Youtube is a common source for formally trained or self-taught developers to upskill. From filling in small gaps in knowledge to mastering entirely new concepts, there is a video out there for it. If the majority of your time on Youtube is spent as a leisure activity, you may find it useful to subscribe to any of the following channels to squeeze some learning into your day. The best developers are constantly learning, as little as 20 minutes spent per day investing in your craft can make a worlds difference.

The great thing about Youtube tutorials is that they aren’t just databases of boring tutorials. The best channels strike a balance between joyful encouragement and informative clarity. They make you feel fantastic about learning to program and often will feel more like a recreational show than a lecture. Of course, if you do prefer the direct lesson approach, there is plenty of content embodying that style as well. Here’s 5 channels I’d recommend!

1. Dev Tips

Dev Tips was originally created and raised by the inspiring Travis Neilson, here’s a video any aspiring developer should watch before following this channel, ‘Advice and Crap for Young Creators‘ However, after his departure in 2018, the reigns were given to the equally knowledgeable and entertaining David Jurelius and Mattias Petter Johansson (MPJ) from ‘Fun Fun Function.’ Since then the channel has progressed from strength to strength, the trend in their recent videos are paired development sessions taking on new computer programs, concepts and frameworks. The motto driving 2019’s content has been ‘Failing Together,’ which adds a refreshing display of realism to their content. The viewer gets to experience the entire development journey, with all failures, problem solves and eventual or partial success included.

2. Fun Fun Function

As aforementioned, this channel is hosted by MPJ who also co-runs Dev Tips. MPJ mixed his background in media production and theatre with a decade of programming experience  to create a channel that is lively enough to keep you awake, yet relaxed enough to avoid any stress. I would argue this is one of the best channels for learning everything Javascript, featuring a range of playlists discussing functional programming, iterators and generators, object creation and other must know JS features. If you’re looking to get into web development using AngularJS or jQuery this channel is a worthwhile subscription!

3. Thenewboston

Thenewboston is a legendary channel of computer related tutorials that is now over a decade old. Therefore, most of its videos do take the traditional form of screensharing and direct explanation. This channel is an abundance of programming series, fit for beginners and experienced users alike. All series are split into comprehensible segments full of detailed explanation. However, the only negative about this channel is that it is currently sitting stagnant, so if you’re looking for tutorials containing recent technology, you won’t find any here. Instead use this channel as a past reference if you ever need to remind yourself of coding processes and fundamentals.

4. Codecourse

Moving onwards we have Codecourse, which I’d recommend for those wanting to become outstanding PHP developers. This channel and particularly the ‘PHP Basics course‘ will take you from knowing nothing to comfortably working with the popular language. No knowledge is assumed nor is any necessary external program skipped over. Once you’ve established a foundation of PHP knowledge, use Codecourse to go into specifics such as Laravel web development or Javascript.

5. LearnCode.academy

Finally we come to LearnCode.academy. LearnCode.academy covers almost everything to do with coding languages including: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, CSS Layouts, Responsive Design, Node.js, React.js, Angular.js, Docker, Dev Ops, as well as Server Administration and Deployment Strategies. Therefore, this channel is more of a generalist; it has beginner series that allow junior developers to secure some fundamentals and a range of mini series discussing niche problem solves. This channel also features the odd hardware review, discussing developer efficiency and health.

There’s my recommended list of Youtube channels for the eternally learning developer. The best thing about Youtube is the variation involved. There is a programming personality out there for everyone, whether you want a conversational journey or a straightforward lesson. The important aspect is that you are in a clear headspace when consuming Youtube content and are not inviting unnecessary stress. Ensure you give yourself adequate downtime outside of developing, as it will result in greater productivity and consistency when refining your craft.

Our company, CodeClouds, has grown exponentially over the past few years. We have a large number of positions open for PHP/CodeIgniter/Laravel developers and jQuery/AngularJS developers. If you live in the Kolkata area and you are interested in applying for a position, check out our jobs page.