YouTube Monetization: Everything You Need To Know

Looking forward to sharing your talent with the world while making some money on the side? Look no further than YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, and an easy-to-access platform for musicians to monetize their content. With billions of users and a massive global audience, YouTube offers immense opportunities for musicians to showcase their creativity, grow their fan base, and generate revenue. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of getting started with monetizing your music on YouTube, covering essential do(s) and don’t(s) to ensure success.

Getting Started with Monetizing Your Music on YouTube

1.1. Create a YouTube Channel

The first step towards monetizing your music on YouTube is having the dedicated mindset, to have a clear and detailed vision of your forte and right planning. Get well-versed with the fundamentals of YouTube. 

• Choose a unique and catchy name for your channel that represents your music identity.
• Customize your channel's branding with a high-quality profile picture and cover art.

• Write a compelling and keyword-rich channel description to attract potential viewers.

1.2. Upload Quality Content

To capture the common eye, you have to be unique. The right visuals are the key to halting the scrolling or sustaining the attention of viewers as much as possible. Also, if you’re still figuring out how to hone your craft and sound, check out our blog post on Music Production 101

• Invest in good recording equipment to ensure your videos have excellent audio and video quality.
• Start by uploading a mix of original songs, covers, and live performances to showcase your versatility.

1.3. Understanding the YouTube Partner Program and its guidelines:

The YouTube Partner Program aka YPP, is an initiative by YouTube that allows content creators to monetize their videos and earn revenue from their channels. To become a part of the program, creators need to meet specific eligibility requirements set by YouTube. According to the latest guidelines, you need at least 500 subscribers to apply for the monetization program, provided you have uploaded at least three public videos in the last 90 days with a minimum of 3,000 watch hours or 3 million short views.

• Familiarize yourself with YouTube's Partner Program requirements, including minimum subscribers and watch hours.
• Review YouTube's content guidelines to avoid copyright strikes and other policy violations.

1.4. Meet your New Best Friend, ‘YouTube Studio’

Spending time on this section, and of course, YouTube Studio will provide you with the liberty as a content creator to manage your channels, analyze performance metrics, and engage with your audience. It serves as a hub for creators to access essential tools and insights to optimize their content and channel growth.

• Creators can upload, edit, and manage their videos from the YouTube Studio dashboard. They can also schedule videos for publication at specific times.
• YouTube Studio provides in-depth analytics on video performance, audience demographics, watch time, traffic sources, and more. Creators can track their channel's growth and understand viewer behavior to make informed content decisions.
• Creators can personalize their channel's appearance, including the channel banner, profile picture, and featured sections, using the customization options in YouTube Studio.
• Access to the information about their monetization status and track their ad revenue earnings.
• The platform allows creators to interact with their audience through comments and messages. They can also access the community tab to post updates, polls, and images to engage with subscribers.
• Provides tools to help creators manage copyright claims on their videos, allowing them to resolve disputes or take appropriate actions when necessary.
• Creators can access real-time analytics for their videos, helping them gauge audience engagement and make improvements to optimize their content for better performance.

1.5. Enable Monetization on Your Channel

• Once you meet the eligibility criteria, enable monetization in your YouTube Studio settings.
• Sign up for a Google AdSense account to receive payments from YouTube.

AdSense Payments: YouTube pays eligible creators through the AdSense program. Creators need to link their YouTube channel to an AdSense account to receive earnings. AdSense offers various payment methods, including Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), wire transfer, and checks, depending on the country.

The Do(s) of Monetizing YouTube for Musicians

Once a channel meets these criteria, the creator can apply to join the YouTube Partner Program. Once accepted, they gain access to various monetization features, including:

• Ad Revenue: Creators can earn money through advertisements that are displayed before, during, or after their videos. The revenue generated is shared between the creator and YouTube.
• Channel Memberships: Creators can offer channel memberships to their viewers, giving them access to exclusive badges, emojis, and other perks for a monthly fee.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers: Viewers can purchase Super Chats and Super Stickers during live chat sessions to have their messages or stickers highlighted, supporting the creator financially in the process.
• YouTube Shorts: Creators receive a share of the revenue generated from YouTube Shorts who watch their content (more on than later). 

2.1. Engage Your Audience

Building a strong connection with your viewers is crucial to success on YouTube. Respond to comments, answer questions, live stream, hosting premieres on your channel, and much more, and interact with your audience to show appreciation for their support.

• Respond to comments and interact with your viewers to build a loyal fan base.
• Encourage viewers to like, share, and subscribe to your channel to boost engagement metrics.

2.2. Optimize Your Video Titles and Descriptions

• Use descriptive, keyword-rich titles and descriptions to make your videos more discoverable.
• Include relevant tags, copywriting, and hashtags to attract organic traffic to your channel.

2.3. Create Eye-Catching Thumbnails

A well-designed thumbnail can significantly impact a video's click-through rate (CTR) and overall success on YouTube. When creating eye-catching thumbnails, consider keeping in mind things like Visual Appeal, Relevance, Branding and Curiosity. 

• Design visually appealing thumbnails that accurately represent your video's content. 

• Thumbnails should be attention-grabbing to entice viewers to click on your videos.

2.4. Collaborate with Other YouTubers

• Partner with fellow musicians or influencers to reach new audiences and gain exposure.
• Cross-promote each other's channels to maximize visibility. Jacksepticeye, a YouTuber with 30 Million followers got a kick in his career after Pewdiepie gave a shoutout. You never know...

2.5. Diversify Your Content

• Experiment with different types of content, such as vlogs, behind-the-scenes, and music tutorials.
• Cater to your audience's interests while staying true to your musical style.

2.6. YouTube Shorts

YouTube shorts is the newest and the most widespread feature of YouTube presently. Keeping it short to as minimum as a minute of content and that too scrollable, has intensified the content consumption to the highest. 

• Be precise and as vivid as possible to catch the viewer’s eye. 
• Choose the highlight parts of your music to feature here, that you think will garner the most attention.

The Don't(s) of Monetizing YouTube for Musicians

3.1. Don't Infringe Copyrights

• Avoid using copyrighted material without permission in your videos, including background music.
• Familiarize yourself with YouTube's copyright policies to prevent potential strikes.

One real-life example of a musician facing copyright infringement issues on YouTube is the case involving the song Blurred Lines. In 2013, singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were sued by the estate of Marvin Gaye for alleged copyright infringement.

The lawsuit claimed that Blurred Lines, which was written and performed by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, copied elements from Marvin Gaye's song Got to Give It Up. The estate of Marvin Gaye argued that Blurred Lines infringed upon the copyright of the older song. The case garnered significant media attention, as it involved two well-known artists and raised questions about the boundaries of copyright protection in the music industry. In 2015, a jury ruled in favor of Marvin and found that Blurred Lines did indeed infringe on the copyright of Got to Give It Up.

As a result of the ruling, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to Marvin Gaye's estate. The decision had a significant impact on the music industry, as it set a precedent for cases involving alleged copyright infringement based on similarities in musical elements and styles.

3.2. Don't Rely Solely on YouTube Ad Revenue

• While ad revenue can be a significant income stream, explore additional monetization methods.
• Utilize crowdfunding platforms, merchandise sales, and sponsorships to diversify your earnings. 

3.3. Don't Neglect Consistency

• Stick to a regular upload schedule to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
• Consistency helps build trust and reliability with your viewers.

3.4. Don't Ignore Analytics

• Monitor your YouTube Analytics to understand your audience's behavior and preferences.
• Use insights to refine your content strategy, and improve video performance.

Monetizing your music on YouTube can be an incredibly rewarding experience for musicians. By creating quality content, engaging with your audience, and adhering to YouTube's guidelines, you can turn your passion for music into a lucrative venture. Remember to diversify your revenue streams and explore various promotional opportunities to accelerate your growth. So, don't wait any longer—start your YouTube journey today and share your musical talent with the world while building a sustainable income. Happy YouTubing!