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YouTube algorithm is cruel

DamirDart

DamirDart

Nov 4, 2022
96
316
Munich, Germany
www.blacksnappers.com
#1
I just wanted to share my learnings in trying to promote original music on YouTube. My band „black snappers“ just released a few live tracks from a concert here in Germany. While we received great feedback from the crowd and from early listeners on YouTube, we are repeatedly experiencing this on YouTube:

1735260420482.png


Each of our “Shorts” received 10-20 likes while the count of views was around 500 and while the algorithm was pushing it. However, after 500 views the algorithm becomes cruel and just drops you like a hot potato. The videos just apparently don’t appear in feeds any more. I am wandering what needs to happen to break through this bareer. Did you guys have similar experiences and did you deal with the issue of the bareer?

Below is the link to our video for the song called “Into The Void”. We came up with this simple groove on drum and bass which is a joy to play. And our guitarist delivers the rest…

Likes and subscriptions are greatly appreciated. Cheers from Munich!

Into The Void by black snappers on YouTube
 
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#2
DamirDart said:
I just wanted to share my learnings in trying to promote original music on YouTube. My band „black snappers“ just released a few live tracks from a concert here in Germany. While we received great feedback from the crowd and from early listeners on YouTube, we are repeatedly experiencing this on YouTube:

View attachment 7108850

Each of our “Shorts” received 10-20 likes while the count of views was around 500 and while the algorithm was pushing it. However, after 500 views the algorithm becomes cruel and just drops you like a hot potato. The videos just apparently don’t appear in feeds any more. I am wandering what needs to happen to break through this bareer.

Below is the link to our video for the song called “Into The Void”. We came up with this simple groove on drum and bass which is a joy to play. And our guitarist delivers the rest…

Likes and subscriptions are greatly appreciated. Cheers from Munich!

Into The Void by black snappers on YouTube
Click to expand...
And here is the link to the YouTube Short:
Into The Void Short
 
#3
Consistent weekly, fresh content will help stretch the algorythm, then it's up to you to stand out in a sea of content to get likes and subscibers.

I'd recommend working on connecting. Your video shows an intro, then 2 words of an opening lyric with no face shot of the singer, then done, over. What's there for viewers to connect with in a world were 90% of people relate to the singer and the words?

Even if they're nonsense words or in an unfamiliar language, that's the guy that most are going to connect with.

Then scroll in a like or subscribe reminder at the very beginning. ASK people to help support. If you don't, they won't.
 
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#6
I get that it’s frustrating, but the reality is that there’s just so much stuff being upload every second to youtube, spotify, etc. that it’s impossible to give each creator the exposure they want.

Honestly, 500 views for a band with only 29 subscribers is more than I expected. I guess that gives youtube’s algorithm enough data to decide if it’s profitable for YouTube to push the video more.

I don’t want to be negative, but you have to be realistic in your expectations. Less than 5% of people clicked ‘like’ on your video. Is it really unfair of youtube to conclude that the video doesn’t have much potential to go viral, even just a little bit?

To be clear, this is not specifically about your band. I like that song you linked to, and I’d probably go and see your band if you were playing near me. But every single band has this problem. Youtube is not in the business of giving bands exposure, it’s in the business of keeping eyes glued to screens. Live videos of unknown bands are not great for that, unless there’s something crazy or particularly impressive going on stage.

I guess your options are either to make videos for your music with viral potential, or rely on other methods than youtube for promotion. You could also help the algorithm a bit by asking your audiences to follow you on youtube. Maybe put up a couple of QR codes. But I wouldn’t expect too much of it.

Again, I’m not trying to be negative here, just realistic. I wish just being a good band would be enough, but it just isn’t. Promotion is hard work, and algorithms won’t do it for you. But if you’re good at it, the work will pay off.
 
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#7
If you want to get views on your videos, you need to be posting ever single week, preferably multiple times a week, otherwise your videos just won't be put in front of people for them to even click on.


They expect you to add more content every single week/few days otherwise your content doesn't get suggested or shown to anyone. The more new content you publish, the more of your older content will still get suggested... to an extent. Doesn't matter that you got 500 views. That's practically zero to their algorithm. And it's not just looking at number of plays. It's looking at how many clicks it got vs how many impressions (how many people saw the thumbnail to the video vs how many actually clicked.) It's deciding who to show the thumbnail to based on who clicked on the video AND how much content you create on a regular basis.

Love him or hate him, Glenn Fricker had a great take on it comparing the Algorithm to the Mafia. It wants to be paid in more content without regard to anything else, and if you can't provide the algorithm/mafia more content, $&#@ you. (from 0:30 in the video)


The thumbnail and title are huge too. If you don't have a thumbnail pic that looks a certain way, or a title written a certain way, people won't click on it. And i suspect AI is looking at the pic and title and deciding on what to show/not show because it already knows what people will or won't click on.
 
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#8
Don’t forget why you’re making the videos in the first place. Enjoy making music, have fun with your band! Upload content that you/the band genuinely wants to do and don’t discount it based on the number of views you do or don’t get.

The pressure to rate yourselves based on the analytics is a real thing. Give it time and, as others have said, have a regular upload schedule.
 
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#9
You’re complaining about 500+ views on a video? Unless you’re a known artist, doing something viral, or pumping out videos for whatever the YouTube algorithm is favoring at a particular time, you’re going to have to temper your expectations.

As others have said, YouTube is completely saturated with content now. Consistent content is a must. I’ve been posting at least a video a week for the last 4 years and it’s the only thing that makes a difference for organic growth. Everyone wants more views, likes and subscribers but I’ve found little correlation between all of them. I have videos that have tens of thousands of views. I even have one that’s about 150,000 views but that in and of itself hasn’t resulted in many more subscribers. And lots of my videos still get less than 100 views, but for me it’s worth it.

You really have to decide what your goal is. For me, the type of music I do has very little opportunities for live music these days, so I use YouTube as a live alternative in a sense. That’s not to say it’s never frustrating. I certainly would have more success if I just stuck with one instrument. And don’t neglect YouTube analytics; you can definitely get some info on what works and what doesn’t to grow your channel.

Good luck!
 
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#11
FWIW: Lots of current discourse about YT upgrading to AI algorithms for video promotion recently. Long story short, they say now is the time to start a channel, as the system now boosts new material more aggressively. New = interest = activity/excitement = money generated. The argument goes, you start one now as you'll gain lots of traction, even as a newbie, due to this new system punching up the freshest submissions.

Reality: Looks like you're finding out. Sure, we can talk all kinds of subtleties here, but look at that line.
You started, got pushed, leveled off, and will be pushed no further.
More content offered = more content required.
Constantly.
 
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#16
somatose said:
Don’t forget why you’re making the videos in the first place. Enjoy making music, have fun with your band! Upload content that you/the band genuinely wants to do and don’t discount it based on the number of views you do or don’t get.

The pressure to rate yourselves based on the analytics is a real thing. Give it time and, as others have said, have a regular upload schedule.
Click to expand...
Totally agree. What I would really wish from our little experiments on YouTube is to get a gig or two some time. This is I guess getting increasingly difficult everywhere, right? But, as you say we are enjoying our music as it is, even when just playing it in our rehearsal room.
 
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#17
DamirDart said:
To try out the suggestions and ideas I uploaded this video today:

Another try with a new song with slapping the bass.

Now it contains a bit of singing, and reminds people to like and subscribe. Let’s see what happens. For what I know the 3 new subscribers came from this thread, not from the videos. Thank you for that ❤️
Click to expand...

I'd recommend you further cut that intro down - 5 seconds max. WE like bass stuff - Most don't have that kind of focus.

Then keep the content churning.
 
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