your spine, shivers down your back, and spikes flying out of your head. On YouTube, Gibi ASMR is the leading lady behind this trend bringing sounds that, for some, are simply stimulating. For others, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. If you need a good binge on ASMR to escape the banalities of planet earth, definitely check out Gibi ASMR. Or, you can take your pick from our list of the 5 Best Satisfying ASMR YouTube Channels.
Best Experimental YouTube Channel: The Slow Mo Guys
You might not learn a whole lot from The Slow Mo Guys, but they’ll definitely satisfy your curiosity. They do this by videoing things happening in slow motion – from glass breaking to 1000 paint-covered mouse traps going off. Their experiments can be as cute as cats pouncing in slow motion, and they can also be as in-depth as “the earth inside a macro water droplet”. But mostly they are just a whole lot of fun, making them a perfectly binge-worthy YouTube channel.
Best Medical YouTube Channel: Doctor Mike
It’s okay, you don’t need to be a medical expert to enjoy Doctor Mike. In fact, non-medical experts are his biggest fans! That’s because you can both learn something new from his videos while simultaneously being entertained. And isn’t that what we want? A YouTube podcast series ready to watch, he not only reacts to memes, but he also critiques popular medical TV shows, shares interesting facts about the human body, and vlogs his life as a professional doctor. Also, aren’t those eyes just dreamy?
Best Food YouTube Channel: Bon Appetit
After delicious food recipes? How about globetrotting culinary adventures? Or what about wacky videos recreating 1950s pies? Say ‘bon appetite’ to one of the Best Cooking YouTube Channels of 2023. With breakout series like Gourmet Makes and more recent sensations like On the Line — showing off the work required by chefs to get food on the table — Bon Appetit provides a whole new side of the plate that you’ve never seen before. Brining in writers and editors from the award-winning magazine that shares its name, Bon Appetit offers a refined yet fun showcase that’ll excite both your eyes and your tastebuds!
Keen to subscribe to something more? Stream your way through these 4 Best Pottery YouTube Channels. Or, for something gripping, investigative and truly thrilling, we’ve found the 10 Best True Crime Podcasts to Listen to On Spotify.
Feature image: Photographed by Chay_Tee. Image via Shutterstock.
This article was first published on August 08 2021. It was updated and edited by Hunter and Bligh on July 19 2023.