Mastering YouTube Premieres
Credit: YouTube
YouTube’s Premiere feature has been rising to popularity with artists, so today we’re going to help you familiarise yourself the practices that allow creators to make a moment out of their first public video share.
The Features
Live Redirect is Premiere’s live streaming feature, which allows hosts to connect with their audience before the premiere runs. There’s also Trailers, (15 second to 3 minute long clips to run ahead of the premiere), as well as customisable Countdown Themes and the Chat feature.
Before The Premiere
Ahead of their Premiere, you should think about your use of Trailers and Countdown Themes. By curating content for the premiere, artists and their teams can put themselves in the driver’s seat and create a pre-release period aesthetic that is consistent with their brand and helps build anticipation around the release.
To involve as many fans as possible, it’s really important to promote the Premiere adequately via social media. Let your audience know what to expect a week in advance - maybe in addition to the video, there’ll be a chance to ask the artist questions directly or a surprise guest appearance. The video should also be scheduled to go live at an optimal time. If you are unsure of when that is, you should check out the relevant YouTube analytics.
During The Premiere
To make a Premiere stand out, artists should be involved in the event, and they should consider what they can offer to fans during it. The Live Redirect feature has provided a great home for Q&A sessions and acoustic performances for artists. Offering access to exclusive content during a Premiere of course encourages fans to engage with the event, but it goes beyond that. One of the biggest selling points of premiering via Youtube is providing a shared experience for fan communities. It’s definitely worth putting in some extra work to enhance that experience for yourself and your fans.
During YouTube Premieres, viewers are able to use the platform's Chat feature to message each other and the video host too. So that a sense of connection can be maintained, even while the video goes live.
With our opportunities for widespread engagement more important than ever, YouTube’s Premiere provides an opportunity to supplement artist-to-audience connection. We’re excited to see how artists utilise this tool as it rises in popularity.
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