Playbook Guide Music March 2013
Created by the YouTube Next Lab, March 2013
What is a Creator Playbook Guide? In 2011, we released the Creator Playbook—the one-stop shop for best practices to help you build a loyal and engaged audience on YouTube. Since then, we’ve been working hard to tailor these strategies to the unique needs of our different content creators. To help, we’ve created a new set of resources called Playbook Guides. Playbook Guides will provide strategies to build audiences around your content type.
Table of Contents Music Optimizing for Better Discovery Releasing an Album or Song Content Upload Frequency Using the Talent Increasing Watch-Time Cross-promotion Engaging with Fans Further Reading & Resources Thank You 4 5 13 20 23 26 30 34 37 40
Optimizing for Better Discovery
Optimizing for Better Discovery How can I optimize my videos for better discovery? Most people find music channels through search results, so optimizing your videos for discovery is key. When you upload a new video, make sure you’ve got all your metadata working for you.
Optimizing for Better Discovery The right channel setup and organization makes your channel more navigable for your audience, and improves discovery of your content. Remember, if you deliver content in the right way, your audience will likely tune in and watch for longer. As you select your channel format, think about your overall channel strategy, and experiment to find the format that makes sense for you. First, let’s take a high-level view of channel strategy.
Optimizing for Better Discovery Music content owners can experiment with different channel formats and structures, depending on their unique goals. As you select your channel layout, think about your overall channel strategy and which layout makes sense for you. Layout options for labels and networks Single channel • One channel functions as the official label channel. All artist videos are uploaded in one central location. • Benefits: Easy to cross-promote all of your artists in this format.
Optimizing for Better Discovery Let’s take this one step further. Channel strategy can focus on a single channel, or distribute content across multiple channels. A major label, for instance, could be composed of three channels: a sub label, artist, and curated sub label.
Optimizing for Better Discovery Layout options for independent artists Single channel • Many indie musicians manage a single channel for all content including music videos, live performances, video blogs, interview footage and backstage content. • Benefits: Easy to target announcements to specific groups of fans. Provides a direct line of communication with fans. It’s easy to ask questions, and encourage your audience to help shape the channel and its content.
Optimizing for Better Discovery Curators Single channel Music curators may or may not upload any original content that they own to their channels. For the most part, these channels focus on curating videos from different labels, artists and users. Many curators create best-of playlists for artists, genres, or niche interests. Notes about the curator format • Helps others discover new music; brands your channel as a hotbed for new talent discovery.
Optimizing for Discovery Checklist Video Add titles, tags and descriptions to all content • • • Titles should include heavily searched terms first, such as song title or artist name Tags should use generic and specific words, and don’t forget that key phrases should be in quotes Descriptions should focus on Calls to Action, and should include other relevant information like popular song lyrics, tour dates, and links Utilize custom thumbnails, and use a bright, high contrast image that represents the video
Releasing an Album or Song 5
Releasing an Album or Song How can I use YouTube to release a new album or song? Your channel should be a central part of your song or album release strategy to build buzz and viewership and drive music purchases. Use promotional videos and your channel feed to boost audience interest before, during and after the launch.
Releasing an Album or Song Optimize your channel landing page • Point all branding/banners to the song or album • Feature the promotional video and enable auto-play • Promote the release date and feature preorder, purchase and listening links • Remember to include Calls to Action Use your channel feed • Keep the feed active just before and during the launch period to increase engagement • Create a playlist to feature promotional launch videos and post to the feed using the “channel posts” feature • Give yo
Releasing an Album or Song Use the YouTube toolset • • • Utilize Merch annotations Create album samplers using timecoded annotations Utilize InVideo Programming Selling music through Merch annotations: • /PomplamooseMusic sold a single and holiday ornaments through their video with annotations. Album sampler • /WhiteLies created a sampler in which each song name is clickable.
Releasing an Album or Song Leverage top-performing videos Your successful videos are a great asset. Direct viewers to new work as soon as it’s posted. Unlock the power of the YouTube community • • • • • Add annotations to top-performing videos to funnel traffic to the new video. Post a new video as a video response to one or your most popular videos. Add links in the description of top-performing library videos, pointing your viewers to new work.
Releasing an Album or Song Use Data! YouTube Analytics should be a key part of your channel’s launch strategy. Use data to target your promotion efforts. Blog Outreach Think about how you can build relationships with key blogs, and integrate them into your communications strategy for new releases. • • • • • • What regions are driving significant traffic to your channel based on the demographic data? Use this data to determine where to hold concerts, live events, interviews, etc.
Releasing an Album or Song Checklist Release a Song Create a lyric video and a music video. Release an Album Annotate your top assets to drive traffic to the new video. Create and upload promotional assets for the album: including announcements, teasers, trailers, behind-the-scenes videos, lyric videos and promo videos for the full album. Get creative! Release through a Google Hangout on Air. Direct people from one track to the next using interactive annotations.
Content Upload Frequency
Content Upload Frequency How can I create new content more regularly for YouTube fans? Creating quality music videos is not only costly and time-consuming, but it is also typically dependent on key album release dates. How can you entice your fans to keep coming back to your channel even when you don’t have a new “official” music video? This is your chance to be creative—think about ways to create more content, upload more frequently and engage with your fans through your channel’s activity feed.
Content Upload Frequency Activate your channel feed You don’t need to upload videos to maintain an active channel feed: Likes, comments and playlist additions are all displayed alongside new uploads. Think strategically about how you’re curating content through the feed. Your curation activities should complement your content strategy to create a richer viewing experience for your audience.
Using the Talent
Using the Talent How can I use my artist or talent more effectively on YouTube? If you’re a record label, making the most of your artist’s time is essential. Some call them drops, others call them pick-ups, but when you have time with your talent, be sure to record simple pieces of content that will have a big promotional impact. Promotional videos and extra content • • • • Create YouTube-specific promotional videos that are reusable as stand-alone videos or bumpers for archived content.
Using the Talent Extra content from the artist • /IFightDragonsRock supplemented their channel offerings with a tutorial series on how they produce chiptune music from gadgets. Extra content from the artist • /Noisey maximized their time with artist MIA by shooting a music video and a behind-the-scenes video, and getting her to answer viewer questions that had been left as comments on the video.
Increasing watch-time
Increasing watch-time How can I best package music footage for longer viewing sessions? YouTube’s music viewers have longer-than-average viewing sessions; music channels can and should take advantage of this. With the right strategies, you can package your music content to facilitate longer and more engaged viewing sessions. Artist-curated playlists • /07Duranduran Playlisting and curation • • • Utilize playlists to organize your videos across themes: Best of, Greatest Hits, or a full album playlist.
Increasing watch-time Long-form music content Turn one view into multiple views with CTAs • • • • • • • Incorporate full concert footage, short films and music documentaries into your content strategy. Utilize time code URLs to help users jump to specific songs in a full concert setlist. Use annotations to link to specific time codes. Create trailers or teaser videos for your long-form content.
Increasing watch-time Checklist Organize your channel into playlists Include covers, remixes and other artists in your channel playlists to diversify content Incorporate full concert footage, short films, and docs into the channel • This is a great place to incorporate time coded annotations Create in-video Calls to Action with the artist that direct people to related channel content 29
Cross-promotion
Cross-promotion How do music channels and label channels cross-promote and collaborate? Why do concerts always feature a lesser-known opening act before the headliner? Why do established artists do guest spots on brand-new artists’ songs? In the music world, cross-promotions and collaborations launch new artists by introducing them to existing audiences. YouTube is no different. Theme Songs • Base79’s /Brettdomino - U.K.-based YouTube artist Brett Domino creates a theme for Ministry of Sound.
Cross-promotion 32 Collaboration between music and non-music creator • /iamOTHER Artist interviewing artist • /TheWarnerSound Cover song • /KurtHugoSchneider Collaborations • /einastronaut - 26 different YouTube channels worked together to perform a cover of the Ghostbusters theme song
Cross-promotion In addition to in-video collaborations, there are other, less time-intensive ways to collaborate and cross-promote with other music creators. Curation • Use the channel’s activity feed to promote relevant content from other artists. Like, comment, or add a video to a playlist. This activity will be broadcast to your subscriber base. • Use playlists to curate other content from relevant artists.
Engaging with Fans
Engaging with Fans How can I establish direct communication and interaction with my fans? YouTube attracts millions of viewers, and it’s home to millions of opinions. Think about your YouTube fans as a huge focus group, where you can proactively drive the conversation, solicit feedback, interact with and co-create with your audience! Google+ Hangout on Air • /DariaMusk Involve your fans • Give your fans an in-video shout out, and they’ll be motivated to interact more.
Cross-promotion & Fan Engagement Checklist Collaborate with other musicians/YouTube channels with similar styles and/or audiences Curate other channel content into your own channel to get new viewers Promote through social media when collaborating, and ask other channels for this in return.
Further Reading & Resources
Further Reading & Resources Playbook Sections • • • • Calls to Action Maintaining the Channel Feed Tent-pole Programming Cross-promotion & Collaboration • • • • Metadata Thumbnails Playlists Annotations YouTube Toos / Features for Music Getting Started as a Music Partner: goo.gl/gPgNG Copyright Tips: goo.gl/FmxUl Content ID: Online protection and rights management solution, enabling content owners to identify, monitor, and control the use of their works on YouTube. goo.gl/B4EkF and goo.
Further Reading & Resources Example Links Optimizing for Better Discovery Increasing Watch-time goo.gl/yaxdY 6 m83 27 Queen Official goo.gl/HYufc goo.gl/Ra5y9 6 Chad Future 27 07DuranDuran goo.gl/1YnPr goo.gl/vd2sx 6 Dave Days 28 ApprenticeA goo.gl/Ng4EU goo.gl/3VUT6 8 Photofinishrecords 28 Armada Music goo.gl/upPJP 9 Warner Music Group goo.gl/22JVq 9 Atlantic Records Cross-promotion goo.gl/PFTGR 9 Christina Perri goo.gl/fErgE goo.gl/0oJsQ 10 Megan and Liz Beauty 31 Brett Domino goo.
Thank you!
