How To Use YouTube To Promote Your Music Videos In 2023 [New]

To increase your viewership, optimise your YouTube channel.

Why should you promote your music videos on YouTube is the first important question. Why go to the effort of setting up a YouTube channel, optimising it, and developing a brand?

The reply is two billion. With billions of daily video views, that many users log into YouTube each month. Furthermore, only active accounts are included in that figure; non-Google users that watch movies on the platform are not included. A 2019 Dataportal analysis found that 79% of online users claim to have a YouTube account. As a result, it ranks second in popularity among social media platforms (after Facebook) and search engines (behind Google).That is the raw data, then. But everybody is aware of YouTube’s popularity. The actual query is: how can you, as a solo artist, leverage the enormous popularity of this global video platform to promote your music videos? The numerous features that YouTube has added make it a crucial platform for musicians. So let’s look now!

People enjoy watching videos, it’s really that simple. Visuals aid in our ability to connect with music more quickly and frequently at a deeper level. It served as the cornerstone around which MTV was constructed in the 1980s with the inception of the music video, and it continues to this day in the expansive concept albums by singers like Beyoncé and Janelle Monae.

The combination of music and video, however, extends beyond just conventional music videos. You should be able to meet the higher expectations set by today’s music fans on YouTube. An independent musician turned YouTuber has a wide range of possibilities for connecting with their audience, including behind-the-scenes studio footage, live videos, and live-streamed Q&As.

How can I become a “YouTuber” and what is a “YouTuber”?

Simply put, “YouTuber” refers to a person who makes videos and uploads them on YouTube. A true YouTuber, however, is an intentional content producer who takes the process of making videos seriously and actively engages with their YouTube members and viewers. This adds some additional significance to the phrase. “YouTubers” also frequently publish videos in a consistent pattern.

This is not the same as a musician who regularly uploads a video to YouTube and declares it to be wonderful. Such person is not a YouTuber; they simply use YouTube as an online video repository without actively engaging with their audience.

Musicians that use the platform in line with YouTube’s intentions are rewarded by the company’s recommendation engine and revenue mechanism.

Unsure about how? We are here for that reason.

A YouTube channel is what?

The fundamental building component for any YouTube video creator is a YouTube channel. Consider a channel for musicians as being similar to an artist profile on streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. You publish videos to your channel, organise them, and engage with viewers there. It serves as the centre of your YouTube activities.

A literal analogy to a TV channel is another way to think of your channel. You are the network and YouTube is the media (like cable TV). You can host a variety of shows on your channel in various formats. Also, you may arrange your content in the way that makes the most sense for you by using your channel customization options, video tools, and playlists. To continue with the TV analogy, you can distinguish between your “Prime Time” programmes and your more relaxed “daytime” shows.

How can I launch a YouTube channel of my own?

It’s fairly simple! Directly from Google Support, these are the procedures to create a YouTube channel:

• On a computer or mobile device, log in to YouTube.
• Attempt any action that needs a channel, such adding a playlist, commenting, or uploading a video.
• You’ll notice a window asking you to establish a channel if you don’t already have one.
• Verify the information (including your Google Account name and photo) and click Create Channel to start a new channel.

What is an Official Artist Channel, and how is it different from a Topic channel?

A YouTube Official Artist Channel (OAC) is the platform’s equivalent of a verified artist profile, just as a YouTube channel is to a streaming platform’s artist profile. You may centralise all of your YouTube content, including official videos you publish, Art Tracks, and some user-generated content, by creating a claimed artist page (UGC, more on that later). An OAC grants its owner powerful YouTube account functionality, such as:

• Choices for customization
• Adding and deleting videos created automatically
• tools and analytics are available

A Topic channel differs from an Official Artist Channel.

When your music is made available on YouTube Music, a Subject channel is automatically formed by the website. These are general channels that end with “-Topic” and the name of the artist. The videos YouTube automatically makes for each song a performer distributes aren’t actually videos; rather, they’re static images of the artwork with the track title, album title, and performer’s name, which the platform refers to as “Art Tracks” in its internal jargon.

How do I claim my Official Artist Channel on YouTube?

For CD Baby artists, great news! Using your CD Baby account, you can declare your YouTube channel to turn it into an official artist channel.

Moreover, you can directly declare your channel on YouTube. On the OAC page of their Help Center, there are instructions on how to do this.

How do I make my YouTube channel and videos more optimised?

It’s time to maximise your channel now that you’ve made one (or signed into one you already have). This method is known as optimization.

Your YouTube channel can be optimised in a variety of ways. Although not all of them are necessary, they can all help your channel gain more subscribers and expand your fan base.

This practical beginner’s checklist for optimising your YouTube channel was created by us:

Choose a channel name

That can be changed because it is distinct from your channel URL. But for consistent channel branding, it’s best to choose a name and stay with it. Pick a name that not only tells viewers what to anticipate from your channel, but is also brief and memorable (like the name of your band or musician). To edit, go here and click.

Choose your channel’s icon

Submit a square, recognised, high-resolution (800 x 800) image that looks amazing when scaled down (so use text sparingly). This picture will serve as the YouTube channel symbol for your channel.

Submit your channel art

Which is the banner or header that may be seen at the top of a desktop version of your channel. The most crucial visual components should be placed in the inner 1546423 area of a large image (25601440), so they will still be visible when the image is scaled for mobile and tablet. Remember that channel art can be viewed on several screens, including smart TVs and mobile devices, so make sure the image is high resolution to ensure that it appears clear and sharp on all displays. For examples of various display sizes, see the picture below.

Canva can be used to make personalised artwork for your channel.

• Describe your channel in writing —

As To set expectations for your audience, make sure to highlight the most significant content you produce, include pertinent keywords, and indicate your upload schedule.

The corresponding icons will appear as overlays on your channel art if you provide links to your website and social media accounts in the About tab. Link to your company’s official website, online store, product page, social media profiles, newsletter subscription form, and pages for advertising campaigns.

Configure “Featured Channels” The “Featured Channels” heading is located on the right side of your channel. Include any relevant or comparable channels, such as those for your record label, any artistic endeavours in which you are active, etc.

Activate browse view

Conversation by hovering your cursor over the pencil icon in the top right corner of the tab names and channel name sections of your YouTube channel homepage. Select “modify channel navigation” and then activate both the browse view and conversation options.

Choose or upload a video for your channel’s trailer —

After the browse view has been enabled, choose or upload a video for your channel’s trailer. A channel trailer is a brief video that will automatically play whenever a viewer who hasn’t subscribed to your channel views it, giving you the chance to hook them and encourage them to do so!

Your trailer

Should be succinct, informative, and consistent with the tone of your channel. Oh, and did we mention that? You should also encourage viewers to subscribe. At the conclusion of the video, the trailer will automatically display a card offering viewers a simple method to subscribe.

Organize your channel by adding sections –

Sections are a wonderful way to group videos (by theme, style, series, genre, etc.) and provide visitors with a simple method to browse your material from the Home/Browse page. Sections can feature both your own videos and content provided by other YouTube users.

Make sure your most significant videos are in the portion at the top of your channel page because, for the majority of users, just the top section will be accessible without scrolling. You also have a fantastic chance to cross-promote with other artists and build an engaging viewing experience for your audience because sections can include content from other channels. Simply click the “Add a Section” button at the bottom of your channel homepage to add a section.

Keep in mind that some elements must appear on every YouTube page, including your section list at the top, the most recent video you submitted, and a category called Uploads that includes all of your uploaded videos.

Choose a unique URL for your channel

After all, YouTube.com/MyName is much simpler to remember than YouTube.com/GigglyWiggly123 because that was my email address back in 2007. You may personalise your URL on YouTube, and their Help Center covers the requirements.

What conditions must I meet in order to claim my YouTube channel?

According to YouTube, you must fulfil the following requirements to claim your channel:

Your channel must fulfil the following criteria in order to be considered for an Official Artist Channel:

• possess and manage a YouTube channel that features a single musician or band
• Have a music label or distributor send at least 3 official YouTube releases to you.
• Have no infractions of the rules on your channel

And one of the subsequent

• Get assistance from a YouTube Partner Manager
• Join the YouTube Partner Program
• A label network that includes your channel and a partner manager

How should my YouTube videos be optimised?

We’re almost ready to post some videos, but before you do, you need be aware of how to upload videos that are optimised. Your chances of gaining more viewers and ultimately expanding your YouTube audience are better when you optimise your videos. Consider these as YouTube publishing guidelines for all videos:

Choose a keyword

Rich title for your video so that viewers may find it when searching for pertinent topics.

Submit a unique image

The thumbnail to tease the video’s fascinating content. The thumbnail’s resolution and aspect ratio should both be 1280 x 720.

Add cards

To increase interactivity by directing viewers to a Webpage, another video, or a subscription request.

You can embed your channel logo using a watermark in the bottom right corner of the video. They will be sent to your channel to subscribe after clicking that.

Relevant tags:

Include words related to your video, the topic, or an artist featured in the video.

Create a description:

Because your description drives YouTube’s search, be sure to include connections to your profiles on other websites, such as social media, as well as compelling language that will entice viewers to watch.

Create an introduction:

You can use the Video Editor tool to merge your recorded intro with any published videos you publish on YouTube.

Create HD video content:

For optimal quality, record in at least 720p or 1080p. This gives your videos a polished appearance.

“Next”: Include your video in a playlist and, anytime you share that video, use the “share with playlist starting from current video” code. Clicking “next” will take a viewer to another of your videos.

Add end cards:

These brief outros, which last 5 to 10 seconds, offer calls to action to direct viewers to more videos and material. You can utilise the same strategy you did when publishing your intro, where you upload to YouTube as a private video and then use the Video Editor tool to integrate with any videos you distribute.

What types of videos ought I to upload to my artist channel?

Now that you’ve organised, tailored, and optimised your YouTube artist channel as well as learned how to optimise videos, it’s time to submit some videos and start having fun! What videos ought to you publish? Here is where you may express your creativity. Showcase all the facets of your personality, interests, and music to your followers. People become tired of a channel that only features music videos, so spice things up with these ideas:

Music videos:

Yeah, we did just say that if your entire channel consists just of music videos, viewers would get bored. But the foundation of any musician’s YouTube platform is these. Create a decent-looking, original video for your best song within a budget.

Live recordings:

Get a buddy to video one of your live performances, or hire a cameraman. It can be a video of a prior performance from the days when live performances were a possibility (remember those?) or it might be simply you performing at home.

Live streams:

Use the same strategy as above with a videographer, or simply set this up at home on your own. With our live streaming tutorial, it’s really simple!

Cover songs:

One well-liked and simple technique to add videos to your channel is to record your own rendition of a song by another artist. Choose a few songs, add your own flair, and viewers will enjoy seeing your original spin on them!

Lyric videos have been a mainstay on YouTube for years, dating back to fan-made clips of lyrics paired to music that was uploaded. Why? since making them is so simple. You can participate in the game by singing one of your songs in which you place a high value on the lyrics. Simply place those phrases on an appealing background in a hip font (no Comic Sans) and tweak it to match the tempo of your song.

Visualizer:

These are straightforward animated videos that respond to the uploaded music. You can simply produce them with Rotor Videos!

Behind-the-scenes:

Commonly known as “vlogs,” these show a different side of you than a performance video. Let your audience a small glimpse into your daily life, whether it be in the studio while you are talking about your music and the making of it, or just out in public. This is how you engage your audience on a level deeper than just your music, making them feel as though they genuinely know you.

Reaction videos:

They typically take the form of audience Q&As. Upload a separate video answering fan questions that you receive in the comments section of your most recent video or include a tag at the conclusion of it. This is another another fantastic opportunity to interact with your followers and display your personality.

Do you have a mechanical bent?

Upload a video of you opening your newest toy, and be sure to include links to the product sites. If someone clicks on your affiliate link and purchases something, you could get paid extra! Have a cool house studio? Take the audience around and go through all the technology in your rig. Make videos of your instrument classes, or just tutorials on how to play a couple of your songs. Share your expertise with your followers if you have it!

UGC, or user-generated content. Other people upload these videos to their accounts. Perhaps one of your live performances was captured in a particularly excellent video by a fan. As people watch and love these videos, it drives traffic to your channel, and you can make money off of them with Content ID! which brings us to the following move.

How can I make my YouTube videos as effective as possible?

To ensure your movies get seen by as many people as possible, take the following steps:

Make a timetable. Continue with it! This matters more than how many videos you upload each week. Create realistic expectations for your audience and fulfil them. Viewers are more inclined to subscribe if they believe you to be trustworthy.

Examine Analytics. This has significant data on watch time and interaction. For more information on how to interpret YouTube Analytics, see the section below.

How to make your YouTube channel profitable

It’s time to start earning money now that you’ve put the effort into starting your channel and adding videos! But how is money made from YouTube music? Any video on YouTube’s server that matches audio in its database is automatically identified using a feature called Content ID. When it locates a video with compatible audio, it inserts an advertisement there. Revenue is generated with each ad click, and YouTube informs the distributor of this.

When you monetize your videos, you’re double your earning potential because Spotify and other sites like YouTube also generate streaming revenue from music streaming.

But how can you add your music to the Content ID database on YouTube? Easy! YouTube distributes CD Baby, and we monetize your videos at no additional cost. Just select these two options when submitting your work:

1. The Distribution Choices page for YouTube Music
2. the Monetization page’s YouTube Content ID

How can I tell whether my YouTube promotion was effective?

You may view all of the analytics in your account to determine the effectiveness of your YouTube promotion activities.

What to check in your YouTube account is as follows:

Views are the most fundamental indicator for assessing a channel’s success. Your videos become more valuable as they gain more views since more advertisers will be willing to pay to have their advertising displayed on that video. Checking the number of views on each of your videos on a regular basis is a smart idea.

Replay and retention:

These data let you know which segments of your videos are most popular and when viewers lose interest. Knowing this will enable you to identify the content that appeals to your specific audience the most and the content they aren’t interested in enough to continue viewing.

You can track your videos’ traffic to observe how and where viewers are finding and watching them. Do they go looking for them? Choosing the “up next” link on a different video? via a blog embed? via use of social media? You can further customise your channel offerings to boost traffic and overall views the more you comprehend about your viewers’ viewing preferences.

These are your recurring consumers, the subscribers. After a user chooses to follow your channel, your content will be revealed to them on their individual YouTube dashboard. This encourages return visits, increases the number of views, and may also result in other users being recommended your material if they have similar viewing and subscription patterns as your present subscribers.

Demographics:

Exactly who are your viewers? You can find out exactly who is watching your videos thanks to this tool. Understanding details about your audience’s age, geography, and gender is important for both the content you produce and your channel’s overall identity.

What various YouTube categories are there?

There are a number of YouTube channels that are connected but distinct from one another.

Using YouTube Premium

an ad-free, subscription-based YouTube experience.

Users can access special material that is exclusively accessible to subscribers, watch videos without advertising, and stream YouTube Music without interruptions with this subscription service ($11.99/month).

Sound on YouTube:

We briefly touched on this earlier, but to elaborate more, YouTube Music service that has a sizable collection of Art Tracks.

Millions of official Art Tracks (videos with high-quality audio and an image of the cover art), music videos, and other content are collected by YouTube Music. Users can access this video for free through ad-supported streaming, ad-free for subscribers to YouTube Premium, or as a stand-alone subscription service for $9.99/month.

When CD Baby distributes to YouTube, Art Tracks are the videos that arise.

• Some significant details regarding YouTube Music
• You may view it here.
• Like Spotify or Apple Music, it serves as a streaming music service (it even has its own app for mobile devices)
• It contains music-specific filters like “artist” and “song” that standard YouTube lacks.
• It enables users to download music for offline listening using the YouTube Music App or play music in the background (without keeping a video open).
• Typically, content is arranged by the name of the artist or in playlists that offer music recommendations based on a subject, genre, etc.
• The placement of artists in genre-specific “different artist” channels or their own “subject channel”

Even if your channel doesn’t adhere to the Partner Program rules, YouTube still pays per stream when art tracks from CD Baby are streamed (much like Spotify or ITunes).

Creators on YouTube

Here you may find news about platform modifications, chances, best practises, and more.

Join the YouTube Creator Academy to start creating.

Via online lessons and videos, YouTube’s Creator Academy is a fantastic resource for learning about video production methods, channel optimization, and other topics. The Creator Academy technically belongs to YouTube Creators, but since people still refer to them as independent properties, I thought they were worth addressing separately.

YouTube Studio can help you manage your channels better.

You can manage your channel and arrange your videos more effectively with the help of YouTube Studio, a fully featured set of tools available within YouTube. You don’t even have to register for anything else! To gain access, simply log in using your usual credentials on the YouTube Studio homepage.

Increase your fan base using Video Boosters Club

Your YouTube channel and videos can be promoted in a number of ways on Video Boosters Club, one of our promotional partners, as well as off-platform. You can use Video Boosters Club to promote a video on YouTube and then use their Interactive Advertising to promote it on your fans’ preferred websites! Their web advertising campaigns are the least expensive you’ll discover, and you can get started for free

That’s it, then. Everything you’ll need to make your YouTube channel the hottest thing around! There is a lot to remember, but fortunately, we have compiled all the information on this page. As YouTube is a platform that’s continuously changing, we’ll keep you updated as new features are released. Make some videos while you wait out there!