Lots of musicians wonder whether YouTube would be good for their music business or provide them with any benefits. I wanted to write a brief post on why YouTube is good for musicians, especially in 2020 and going forward.
I actually recorded a brief video on my own channel of why I think every musician should have a YouTube channel in 2020. You can check it out below:
Let me talk you through some of the benefits of YouTube for musicians.
YouTube Can Help You Track Your Musical Progress
One of the biggest benefits of a YouTube channel for musicians is as a sort of journal. YouTube can help you keep track of the songs you’re learning and where you’re at with them. This way you don’t completely forget songs that you’ve invested time into already.
With a YouTube channel, you also get to see how your songs and playing have come along through the years. One song I uploaded on my own channel, “Old Home Place,” I recorded probably a year and a half ago now. It’s really interesting to look back and see how my style has changed, as well as my phrasing and my singing… Even though I’m not a great singer, so that has not that has not really improved that much! But that’s a great reason to start a youtube channel as a musician – to chronicle where you’re at and see your own evolution as a player.
YouTube is Motivating
YouTube can also be very motivating once you decide to start your channel. Day to day, just practicing without some way of tracking your progress can kind of feel like you’re just spinning your wheels so to speak.
It feels maybe like you’re just doing the same thing over and over again and not improving much. But it’s actually very likely that you are improving and you don’t even know it!
So that’s another valuable thing about having a channel. Seeing your own growth through through time can help motivate you to keep going, and evolve as a musician.
By the way, if you’re looking for more tips to stay motivated, I wrote a gigantic, helpful piece about 30 ways guitarists can stay motivated through the years. You can check it out here.
Alternatives to YouTube
If you play guitar or sing or are a musician or really a creative type of any kind, I would encourage you to create a public YouTube channel. But I understand some people may be too shy for this, and don’t want to share their practicing and performances publicly.
In this case, it’s more important to develop the mindset of somehow tracking your progress and committing to whichever form you choose to use.
Some nice alternatives to YouTube for musicians are:
- A physical, written journal of your progress
- Recording through the voice recorder app on your phone
- Recording videos but simply keeping them privately on your PC or phone
I hope this article was helpful! Now get out there and start recording!
And don’t forget to check out the Acoustic World YouTube Channel.