I have been asked many times, during my work, about what the quickest way to succeed with music is.
Whilst I don't have any magic formula, one thing is for sure; video and websites like YouTube can very quickly spread the word about you and your music.
Below are some tips that will help you achieve better results with your online video promotion.
1) Don't just focus on your music - give something back
A clever music video can really get you far but let's face it - most people online are not looking for your video.
So instead you can create content that is of interest to your fans. It could be anything from how-to videos to discussing current affairs.
You could also create an interesting character(example youtube.com/fred) - what matters is it should be really useful and/or really fun!
2)Link! Link! Link!
I wish I could say "this goes without saying".
There have been many times when I wanted to check out a band but there was no link to their site.
Always make sure you put your website or MySpace URL in a corner of the video.
On YouTube if you type in your description start with http:// (for example http://guaranteedvideos.com). That way a link will appear and your fans can click and go straight to your website.
It will probably work out best if you add an incentive: a free download or a competition for instance.
3)Save yourself time; use TubeMogul.
This is an amazing tool. I couldn't recommend it more , just try it and you will inderstand.
What Tubemogul does is, it distributes your video to all the major video hosting websites at once!
I has links so you can quickly register on each website. Tubemogul will store your login details and that's it!
Every time you have a new video just upload it once to Tubemogul and they will do all the work for you!
There is also a feature that allows you to track videos, use social bookmarking and more. Visit tubemogul.com for more details.
4)Make your video available for phones, iPods etc.
Personally I use the software that came with my mp3 player but for your sake I decided to test the Xilisoft 3GP Video Converter. I downloaded the trial version and I must say I was quite impressed with the results. IT is also very well priced (at the time of writing $29). YOu simple add your video file and click convert.
You may also choose to Google "phone video converter". You will get quite a few good options.
Once you have converted your video make sure it's downloadable from your website.
You can offer it as an incentive to join your mailing list or ask for a small donation for a bundle of your cool videos for the phone
5) Title it properly.
The way you name your video will affect the number of views you get.
This is a bit tricky because even if you name two videos the same, their number of views may vary greatly.
The best way is to experiment.
Word of caution; if a title is getting you a good number of views leave it the way it is! Changing it back may not bring the same results.
I think it has something to do with the way videos are indexed for search purposes.
Also don't spam; make sure your title matches the content. Ignore this at your own risk; you could get banned from certain sites for spamming.
6) Use YouTube annotations.
YouTube now has a cool feature which allows you to place note in your videos as well as link to other videos.
Put in your thoughts, place a URL to your website or MySpace, explain a thought further.
Used sparringly you can use this feature to enrich the content of your video.
7) More useful resources for promoting your video on the internet
I have added a few links to related resources
Bob-Baker.com - Bob Baker (very well known in the circles of internet music promotion) has written a complete book on the subject. I believe you will find it useful and fun to read.
videocodezone.com - A lot of cool features including submitting music videos, and converting them to various formats( including for phones and iPods)
If you would like to get your music video to Yahoo!Music send a BetaSP copy to
Yahoo! Music Video Submission
125 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
WC2H 8AD
You will have to also attach a signed copy of the video agreement form downloadable at http://launch.yahoo.com/musicvideos/form.doc.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
