If you are a band or singer and haven’t yet created a YouTube channel, now is the time to get started. With smartphone users set to hit 270 million by 2022 in the United States alone (it’s currently at approximately 230 million), and the number of YouTube videos being watched per day hitting around the 5 billion mark, it certainly pays to have a YouTube channel.

According to Nielsen Stats, online streaming of albums, songs, and on-demand audio streaming grew by 12.5% by the end of 2017. As album sales decline and smartphone technology improves year after year, that number is only going to increase.

Here’s how you can create a YouTube channel that will wow your audience and gets people watching your content on a regular basis:

Create an Intro Video for an Instant Connection

The personality of the artist needs to shine through almost as much as the music itself these days, especially when the market is so saturated. A good way to grab your audience and make an instant connection is to create an intro video.

This means that anyone who clicks onto your channel will be greeted with a short, concise video that can highlight your personality and your music. It can be anything from a direct-to-camera greeting to a recorded performance with edited interviews. Either way, it is likely to keep the viewer intrigued and checking out the rest of the page.

Optimize Your Descriptions for Google

The three biggest websites in the world are Google, YouTube, and Facebook, and Google owns YouTube, so to get your YouTube videos and the channel itself ranking highly in Google for the kind of music you’re creating, take the time to optimize the descriptions in your channel. It means writing an engaging bio for who you are and what you do, add links to your social media channels and your official website, and use tags to help get your videos in the feeds of your potential fanbase.

Get an Awesome Banner for Your Channel

First impressions are important, and YouTube fans can be a fickle bunch. If they don’t like what they see, they’ll click elsewhere. In order to wow your audience as soon as they arrive, you should have a striking YouTube banner at the top of your page.

You can create YouTube banners online in a matter of minutes using templates and cool typography, and by adding your band logo and the best photos you have, you can edit them into something quite special, and get those YouTube music fans staying tuned and watching your content as a result. You can also download and share your banner to use on your website and social media channels, and spread the word about your band that way.

Mix up Your Content

A collection of your music videos is great, but if you want to keep your fanbase coming back for more, and increase your chances of them subscribing to your channel, you should consider mixing up the content you add to your channel. You also need to post regularly so that they keep coming back. This could include:

  • Tour vlogs where you talk about your experiences on tour
  • Cover versions of songs you love and which are popular right now
  • Live performances captured at recent gigs
  • Interviews with band members backstage after gigs
  • Fun videos of the band or artist fooling around, doing things they love, traveling vlogs, and more.

There’s no end to the type of content you can add to your channel, just be creative and think about your channel from the perspective of your listeners. What would you want to see and hear from your favorite artist?