Despite everything that happened this year, 2020 taught us a lot about building a brand and audience on YouTube, the world’s premier video platform.
You can fill blog after blog with details about 2020 and all that went wrong in it, from the spread of the Coronavirus to the ensuing shutdown of practically everything related to entertainment that followed. You can write about the live music drought and how no one can agree on when the shows we bought tickets for way back in 2019 may actually happen. You can complain about the stars who left completed albums on shelves because they feared what might happen if they released music during a pandemic. Unfortunately, you can find countless examples of artists using their platform to spread misformation about everything from COVID-19 to the 2020 presidential election. This year is as messy as any year on record, and we are happy to be leaving it behind later this week.
But before we leave 2020 behind us, we think it is important also to recognize the good. We saw record client growth, despite a lack of releases from major labels. We spoke with and learned from people in dozens of countries at all hours of the day. We shared our problems with others, and more often than not, they shared theirs right back. We grew closer as an industry because, for once, everyone was going through the same thing at the same time.
As a company, Haulix spreads its message of hope and music business education through various channels. We have two podcasts, a blog, a live panel series, and a YouTube channel. That last one, which we call Music Biz, grew in leaps and bounds throughout 2020. Our audience swelled to more than 2,000 subscribers, which marks a 300% growth compared to 2019. We shared more than a hundred videos on topics such as music business education, finding careers in music, marketing on social media, and what scams are most likely to trick young artists. We did all of this to help people and build a community. Hopefully, we did both well.
In this Music Biz update, James Shotwell shares lessons we’ve learned about establishing a YouTube brand. He also looks to the future, outlining goals and hopes for 2021. We have a lot of work ahead, and we sincerely hope you’ll join us for the journey.
