podcasts are like, so 2019
July 22, 2020 11:49 AM Subscribe
Until the end of February, I had a hour-long commute each way. That much time in the car meant I listened to a lot of podcasts. Now my commute is more like 1.2 seconds, making podcast listening more difficult. I've turned to Youtube videos instead, and this is a request for recommendations.
I still listen to podcasts, because, working from home, the only noise I hear all day is my air conditioner. But it's hard for me to have an long podcast episode on in the background while I work. Instead, I do a modified-pomodoro where I'll work in intervals and listen/watch something in a short break. I've done this with podcasts, but it's not ideal. I'd rather have something I can consume at once, in five- to fifteen minute chunks. As it turns out, that's a great length for Youtube.
So far, I've been watching a lot of videos from Vox (especially the Earworm series), Rick Beato, and Wired's Almost Impossible. This fits with the types of podcasts I listen to (99% Invisible, In Our Time, This American Life, Reply All, the Rewatchables), and with what I like to read (longform nonfiction like the New Yorker and the Atlantic, and sites like Serious Eats and The Wirecutter - and Metafilter, for that matter!): generally upper-middlebrow with high production values. Production values are fairly important to me; no people sitting on their beds yapping into their phones. It doesn't have to be professionally produced (Rick Beato isn't), but it needs to have some concern for script, lighting, editing, graphics, etc. The topic is important, too. I like a lot of things (sports, music, design, history, geography, etc.), but more than topic, I'd like a deep dive into something. I watched some videos from the Cheddar channel, but they were too remedial. I don't always understand Rick Beato's music theory videos, but I love the detail. I watch a lot of old TV shows (Good Eats, Rick Steves Europe), but I'm looking for native Youtube stuff.
I do like the fact that video is better suited to presenting information about certain subjects, like music or cinematography, which gives me a broader base of topics to draw from. Podcasts about architecture are tough, you know?
So what do you like? Thanks in advance.
I still listen to podcasts, because, working from home, the only noise I hear all day is my air conditioner. But it's hard for me to have an long podcast episode on in the background while I work. Instead, I do a modified-pomodoro where I'll work in intervals and listen/watch something in a short break. I've done this with podcasts, but it's not ideal. I'd rather have something I can consume at once, in five- to fifteen minute chunks. As it turns out, that's a great length for Youtube.
So far, I've been watching a lot of videos from Vox (especially the Earworm series), Rick Beato, and Wired's Almost Impossible. This fits with the types of podcasts I listen to (99% Invisible, In Our Time, This American Life, Reply All, the Rewatchables), and with what I like to read (longform nonfiction like the New Yorker and the Atlantic, and sites like Serious Eats and The Wirecutter - and Metafilter, for that matter!): generally upper-middlebrow with high production values. Production values are fairly important to me; no people sitting on their beds yapping into their phones. It doesn't have to be professionally produced (Rick Beato isn't), but it needs to have some concern for script, lighting, editing, graphics, etc. The topic is important, too. I like a lot of things (sports, music, design, history, geography, etc.), but more than topic, I'd like a deep dive into something. I watched some videos from the Cheddar channel, but they were too remedial. I don't always understand Rick Beato's music theory videos, but I love the detail. I watch a lot of old TV shows (Good Eats, Rick Steves Europe), but I'm looking for native Youtube stuff.
I do like the fact that video is better suited to presenting information about certain subjects, like music or cinematography, which gives me a broader base of topics to draw from. Podcasts about architecture are tough, you know?
So what do you like? Thanks in advance.
Best answer: If you like Rick Beato, check out Nahre Sol and Adam Neely.
posted by jonathanhughes at 1:21 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jonathanhughes at 1:21 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Environment and sustainability via Grist magazine's YT channel.
Contemporary art via Art21.
Print newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets often create mini-documentaries or linked videos on specific topics. For example, the LA Times has the "On the streets" playlist for videos on homelessness.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:39 PM on July 22, 2020
Contemporary art via Art21.
Print newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets often create mini-documentaries or linked videos on specific topics. For example, the LA Times has the "On the streets" playlist for videos on homelessness.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:39 PM on July 22, 2020
Wintergatan: 4 years ago this video showed a truly epic marble machine making a quite catchy tune. Since then, its creator has been working on an updated version of the machine. Over 130 videos in and it's still going -- the channel has turned into an amazing mix of engineering, music, meditations on productivity and creativity, project management, and community building (many people are involved in various aspects of the project). Totally worth it to start at the first video and work your way through, but also possible to poke around at whatever catches your eye.
posted by cubby at 6:48 PM on July 22, 2020
posted by cubby at 6:48 PM on July 22, 2020
Oh and for good production values you must consider Clickspring. It's an exceptional machinist making incredible objects in metal and explaining the how and why of each step. The current series of videos is the creation of a copy of the Antikythera Mechanism -- but it is on hiatus because he made a significant discovery about the mechanism while researching the project, and is working to publish an academic paper on the subject before continuing the videos. You can go back and watch the entire series of a clock being made, and he's edited together some shorter videos from that series - I prefer the longer ones though.
posted by cubby at 7:00 PM on July 22, 2020
posted by cubby at 7:00 PM on July 22, 2020
Response by poster: Oh weird, I started watching Adam Ragusea (very much what I was looking for, thanks!), and I came across a video guest starring an old friend I haven’t seen in like ten years.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:19 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by kevinbelt at 7:19 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Seconding Nahre Sol, a classically-trained keyboard player who enjoys exploring various musical genres, often using cheap electronic keyboards.
posted by Agave at 7:37 AM on July 23, 2020
posted by Agave at 7:37 AM on July 23, 2020
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Technology Connections: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy0tKL1T7wFoYcxCe0xjN6Q Goes deep into how things work - and is usually something you didn't know.
Jenny Nicholson: https://www.youtube.com/user/JennyENicholson Goes deep into pop/nerd culture, stares at the camera most the time from her bed.
Adam Ragusea: https://www.youtube.com/user/aragusea Best chef channel - improvements or instructions on dishes, actually shows and values how much time it might take to cook something.
Tom Scott: https://www.youtube.com/user/enyay Variety channel, usually focused on history or maths
Atomic Shrimp: https://www.youtube.com/user/AtomicShrimp Variety channel, on all sorts of stuff, just an overall fun listen.
Good Mythical Morning: https://www.youtube.com/user/rhettandlink2 Talk show, they put out a lot of content, but it's relatively fun and efficient. Great clickbait.
Stuff Made Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj1VqrHhDte54oLgPG4xpuQ New youtuber, makes interesting / unique designs.
posted by bbqturtle at 12:13 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]