Many stories have circulated the Internet on how this person or that person has made money by simply putting up a video on YouTube, getting many views, and in turn receiving a good amount of money from advertising placements. The most recent example of this would be PSY raking in about $8 million of ad revenue from YouTube, for pretending to ride a horse to an infectious rhythm. But let’s face it, we’re not all destined to be a Korean pop star, but it doesn’t mean we can’t pave the way to make a bit of our own cash through YouTube.
YouTube Indonesia opened up their Partner Program a few months ago, to accommodate original video creators looking to monetize their content on YouTube rather than just simply posting stuff for the hell of it (which you still can, of course, but make sure you’re sober).
Of course there are limitations to what videos are applicable for monetization, things like, you know, don’t use other people’s stuff. Now, since making videos has never been cheaper and easier, it would be pretty easy for somebody to start a channel and try to make a buck. And you can start simple, just by having one qualifying video and a Google AdSense account.
On the other hand, if you have a large amount of videos already live and even reposted or redistributed by other people (with or without your permission), you can try working with one of the aggregators appointed by YouTube to handle this.
The difference is, these aggregators can use a different content management system that also enables identifying, tagging, or flagging any video deemed violating the aggregator’s clients’ copyrights, or just simply tagging it for monetization so that the aggregator and the client will receive a share of the ad revenue of ads showing on that particular video, even though they did not upload it.
Of course, this would only apply to videos that are belonging to the client and distributed by the aggregator. The aggregator also takes care of AdSense by managing and collecting revenue on your behalf so you can concentrate on your video production, without having to manage AdSense.
Most of the music labels have aggregator accounts now and it can be an added perk (depending on how you see it) if you are thinking of signing with one of the music labels. But there are also aggregators like Ninelives who connect with bands, smaller labels, video content producers and so on that help can help you manage your YouTube videos and make sure they are properly monetized.
The fragmentation of the music market – especially ways to make money from music – has caused musicians needing to support their art through a growing number of channels. Instead of waiting for the big thing to happen – that record deal or that CD distribution through a fast food chain for example – channels like YouTube offer something you can build now and perhaps receive a small amount of money. Try it out! As they say, the lesson learned is often more valuable than the money earned.
Ario is a co-founder of Ohd.io, an Indonesian music streaming service. He worked in the digital music industry in Indonesia from 2003 to 2010, and recently worked in the movie and TV industry in Vietnam. Keep up with him on Twitter at @barijoe or his blog at http://barijoe.wordpress.com.
