Recently, at YouTube’s Made On event, they announced three new features; countdowns for pre-sales, thank you videos and merchandise drops. All of which should help strengthen the relationship between music artist and fans.
YouTube Music plan to launch three new features, from now until early next year. These features should help artists connect on a deeper level with their fans. One of the three features will allow artists to begin a countdown ahead of their music being released.
This will help drive streams and boost the hype around the new music. It’s so important for music artists to be able to get people engaging with their music before it’s in stores. That’s the most important time to create the excitement.
Otherwise, they end up with their new music making a flop and being less successful, simply because their fans weren’t aware it was on its way. If an artist doesn’t get streams within the first week, their music simply won’t be pushed by stores.
With YouTube Music’s countdown feature, artists can display a timer on their album detail page, artist page and album shelf. Each day that passes, the timer will automatically adjust, allowing fans to build that momentum, ready for launch.
YouTube Music to adopt Spotify Wrapped videos
Another new feature being introduced early next year is YouTube Music artist videos. These will be in a similar style to those of Spotify Wrapped, where the artist is able to thank their fans for all their continued support.
The aim again is to reward fans by having something back for all their constant streaming and sharing of content. It’s important to let your fans feel seen, despite not being able to thank them one by one. Letting them see you say a little thanks, will go a long way.
It builds a personal relationship between fans and their favourite artists. This is just as important for the music creator as it is for those listening to their tracks. There is currently no set date for the launch of YouTube Music’s new features.
The last feature is currently being trialled in a pilot program for US listeners only. Artists will be able to launch exclusive merchandise drops, allowing their fans using YouTube Music an advantage over fans who stream music elsewhere.
However, Spotify has been hinting at a super fans feature, which may very likely offer a similar incentive to use their platform. If they add merch drops too, what will make YouTube Music stand out? It will be interesting to watch.
