I would just like to start this article by saying that I consider myself a YouTube fiend. In the same way that some people watch Netflix, I watch YouTube. Yes, I concur - there is a lot of junk on YouTube that isn't worth your time for more reasons than one. There are so many fantastic creators making videos, too, though, and I'm here to help you discover the ones worth watching. Take notes, friends! (Or just follow the hyperlinks of the videos that spark your interest...that works, too.)

Let's start off with the people I like to call the big dogs.

Each of these YouTube channels has millions of subscribers, and many of them do it for a living at this point. I think that some people who are lucky enough to call YouTube their full-time job can sometimes get caught up in the celebrity of it all and lose their drive to make quality, original content. These people are wonderful exceptions who continue to make fantastic videos in spite of already attaining Internet stardom.

Pentatonix aka PTXofficial

After winning the third season of the televised a cappella singing competition, The Sing Off, Pentatonix has taken off and become the most dominant group in the world of a cappella. They are most well-known for their musical covers, but they are making a name for themselves with their own original music as well (can someone say Grammy award-winning artists?). Their arrangements blow me away every time, and it is so refreshing to see musical artists that are great singers, but also know the technicalities of music really, really well. I feel like we don't see artists like that as much anymore, but Pentatonix is a knock-your-socks-off break from the norm.

Check out their original song, "Run to You." It'll give you straight chills.

Bad Lip Reading

It's hard to even find words to describe the Bad Lip Reading channel aside from pure gold. I feel like it all had to start with a bunch of friends muting a video and making up what the people were saying on the spot. And maybe they just ran with it? All of their videos are popular media - politicians' speeches, NFL games, movie clips - but the BLR team cuts out the audio and dubs funny voices and crazy scripts as the replacement, based purely on reading lips. The result is absolutely hilarious. One of my favorites is "'NFL 2015 — A Bad Lip Reading of The NFL." Every clip with Dez Bryant is fantastic.

SoulPancake

SoulPancake is about as feel-good as it gets. Their videos are meant to inspire, to uplift, and to bring hope, and I think we could all use some of that these days. As a future teacher, their video about a special ed teacher empowering her students makes me cry every time. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do.

Stuart Edge

Ah, Stuart Edge. I found this guy in the midst of what I like to call a "YouTube black hole," loosely defined (by me) as when you go on YouTube for a specific video, then suddenly, 17 videos and two and a half hours later, you wonder how you ended up watching babies playing musical instruments. I can get with the occasional prank video or two on YouTube, but most prank videos have kind of devolved into sexually charged, somewhat malicious, and often very staged productions designed to garner views. Stuart, on the other hand, keeps things positive. He is a magician, and many of his videos involve him doing magic tricks to make people smile. I know magic isn't up everyone's alley (they really are good tricks, though!), but what I love about Stuart is that he creates memorable experiences for people that make them walk away feeling better about themselves, rather than humiliating or degrading them.

One of my favorites of his is Instant Dance Date. It's him at his best, creating experiences to make people smile. You have to see it for yourself. It's pretty wonderful.

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden is a baby of a television show - it's only been airing for about a year and a half. That has not stopped James Corden from putting out some of the most shareable videos on the internet, though, and his recurring Carpool Karaoke bit has become one of my favorite things on the interweb. One of his very first Carpool Karaokes was with Jennifer Hudson, and not only was it hilarious, but there is nothing quite like seeing Jennifer Hudson belt her signature track from Dreamgirls while riding in the passenger seat of an SUV.

And now, for my favorite YouTubers who are on the up and up.

These creators are all still clocking in at under a million subscribers (a milestone marker in the YouTube world), but they make some of my favorite content on the internet, and their channels are growing rapidly.

Damon and Jo

Damon and Jo are best friends and self-proclaimed broke twenty-somethings who love to travel. Together, they make videos highlighting their travels and providing tips on how to pack well, navigate airports, and see the world on a tight budget. They also love learning languages, so they can both speak English, French, and Portuguese, and they've got some Spanish under their belt too. As a result, several of their videos are completely in French or Portuguese, and they make videos to help you to learn those languages.

Confession time: I am subscribed to over 200 channels on YouTube, and Damon and Jo is my #1 favorite channel. They have exploded in popularity over the past few months, but they have a way of making videos that kind of makes you feel like you're just watching two best friends do what they love, and you just want to join them. Check out their tour of Lisbon, Portugal with tips on how to see the city for free.

Thirdstory

Elliott Skinner, Richard Saunders, and Ben Lusher makes up the trio known as Thirdstory. They've recently been touring with Tori Kelly, and they are a musical force to be reckoned with. Their harmonies are oh-so-tight, and some of their arrangements for their covers are so fantastic, y'all. Right around the 3 1/2 minute mark in their revamped cover of Taylor Swift's "Style," they break it down, and it goes so hard. Check 'em out!

Josh Sobo

Josh Sobo is just a college kid living in Jersey, and he's got a very boy-next-door vibe about him, which makes him super relatable. I've been subscribed to him for a while, and it's been cool to see him go through transitions in the style of his channel. He's recently found a niche in daily vlogging, which I'm usually not really into, but he keeps his vlogs engaging and fun enough that I actually want to watch them. He uses drone footage in some of his vlogs too (like this one!), and the shots are beautiful.

Evelyn From The Internets

And last but certainly not least, I present Evelyn From The Internets. I only came across Evelyn's channel a few months ago, but she very quickly rose to be one of my top three favorite channels. Often times, she's just standing in front of the camera telling stories, but she is one of the best storytellers around. She's both very intelligent and super culturally aware, and I really respect that she's got both of those things going for her. All that being said, her videos have made me cry laughing. Like, there have been actual tears streaming down my cheeks from the laughter. Her retelling of the time that her license plates got stolen is one of my favorites, and she also does a hilarious review of Beyonce's newest album that actually got featured on Beyonce's most recent tour. Yes, it was a big deal.

Those are nine of my favorite YouTube channels. I hope you find someone new to follow from this list. I'm always looking for other quality channels to subscribe to, so who would you add to this list? Let me know, and happy browsing the interwebs!