FIRST: After much joy and suffering, my new track #SteamPoweredKnight is ready to ride! Check it out below:
SECOND: Uncle Youtube, you and I need to have a talk.
It’s a rare music producer who doesn’t get a significant amount of their learning from you these days. Some get almost ALL their learning from you.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s AWESOME that you’re here. I mean, learning from thousands of other producers, with nothing more than an internet connection? It’s technology at its finest, I tell ya.
But I’m trying to think of your needs too, YouTube. People only watch your music production videos if they are clear, concise, and easy to follow.
And sometimes… GOD, you’re terrible at that.
Okay, okay, calm down. What say I give some examples of what we’re all looking for – just some basic guidelines to give your videos the love they deserve, kay?
Good Audio Quality
Are you really going to make me explain this one? You have a bunch of music producers trying to hear all the fine details in the awesome sound you’re showing us how to make, but the background noise is so loud it’s killing the transients. You cannot compromise on this one.
Thankfully, I don’t see this too often, but infrequently is still way too frequent for something this critical.
Give a Before and After
It’s irksome to watch a video all the way through, only to find out I don’t even like the final product. On the other hand, if you start with a sample of the sound you’re going to make (and I like it), I’m hooked.
You might be praying for more views with the save-the-best-for-last ploy, but busy producers aren’t going to wait – they’ll just click to the end of the video to confirm it’s worth listening to… Or just find anther video that doesn’t make them work as hard.
Use the Bypass Button!
On a similar note, give us newer sound-makers a hand, and let us hear the changes each plugin adds to the mix – that means turning them on and off a few times. This helps us train our ears to actually spot and appreciate what you’re doing.
And for the love of Dog, if you do take the time to bypass the signal, don’t talk while you do it. I’ve never had a “rage-quit” moment with a YouTube video, but some of you have brought me close, I’m telling you.
Don’t Ramble!
Time is money, Uncle YouTube. You might be a great story teller. You might be able to regale a crowded hall with your music-making haps n’ mishaps.
In Internet Land however, we all have the attention span of a dog surrounded by squirrels. GET. TO. THE. POINT.
Don’t be A Plugin-Pusher
Regardless of whether you’re talking about Serum, Ozone Imager, or Kontakt, you’re probably getting a lot of viewers who don’t have the same gear as you (yo). Just saying “use this, it’s great!” without further explanation just makes us jealous.
Be kind to our greedy gremlins and talk about WHAT the gear is doing to the sound. I know it takes more time and research, but it helps us understand how we can create the same effect with our own gear – and maybe expand your understanding of the plugin as well.
Explain the Why
Sometimes YouTube, I think you assume we know your reasons for doing something, just because you do. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with using presets, but they just don’t inform as well as when you build something from scratch.
My favourite channels are made up of artists who let you hear how each adjustment brings that basic sine wave a little closer to that massively lush pad. And once we understand how it’s done, we can add our own variations. On that point:
Offer Variations
Encourage us, YouTube! Let us know you care by suggesting ways we could adjust what we hear to fit our own mixes.
So many times, the smallest adjustment to a right plugin, note arrangement, etc. can change the quality of a sound from dark to soulful, from powerful to nostalgic. Show us what’s possible, and you could double your audience.
Use the Zoom
There’s a lot of controls on your screen, and some of us are watching you through our smart phones! Make it easy for us to see what you’re doing by zooming in on the part of the DAW you’re working on, highlighting your mouse, downloading software to make your key presses visible, etc.
Include Chapters
I love this one, and less than 10% of the videos I watch use it. You can literally timestamp every section of your video, making it easier for others to skip ahead to the parts most relevant to them. Especially useful when opening with theory, which some producers may want to skip.
For a great example of this, check out this video by Venus Theory – and then subscribe to his channel, ’cause seriously, the dude’s a legend.
Be Mindful of Where Your Camera Box is Located
Okay, this isn’t a super-serious one, but annoying when it blocks details like plugin names – and a lot MORE annoying if it covers where more important controls. Don’t make us guess what’s going on behind the curtain, YouTube.
The security in this place could use a boost…
Well that’s enough ranting from me, so now it’s your turn! What do you like most in your YouTube production vids?
Credits:
‘Cheerful diverse women sitting at desk with microphones during interview’ by George Milton from Pexels
‘Close-up Photography of Smart Phone Icons’ by Pixabay from Pexels
‘Man Wearing Black-Framed Eyeglasses’ by Deepan Karthick from Pexels
‘Text’ by Markus Spiske from Pexels