Promoting Your Music on YouTube: Tips for Ukulele Players
What do you call people who put up videos of their ukulele playing on YouTube?
Uku Tubers!
Yes, that is what the internet calls YouTubers who feature their ukulele music prominently in their vlogs and music videos. Many Uku Tubers are really, really good and have achieved fame by virtue of their YouTube videos. A lot of the ukulele artists you know today like Julia Nunes had their start in YouTube, showing their covers of popular songs. Many have managed to make it big in the music industry.
If you would also like to use YouTube as your ticket to stardom, you need to know a few things first. Making YouTube videos to promote your music online is a time-consuming task that requires a lot of effort. It also requires equipment such as a good camera and a mic plus video editing software. You don’t want your efforts wasted, so before recording anything, keep these things in mind.
Keep your camera stable
An unintentional wobbly video can make viewers dizzy, so you want to make sure your camera is as steady and stable as possible. Use a tripod, or if you don’t have one yet, just put it on a stable surface and make sure it’s firmly in place. If you use your phone for recording, consider getting a phone tripod with flexible legs so you can angle it in a good position.
Record videos in daylight
Daylight is your best friend when it comes to recording high-quality ukulele videos. If you don’t want to spend (or don’t have money to spend) on a professional lighting setup, then make sure to record during daylight hours. If you’re at home, choose a room where there’s plenty of light streaming through the window or doorway.
Mind your mic
It’s always a good idea to test out different mic positions when recording a ukulele music video. Sound quality can differ among different mics, so shop around to see which ones would work best with your setup. If you don’t have a separate mic and use your phone, make sure the mic isn’t covered by an object so the sound isn’t muffled. Experiment with proximity or how near or far your mic is from your uke to see which distance captures the best sound.
Recording your ukulele videos is just the start. Next you would have to edit them, which can take a few hours or a few days depending on what you’d like to show.
Once you’ve got your video ready for uploading, what’s next?
Make an official YouTube channel
An official channel on YouTube is your business card. Having one would make you a more legit ukulele artist and people would know you are serious about your music. Make sure your channel contains a profile photo, a professional-looking banner and links to your website (if any) and social media accounts.
Be consistent when uploading
Consistency is key when you’re uploading video content to YouTube. You want potential subscribers and fans to know that you’re an active ukulele artist. Try uploading a video a week, or do a video series discussing you favorite ukuleles, the best tenor ukulele in your collection, favorite songs to play or whatever content you come up with that is relevant to your music.
Be social
YouTube is also a social media platform you should use in that capacity. If you want to promote your music, checking out others’ music first is a way to achieving that. Network with other ukulele artists by commenting on their videos or sending them a private message. Engage with other YouTube users and invite them to check out your videos. Expand your network, collaborate with other artists and soon you’ll be able to expand your reach. Yay, more views!
Make it easy for others to find you
When you’re looking for something on YouTube, you would probably type something like “Blackbird ukulele cover” or “Blackbird ukulele chords.” Those words are important when you’re uploading your own videos. When you put keywords that are relevant to your content into your video titles and descriptions, you’re making your videos more search-friendly, allowing people to discover your content quicker and easier.
We hope those tips provided you with insights on how to create quality videos and promote your music on YouTube. Just remember to pay attention to video and content quality and to engage with your audience. Be patient and keep at it, and your hard work will pay off. Have fun Uku Tubing!
About the author:
Jennifer is a staff writer at Know Your Instrument and writes about musical instruments and all things music. She has been writing about guitars and playing the ukulele for over 4 years and playing both instruments for more than 10. When not writing or playing, Jen likes to check out new craft beer joints and socialize with friends.
