Tag: YouTube

Categories
Artist Advice Editorials Industry News News

The Definitive Social Media Size Guide For Musicians (2022)

Social Media Sizing Guide 2022

The first step to winning fans and building a community on social media is knowing what to post and where to post it. We can help.

I don’t know of any artist making a living today without social media. They may not run it themselves, but every musician must have an online presence. More often than not, most musicians need multiple profiles spread across numerous platforms requiring all types of content in various sizes and shapes.

If you want to make the most of an Instagram account, for example, you need to know the following information:

  • Profile picture size
  • Photo thumbnail sizes for Story highlights
  • Photo and video sizes/aspect ratio for posts to a user’s feed
  • Photo and video sizes/aspect ratio for Instagram stories
  • Video sizes/aspect ratio for Instagram Reels

And that’s before we even discuss effectively marketing through the platform.

Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, not to mention YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Linktree, Tumblr (it still exists), and the platforms we are no doubt forgetting, it’s practically impossible for anyone to remember every size and aspect ratio required to make high-quality posts everywhere an artist is expected to exist online. We know because we’ve tried it ourselves, and we bet you have.

We scoured the internet for the best guides to social media sizing, and to the surprise of nobody, countless examples exist. We tried to find the most straightforward, easy-to-follow options available and gather them here to live in perpetuity.

Facebook

ContentSizeAspect Ratio
Facebook Profile Picture400 x 400 px1:1
Facebook Event Cover Photo1920 x 1005 px1.91:1
Facebook Group Cover Photo1920 x 1005 px1.91:1
Facebook Business Page Cover1200 x 674 px16:9
Facebook Profile Cover Photo1125 x 633 px2.7:1
Facebook Photo Post1200 x 630 px1.91:1
Facebook Video Post1280 x 720 px16:9
Facebook Linked Image1200 x 630 px1.91:1
Facebook Stories1080 x 1920 px9:16
Facebook “Our Story” Cover1200 x 445 px2.7:1
Facebook Ad (Carousel)1080 x 1080 px1:1
Facebook Ad (Single Image)1200 x 628 px1.91:1
Facebook Catalog Image1080 x 10801:1

Instagram:

Type of Instagram PostAspect RatioInstagram Post Size
Square Photo1:11080 x 1080px
Landscape Photo1.91:11080 x 608px
Portrait Photo4:51080 x 1350px
Instagram Stories9:161080 x 1920px
Instagram Reels9:161080 x 1920px
IGTV Cover Photo1:1.55420 x 654px
Instagram Square Video1:11080x1080px
Instagram Landscape Video1.91:11080x608px
Instagram Portrait Video4:51080x1350px

Soundcloud:

GRAPHICSIZE
Profile Photo1000 × 1000 px
Album Cover800 × 800 px
Minimum Header2480 × 520 px

TikTok

TikTok video dimensions should be 1080×1920. Aspect ratio: The aspect ratio should be that of a standard smartphone screen, 9:16. 1:1 is also possible, but it won’t take up the whole screen.

Twitch

GRAPHICSIZE
Profile Photo800 × 800 px
Profile Banner1920 × 480 px
Video Player Banner1920 × 1080 px
Video Thumbnail1280 × 720 px
Cover Image380 × 1200 px
Info Panels320 × 200 px

Twitter

Finding information about Twitter’s content options proves slightly more difficult than options for Facebook and Instagram.

  • Profile Photo: 400×400
  • Header Photo: 1500×500
  • Image from a Tweet with shared link: 1200 x 628 pixels
  • Tweet sharing a single image: 1200 x 675 pixels (recommended, but most images with standard aspect ratios will not be cropped)
  • Tweet sharing two images: 700 x 800 pixels (both images)
  • Tweet sharing three images:
    • Left image: 700 x 800 pixels
    • Right images: 1200 x 686 pixels
  • Tweet sharing four images: 1200 x 600 pixels (per image)
    • Four is the maximum number of images available on one Tweet
  • Recommended aspect ratio is 16:9.
  • Can edit images if tweeting from Twitter iOS or Android app.
  • Maximum file size of 5 MB for photos, and 5 MB for animated GIFs on mobile and 15 MB on web.

YouTube

TYPESIZE
Channel Icon800 × 800 px
Channel Art2560 × 1440 px
Desktop Display2560 × 423 px
Tablet Display1855 × 423 px
Desktop and Mobile Display1546 × 423 px
Video Thumbnail1280 × 720 px

Video Guidelines

  • Recommended dimensions: 426 x 240 (240p), 640 x 360 (360p), 854 x 480 (480p), 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p), 2560 x 1440 (1440p) and 3840 x 2160 (2160p).
  • Aspect ratio is 16:9 (auto adds pillarboxing if 4:3).
  • Max file size is 128GB or 12 hours, whichever is less.
  • Accepted video formats include: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, and WebM.
  • Video length max is 12 hours.

YouTube SHORTS video guidelines

  • Recommended dimensions: 240×426 (240p), 360×640 (360p), 480×854 (480p), 720×1280 (720p), 1080×1920 (1080p), 1440×2560 (1440p), and 2160×3840 (2160p),
  • Aspect ratio is 9:16.
  • Video length is 60 seconds max.
  • Accepted video formats include: .MOV, .MPEG4, MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, and WebM.
  • Music from the YouTube music library is limited to 15 seconds.
  • Title character limit: 100 characters max.
Categories
Industry News News

This Week In Music (June 24, 2022)

From the debut of Twitter Notes to Spotify’s renewed focus on community, we’ve gathered the biggest music news stories of the week.

Summer is officially here, and the temperature isn’t the only thing hitting all-time highs. Artists from all walks of life are experiencing a boom of interest thanks to better weather, and professionals are hard at work making the most of the moment. Consider this a reminder to go outside and touch the grass. You deserve to feel the wind in your hair while your favorite songs play at a loud volume. Don’t let the consumer have all the fun.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Music News Stories Of The Week

Twitter Begins Testing Twitter Notes, Which Are Basically Blogs for Twitter

Twitter is trialing a new longform format that will let you shoot well past 280 characters, meaning you may no longer have to relay your humorous anecdotes via numbered tweet threads. Called Notes, the new feature enables users to write entire articles straight onto the social media platform, and even include photos, videos, GIFs, and tweets.

“From the rise of the screenshot announcement Tweet to the newsletter boom, a new reality became clear: people were writing long elsewhere, and then coming to Twitter to share their work and for the conversation surrounding all those words,” said Twitter’s Rembert Browne in one of Twitter’s first Notes. “With Notes, the goal is to fill in that missing piece and help writers find whatever type of success they desire.”

The feature is currently being tested by a small selection of writers based in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ghana, with the trial expected to run for two months. A Notes tab is also being added to these users’ Twitter profiles, under which you’ll be able to see all their published Notes.

Aiming to provide Twitter users with more flexibility and control, Notes’ rich-text editor will enable writers to bold, italicise, and otherwise format their words. Titles are limited to 100 characters, but the body of a Note can reach up to 2,500 words before Twitter cuts you off — more than enough space to explain your passions. (Writers still have to stick to Twitter’s rules though, so no lengthy treatises inciting violence.)

Spotify is building ‘Community,’ a new tool that integrates your friends’ listening habits into your user experience.

Spotify is developing a new feature called Community that would allow mobile users to see what sort of music their friends are streaming in real time as well as what playlists they’ve recently updated in a dedicated place in the app. The company today offers a similar “Friend Activity” feature on the desktop but had limited users’ access to that same Friend Activity on mobile devices.

Reached for comment, Spotify confirmed the feature was in the early testing phases but declined to share more details.

The company’s roots as a social music streaming app had helped the company grow in earlier days by leveraging its Facebook integration to build out its friend graph. But, in later years, Spotify looked more toward personalization features to give it an advantage over streaming rivals. Playlists customized to the individual listener — like Spotify’s flagship Discover Weekly, for example — had been helping to attract and retain users more than seeing what friends streamed. As a result, the company’s focus on users’ personal friend networks was de-emphasized in the product.

Steve Cooper Exits WMG, Hunt For New CEO Begins

Steve Cooper, CEO of Warner Music Group for the past 11 years, will step down next year, a rep for the company confirmed to Variety. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The transition will be a gradual one, the rep emphasized, as the company seeks a suitable successor. Cooper, 75, said he has instructed the board to begin the search for his successor, and that he and the board expect the transition to take place by the end of 2023, according to an internal email that appears in full below.

Warner is the third-largest major music group, after Universal and Sony, Warner Music-owned labels include Atlantic — which is the most consistently successful major label in the business — Elektra and its flagship Warner Records, along with the third-largest music publisher, Warner Chappell Music. Its top current acts include Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Dua Lipa and others.

Anti-piracy action in Brazil targets hundreds of websites and apps

Law enforcement agencies in Brazil have blocked or seized the domains of hundreds of websites and apps accused of utilising and/or distributing unlicensed music in a coordinated action as part of an on-going anti-piracy initiative called Operation 404.

226 websites and 461 apps were targeted in the action, which was supported by local music industry trade group Pro-Música Brasil and the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry, and which saw Brazilian police and the country’s Ministry Of Justice liaising with cyber and IP crime experts in both the US and the UK.

The high number of apps targeted is particularly interesting, given apps that use music without licence are becoming a top piracy gripe for the music industry.

Commenting on the operation, IFPI’s Director Of Global Content Protection And Enforcement Melissa Morgia says: “As a result of the coordinated work of the Brazilian authorities, together with agencies in the US and the UK, these actions have seen the highest number of unlicensed music services disrupted as part of the Operation 404 campaign. We thank and commend all the authorities and agencies involved in carrying out these actions for their ongoing collaboration and support in protecting music creators’ content.”

Spotify and YouTube Publish Trend Reports on Gen-Z Consumption Habits

Spotify published its fourth annual Culture Next Trends Report yesterday to tie in with the Lions, including the claim that 18-24 year-olds played more than 578bn minutes of music on Spotify in 2021. “16 billion more minutes than Millennials”. Other stats on Gen-Z: 68% of them like listening to and watching media from early decades; 67% use podcasts and music to cope with stress and anxiety; and 59% believe “life was better before social media”.

YouTube, meanwhile, has published its own new Culture & Trends report focusing on Gen-Z, both as YouTubers and viewers. Among its findings: 85% of Gen-Z have posted video content online; and 65% are more interested in content “that’s personally relevant to them” rather than simply “the content that lots of other people talk about… many younger users are opting out of the watercooler discourse”.

There’s plenty more to parse in both reports.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Fit For A King – “Reaper”

Categories
Industry News News

This Week In Music (February 18, 2022)

From YouTube’s Ad Revenue to Kanye’s plans to keep ‘Donda 2‘ off streaming platforms, it’s been another crazy week in the music business.

After six weeks of uncertainty, it’s safe to say the music business is back in action at full capacity. The second full week of February has been filled with major shifts in tech, massive tour announcements, and new insight into the possibilities of Web3 that give us hope for the future of our industry.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. That is why we are thrilled to introduce This Week In Music, a brand new weekly column highlighting the best and most talked-about stories throughout the music industry. Each Friday, we will post links to various need-to-know articles and information. 

But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.

The Biggest Stories In Music This Week

Spotify’s Joe Rogan Problem Continues (For A Third Week)

Just when the controversy surrounding Joe Rogan and Spotify was beginning to quiet this week, a new report from The New York Times has thrown gas on the fire. According to the story, sources inside the streaming giant now say that Rogan’s exclusivity deal was worth north of $200 million—more than $100 million more than previously reported.

Spotify notoriously pays artists roughly $0.004 per song stream. Based on that, it would take approximately 50 BILLION song streams for a musician to make that much money from Spotify.

You could also consider that 50 billion songs are streamed before Spotify pays $200 million to musicians, but the company had no issue paying one person that much for their podcast.

Kanye West says Donda 2 won’t be available on streaming services

Kanye West will release his highly-anticipated new album Donda 2 on February 22 (2-22-22). To date, two songs allegedly off the project have found their way online (“Eazy” and “City of Gods”), but fans may have to work harder to hear the full project. According to West’s Instagram post on Thursday, February 17, Donda 2 will only be available for Kanye’s stem player.

“Donda 2 will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player,” he wrote. “Not on Apple Amazon Spotify or YouTube. Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.” An order page for the Stem Player is currently live; it currently costs $200.

Ticketmaster and Snapchat partner on Ticketmatcher

Snapchat is partnering with Ticketmaster to launch a new way for users to discover live entertainment events within the Snap Map, the company announced on Wednesday. The new feature will be accessible through a new in-app Mini. For context, Snap Minis are third-party programs that live inside Snapchat’s Chat section. The new “Ticketmatcher Mini” matches users with events they might be interested in based on their preferences.

To get started, users can access the Ticketmatcher Mini through the rocket icon in the Chat section of the app. From there, users will be promoted with a brief survey to gauge their interests. The app will then display suggested upcoming shows based on your preferences that you can swipe left and right to browse through. The company sees this as a reimagined dating app that pairs users with interesting events as opposed to partners.

YouTube Ad Revenue Turns Heads

YouTube has long been one of the leading music discovery and consumption sources. The industry loves how easy the platform makes it to stream your favorite artists and discover similar new talent. However, YouTube also offers the lowest royalty rates of any digital music service, which has been a thorn in the side of musicians and professionals alike for years.

This week, the industry got an idea of how much revenue YouTube generates from its content. According to a report from MBW, YouTube is making close to $100 million every day from ad revenue. In fact, having generated $20.21 billion from ads in the first nine months of 2021 and $8.63 billion in Q4, YouTube’s total ads business across the 12 months of 2021 raked in a whopping $28.84 billion.

The Music Industry Still Fears Piracy in 2022

Remember Napster? The idea of downloading illegal MP3s of a new album when services such as Spotify and Apple Music exist may seem anachronistic in 2022. Still, piracy is a threat many continue to fear. As Forbes highlighted this week, a recent report found piracy in 2021 was up more than 15% compared to 2020, and many believe it will continue to worsen.

Snoop Dogg ends Super Bowl week having sold $44 million in “Stash Box” NFTs

It must be nice to be Snoop Dogg. Not only is the living rap legend a beloved pop culture icon worldwide, but he recently celebrated the release of his twentieth studio album, bought Death Row Records, and performed during one of the most critically-acclaimed Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. That alone is worthy of celebration, but Snoop also found success this week in the metaverse. According to reports, Snoop’s “Stash Box” NFT collection, which was released alongside his album, has generated more than $40 million in sales this week. That’s going to fill a lot of doggy bags.

Song Of The Week: Simple Plan- “Ruin My Life” feat. Deryck Whibley 

Categories
Artist Advice Industry News News

YouTube Growth Hacks For Musicians [Video]

YouTube can be a powerful force for music discovery and fan engagement, but most artists don’t know how to make the most of it. We can help

Let’s be honest: The music industry is divided on YouTube. The popular video platform is free to use and has spent a full decade being ranked as the best music discovery platform. However, YouTube has also come under fire for underpaying musicians.

A report from 2017 found that a musician hoping to earn minimum wage from YouTube alone would need at least 2.4 million video views per month. That view count is far above the number of streams required to make the minimum wage through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or other services.

Another report from January 2022 found that YouTube pays an average of $0.002 per view to musicians. Only two services, Deezer ($0.0011) and Pandora ($0.00133 per stream), pay less.

Still, the music industry needs YouTube. The brand name is synonymous with online video, and everyone looking for video clips will come to YouTube before searching anywhere else. Nobody can deny YouTube’s popularity regardless of how you feel about its policies and royalty rates.

The same can be said for millions of music fans. Listeners will browse YouTube for official streams and videos before turning to other streaming services. To abandon the platform would mean alienating a massive potential audience.

In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell tells artists to fight YouTube’s system by growing their channel with original, regularly scheduled content. He offers advice to improve your channel, promote your content, develop ideas, and set long-term goals. If you want 2022 to be the year your Youtube following skyrockets, then this video is for you.

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.

Need help growing your YouTube channel but cannot access the video above? Don’t worry! Our friends at Hypebot recently published a great article on the same topic.

Categories
News

YouTube Lessons From 2020 and Our Big Plans for 2021 [VIDEO]

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.

Categories
Industry News News

YouTube Expands Music Video Analytics for Artists

YouTube has dramatically expanded its Analytics for Artists tools, including mobile support and enhanced audience-interaction statistics.

Data is the name of the game in business today. With the vast majority of engagement and interaction happening online, especially during the pandemic, those getting ahead are doing so by studying their analytics. Most platforms offer musicians so level of insight into how fans are interacting with their art, but YouTube’s latest development is leaving many competitors in the dust.

YouTube unveiled an upgraded Analytics for Artists program this week. The rollout included a short video and a release published under the YouTube for Artists banner. Check out the clip below:

Analytics for Artists, now in YouTube Studio, provides a new and improved view of an artist’s catalog on YouTube. Analytics for Artists will be available for all Official Artist Channels and provide access to a unique set of features that will equip artists and their teams with the knowledge they need to make the most informed and strategic release plans. 

What can you expect from Analytics For Artists:

  • Understand Your Audience: The new ‘Total Reach’ feature gives artists and their teams the most comprehensive view of how their music is reaching audiences across YouTube. This includes videos uploaded to their official channels in addition to those created and shared by fans, tastemakers, and collaborators that contain most of the artist’s recordings.
  • See How Your Music Inspires Fan Creation: The new ‘Song Detail’ feature makes it easy for artists to see all of the videos that have been created for a specific song within their catalog and contain most of their song recording. This content created by users benefits artists of all sizes and is largely incremental to views of their official content on YouTube. On average, the top 1,000 artists on YouTube get over 20% of their chart eligible views from videos created by users. From official uploads to fan-created lyric videos, covers, dance videos, and more, Song Detail shows all of the ways in which fans are enjoying and engaging with any specific track, all in one place.
  • Comprehensive and Actionable Data: Analytics for Artists is home to the most robust set of audience and performance insights you can´t find anywhere else. Understand how your catalog is distributed across the entire YouTube ecosystem and how your audience engages with it: impressions, clicks, demographics, retention, and engagement data. It’s all here and now in real-time.
  • Easy Access to Real-Time Insights: In addition to desktop, artists can now easily access these new insights on the YouTube Studio Mobile app, enabling them to get data and notification updates, in real-time, whether they are on the road or in the studio. Having the most up-to-date information at your fingertips will help with prompt and informed decision making.

What makes YouTube’s new developments so impressive is how it show’s the company’s understanding of its unique ecosystem. Unlike Spotify or Apple Music, anyone can upload their favorite song to YouTube. The new tools crawl the depths of the platform to provide insight into the ways an artist’s creative output inspires others. That kind of information can completely change a musician’s approach to marketing and fan engagement in meaningful ways.

Your move, everyone else.
Categories
Industry News News

YouTube claims it paid over $3 Billion to the Music Industry in 2019

YouTube, one of the most popular destinations for music discovery and consumption, is citing huge 2019 payouts to change the conversation around its notoriously low royalty rates.

In a quarterly blog post released this week, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki praised her company’s relationship with the music industry. “YouTube offers twin engines for revenue with advertising and subscribers,” she wrote. “Paying out more than $3 billion to the music industry last year from ads and subscriptions.”

YouTube recently announced $15.5 billion in ad-supported revenue for 2019. Before you start believing the company gave nearly 20% of that money to the music business, take a moment to read Wojcicki’s comments again. The $3 billion paid to the industry is from a combination of ads and subscriptions (meaning YouTube premium subscriptions, which now number above 20 million worldwide).

That said, the $3 billion mentioned in Wojcicki’s report is pretty stunning. According to calculations published by Music Business Worldwide, the 2019 payouts account for one-quarter of YouTube’s lifetime payments to the music industry. MBW believes YouTube has overtaken or is close to overtaking Apple Music as the industry’s second-largest digital partner (behind Spotify).

These numbers are huge, but they are nothing compared to the video consumption rates YouTube has shared in recent years. In 2018, YouTube claimed that “more than 1 billion music fans come to YouTube each month to be part of music culture and discover new music.” In June 2019, a report came out claiming that music videos were watched just under two trillion times on YouTube in 2018, representing 20% of total views on the platform. $3 billion is a lot of money, but is it enough to represent one-fifth of the total consumption on the platform?

Wojcicki also shared the following insights about YouTube’s evolving relationship with the music business:

We’re also partnering with artists to support and amplify their work through every phase of their career. Dua Lipa was in YouTube’s first-ever Foundry program — our initiative to develop independent music acts. Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish have built massive global audiences by directly connecting and engaging with fans on YouTube. At just 18 years old, Billie is now one of the world’s biggest stars with five recent Grammy wins. And from its early days, YouTube has been a home for artists who found creative ways to use the platform to help expand their reach. In 2005, OK Go had one of the first viral hits with their music video, “A Million Ways.” Fans posted their own versions of the boy band-inspired choreography, and OK Go decided to make it official with a dance challenge on YouTube. We continue to see unknown artists make it big with a single viral hit. Last year, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” became a YouTube phenomenon and the longest-leading single atop the Billboard Hot 100.

YouTube has long been criticized for its notoriously low royalty rates on views, but the numbers from 2019 show that image may be changing for the better. We’ll bring you more on the platform’s relationship with the industry as soon as additional details become available.

Categories
Industry News News

YouTube is Testing ‘Applause,’ A New Way to Support Creators

Following the lead of Twitch and similar live-streaming platforms, YouTube will soon allow viewers to support content creators directly.

YouTube is the largest video platform in the world, and it often ranks as the most popular service for music and content discovery. However, the service has repeatedly come under fire for its notoriously low royalty payments. YouTube pays less per view than Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music pays per song stream. It pays less than virtually anyone, in fact, but the company is testing a new tool that may offer relief to content creators.

Applause, which is now in the testing phase of release, allows views to contribute to content creators directly. The idea is very similar to the micro-transactions available to viewers of Twitch streams. On that platform, Twitch viewers can purchase ‘bits’ with real money. Viewers can spend bits in a variety of ways. Creator channels can offer custom emojis, special channel statuses, and more for bits. Twitch pays creators one cent for every bit they earn from their viewers in a month.

Youtube’s Applause is less transparent. It is unclear how much creators make off the contributions to their channel, which is upsetting creators currently involved in the testing phase of the product rollout. It’s clear YouTube hopes this development will off-set criticism for its royalty payments, but the company will first need to provide clarity on the exchange rate.

Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and the USA are on the beta test shortlist. You may see an ‘Applaud’ button under participating content creator videos. Clicking the button offers a pop-up to see how much an applause costs. The U.S. pop-up appears to offer a standard $2 donation option.

There are no limits on the number of donations or Applause that can be given to a single video. YouTube also guarantees that personal details are not shared with the creator and are not made public. That seems rife for abuse, right?

Purchase limits for the YouTube Applause feature are in place to prevent abuse. Users can only spend $500 a day or $2000 per week Super Chats, Super Stickers, and Applause. These payments are tips to the creator and cannot be refunded.

Categories
Artist Advice Business Advice Editorials Industry News News

5 YouTube channels everyone in music should follow

Want the benefits of a music business education without the debt of student loans? YouTube is the answer.

YouTube channels are the new blogs. Actually, YouTube channels are better than most blogs. The content creators working on the video platform today can convey complex information in entertaining ways that create a more enjoyable learning experience for everyone. Whether you’re hoping to be the next music superstar or hope to work in the industry, YouTube is filled with experts offering the benefits of their experience and education without any of the cost or hard times.

For virtually nothing, anyone on the planet can access more hours of music business guides and criticism than any person could hope to devour in one lifetime. We haven’t tested that theory, but we’re pretty sure it’s accurate.

There are more than enough content creators releasing quality videos regularly on YouTube for everyone to find the channel(s) that suit their learning style the best. We could not hope to bring together all the channels worth checking out, but we have gathered a handful of picks that we believe to be worthy of your time. They offer everything from music criticism to history lessons, industry stories, and essential step-by-step guides to navigating the music business as a whole. Enjoy!

Punk Rock MBA

Finn McKenty is more punk rock than you. Lucky for us, he’s sharing his knowledge of punk and all things alternative with anyone willing to give him attention. Punk Rock MBA offers an in-depth look at the history of punk, rock, metal, and numerous niche areas of alternative/underground music, as well as lessons learned from important moments in music history. Most videos McKenty releases play like short documentaries, each with his unique perspective on a moment in music that more mainstream publications often overlook. He also recruits seasoned professionals to weigh in on the latest music from aspiring musicians, as well as commentary on the recent industry trends that may be shaping the future of the business.

McKenty is the perfect entry point for anyone new to YouTube, and also those hoping to improve their careers as musicians. As he explains on his channel’s about page, his goal is to offer “information, inspiration, and hopefully entertainment for people who want to live life on their own terms.”

The Needle Drop

Some of you may be questioning how a music critic ended up on a list intended for industry professionals. The answer is simple: Anthony Fantano (aka The Needle Drop) understands the digital generation. Unlike many of his industry careers, Fantano has found a way to connect with audiences in an increasingly saturated marketplace by sharing his informed opinions on a wide variety of music. His influence is so great, in fact, that numerous musicians have referenced his work in their own creative endeavors. For example, you may have seen Fantano’s animated cameo in the “Old Town Road” remix video from Lil Nas X featuring Young Thug and Mason Ramsey.

There are ten-thousand articles claiming that professional criticism is dead in the age of social media, but The Needle Drop is proof those hot takes are wrong. Fantano’s reviews often garner thousands of reviews within minutes of going live, and he’s using that platform to expose people to music they may otherwise have never given a chance. Anyone hoping to influence others through their work in music would be wise to follow The Needle Drop because no one else in this business has done nearly as good of a job building a community around their voice as Anthony Fantano has accomplished with his channel.

Music Biz

James Shotwell wants to do everything before his time in music is done. After opening a venue in his hometown with a grant from the city council at fourteen, Shotwell tried his hand at everything from touring to promotion before he even graduated college. Since then, he’s written for some of the biggest publications in music (including Alternative Press and Rolling Stone), ran a record label, traveled with Warped Tour, spoken at major industry events (SXSW, LAUNCH Music Conference, Music Biz), and spread the word about the power of promotional distribution.

On Music Biz, which is powered by Haulix, Shotwell shares his knowledge on how professionals and musicians alike can build a successful career in the entertainment business. He also explains the stories behind the biggest headlines in the music industry, as well as in-depth conversations with a wide array of industry professionals.

Brand Man

Sean Taylor is a music branding and marketing expert who, according to his website, is ‘working to build a platform that closes the knowledge gap for aspiring artists’ On his Youtube-channel, Sean shares information about branding, growing your career and building a fan base. His focus usually revolves around the hip-hop and rap genres, but the lessons shared can easily be applied to any area of music.

What we love about Taylor’s content is his energy and the way he often utilizes the knowledge of other industry professionals to make the most of the topics he discusses. Whether that means pulling content from his own podcast or referencing quotes made by musicians in other interviews, Taylor grounds his lessons in examples pulled from the real world. That approach makes it clear that anyone can succeed in this business as long as they are willing to put in the work required to get ahead.

Berklee Online

Talk about a music business education without the burden of student debt. Berklee Online is the official YouTube channel of Boston’s iconic Berklee College of Music. With world-renowned faculty and unparalleled networking opportunities, Berklee Online brings the best of Berklee to students around the globe, for free.

More than any other channel on this list, Berklee Online offers an education portal for those unable or unwilling to pay for school. They do post about courses available through them, but the majority of the videos offer industry advice and analysis from experts that other content creators could never reach. The content shared by Berklee Online is polished, informative, and above all entertaining. You don’t want to miss out.

Categories
Industry News News

YouTube quietly begins blocking MP3 stream-ripping sites

The latest plague to hit the music industry has found itself in a losing battle with the world’s largest video platform.

Stream-ripping is the most popular way to pirate music in 2019. Fear of malware drove people away from torrents long ago, and file-sharing services such as Mediafire lost their luster after they began removing copyrighted material almost as fast as people could upload it, but for the last several years, stream-ripping has been largely untouched by the pressure of the music industry. Only a handful of sites have been taken offline, and far more have risen to replace them.

In virtually every report on piracy released since 2015, industry leaders and organizations alike have noted the need for tech giants to involve themselves in the war against digital theft. YouTube and Google, which are now owned by the same company, have largely remained silent on the matter. That lead the music business to feel as if these platforms didn’t care or that they believed fighting piracy was the industry’s responsibility alone, but this week, something changed.

According to a report from TorrentFreak, which has been confirmed by Haulix Daily, YouTube has recently began blocking stream-ripping sites from pirating music and other copyrighted materials. The number of sites included in the effort is unclear, but research by Haulix staff earlier today (July 11) found the top 10 Google results for ‘YouTube to MP3,’ ‘Youtube MP3,’ and ‘Free YouTube Conversion’ all impacted by the change.

“All my servers are blocked with error ‘HTTP Error 429: Too Many Requests’,” the operator of Dlnowsoft.com informs TorrentFreak. As a result, the stream-ripping site currently displays a “service temporarily unavailable, we will come back soon” error message. 

Onlinevideoconverter.com, one of the top 200 most-visited sites on the internet, appears to be affected as well. While videos from sites such as Vimeo can still be converted, YouTube links now return the following error message. 

None of the websites impacted by the recent blocks were warned in advance of the changes.

Haulix Daily contacted YouTube for more information, but the company has not responded. YouTube has also made no public comments about the blocks, but the widespread impact makes it clear the company is sending a message regarding their views on piracy. We will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Exit mobile version