9. Ash Soan (@ashsoan)
The Rhythm Best in drums 2018 polls received an astonishing 100,000 votes, and we're now ready to roll out the winners. The nominees were what we considered to be the drummers and gear that have excelled in 2018. Here, we present the best online drum personalities of 2018. First up we have Ash Soan...
2018 highlight: You'd think that forging a successful session career would be enough for one lifetime, however alongside his recording and live work, Ash Soan has built a considerable following on Instagram too. Since converting an old Windmill in his garden into a professional studio, Ash has been posting clips of his sublime grooves and sonic experimentation, and it's really struck a chord with people. 141,000 people, in fact.
The MusicRadar Best in drums awards are brought to you in association with Allianz Musical Insurance - the UK's Number 1 Specialist Instrument Insurer
8. Tony Royster Jr (@tonyroysterjr)
2018 highlight: If you've dreamed of playing big gigs with major pop stars, Tony's Instagram is well worth your attention. From clips demonstrating the work that goes on behind the scenes in the practice room, to footage from clinics and live performances with Katy Perry, Tony's channel is a real eye-opener for aspiring session drummers. He's clearly having fun, but it's taken graft to reach that position and maintain it.
7. Sounds Like A Drum (www.youtube.com/soundslikeadrum)
2018 highlight: There's plenty of drum kit showboating on YouTube, which is fun for a minute, but we reckon the real value comes from drummers sharing secrets and tips to make us all sound better. That's where Sounds Like a Drum comes in. Presenters Ben and Cody are full of ideas, and their channel is all about encouraging drummers to experiment. From tuning tips, to adding effects to your snare drum, their videos are always insightful, plus they look and sound great to boot. The duo passed 10,000 subscribers in August 2018, but they deserve way more.
6. Justin Scott (@jscottdrummer)
2018 highlight: Justin Scott has amassed almost 80,000 Instagram followers without having a major gig or album credit to his name. How? He's kept things simple, posting almost daily clips of his ideas, lessons, sessions and gigs. The secret formula is that each of his videos sounds decent, has one camera angle and is entirely focused on his playing. It's a no frills, no ego insight into the life of a fantastic, real-life drummer, and we love it. Other Instagram drummers should take note.
5. Mike Johnston (@drumteacher76)
2018 highlight: Mike Johnston is one of the most likeable personalities in the drum industry. His enthusiasm is infectious and his honesty and openness about his weaknesses (and how he finds solutions) makes him feel more relatable than some of the drum world's other celebrity tutors. Mike's Instagram channel is a great mix of insight into the life of a busy working drummer - courtesy of some amazing short films shot and edited by Mike - as well as some fantastic playing, of course.
4. Jared Falk (www.drumeo.com)
2018 highlight: In the last few years Falk has probably done more than any drummer to advance online drum education. His site drumeo.com has become the go-to platform for first-rate drum lessons - many of which are presented by Falk himself - and masterclasses with some seriously big names. This year alone, Jared's sway has resulted in internet-breaking sessions with the likes of Jonathan Moffett, Mark Guiliana and Gavin Harrison. 900,000 subscribers can't be wrong.
3. Stan Bicknell (@stanbicknell)
2018 highlight: Our attention was first drawn to Stan Bicknell a couple of years back when we came across a Facebook video of a drummer demonstrating an unbelievable bass drum technique in what appeared to be a warehouse (which added fantastic reverb, may we add). Stan's precision, creative approach and willingness to share his playing with the world have garnered him quite the following ever since. Oh, and he's the director of a coffee company too!
2. Eric Moore (@ericmoore_ii)
2018 highlight: It's widely known that Eric Moore is one of the finest chopsmiths on the planet. Thankfully, since setting up his Instagram channel it's become even easier to get a slice of the action. Without doubt, our favourite Eric Moore cut of 2018 was his unbelievable shed over Missy Elliot's Get Ur Freak On. Mind bending stuff.
Winner: rdavidr (www.youtube.com/rdavidr)
2018 highlight: The rdavidr About page describes the channel as 'drum tips, tricks, hacks, and DIY projects'. That actually doesn't do enough justice to drummer and fettler David Raouf's fantastic videos. Our favourite uploads see David brandishing power tools to modify his gear or attempt to get a great sound out of junk he's found online (see The Cheapest Snare Drum On The Entire Internet). Not only does he usually succeed, but his videos are so inspiring that we're normally straight on eBay after watching to kickstart our own drum projects.
