How To Monetize Videos With Music Through Streaming Services

Being able to monetize videos with music is just as crucial as getting your next single on music streaming services, if not more important. Music videos may not as popular as they used to be, but that’s all the more reason to go out and create something unique and eye-catching. There a number of platforms to put your content on but each one has it’s pros and cons. Sites offer different programs which can help you decide what platform might be best for you, and how to go about creating a music video.

Before you submit anything, there is one thing you need to be sure of. If you’re going to make money from music videos, every last bit of media, video, audio, brand, ect must be original or authorized for use. All of these services are going to vigorously check for this and can easily kick you off their site if there is the slightest scent of copyright infringement. Let’s check out the heaviest hitting music video based streaming services.

Youtube:

An obvious choice. Youtube has the largest audience with over a seventh of the world’s population visiting the site every month, 30 million users per day and offers monetization with no cost to you. Here you used to have an achievable chance to monetize videos with music with even the most inexperienced user, but Youtube recently adjusted the requirements for video monetization. To be reviewed, all channels need at least 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. Once this threshold is reached, content will be automatically reviewed for monetization eligibility.

Those might not be numbers you’re going to be happy with and the following figures might not sit well either. In an interview with Fortune Magazine, Mathias Bärtl, a professor at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, estimated that the payout for ad revenue can be as low as $0.36 per 1,000 views. That’s the absolute lowest amount of money one can make from Youtube music video monetization so there is room to grow but it is going to take time and effort. At the very least, you’ll break even from production costs. Still, it’s all the more reason to take time to get quality content up there. Making music your career is going to be a combined effort and hopefully after the video is uploaded, some funds and popularity will accumulate with little to no maintenance.

Side note – If reaching that threshold of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours just isn’t working out, your next step should be reaching out to established music based channels to sponsor your music. It’s free to do and worth the time to try.

There are two other major players in the music video streaming industry but they require a distribution company and a fine tooth comb of your own to make sure the content you put out there is at the highest quality and production value possible. Companies like Tidal and Vevo have a reputation to uphold and need to have a considerable amount of quality content if the way to compare to Youtube. That might be a deterrent to some but aside from production, is relatively inexpensive to get your content up there and requires little to maintenance to keep it there. Below is a brief outline of what each of these companies has to offer.

TIDAL:

Founded by Jay-Z with the intention of giving the highest amount of royalties to the artists, a statement confirmed in an interview with TheFader.com. Jay-Z says that this is a platform designed not to rival other platforms but to re-imagine the playing field and give artists the credit they deserve. With an alleged 3 million users, your content will be reaching a passionate and vast audience. It’s hard to say if it’s worth putting content up there with the rumors spreading of it’s inevitable demise, according to Engadget.com. However, when dealing with distribution companies, it can be hard to pick and choose platforms when they’re usually laced in a distribution package. To get music videos on Tidal, you’ll need to work with Tidal approved distribution companies like Symphonic Distribution, Indigoboom, Record Union, DistroKid or Tunecore.

Tidal also offers some benefits for members of the Tidal Rising program. “TIDAL can provide funding and help connect artists with great and established music video directors so that newer artists can create incredible and professional music videos.”

In order to turn monetize videos with music, it’s going to take several hundred thousand monthly listens. The average payout is .007 cents per stream or view, a number which can vary depending on if you are signed to a label. That can also vary depending on the distribution company you pick. Sites that work with Vevo like, Symphonic Distribution ,claim to payout 70% in royalties. This will change from company to company but the royalty payout to monthly/ yearly fee usually even out the cost so choosing which company to work with boils down to which streaming platform they provide to.

Vevo:

It’s a bit of an understated site with loads of potential. Vevo is partnered with Youtube giving it a fan base larger sized right in between Tidal and Youtube. This means Vevo videos can be found through Youtube.com. They boast over 21.4 billion monthly views, 25 million daily users and a more broad genre of videos, compared to Tidals tighter focus on rap. It’s also free for users, has loads of content but like Tidal, requires you use a distribution company. Royalty payout will be the same no matter what platform your video is released on, it all comes to down to the distribution company. As of now, not many companies work closely with Vevo. The biggest contributor seems to be Symphonic Distribution.

Making the music video

To monetize videos with music, you’re going to need to make something that is unique and you better be sure that it’s appealing within the first 10-20 seconds, because stats show that people lose interest fairly quickly. There are videos out there that are simple, effective and seemingly inexpensive. Look at Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers’ newest video, “Peach Scones.” He’s been around for sometime but recently exploded on Facebook. It was a one take in his backyard but people responded well to it. The music itself is at least 80% of the reason for its popularity but it still goes to show that music videos are prevalent today. Look at what Migos just did with his “Walk It, Talk It” video. The set was probably crazy expensive, the actors too but it’s a one scene video. His hook was the throw back to the 70’s while keeping his contemporary rap style. People love nostalgia and a bit of comedy these days so it’s no wonder it worked. Another example – Drake’s “God’s Plan.” Yes, a studio gave him close to 1 million to make a video and the hook was that he gave it all away but the content itself wasn’t artistic or extravagant. It was new approach that hasn’t been popularized so it stands out. It’s what fit the music and his personality. That’s what will make the video hook.

Music videos might not be as popular like the were in MTV’s heyday but people are more likely to watch a video that stare off into space while trying out a new song on Spotify or iTunes. Point is, the video doesn’t need to be abstract, extravagant or avant garde to be a hit. It just needs to be original.