I use YouTube a good bit, but differently from listening to audio only. I agree with those who say the fidelity is not as good via YouTube.
Yet YouTube makes it possible to
see performers working their magic. I love the audio, but it's fun to
see the thing, too. It adds a human dimension, especially if you've never seen the performer before. It can be a good way to sample something new.
If you're a classical music lover, there are many master classes available, with famous musicians helping younger ones learn. Such classes can be fascinating. And the other day, I watched an interview with (cellist) Janos Starker. It's interesting, too, to see concert halls around the world and the way different audiences react.
I loved watching
Bernstein conduct Haydn with facial expressions only.
The fly in the ointment is the constant commercials now. Even musical performances are broken up in the middle of a measure or phrase to show you an ad for corn chips or hemorrhoid ointment. It's pretty awful. It's quite amazing how many advertisements one sees each day -- I'd think it's in the hundreds or thousands now.