Recently, YouTube (along with several other large content companies) has come under fire for not paying musicians fairly. On the surface at least, this would appear to be yet another case of musicians being left with a raw deal online.
Indeed, over 1000 artists (including Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran) have signed a letter to the EU Commission, urging them to do something about the so-called “value gap” that currently exists in the online music industry.
The EU has responded by tabling reform to copyright law in the name of artists, authors and journalists receiving a fairer deal, and drafting resolutions to force publishers and producers to tell the performer what profits their work has generated.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, was quoted as saying:
I want journalists, publishers and authors to be paid fairly for their work, whether it is made in studios or living rooms, whether it is disseminated offline or online, whether it is published via a copying machine or hyperlinked on the web.
Jean-Claude Juncker
However, this is very early days. The commission has not yet detailed how it will compel YouTube and other sites into paying more to the artist, and the decision will probably be challenged by lobbyists, meaning the process of turning the notion into law could take several years.
In addition to this, it is unclear how this will be affected by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union – there are so many pieces of legislation to be sorted out that digital music rights are probably fairly low down on the agenda and we could well be out long before this proposal becomes a reality.
In America, YouTube has launched its “Red” service where you can pay a monthly subscription for Ad free content. So far, this service has not been offered in the UK.
Despite the controversy, YouTube is still an incredibly important and useful tool for musicians and even in it’s current form, can still be monetised effectively.
Non-Monetary benefits of YouTube
Personal instrumental development
YouTube is an invaluable tool for instrumental lessons and a great source of material to develop musicality. Whether you are after instrument lessons from experienced teachers or famous faces, YouTube can provide a wealth of material.
Vocal lessons and help with theory are also available, in both one off lessons and comprehensive series.
Here are some of our top picks of YouTube lessons:
Noisey’s “Guitar Moves” Series
Rather than formal lessons, this series see’s honest conversation between musician Matt Sweeney and some of the true greats of guitar playing.
Sweeney sit’s down with the likes of Keith Richards, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age/ Eagles of Death Metal), Albert Hammond Jnr (The Strokes), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and more to discuss the subtleties and nuances of their individual guitar playing.
Lypur – Furmanczyk Academy of Music “Learn Free Music Theory”
While his name is something of a nightmare to spell (and completely unpronounceable to this author), Andrew Furmanczyk has made available a complete and comprehensive course in Music Theory.
Taking you right the way through the very beginning to advanced level, this series is an invaluable tool to anyone wanting to become a more complete and well-rounded musician. It is also worth noting he has a similar course in Piano playing that is well worth taking a look at.
Eric Arceneaux’s “Professional Vocal Warm Ups”
If you’re a vocalist looking to protect and warm up your voice correctly, professional vocal coach and health consultant Eric Arceneaux’s series offers some useful and practical advice.
Promotion
If you’re interested in promoting yourself, then YouTube can prove an invaluable tool. While some musicians have found fame in viral videos and play-throughs of their favourite material, YouTube can offer help on a much more practical level.
If you’re looking to join a new band, apply for cruise ships or get more dep work then it may well be worth making a promotional video (either for yourself or as part of a band). If you are looking to build up a roster of students, the offering sample lessons online may help encourage new students to sign up.
Industry advice and interviews
Many of the world’s largest music industry conferences will often post their keynote speeches or discussion panels online.
Sometimes these are famous faces, talking about their experiences in the industry. For instance, it is always worth checking out Dave Grohl’s (now famous) keynote speech at SXSW or Steve Albini’s thoughts on the current state and possible future of the music industry at Face the Music 2014.
Often though, you can find more grassroots events and useful information about artists and the industry in your area. The Musicians Union posts interviews on a wide range of subjects on its YouTube page.
Music documentaries
If you’re looking for an entertaining way to spend an hour or two, then YouTube has some great documentaries on all kinds of subjects. Check out BBC documentary “The Hitmaker” on legendary musician and producer Nile Rodgers, or (also made by the BBC) the Music Moguls series. Whatever your taste, YouTube is full of interesting content just waiting for you to discover.
Monetising YouTube as a Musician
Many people assume that to make any money from YouTube, you have to be a viral video sensation. While it may be true that the superstars of YouTube can earn big paychecks, there’s nothing stopping anyone with some interesting content earning some extra cash from their YouTube views… and who knows what could happen!
How does it work?
YouTube runs what it calls a “partner program” that allows you to earn money from advertising before (and possibly during) your videos.
To enable monetisation, you’ll first have to become a partner. To do this, your content must meet a set of criteria set out by YouTube. It’s worth taking the time to look this over, as some of it is very music – orientated.
If you meet the criteria, you will then have to follow these 4 steps (as set out in Google’s support page):
1. Enable your channel for monetisation
This can be done in the Channel – status and features subsection of creator studio.
2. Connect your channel to an Adsense account
This allows YouTube to pay you once you reach the correct threshold.
3. Review video criteria and ad formats Be sure your video meets the criteria and select the ad formats that will work for it.
4. Monetise your videos with ads
Once the previous steps have been completed, you can enable ads on one video, or multiple videos.
Boosting monetisation
YouTube itself offers some very practical advice on how to make more money from its partnership scheme, but the simplest rule to follow could be said of anything in the music industry – great content is always the aim of the game.
If you can create something that’s useful, artistic, funny, interesting or in someway some of benefit to the viewer, then people will latch on, watch it, comment and share.
In the same way that the best marketing device for new music is to have really good songs in the first place, the best way to make money from your YouTube account is to have really great videos, and take a bit of time and trouble over them. It’s as simple as that. Invest some time into the creation, filming and editing, and hopefully you will reap the reward.
YouTube themselves say the best time to monetise is when you have a “loyal and engaged community”.
You can help attract traffic to your videos by using keywords & tags, annotations, responding to comments and interacting with your audience. Promotion through other forms of social media is also encouraged. You can use Google analytics to a close eye on your channels vital stats.
They also point to other revenue streams that are accessible once you have an established following, such as merchandising and independent production for other companies – both viable options for bands, teachers and independent artists.
Do you create YouTube videos? Do you have any top tips for monetising them? Post them in the comments below…
