The Best (My Favorite) YouTube Drumming Channels in 2019

I’m willing to admit that I watch a lot of YouTube. I don’t pay for Netflix or even use a friend’s password. I also don’t own any video game systems. This leaves me with little options for digital entertainment other than YouTube’s free services. Thankfully the site has a lot to keep me occupied.

If I’m not careful, I can waste huge amounts of time doing nothing on YouTube. As a way to combat my tendency to go down unproductive YouTube rabbit holes, I started watching drum videos. Drum videos act as a more “constructive” way for me to waste my time. From what I’ve found, some of YouTube’s drum channels are good, and some are not.

If you’re a new drummer, you’ve probably spent some time cruising the internet for drum tutorials and lessons. This is an awesome (and affordable) way to get some really great information. Unfortunately, if you’re new to drumming, you also have no idea whether or not the information found is any good.

So what are the best drum-centered channels on YouTube? Below is a list of the channels that I regularly watch and find to be the top of free drumming entertainment and information on YouTube. Let’s check it out!

1. Sounds Like a Drum

Drum tuning is the worst! Well not actually, but I’m sure a lot of drummers out there feel that way. After watching countless hours of drum tuning videos, it’s safe to say that Sounds Like a Drum is by far and away the best channel on YouTube regarding the subject.

Designed for drummers and sound engineers, Sounds Like a Drum features videos that go in-depth with regards to drum tuning. There are dedicated videos for each individual drum as well as plenty of tips and tricks for achieving any type of drum sound.

The tutorials on Sounds Like a Drum are not too long, are easy to understand, and the information is exceptional. I’ve referenced their snare tuning videos several times. I highly recommend the sections on bottom head tuning, as I have learned things that have never been mentioned to me before.

2. Drum Center of Portsmouth

Buying drum gear is the worst! Well not actually, but it is a totally over-marketed and confusing world to enter. People ask me all the time what sort of drums they should buy. I ask myself all the time what sort of drums I should buy. There is a lot out there to know and research, so it’s important to get your information from quality sources.

The Drum Center of Portsmouth is definitely my favorite YouTube drum channel when it comes to the retail side of drumming. Located in North Hampton in New Hampshire, the videos come directly from the floor of the drum center itself. These guys carry a shocking amount of gear. They also don’t appear to have strong allegiances to a specific brand, so their videos cover a wide range of available kits and cymbals without being to “sale-sy”

Drum Center of Portsmouth’s videos are highly detailed and come with a lot of audio and visual representation. They cover drums, snares, and cymbals, and review many of the rare boutique drum companies. They have a huge backlog of videos, and chances are they have reviewed whatever drum gear you’re currently interested in. Keep an eye out for their fun shootout videos comparing similar drums head to head.

The guys at The Drum Center of Portsmouth are hard workers, know their stuff, and are decent drummers. I highly recommend Drum Center of Portsmouth’s YouTube channel for all of your drum retail needs.

3. Mike’s Lessons

Learning to play drums is the worst! Definitely not true, but it’s probably the most covered drumming subject online. If you’re new to drumming, finding solid learning material is overwhelming and the bad info might only make things worse. I see students all the time that have used free YouTube videos that have all sorts of holes in their playing.

On the other hand, go to the right sources, and you’ll find yourself with a wealth of golden drumming information. Mike’s Lessons by Mike Johnston is one of those solid sources. I love this guy! I love his drumming and I love his positive attitude.

What separates Mike Johnston from other online instructors is the fact that he is currently on the ground teaching. Many of the internet’s current “drum gurus” have never actually taught a lesson to a real person before. This creates untested information that may or may not be effective. Mike teaches hundreds of students every year, and that feedback is sent straight back to you in the form of his videos.

Mike is a positive guy who genuinely wants drummers to learn something. His YouTube videos are not necessarily for beginners, although I’m sure you can find plenty of great courses available on his website. Lastly, the content that he puts up is extremely high quality, so if you just want to watch some sweet hi-definition drumming, Mike’s your ticket!

Lastly, if his videos aren’t enough and you just need more Mike Johnston in your life, I highly recommend The Modern Drummer Podcast featuring drum talk with Mike and Modern Drummer Magazine editor Mike Dawson.

4. Drumeo

If you’ve ever spent time around the YouTube drumming world, you have most likely already seen a Drumeo video. These guys are everywhere! With over 1000 videos on their YouTube channel alone, they dominate a pretty large chunk of the educational drumming market.

Drumeo is run by Jared Falk, who can be regularly seen giving lessons on the channel. However, because of the size and budget of the company, they are able to land top notch drummers and have filmed quality content over a huge range of styles and topics. The amount of free content that Drumeo offers is insane. They also offer even more lessons on their website.

The only downside to the Drumeo channel is that due to its size, it can take a while to find a video or topic that you are really searching for. But the good news is that almost all of the content they publish is high quality and has valuable information. In terms of free drumming education, you really can’t get much better than Drumeo.

5. Jeff Randall

I first met Jeff Randall back at the University of North Texas. His drumming would always amaze me. He was known for his pocket and groove, and his performances never disappointed. Since then, I’ve seen him grow his social media presence to big numbers and now he’s quite the well known influencer in the online drumming community.

Jeff’s YouTube channel has grown into a solid collection of helpful drum tutorials. He covers topics on classic drum fills, grooves, staying in the pocket, and drum maintenance. All his videos look slick, have great information, and are totally worth a watch.

One of the best things about Jeff’s channel is that he is currently on the ground as a working drummer. What’s presented on his channel are useable bits of information that you know he has personally tested on stage himself. Jeff also stays true to the rock and funk genre and covers a lot of interesting grooves that you might not find anywhere else.

6. rDavidr

If you’re a drummer that also happens to enjoy DIY videos, then you’re gonna love David Raouf’s YouTube channel: rDavidr. David’s channel features a collection of handy projects where he alters his drum kit or studio by hand. If you’re like me and love watching people build things with power tools, rDavidr is for you.

David’s videos are always and interesting and unique collection of DIY drum projects that few people would ever think up. He can make custom cowbells, cut massive holes in his cymbals, or turn a $40 snare from Amazon into a masterpiece. A lot of his videos also feature him creating storage options for all of his gear, which is perfect for the OCD or those that are organizationally obsessed.

As a bonus, David’s videos are well made, feature plenty of drumming, and always fun. Perfect for the handy drummer, or someone looking for a drum project on a budget.

And there’s my list of my favorite drumming YouTube channels. Which channels do you like to watch? Did I miss anything? Let me know down below!