UPDATE: In order to be elligible for an OAC upgrade, you must be our digital distribution client for at least 6 months. During this time, your history with us should be spotless: no copyright claims against your content, good faith behaviour on our platform, no excessive support requests or communication.
You also must make sure that your channel contains three or more videos related to your music.
UPDATE: Do not contact Youtube directly if your channel is not part of the Youtube Partner Program (YPP). They will not take your requests into consideration. If you have issues with Art Tracks and Topics or if you want your artist's channel upgraded to an Official Artist Channel (OAC), please contact us according to the instructions below.
For an artist or small label, Youtube can be a bit obscure and chaotic. You upload your own content to your own channel(s) and sometimes, third parties use your content in their own uploads. Also, tracks you deliver through us will end up on Youtube as well.
Thus your content will spread out across multiple instances on Youtube, there is no single point of access to all of your content and it someties looks like monetization is not taking place everywhere it should.
Youtube Music: is a music streaming platform similar to Spotify, projected to become a large player in the field of DSPs.
Art Tracks: are your music tracks as being delivered by us to the Google Play Music store (as part of our overall digital distribution service), automatically synced with sister platform Youtube Music and made available on the wider Youtube VOD platform. They feature a still image of the artwork, instead of a video. An existing official music video for the same track, will automatically take the Art Track's place in the Topic, as long as it has been available (uploaded by you) on Youtube for five working days or longer.
Topics: are an aggregation "basket" for all of the Art Tracks by the artist and always has the artist's name followed by the localized version of the word "Topic". Topics are neither channels nor playlists, although they share similarities with both entities.
Are Art Tracks Monetized?
Yes. Art Tracks are an extension of the Youtube Music platform on the "normal" Youtube VOD platform and as such are monetized for each stream, either through ads or paid Premium user subscriptions.
Can I control my Art Tracks on my Topic?
No, since Art Tracks are not "your" content (even though it's your music), but Youtube Music's and Topics are not regular channels, you cannot manage and control them as you would your own uploads and channels.
What to do if there is something wrong with my Art Tracks or Topics?
Sometimes, your tracks can be placed on another artist's Topic, for instance if you have a similar or identical artist name. Or your track is placed on the Various Artists Topic, because you have multiple Recording Artist Contributors in your metadata. Or your Art Tracks aren't linked to your OAC (see below).
If this happens to you, please send an e-mail to
support@the-source.eu and describe your issue. Please include the ReportingCodes of the affected tracks, as well as links to the Topics and Art Tracks. Please note that any channel URLs should have the channel ID (a string of numbers and letters that start with "UC"), not the channel name.
An Official Artist Channel (OAC) can tie all of your music together.
Official Artist Channels on Youtube differ from regular channels in a number of key ways:
- Art Tracks, as delivered by us, will be automatically synced to your channel and become visible on it as your own releases.
- Your content will be automatically sorted by album/release.
- Playlists for your albums will be automatically generated.
- Your channel is officially verified as yours.
- You get a Music Note Badge next to your channel name.
- An official "About" tab/page, instead of a regular channel description
- Optional photo gallery on your About Page
- Organized video tab - Community Tab - Press Kit - Sell Tickets - No subscriber requirement
How to get your own Official Artist Channel?
1. The official requirements:
- At least three of your tracks have been deliverd by us to Youtube (as Art Tracks).
- The channel is owned operated by you (as label or artist) and represents only a single artist or band.
- The channel has the full artist/band name within it.
- The channel has at least three or more videos on it, related to you as an artist and your music. Make sure to upload at least a couple of official music videos on it that feature some of the same music as your Art Tracks. Also make sure there are links to your social media and your music on the DSPs in the About section of your channel, as well as a short description about yourself as an artist.
- There have been zero Youtube policy violations on/strikes and warnings against this channel.
- You must be our digital distribution client for at least 6 months. During this time, your history with us should be spotless: no copyright claims against your content, good faith behaviour on our platform, no excessive support requests or communication.
Click
here for more info on Youtube for Artists
2. Have an artist channel in the first place.
If you don't have a channel already, create one. Make sure that the channel has at least the artist's name in it. High viewing and subscriber numbers are not essential, but you must have at least three or more videos on it, related to you as an artist and your music. Make sure to upload at least a couple of official music videos on it that feature some of the same music as your Art Tracks. Also make sure there are links to your social media and your music on the DSPs in the About section of your channel, as well as a short description about yourself as an artist.
3. Apply for an upgrade to Official Artist Channel
- The request to upgrade the channel to an Official Artist Channel.
- Your own name.
- The email address (of the Google ID account) with which your channel is linked.
- The artist name (if different from your own).
- The label.
- The link (URL) to the existing artist channel. Make sure to include the Channel ID (a string of numbers and letters that start with "UC").
- The Topic / Topic URL (where your Art Tracks are aggregated). Make sure to include the Channel ID (a string of numbers and letters that start with "UC").
- URLs to three or more of the Art Tracks that we delivered; for example a selection of the most successful tracks.
Give it some time before expecting a response. Processing requests like these is a long process. Also, if Youtube approves your request, it will also take a long time for the OAC features to permeate throughout your channel.