Before YouTube began to establish its position as the most popular site for video-based content, independent musicians faced difficulty marketing their music. When compared to musicians and artists who were supported by record labels, their insufficient resources kept them from reaching viewers across the globe. But these days are over since YouTube has made it easier for everyone to play to a great extent.
Today the independent musician has as much chance of becoming a household name on YouTube as someone with an impressive record deal. In this post, we’ll provide some of the most useful YouTube marketing techniques for musicians that are not independent. If you are looking to gain more YouTube subscribers, just relax and have a thorough go through this article to learn more, or you can also buy YouTube subscribers from SubPals.
1. Make some room for covers
Your hard drive could be filled with original compositions that you have put your heart and soul into; however, that doesn’t mean you can ensure success when uploading and posting your music on YouTube. If you don’t have a solid community of followers on YouTube, you’re sure to expect most YouTube users not to be interested in your original music. This is especially true for artists who are just getting their YouTube channels running.
Instead of convincing fans to pay attention to your originals, it’s more beneficial to focus on covering in the beginning. Consider Boyce Avenue, for example. The band from Florida, formed by the brothers Alejandro Manzano, Fabian Manzano, and Daniel Manzano, started uploading their covers of popular songs and current ones on YouTube in the year 2007. Their regular uploads and high-quality performances have earned millions of views across their videos.
The band also worked on their original songs as well. They released their first album called ‘All You’re Supposed to Be’ on March 8, 2008. Their continued success earned them an impressive record deal with the Universal Republic in 2010. The band is now the owner of its label, producing its content and promoting young musicians.
2. Create tutorials
If you’re looking to earn money off your talents as a musician, it isn’t necessary to produce new songs or covers each week. One of the most effective ways for solo musicians to get their name on YouTube is to make tutorials. There is never a shortage of people wanting to learn to perform or sing on a particular instrument. Your tutorials could focus on learning specific techniques or even a specific song.
Marty Schwartz, a guitar instructor on YouTube, is one of the best instances of artists who have can make a name for themselves through YouTube as a teacher on their own. At present, the channel has over 2 million subscribers, and he’s among the top reputable guitar instructors available, particularly in studying popular rock and pop songs.
Before starting his YouTube career, Schwartz worked as a music instructor in an elementary school. He was fired, and it was an opportunity to make a difference, and he jumped on YouTube to show off his guitar-playing abilities to students from all over the world. The range of songs he has played from Led Zeppelin to Radiohead to The Beatles, Schwartz has recorded in-depth tutorials for various well-known songs. Currently, his six-figure salary from YouTube is all by himself every year.
3. Make music and comedy a match
Imagine you’re a musician with the ability to entertain. In that case, take inspiration from content creators like Jared Dines and Stevie T. Dines, a multi-instrumentalist, and Stevie T, a guitar player, who have perfected the art of incorporating music across their videos, which are essentially a mix of music and comedy.
Dines, who boasts nearly 3 million actual YouTube subscribers, began his career as a cover singer who would upload mostly metal renditions to pop tunes. In time, he changed his style and began working on parodies and collaboratives alongside other independent artists on YouTube, like Stevie T.
Canadian Stevie T’s climb to YouTube fame began with his metal covers. What inspired him was his parody videos. He attempted to play the guitar with the restricted skills of performers like Lil Wayne and various subgenres and subcultures of metal. The ‘How to play Guitar like Lil Wayne’ video, posted 9 months ago, has garnered more than five million views. Many others on the channel also have a total of 1 million views.
4. Be consistent and active across all social media platforms
YouTube is undoubtedly one of the top social media platforms that allow independent musicians to make a big impact and, eventually, earn a living. But, relying on YouTube for all you need is a major error since you’d have to rely upon your subscribers to handle your sharing for you.
Suppose you want the popularity of your YouTube channel to flourish and grow into a major player. In that case, it is essential to remain active in other social media platforms, like Instagram and Facebook. You should include calls to action (CTAs) to get your YouTube fans to follow your other platforms in all YouTube videos. And after you have published videos on YouTube, make sure to share the link across all your social media sites. If a faithful follower isn’t receiving an important YouTube notice, this technique could benefit.
Also, you’ll need to design a consistent image across all of your social media accounts. If, for instance, you’ve uploaded a photo to your most recent YouTube upload, make sure you upload the same image to Facebook and Insta to keep it consistent. The profile images on every social media platform must be identical, making it easier for potential fans to follow and find you.
5. Make sure to invest in equipment for audio and video
Because YouTube is a platform that uses video, it is essential to make sure that your videos are professional. The best method to make that happen is to purchase an excellent camera and tripod stand. The two items in your bag will help to shoot your videos yourself. You could experiment with various angles to produce different moods with each video you publish.
It’s also recommended that you get good Video editing software that permits you to add effects and effects to your videos to make them more attractive. With editing software for video, you can also make distinctive lyric videos from your original content. Lyric videos are great for musicians who do not have the funds to make a fully-fledged music video.
In the same way, it is important to ensure that your audio equipment is also in good order because those days when you could record audio with mobile phones are entirely gone. Basic sound interfaces are inexpensive, and when you combine the two with digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Ableton, you can capture high-quality audio that can be used to accompany your video content that is of the highest quality. While doing this, you’ll be able to learn a lot about audio production too.
6. Work with other independent musicians
Collaborations are now easier than ever before and provide an excellent opportunity for independent musicians to assist each other grow on YouTube. If you’ve never worked with a YouTuber before, Here are some steps you can take to start a productive conversation. To begin with, the possibility of collaborating:
Find a content creator within your field of expertise. For instance, if you’re primarily a rock musician, you can search for independent rock artists on YouTube.
It’s recommended to look for an individual with many subscribers and whose content gets more views frequently.
Make a list of possible collaborators, and then get in touch to discuss your plans.
Be aware that before trying to contact a YouTuber with more success within your field to collaborate, it is necessary to establish an established status that is your own. It is not good to work with anyone whose content doesn’t always generate YouTube views.
7. Persist
In the mid to early 2000s, in the mid-to-late 2000s, in the late 2000s, when YouTube was not quite the same size as it is now, It was relatively simple for independent artists to make their presence felt with the site. However, the current situation is quite different. Nearly every field you could imagine is packed with talented YouTubers who have gained loyal fans, and it’s becoming more difficult for the up and upcoming YouTubers to gain views as well as subscribers.
The key is to keep going and persevere without worrying about views and subscribers. During the first few months of your journey with YouTube, you might find that even uploading top-quality content isn’t enough to bring in new subscribers and could result in a lack of motivation. If you’re in the same situation, don’t give up your hope.
Continue to improve your musical, video, and audio production abilities, and stay consistent in uploading your content. If you keep the above guidelines in mind and learn the fundamentals correctly, you will attract the listeners and viewers you need sooner or later.
There’s nobody better than Canadian singer-songwriter Tom MacDonald to look up for motivation. The professional wrestler-turned-rapper uploaded his first video in 2014 and recently crossed one million subscribers based on a production team that consists of just him and his girlfriend.
