How musicians can make money from YouTube

Making money from YouTube can be a potentially lucrative revenue stream for musicians and songwriters. 

But where do you start when looking to monetize your videos and YouTube channel? We went to online music distributor Ditto Music for some essential advice on YouTube royalties and how views can be turned into revenue. 

Alongside previous YouTube guides on how to start out with the channel and ensuring quality from Music Gateway and Burstimo, we hope that these articles give you a comprehensive tool kit to equip you to make the most of the platform as a promotional tool. Dig into Ditto Music's tips below... 

What does a new artist need to do to ensure they can make money from the use of their music on YouTube? What do they need to have in place/information do they need? 

An artist needs to ensure they are under a Multi Channel Network (YouTube CMS) to enable monetisation across the content on their YouTube channel. Multi-channel networks are important for YouTube creators, so you can learn more about them here. 

Are there any do's and don'ts when using the channel? 

Ensure you are creating engaging content and uploading regularly. In order to adhere to YouTube's community guidelines, you need to steer clear of violent, sexually provocative and/or offensive visuals to accompany your music as this can result in your content being removed.

Could you explain a little about how royalties work on YouTube? How many views do you need to start generating revenue? 

To apply for monetization (and have ads attached to your videos), an artist must have tallied 4,000 hours of overall watch time on their channel within the past 12 months and have at least 1,000 subscribers."

Have you any advice around using YouTube ads on the channel and how this can generate money? 

Once you are partnered with an MCN (Multi Channel Network), ads will automatically be enabled on an artist's channel. All views will then generate revenue which will be paid out to the creator. 

How can musicians grow their audience on YouTube? Do you have any top tips for attracting more views? 

There are lot's ways to grow your audiences as an artist on YouTube. Here are some top tips:

1. Create quality, engaging videos to accompany your music.

2. Engage with your audience in the comments and on social media.

3. Create eye-catching video thumbnails that grab people's attention.

4. Always add your videos to playlists. This can keep people on your channel and therefore increase your watch time.

5. Promote your videos heavily across all your social media platforms and embed on your website. 

When other users utilise your music in their videos, how can you make sure you're getting paid? 

This is done via a system called YouTube Content ID. All videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database of music that has been submitted to YouTube by content owners. This then flags up whenever an artist's music is used elsewhere on the site and allows the artist to earn money from other user-generated content.

Have you any tips about promoting your YT video channel? 

One of the best ways to promote your music and by extension your YouTube channel to new fans is to connect and collaborate with other artists and creators.

Making an appearance on another popular and similar YouTube channel can get you in front of a whole new and relevant audience."

From your experience, are there any secrets to success when it comes to creating engaging YouTube content? 

Make sure you are using all of YouTube's extra functionalities. Adding cards and end screens to your videos through the video uploading dashboard and making the most of playlists can really drive viewing and engagement. 

Visit Ditto Music's website to find out more.