Hello there!

Alright I know you are asking specifically for YouTube, but I'd highly recommend audiobooks as an alternative. Frankly, I've yet come across a YouTube channel that does history well. To be clear, I am not saying there is some snobbish high-bar that YouTube can't hit, it just seems as though any history channel I see recommended falls short of what's considered good historical methodology, which of course leads to accuracy and factual analysis! One of the problems with YouTube, is people are on there to gain subscribers and to monetize. That encourages continual content, and (of course) requires entertainment. History of course can be entertaininng, but when you're incentivized to create new videos all the time you naturally are going to dig down into the "fun facts of dubious accuracy" barrel.

Well, I'm certain you're getting a lot of DM recommendations right now for YouTube channels. So what to look for when evaluating? There are a few easy indicators to look for to do a litmus test on how rigorous a channel is in its methodology.

1. Do they cite their sources in the description to their video? If they don't, then I'd skip them immediately. If you don't know someone's sources, you have no clue how they came up with their material.
2. If they did provide citations, what type are they?
   1. Primary sources might seem great, and if they're used in conjunction with secondary sources then that's a good sign, however beware someone who JUST links a primary source document. A very important part about being a historian is knowing the historiography of your field. If they only link a primary source, they are constructing a narrative in isolation, I'd definitely skip.
   2. Secondary sources are a good sign; that said, check them out! Do some Googling, and look for things like how long ago they were published, who the author is, and what press they came off of! I have had someone try to "cite" something they found in a self-published book by someone with extremely fringe views. Just because something is nominally "published" doesn't mean it's accurate. The gold standard here are going to be academic presses (i.e. Oxford University Press).
   3. Tertiary Sources are likely what most YouTubers rely on (I've written about that more here). These are things like Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, etc. While these are perfectly acceptable launching points for research, they should never form the backbone of your research. Unless these citations are peppered in very sparingly amongst a seas of primary and secondary sources, then I'd skip.
3. If they do provide sources that you feel are adequate, the last quesiton I'd ask is what type of content they provide.
   1. How many different topics do they cover? A historian who is trained in their field would never suddenly try to lecture about a topic they know very little about. If the channel goes from videos on the French Revolution to history of China with a week in between, they did not do anything close to sufficient research.
   2. Is the content "click-bait"? Do they try and tell you the SHOCKING discovery about Germanny in WWII that no one knows? If so, they probably worried more about views that their research.

So hopefully that'll help weed through any YouTube channels you're interested in.

I'd still highly recommend audiobooks however! That way you can continue to enjoy the booklist recommendations, and stick to books that have done years (often decades) of research to put out one monograph, as opposed to cranking through a new video every week. Libraries have audiobooks to check out as well, so you could give some a try for free!

Let me know if you have questions or want to continue this discussion!

I would recommend a few different sources:

1. If you have $20 extra a month, Great Courses plus is fantastic. They have a ton of history content. They are all taught by current or former college professors who are well respected in their fields. They are basically narrative lecture style with some infographics maps etc. They do not do a ton in the way of historiography but overall they are great for getting an overview of the topic.

2. YouTube, as the other poster mentioned, should be used with caution. However, many different universities upload full courses taught by their professors. Yale, and UCLA have a good amount of historical content. I usually search the topic plus “course” or “lecture.” Then check to see the source and if it is published by a reputable university or professor at one of these universities then it’s a good indication of quality. iTunes U used to be great for this but I think that has been cancelled. Most of these have been uploaded to YouTube.

3. New Books Network- This is a podcast series in interview format. An academic interviews another academic about a new book they have published. Many topics but one is history and if I remember correctly the network was started by a historian. It should be available wherever you get you podcasts.

*edit - typo and formatting.

History undergraduate here, I hope I will be able to help.

As MySkinsRedditAcct said, you should keep in mind that if the creator(s) does not cite sources, the information should not be taken at face value.

One other thing I would like to add is that even though the channel might release another video on topic that is only marginally related to their previous video might not necessarily mean that they have not conducted thorough research. I admit that it is not publicly shared knowledge, but as a patron of Invicta I know that videos are not made entirely in succession. The actual workflow is done in phases ie. as research team finishes the research into the topic, the editors continue with the production and provide concept art, backgrounds, animations, sound and VO. During that time research team is already working on another topic, so the research time is much longer than the pause between releases. This process is then multiplied by their respective groups, one group might work on a video for their How they did it series, while the other is working on a Patreon request.

With that said there are channels that do provide list of primary and secondary sources:

Historia Civilis - The creator behind this channel focuses solely on history of Rome, so if that is something that interests you you will certainly find a video to watch. Sources are listed in the description, if you need to check information provided.

Invicta - Their work mostly focuses on European Middle Ages and Antiquity, but some of their videos also discuss topics from Japanese or Chinese history, these are mostly made on a popular request from their Patrons. Most of their documentaries have a list of sources apart from some of the guest videos by other creators (it depends on the creator) or older videos, the original aim of the channel (almost 8 years old) was gaming, mostly Total War series. Only later did they branch out to cover historical topics mostly as a history enthusiast, but managed to refine their production process to the current state.

I hope this helps. If there is anything that I have not mentioned that you or mod team would like to know, I'll be happy to answer as best as I can.

Edit: I just remembered another YouTube channel. Bernadette Banner specializes in history of fashion and textiles, through the middle ages to the 1st world war. Her videos are very well researched and are quite engaging.

I know a Youtube channel that not only puts all their sources, but also posts original research, and in some cases the videos themselves are source material extracted with a great deal of effort:

A Critical Hit!

Kate Willaert is a gaming and culture historian and has most recently, for example, unearthed a great deal about the 1970s version of Wild Gunman from Nintendo. (It was a "FMV game" that used movie reels!)

The accompanying blog posts list all sources. In the case of the Wild Gunman video:

• Before Mario: Custom Gunman (1976)
• Before Mario: Wild Gunman (1972)
• The History Of Nintendo (Vol. 1) (2008-2010) by Gorges & Yamazaki
• Magazines: Cash Box, Play Meter, Replay, Vending Times, Weekly Television Digest
• Other images from: Ninty Arcade, World-Herald
• Patent: US3960380A, Patent: JPS51117629A

Hi there anyone interested in recommending things to OP! While you might have a title to share, this is still a thread on /r/AskHistorians, and we still want the replies here to be to an /r/AskHistorians standard - presumably OP would have asked at /r/history or /r/askreddit if they wanted non-specialist opinion. So give us some indication why the thing you're recommending is valuable, trustworthy, or applicable! Posts that provide no context for why you're recommending a particular podcast/book/novel/documentary/etc, and which aren't backed up by a historian-level knowledge on the accuracy and stance of the piece, will be removed.