YouTube Series #2: Official Artist Channel (OAC)

When a label signs with IDOL, the teams develop their know-how to maximize the visibility of their content on the streaming platforms. And on YouTube, the video experts monitor the channels to expand the audience and optimize revenue.

In order to be as close as possible to the label’s needs, an audit of its channel(s) is first undertaken, then, through working meetings, the teams submit tailored recommendations. To reinforce the autonomy and the efficiency of the labels on the platform, IDOL also has a dedicated blog reserved for distributed labels, with examples of good practices, tutorials, and information on new functionalities.

All these tools and information help labels make the most of YouTube’s resources. IDOL’s video experts share below two of their recent successes: Tryo and Comptines d’Afrique.

Caption: Tania Le Saché (ARB Music) with the IDOL video team for the presentation of her Gold certification badge for her YouTube channel Comptines d’Afrique

Since 2019, IDOL has been working with Salut O, the production company created by the band Tryo. An update has been done on their back catalog on their YouTube channel using simple but effective optimization techniques.. All videos were reviewed – title, description, tags and thumbnails – to optimize their organic referencing.

A content strategy was then developed around different video formats. This diversity in publications allowed the group to maintain regular activity, which contributed to audience growth , and at the same time, generating additional revenues.

A lot of work was done around the album XXV, released in January 2020 and already gold certified. This album was celebrating the group’s 25th anniversary through features with well-known French artists such as Véronique Sanson, Vianney or Ibrahim Maalouf. Each track had its own lyric video, with the most popular reaching 1 million views!

At the same time, Tryo published commentary videos, in which the members look back on their career discussing memorable pictures. And as the compositions of the band are particularly suitable, there are also karaoke videos for the most famous songs.

And the work continues. At the end of April 2021, Tryo released the first single announcing their next album. Since then, the group has published several episodes of a behind-the-scenes making of the video, but also a video of the main singles subtitled in sign language, an original idea that underlines their social and political commitment. Each satellite video has a call-to-action that links to the official video, to maximize its visibility. This technique allowed the company to reach 400,000 views in a few months.

All this work on their YouTube channel builds up to the release of Tryo’s seventh studio album, Chants de Bataille, last September 10.

This content strategy on Official Artist Channels can also be adapted for a label. For example, the Comptines d’Afrique channel passed the million subscriber mark receiving Gold certification!

In 2017, when IDOL signed with ARB Music, the label, which specialises in nursery rhymes, dances and stories from around the world for children, only had audio content. The video team developed an action plan to guide Tania Le Saché, at the label’s helm, in making animated videos and optimizing their SEO on YouTube. This long-term work has enabled the channel to reach one million subscribers in just 4 years.

This Gold certification crowns the efforts of a Parisian label, which has been committed to children’s education and sustainable development for 20 years.

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