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How much do music videos really cost?

Video is playing an increasingly important role in music discovery, which means you could be one clip away from stardom.

Like it or not, creating great video content is key to succeeding in music today. The digital generation has embraced visual media far more than their parents, in part because of how easy it is to access, and that trend is likely not going to change. Video is everywhere. You can watch countless hours of visual entertainment for free with just a few clicks anywhere on the planet, with thousands of additional hours of content being uploaded every day.

YouTube consistently ranks as one of the top places to discover talent, which means a great music video could be your key to breaking away from the competition. But how much do videos cost? Indie Mogul may have the answer.

In a new video shared to their YouTube channel, the team at Indie Mogul sat down with a music video producer who has worked with a variety of talent to examine the cost behind three recent viral videos. The producer explains how the videos were made, how much time they required, how many people were likely involved, and sheds light on the cost associated with each clip.

The big takeaway is that cost does not equal quality. No one can guarantee a music video will perform well, nor can any amount of money spent. Successful music videos require a great talent, a great song, and a great team of people working together to create something that has an intangible quality of uniqueness. The clip, for lack of a better phrase, needs to captivate viewers.

Watch the full video from Indie Mogul below. If you want more video content related to life in the music business, head over to our YouTube channel and subscribe today.

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YouTube has a plan to help your view counts

The only thing worse than not being able to listen to music all the time is having to stop the music you’re currently enjoying to find the next song you’ll play. Streaming services have traditionally solved this solved this problem by anchoring the music player to the bottom of the application or mobile app, but video platforms are another story. On most platforms, to move from one video to the next users must accept a playlist determined by algorithms or leave the clip they’re watching in search of whatever will follow. That action creates gaps in the listening experience, and in the case of views, the decision to leave a clip can mean the difference between whether or not your enjoyment of the track counts toward the total view count.

Google, who owns YouTube, found a solution to these gaps earlier this year when it introduced a ‘mini-player’ to the YouTube Android app. The update created a picture-in-picture experience that allows those with a  YouTube Premium subscription to continue watching their favorite videos while simultaneously searching for other content on the app. Now, that same functionality is being made available to desktop users.

Here’s how it works

Hover over the video player to see a new “mini player” button, which allows you to continue watching your video while you browse YouTube.

The video appears in the bottom right-hand section of the screen and cannot be moved around, but users are free to browse YouTube while watching the video. The mini-player also comes with controls when you hover over the miniaturized player. Users can click an ‘X’ on the player to close it.

Studies have shown that YouTube is one of the main reasons many music consumers refuse to pay for services such as Spotify and Apple Music. A report released in April of this year revealed that 55% of people claim to discover new music through YouTube or similar video platforms. The same report noted that 85% of YouTube users claim their primary reason for engaging with the platform was music consumption.

With the release of their mini-player, YouTube is actively working to increase video views for all creators. More views are good for everyone, and this tool will (hopefully) aide in discovery by giving people fewer reasons to click off something they might not initially enjoy.

We have more tips for navigating the world of YouTube in our archives. We also have additional content on the subject coming soon. Follow Haulix on Twitter and Facebook to ensure you never miss any valuable advice.

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My God, It’s Full Of (YouTube) Stars

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of a brand new week. We are kicking things off with a little help from our friend Seth Werkheiser, and we hope you’ll heed the advice he has to offer. The piece you’re about to read was originally part of Seth’s popular ‘Novelty And Nonsense’ email list. If you like what you read, click here and signup for future mailings.

This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

On YouTube you’re the pink space above. That’s it.

With a pre-roll ad you disappear.

See those videos on the side? Distractions. Noise. All aiming to be more compelling than your video, chosen my algorithms to drive more clicks (and money) for YouTube. Cha-ching (for them, not you).

That’s the fight you enter into each time you Tweet a link to your brand new video on YouTube.

You’re bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Do this instead. That pink space? That’s yours.

Fill your space with upcoming shows, links to your merch, and / or pretty pictures of your cute face. Don’t give up that space to other bands, makers, speakers, or bullshit BuzzFeed videos (because they’re engineered to win).

It’s 2015 – start driving traffic to your stuff instead of landing pages for fancy-pant sites engineered to distract your fans.

Seth Werkheiser is the quiz master of metal trivia at Skulltoaster. He’s also the founder of some music sites you may have heard of, including Noise Creep (2009) + Buzzgrinder (2001). He’s anti-Facebook, anti-clickbait, and anti-growth hacking. You should most definitely follow him on Twitter. Yes, right now.

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