By James Chevrette
Promoting car audio remains a key challenge for the industry. But one of those who has paved the way is Dereck from Williston Audio Labs, known as “Big D.” And this month he decided to “give back.”
Williston compiled a list of the top 25 underappreciated car audio-related YouTube channels for 2025. His own channel, Williston Audio Labs, has garnered over 100 million views with 385,000 subscribers! It was great to see this car audio-based channel giving back to our community.
In Williston’s own words, he made the episode to “help give a boost to the smaller channels. Back when I had been making videos for a few years and not getting much traction, Steve Meade reached out to me and was so inspiring with his encouragement and sharing my content with his audience. Sometimes we all just need a ‘boost’ to push us to that next level, and it sure feels good to get noticed and feel like your hard work is paying off.”
The 25 channels Williston highlights together account for over 73 million views of car audio-related content, from bass demos and Q&As to reviews, history, and restoration projects. Full disclosure, this writer’s Car Audio Obsessed channel is one of those mentioned. But this post is not about self-promoting. It’s about applauding the many who work to promote our industry.
Though not mentioned in this particular episode by Williston, we also applaud the industry’s amazing top-tier creators like Steve Meade, Mark from Car Audio Fabrication, 5-Star Car Audio, Soundman Car Audio, and others. These channels have been the backbone of car audio culture. (You can see more car audio podcasts and YouTube channels on the 12-Volt Community Page).
As we take time with our families to recharge our batteries for 2026, check out the video above. Maybe you are an industry member who’s been feeling a little flat or losing some love for car audio after a challenging 2025? At least one of these channels might reignite your passion for car audio. Isn’t that why we all got into this industry?