Youtube, the world’s largest online music discovery engine continues to become one of the biggest revenue generators for record labels and artists.
Since the introduction of Youtube’s CMS deals (content ID), the company claims to have paid well over 1 billion dollars in revenue which is well ahead of most digital download stores and other competing streaming options.
With the long awaited introduction of “Youtube Music Key, that aims to provide a premium streaming option to music consumers (think Spotify), Youtube is strongly positioning themselves for the future.
If you are an independent artist or record label and you currently don’t have a way to get a “piece of the pie”, this is a great time to start. We are making it easier than ever to collect those hundreds and/or thousands of dollars waiting for you!
– What is Youtube distribution and how does it work?
Youtube distribution gives you the option to claim and monetize your music across the entire youtube platform. Whether it is uploaded by you or any other Youtube user, Youtube’s technology will use the music waveform, sound and data (referred to as “Content ID”) we send to them to match it against any uploads across the platform. When it is identified, Youtube will automatically generate a claim (it is not a copyright strike) to monetize that video by placing ads in them.
In the cases the system does not match it automatically, our team will scan the platform and manually place claims for monetization.
– Are those claims copyright strikes? How will they affect Youtube channels?
Claims for monetization are not copyright strikes and do not affect the good standing of a channel. Those claims simply state who the owner or representative of that music is.
It is not our policy to request takedowns, we encourage cooperation between Youtube promoters/curators and labels/artists. We do this by giving our users access to “Label Engine Connect”, that allows them at their own discretion set up deals and share revenue.
Learn more about Connect: http://label-engine.com/blog/label-engine-connect/
– Is the new streaming service “Youtube Music Key” included in the deal?
If you wish for us to also have your music available in that upcoming service, we can do that for you at no additional cost.
– I have never created or plan to create an official video, can i still take advantage of this service?
Absolutely! Most of the content uploaded to Youtube is DIY (Do It Yourself) by fans and curators, meaning that even if it is not an actual “video” the system uses the audio/sound recording to monetize the upload. It will also scan for when your music is used as a prop, intro/outro or in the background. It does not limit it to full uploads, it can be clips/mashups/edits/remixes of it as well.
– Does Youtube pay per play or how do ads work?
It’s important to understand the difference between the CMS platform (Content ID) and Youtube Music Key upcoming service.
The CMS Platform allows Youtube/Google to place ads in videos, the way it works is pretty similar to how standard CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPM (Cost Per Thousand) procedures work. Ads are displayed in the video (intro/during/outro) and when someone clicks on it or it is displayed a thousand times you get a portion of that revenue generated. The ads are not manually picked, Google/Youtube uses advanced algorithm to best match your video/music to relevant advertisement, the ads are purchased by advertisers through AdSense and the pay per click or impressions vary accordingly.
The Youtube Music Key service will be a premium subscription model (think Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, RDIO), for a monthly fee users will be able to enjoy music ad-free and get access to exclusive content. Within this business model, you get paid for every play/stream of the song.
– I have a direct deal to monetize my own Youtube channel or I’m part of a Youtube network, will this affect that deal?
No, we can whitelist your own channel so you can continue monetizing your own channel’s content in the way you best see fit. However, if you wish to integrate everything in one place, we can also monetize your channel within our network.
Additionally, you can connect your Label Engine account to your Youtube account to automatically upload audio content. You can say goodbye to the tedious process of manual uploads!
– How much does the service cost?
We take a small fee of 15% of the net revenue. No additional costs.
– I already have a Premium Distribution or Distribution on Demand deal with Label Engine, what do i need to do?
Relax, kickback and enjoy a beer. Premium Distribution and Distribution on Demand users already enjoy the benefits of Youtube Distribution!
– I’m still a bit confused, can you sum it up for me?
Youtube distribution will provide you with the following services and tools:
* Content ID: Monetize your content across the entire Youtube platform.
* Youtube Music Key: Include your music in the long awaited Youtube premium streaming service.
* Youtube Sharing: Connect your Label Engine account to your Youtube account to automatically upload your music.
* Label Engine Connect: Create monetary incentives or have your music available for channels who use our service to upload it to their channel, the revenue is split between the two parties based on the deal agreed upon.
* The best customer support: No email goes unanswered, ever.
If you have any additional questions or wish to set up a chat/call feel free to drop us an email to support(at)label-engine.com
You can also follow us on twitter at @Label_Engine or facebook at facebook.com/labelengine