How to Upload Your Music to YouTube

Guest post by Robert Calabrese

The internet is one of the most important tools a music producer can leverage to get their latest creation heard by as many people as possible. In this guide, we’ll go over how you can turn your latest musical masterpiece into a high-quality video. We’ll also cover how to then upload it to the world’s largest video sharing platform.

 

The YouTube Juggernaut

Before YouTube launched it was difficult to upload and share video content online. Since it’s inception and eventual purchase by Google it has become the single most popular video-sharing platform. This massive growth has also attracted more than just funny cat videos. The music industry has realized that YouTube is a powerful promotional tool.

 

Music content continues to grow on YouTube. Several major artists rank in the top 20 most subscribed channels on YouTube. These artists boast millions upon millions of subscribers. Many of them actually launched their music careers thanks to YouTube.

 

Justin Bieber was discovered by an accidental find by Scooter Braun and the rest is history. But he wasn’t the only artist to grow a following on YouTube before making it big. Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd also have the platform to thank for helping launch their careers.

 

As a new artist, there is no denying the power that comes with having access to such a popular platform. Best of all it isn’t that hard to quickly and easily upload your music. Let’s dive into the details so you can get your music live.

 

Convert Your Music To Video

YouTube doesn’t support uploading music like MP3 or WAV files. So the first step you’ll need to do is to convert your music into a video format. The quickest way to achieve this is to combine your music with some image files to serve as the background of your video.

 

You can use any video making software to achieve this. For Windows users, you can use the free Windows Movie Maker. For Apple users, you can use the free iMovie software that comes with the macOS. OpenShotis another popular open-source video editor that works across all platforms.

 

Once you have selected your video editing software you’ll need to select an image to serve as your background. Keep in mind that you’ll need to use an image you have created yourself or have acquired with an appropriate license. From there start a new project and select the appropriate tool that allows you to add video or images. Select your image and it will be added to your project.

 

Next, you’ll need to import your audio. Select the tool to add audio and then select the song you wish to add. You’ll now have both an image and your audio ready.

 

There is one extra crucial step. The image you added will be set to a default length which is usually much shorter than your audio content. You’ll need to adjust this length to match your audio.

For example, in Windows Movie Maker you’ll need to click on your audio file and copy the endpoint value. Then select your image and add this endpoint value to the duration.

 

You now have a basic video ready to be exported. At this stage, you can add text or any other basic effects if you wish.

 

Now all that remains is to save the file in one of the supported YouTube formats. You can find the details for these formats here. Depending on what software you are using it may already have built-in YouTube presets you can select.
If all the above sounds like a bit much you can save yourself a lot of time by using the Soundplate Music Visualizer service. This will give you an attractive ready to upload video in less than 24hrs. All you need to do is upload your music and image and they take care of the rest but more on that later.

Uploading to YouTube

Now that you have your video file ready it’s time to upload!

 

Firstly, you’ll need a YouTube account. You can sign in to YouTube with an existing Google account. If you don’t have an account or would like to create a brand new one for your music uploads you’ll need to follow the sign-up process. Go to https://www.youtube.com and select sign in from the top right-hand corner and follow the directions.
Once you have signed in to your account all you need to do is click on the camera icon in the top right-hand corner. From the dropdown select upload video and you’ll be prompted to create your channel.

 

Once your channel is created you’ll be able to use that same camera icon to be taken directly to the upload video page. Be sure to select Public so that your video will be visible. From here you can either drag and drop your video file or click the icon and browse your computer for the file. Once you have selected a file it will begin uploading. Keep in mind that YouTube will convert your audio to 126 kbps. So even if someone is listening to your music video on the best studio monitors or DJ headphones it won’t sound as good as your original recording.

 

While your video is getting uploaded you can begin adding further information. You can add the Title, video Description and any relevant Tags. You’ll also be able to select a thumbnail based on your video or upload a thumbnail image. It’s also worth checking the Advanced Settings to make sure that the category is set to Music.

 

Once your video has finished processing all that remains is to hit the publish button. Your video will now be live for anyone to see.

 

The Power Of Motion

You now know how to convert your music to video format and how to upload it to your channel. But what I have covered above is the bare minimum to get your content live. YouTube is a video sharing platform after all so people go to watch things and not just listen. To take your videos to the next level there are many things you can do to keep people engaged while they listen to your music.

 

An easy way is to use a service that adds extra effects to your static image. Soundplate offers a Music Visualizer service that will add a graphical moving element to your image. Not only does this make your video more appealing and professional it also bypasses the process of having to create the video file yourself.

 

Beyond that, you can shoot your own music video. We’ve all grown up on music videos so there is plenty of inspiration to draw from. Of course, this does take a lot more time and effort and a greater understanding of the video editing software you use.

 

Another popular strategy is to create a lyric video that displays the lyrics as the song progresses. This is a popular format for YouTube but can be time-intensive if you are not familiar with your video editing software.

 

Share!

No matter which option you end up choosing there is one final step once your video is live for the world to see and that is to share it!YouTube has over 500 hours of video content uploaded every minute and getting seen is an art form all on its own. The most important thing to do is to share your video with your friends, family and fans. Utilize your music smart links and social media accounts to spread the word. You never know, you might be the next big YouTube music success story!

 

Written By:
Robert Calabrese

 

I’ve loved electronic music since the age of 12. From listening to tapes on my walkman, buying CD’s and now in digital format. As the music evolved so has my experience and I’m passionate about sharing my journey with you.” –homedjstudio.com