There are free instructional videos available for just about any interest, from exercise, yoga, and dance to graphic design, hairstyling, and crafts. The benefit of these instructional videos is that they are free - so if you happen to find one you don't like, or that is not useful, you haven't wasted any money. To avoid wasting time, the best way to choose a free instructional video is to check out reviews of it. Free or not, people are often brutally honest in their reviews and comments, and nearly all videos found online have a comments section you can read.
There are many websites with free instructional videos on any topic under the sun. A number of these websites provide ranking systems, so when you search for a video, you can choose to display search results by popularity, highest rating, or frequency of views. A video with a high star rating or number of views is likely going to be a better free instructional video, than one with a low rating, and you do not even have to waste time watching the first few minutes of the video. These websites feature almost entirely user-generated content.
Another way to find a good free instructional video is to look for ones produced or created by someone you already know, and whose opinions you respect. If you already have viewed videos or read articles or books from a certain teacher, fitness instructor, or even blogger, you can be reasonably assured that you will find their free instructional video useful. There are also websites that exist that compile videos from experts, then review the videos to make sure the content is appropriate and correct. Though user feedback may be limited, it can be a safe place to send kids when they are searching for a free instructional video, and you don't want them to find questionable content on user-generated sites.
Podcasting has also made accessing good-quality, free instructional videos much easier. Many podcasts offer instructional videos on a daily or weekly basis, which can allow the viewer to progress more in-depth with a topic, such as when learning a foreign language or trying to master a musical instrument or difficult computer program. Many podcasts are free, and can be viewed directly on the computer without even needing to be transferred to a video-playing device.
Finally, if you do not want to or cannot use a computer to access free instructional videos, there are a few companies that will send videos through the mail. These are often featured on television commercials and in magazines. Using free instructional videos can be a great way to learn a new skill, hobby, or improve your physical fitness.