EMASWATI CAN MAKE OVER E30K THROUGH YOUTUBE

MBABANE – YouTube is arguably the leading video streaming platform in the world today.

Through it, local artists can benefit from their work uploaded on this site and other music streaming platforms. This revelation came about after the Lutfo Dlamini, foundation (LDF), signed a distribution deal with a United Kingdom (UK)-based distributor for the digital distribution of music and films for local artists. The deal has been signed with Lex Records, which is a British record and production label based in Camden, London, England. It was highlighted that Lex Records will pay LDF Records, when there are downloads every three or six months, depending on how much traffic each song gets.

LDF will then pay each artist’s dues directly into their bank accounts. Digitally, the artist’s music will be circulating globally. With a reach of two billion users every month, YouTube is one of the prime avenues for music promotion and has been the starting point for many success stories. Not only is it great for promotion, but it can also provide a steady source of income for artists. Whether you are a multi-platinum-selling artist or have a few releases to your name, it is possible to generate a revenue stream through YouTube.

How to make money on YouTube music

YouTube has a programme called YouTube’s Partner that allows creators to monetise the content on their channels by mainly showing ads to generate revenue. The programme also comes with some additional features to help YouTube channel owners make money. But for artists, YouTube Music is the best platform. YouTube Music is a music streaming service, where listeners can stream songs and albums from their favourite artists and listen to entire catalogues of their work. Google Play Music is being phased out, and YouTube Music is set to replace it. It works pretty much the same way as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and other music streaming services.

The great thing about having your songs on YouTube Music is that you are paid a certain amount for every stream your music generates. You do not have to be in the YouTube    Partner Programme or meet the minimum of 1 000 subscribers and 4 000 watch hours to start earning from YouTube Music. This publication looked at the monthly and yearly earnings for some of Eswatini’s local artists who are available on YouTube, such as Manana and Young Zesh. Through an independent online application that calculates an artist’s weekly, monthly, and yearly earnings, it was tallied through the number of streams. Manana, a local recording artist and producer based in South Africa (SA), can make up to E30 000 a year from just his music views. This is open to all artists who have their music videos uploaded on the site, and the more views you accumulate, the more money you can make.

This then brought to the fore the ways in which locals can earn money from their music being streamed. Firstly, it is worth noting that the recorded music industry is not what it used to be.
The release of iTunes in 2003, followed by the later release of Spotify in 2006, forever changed the way people consumed music. Approximately 286 million people use Spotify to consume music, with roughly 130 million of those listeners being paid subscribers. That’s an incredible amount of people, and I’m not even mentioning other music streaming services yet! Despite the incredible numbers of music fans taking to music streaming services, there’s still one big issue that has lurked over the streaming world: Music royalties. But first, let’s have a look at the types of streaming platforms.

Types of streaming services

There are two types of steaming services: On-demand and non-interactive. On-demand services include platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. They are placed in this category because their music is ‘on demand’. Listeners can hear any song whenever they see fit. Non-interactive streaming platforms include services such as Pandora and internet radio websites. These platforms function much like a radio, playing songs to listeners at random without the ability to select specific tracks. As you can expect, music royalties are much higher for on-demand services compared to non-interactive platforms.

What are streaming royalties?

Streaming royalties are the fees paid to rights holders (artists, record labels, songwriters, and publishers) every time a song is played on music streaming services such as Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. These fees are a vital source of income for songwriters and artists. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Let’s start right at the beginning with some music publishing basics. When a song is written, its writer holds the copyright to that song. That song can then either be recorded and performed by the writer or given to another artist or band for them to record and perform. No matter the outcome, the songwriter always holds the publishing rights, while the recording artist will hold the master rights. If the songwriter or artist gets signed to a publisher or  record label, these might also be considered rights holders. Once the song is recorded and uploaded to streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, fans are able to stream and listen to it at their own leisure. The songwriter is then paid a fee via collecting societies such as a Performance Rights Organisation (PRO) and a Mechanical Rights Organisation (MRO). Instead, the recording artist is paid via a record label or distributor.

How much do you earn from streaming?

How much does Spotify pay per stream? The amount paid to the rights holders often depends on a few factors:
The streaming platform:
1. The type of streaming platform (On-demand or Non-interactive)
2. How much of the song was streamed? (The royalty is less if only half the song is played.)
3. The type of account the fan uses (Free or Premium)
4. The ‘pay-per-stream’ rates per country.

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