YouTube is a community that allows people to watch and share original videos on the Internet. With a camera and creativity, you can post a video on YouTube that can get people excited about your music.
Jennifer Nielson, marketing manager at YouTube, says, “People have the opportunity to upload and share videos with people around the world and connect with a new audience.”
Like Facebook, the competition for attention is fierce. But if you have great music and can make an interesting video, it’s worth taking advantage of this expanding promotional tool. You too can take advantage of YouTube. With creativity and hard work, you can maximize opportunities for getting your music to more fans.
Why do a video?
Because you can! YouTube gives you tools and a site to post and promote a video. Ryan Divine of Maldroid says, “Musicians now have the capacity to get themselves out there without anybody’s help.” And it’s FREE! The price is the work you put into it. Calmentz of Ostrich Head adds, “It’s the easiest way for a humongous audience to see our video and get exposure to the entire world fast.” A video gives you a platform for your music that can reach people around the world.
What makes a video appealing?
It should be interesting and catch the viewer’s eyes with your concept, look or performance. Nielson says, “Videos that make you laugh out loud or that are bizarre or simply brilliant get the most attention on YouTube. There is no real formula for a video to go viral, but original content and opinions are popular, as well as videos that express emotion and tell it like it is.” Before doing a video, visit and look at the ones that are most popular to get ideas. The Channels area of the site has the most popular content and users with the largest audiences.
Can you make a low-budget video?
Think creatively! Low budget doesn’t mean poor quality.If you want to represent your band on YouTube, have something good. Don’t just put anything on there. Film something professional looking that’s worthy of your music. Nielson advises, “You don’t need a slick and expensive music video to have success on YouTube. All you need is a little creativity and a camera to create something truly original.”
Can you make a video without experience?
Learn! If you’re willing to put the work in - it’s very time consuming - you can learn how to put a video together. Take the time to learn how to do it right. You don’t need a budget but you have to make it something desirable. Try to find someone to help if you have no experience. Post a notice in colleges that you’re looking for someone to film your video. There are enough resources available to get a video done if you look. A video can be worth the effort of learning how to do it.
If people see a good video, they pay attention and think the band has something if they could put it together.” You don’t need a big budget to get creative and work hard!
How can you promote a video?
Let everyone know about it with emails and announcements at gigs. Encourage fans to forward it. People rarely find you accidentally, as there are so many. You’ve got to tell them where it is and promote it as much as you can. Nielson recommends becoming part of the YouTube community to better understand what’s happening on the site. You can watch videos, subscribe to your favorite channels, participate in discussions and upload content. She adds, “This is the best way to become a part of the community and help yourself rise up.” Like with Facebook, you can go to videos for musicians in your genre that have a lot of comments and invite people who might enjoy yours to view it, one at a time.
Making use of your video
YouTube has become a live calling card. When you’re booking gigs, send promoters to your video so they can see you in action. Instead of handing out DVDs to everyone, send them to YouTube.” You can also embed the video on your Facebook page so friends can put links on their own pages. Make sure to include
contact info so you’re easy to reach. If you get a camera and are super creative, you can post a video on YouTube that gets people excited about your music.
Nielson advises, “Just get on the site and start creating videos that express your creativity and personality. You never know what will become a viral hit.” Why not yours?
