As one of the most accessible content platforms on the web, being able to effectively promote their material on the site had become essential for artists. Here we look at a straightforward list of basic practices for any artist hoping to use the platform, regardless of the resources available to them.
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Guest post by Jacob Pace, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships at Create Music Group
YouTube has without a doubt become one of the most accessible mediums for content in the world. In June of this year, it was stated that the platform had 1.5 billion monthly logged-in users. With such a large platform existing for musicians, I decided to put together a list of basic practices that every artist is fully capable of executing, no matter the amount of resources that they have access to:
1) Have a presence
Every artist these days should have some kind of an owned presence on YouTube (i.e a presence that is not entirely built off the back of another channel). Not only does this usually mean more revenue for you at the end of the day, but you have more control of where to direct your audience. If you’re unsure of what kind of content to upload, start by simply uploading your songs and use your cover art as the background image. YouTube is a very visual platform, however, so I would highly encourage making an attempt to incorporate movement or animations into your videos, even if it means having to do them yourself for the time being. Have you heard of this great platform YouTube? They have tutorials for just about anything you can think of. Additionally, consistency is one of the biggest keys to succeeding on any platform. Stay consistent with how often you upload and eventually begin programming planned content in, such as covers, mixes, or anything beyond what fans can just find on other music services.
2) Keywords, keywords, keywords
Here’s a fun fact – on average, 80% of music views on YouTube are from algorithmically recommended content, making keywords and your SEO practices a critical way to bring more traction to your video. That being said, think about what kind of audiences you want to target and base your content around that, so your keywords can actually relate to the kind of content you’re putting out. For example, if you want to go wide for a big audience, try making covers or remixes of a popular new song. If you want to go niche, do your research on related channels in your genre, and base your keywords around the kind of content they’re putting out.
3) Promote
These days, everything is digital. That said, anything that your favorite artists are doing to promote themselves or their music is likely on the internet somewhere. Research recent songs from your favorites artists on YouTube and see what they did to promote it. From a simple search, you can find what channels they’re appearing on, if they’ve had interviews with anyone, and everything in between. YouTube tastemaker channels such as Indie Air, World Star Hip Hop, and Trap Nation are a great way for independent artists to build exposure and direct an audience to check out their music. Almost all of these channels have a contact email or form that you can fill out to submit your music. Make sure your email is concise and to the point, and remember that follow up is key, so don’t get discourage if you don’t hear back as soon as you had hoped. Additionally, try and do regular collaborations with other channels that are around your same size. You get in front of their audience, and they get in front of yours – it’s a win-win! You can do collaborative mixes or covers with artists you work, Q&A videos, and all types of stuff. YouTube is where you can and should get creative to try new things to see what works!