We all love a good bar basement show. But what if your new music is a little unorthodox for your local scene, or what if you’ve got fans scattered around the world in a way that makes touring impractical?
What once would have been a major obstacle for upcoming artists is now no big deal at all. There are ways to reap some of the benefits of in-person live performances from anywhere, and with added benefits that you don’t get onstage.
By performing live on YouTube, you not only get to offer your fans live experiences, but you can take advantage of audience interactivity, the ability to drop links in the chat, description, or onscreen, and of course, the powers of the almighty algorithm to reach new potential fans who can drop in mid-performance.
Read on to find out how artists can build their community by performing live on YouTube 🔥
1. Why Choose YouTube for Livestreams?
In an era where digital presence is paramount, livestreaming is a great tool for musicians seeking to expand their reach and solidify their fan base. But there are lots of platforms out there with streaming capabilities. They all have something to offer, and you can go live on multiple at the same time.
But YouTube in particular, with its global accessibility, existing reach, and video features, stands as a testament to how artists can transcend geographical limitations and connect with audiences worldwide, fostering a sense of community and shared experience that traditional venues might not offer.
| Read also: How to make your music known on Youtube
One key difference in the feel of a livestream vs an in-person event is the chat. A rapid-fire live chat simulates the cheering of audience members next to you (except when they’re typing instead of screaming into your ear, you can actually understand what they’re saying!).
The chat transforms a live video broadcast into an interactive experience. Artists can engage with their audience in real-time, creating a relationship that feels personal and inclusive.
Features like polls let artists take song requests, drop links, and more to turn passive watchers into active participants in the performance, strengthening the artist-fan connection.
Like some other live streaming platforms, YouTube automatically saves lives as videos you can publish or leave private. However, the difference is that people are already used to browsing videos on YouTube, whereas they may not be on other platforms, like Twitch.
YouTube is a robust platform that’s been built up over a long time. It has lots of video features, like support for high-definition video, ensuring that live performances are not just heard, but also seen in the best possible light.
Archiving your performances as videos means allowing new fans to discover past shows and providing a continuously growing content library that your audience can return to.
You want to promote your music with results? Try Groover 👇

2. Examples of Successful Approaches
Artists have leveraged YouTube Live in various creative ways, demonstrating the platform’s versatility and its potential to cater to diverse musical genres and audience preferences:
Drawing Crowds through Collaboration: Some artists like My Analog Journal, a channel that hosts DJs from around the world showing off their sets, have found success by collaborating, pooling their audiences and increasing visibility. The DJs that appear on My Analog Journal bring their audiences with them, and those audiences discover the other DJs on the channel. Together, they grow, and YouTube pushes their archived performances further, even to viewers that have never watched a DJ set before. This strategy can attract casual browsers and fans of collaborating artists, significantly broadening an artist’s reach.
Niche Spaces: YouTube Live proves particularly beneficial for artists in niche genres. Take Ill-Advised Records, for example. Specializing in dark, horror-inspired Lo-Fi Hip-Hop, this record label started producing long Dark Lo-Fi Lives that were archived on the channel. What they put out (much of it being from the artist Dated) is so unique that the viewers always come back to the same place when they want to hear these creepy tracks. It’s created a surprisingly loyal and involved community for a label (and where? You guessed it, the live chat!). The label even sells merch, like traditional physical editions of music, but also items laser-targeted at the type of person who listens to Dark Lo-Fi that samples classic Halloween cartoons and HP Lovecraft audiobooks: horror short story anthologies.
The takeaway? Thanks to the YouTube algorithm, artists in super niche genres that previously would have had trouble organizing live performances can find their audience, no matter their location. Artists can cultivate a dedicated fan base, engage with them intimately, and yes, monetize their art through merchandise sales, channel memberships, or exclusive content, beyond the traditional ad revenue.
Taking it Offline: Another fun example is Saxquatch. This saxophone cover artist one day decided to put on a Bigfoot suit and a pair of sunglasses and crank out a few tunes. Perhaps fueled by the pun, the look, the quality of his covers (not to be understated!), or a combination thereof, people began to share his weekly lives on YouTube. The momentum gained from YouTube live streaming ended up paying off big time for Saxquatch, who’s now performing in-person (or in-hominid, at least).
While some people do go to concerts for artists they’ve never heard of, you can’t deny it’s much easier to drop into an online livestream and see what’s popping, especially on a platform you may already be spending time on.
3. What are you waiting for?
YouTube Live is not just a medium for uploading your music videos; it’s a multifaceted platform that offers artists the tools to grow their audience, engage with fans in meaningful ways, and create a sustainable artistic presence.
Whether it’s through interactive live chats, the strategic use of archived content, or the seamless integration of online success into offline opportunities, YouTube Live holds the promise of being a significant strategic move for artists looking to broaden their horizons, connect with a global audience, and innovate in the ways they share their music and engage with fans.
In harnessing the power of YouTube Live, artists are not just broadcasting their performances; they’re building a community, one stream at a time.
| Read also: How to use Youtube shorts to promote your music
—
Get in touch with Youtube channels, send them your music 👇
