There are over 2 billion users. Yes, in 2021, that many people will be using YouTube, making it the world’s second largest and most popular social media site (after Facebook). Not to mention that it’s owned by Google, the most popular website on the internet, so there’s that.
YouTube has even added tools that make it a crucial platform for self-promoting artists and musicians, such as YouTube for Artists, a built-in analytics section, and the best YouTube promotion company customizable profile settings. So, why wouldn’t a musician want to take advantage of such exposure? You’d be a fool if you didn’t. And if you’re reading this, we’re guessing you’re not one of those people.
There are 12 different ways to promote music on YouTube
Why is it so important to have videos to promote your music?
The ability of video and visuals to establish a faster and more meaningful connection between a song and its listeners explains a lot of the reliance on them. You can also get paid for every person who watches your music video.
Don’t forget that Ditto can help you get your music videos on Vevo, putting you in a better position to receive more views, engagement, and potential royalties from individuals who watch your videos.
With that in mind, here are 12 definite techniques to increase your visual presence on YouTube and promote your music.
1. Make your profile more appealing
It is important to make a good first impression. Big-time.
Start off on the right foot by making sure your YouTube channel is well-presented and appealing to the eye.
Here’s a handy checklist to get you started.
Is your channel equipped with:
A great onscreen aesthetic can mean the difference between viewers staying on your channel for a while or leaving before they’ve even walked through the door.
2. Get the word out
You shouldn’t neglect your social media strategy just because you’re trying to build an audience on YouTube.
Instead, you should use online organizations and forums to communicate with people from various backgrounds, subjects, and interests.
On sites like Sound Cloud and Reddit, musicians have formed some of the most popular online community groups. You can join subedits that are specialized to your music genre or style, as well as more generic ones like ‘r/listen to this’ on Reddit.
Consider how you might be able to contribute value to these group dynamics. Is your film dealing with any particular subjects or themes that are important to this group or community? If it does, that’s fantastic! Post your video and invite others to watch it, and don’t forget to include an appealing thumbnail.
This also entails being active on all of the major social media sites in order to broaden your reach, generate buzz for new projects or advancements, post your music videos, and create other forms of interesting content.
You can also produce teaser content for your music video, such as a 15-second Instagram story or a 30-second Facebook post, to use as teaser content across your social media channels.
Justin Bieber, for example, released a preview version of his music video for the 2012 track “Boyfriend,” which he shared on social media and on his official YouTube page.
This gives viewers a sneak peek at your video, which helps generate excitement and directs visitors to your YouTube page to watch the full version when it’s released!
3. Interact with other channels that are similar to yours
Engaging and interacting with other channels that are similar to yours is one of the most effective strategies to increase channel engagement.
To be productive, you can’t advertise yourself all day, every day. You require others – people with whom you may collaborate to enhance your own product.
Target similar channels because if they’re uploading similar music to yours and people are subscribing, you’ve essentially found your target audience!
So, identify channels that play your style of music and take their content seriously to create a network with other musicians on the internet.
You can achieve this by browsing YouTube for similar artists or music with a similar mood.
If your music is inspired by Lana Del Rey, look for YouTube channels dedicated to her sound — either specific artists like Lana Del Rey or indie dream wave in general.
You’ll find a slew of channels dedicated to that genre of music…
Then you can start like and commenting on YouTube videos by related artists. Curate some truly unique remarks that will catch the attention of both other artists and YouTube visitors. And if your remark goes viral, it may be pinned to the top of the video, placing your channel in front of a lot of eyes!
But don’t go to bed alone! You must cover every inch of ground. This entails starting debates in the comments section of your own videos. There’s always a conversation to be had, whether it’s about old or new videos.
4. Make a video schedule
Create a consistent and regular upload schedule for your videos so that your followers and subscribers know when to expect new content from you.
This isn’t about slamming videos all over the place — quite the reverse.
It is preferable to over deliver rather than under deliver. So don’t set yourself the goal of posting three videos every week, only to miss two due to a tour, and leave your audience angry and dissatisfied because you missed a deadline.
It’s entirely up to you how frequently you post videos. However, it’s a good idea to upload at least once a month so that people don’t lose interest while waiting for your new video or wonder if your channel is still alive.
As you can see, Lil Nas X refreshes his YouTube channel every three to four weeks, publishing constantly and never leaving his followers wondering when his next video would be released.
Posting around the busiest periods of the day is a good rule of thumb to ensure that your videos reach the widest potential audience – especially if you have listeners in multiple time zones. You can’t blame fans for not watching your latest video if it was posted in the middle of the night or on a Friday night while they’re out partying!
But, if you truly want to tailor your release schedule to your audience, go to the ‘Analytics’ tab on your channel. You’ll be able to see a breakdown of when the majority of your viewers watch your videos from there. You may then use this information to determine the days and timings for your videos. Isn’t it convenient?
5. Produce interesting video material
Your YouTube account shouldn’t just be a repository for your music. It should be able to do more than that.
Other stuff that will add value to your music and your fans’ viewing experience, especially content that allows them to interact with you on a deeper level, should be included.
Prepare some content ideas ahead of time to aid in the organization of your channel’s material and the types of videos you’ll promote.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
– Q&A/get-to-know-each-other sessions.
– Video feeds in real time
– Playlist sessions or playlist series
– Teasers and behind-the-scenes footage
If you’re stuck for inspiration, consider the following analogy: numerous videos, one song.
What exactly do we mean when we say this?
By just repurposing the original content, you can get at least 2-4 videos out of each of your songs.
Consider the following scenarios: official song release, lyric video, collaborations, acoustic/acapella/remix versions, and so on.
Ed Sheeran, the pop music superstar, is a good example of repurposing comparable content to extend it further — in the shape of remixes and acoustic sessions of his songs…
6. Identify your target audience (or use someone else’s!)
It’s doubtful that you’ll have a large enough subscription or fan base when you’re just starting out to achieve the degree of exposure you desire. As a result, you’ll have to construct one.
Discovering your audience, also known as finding your niche, entails determining where people who enjoy and listen to your type of music congregate, whether online or offline.
Consider social media sites, online and offline communities, and so on. Directly approach these folks, or email them a link to your channel with a nice note encouraging them to check out your content!
And pinching someone else’s isn’t in any way unethical. The majority of the time, creating an audience comes through tapping into an already existing audience of popular music.
Making a cover video of a well-known song by an artist who already has a large subscriber base is one of the most popular ways musicians have done this in the past.
Boyce Avenue is an example of a band that became renowned through posting covers of popular 90s bands and musicians including Oasis, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Avril Lavigne.
The truth is that people rarely pay attention to an unknown artist. It’s sometimes necessary for that artist to play a song by their all-time favourite musician for them to sit up and take notice (sad but true!).
7. Make use of YouTube SEO
Simply said, SEO, or “Search Engine Optimization,” is the process of incorporating phrases and keywords that people search for into your video material.
You may almost certainly raise the amount of views and fans by tapping into what people are looking for.
Begin by using Ahrefs’ free keyword explorer.
You may use keywords to your advantage on YouTube by…
– Incorporating keywords and search terms into the video’s title
– In the video description, use keywords and search phrases
– Using tags to indicate what your video is about, such as “indie music” or “indie film”
When deciding which keywords to target, keep in mind that while some keywords may have a large search volume, they may also have a lot of competition.
If you’ve already decided on a song title, you might want to consider changing it when you upload it to YouTube, even if the lyrics remain the same (it’s legal, we guarantee!).
Tube Buddy, in addition to Ahrens, includes a slew of free SEO services, including a summary of what your videos are missing to be properly optimized.
