Lots of musicians put videos of their songs or tunes up on youtube. It's a bit like buskers in the high street. I suggest a little hat icon underneath the video you can click on and it throws 10p into the hat. Youtube could cut a deal with PayPal to do it all with minimal transaction fees.-- pocmloc, Sep 19 2013 Flattr http://flattr.com/Micropayments to content producers [ytk, Sep 20 2013] Youtube partner program https://www.youtube...eator-benefits.htmlFYI [MaxwellBuchanan] - how to monetize your youtube experience. [tatterdemalion, Sep 21 2013] The 25 Highest Earning Youtube Stars http://www.celebrit...ning-youtube-stars/ [tatterdemalion, Sep 22 2013] How Much Money Do YouTube Stars Make? http://socialtimes....infographic_b128421 [tatterdemalion, Sep 22 2013] Youtube will pay them directly if they get enough views.-- tatterdemalion, Sep 19 2013 Say that again? Youtube pays posters if their video is watched enough? How much? How many?
But I prefer the idea of a virtual busker's hat. In fact I think it's excellent.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 19 2013 It's not a bad idea, but it'll never happen. The problem is that once you get actual cash involved, you suddenly are faced with complex licensing issues and whatnot. Right now if you use copyrighted material in your video without permission and the copyright owner complains, YouTube will simply take it down, reprimand you, and possibly ban you for repeat violations. But if the copyright owner discovers somebody has been making money with the copyrighted material, that's a lawsuit right there. And consider who's easier to sue—some guy making a coupla bucks by posting a video of his cat “dancing” to ABBA, or YouTube?-- ytk, Sep 19 2013 Yes if you click to "monetise" your films, Youtube plasters them with adverts and gives you some of the revenue.
Obviously this idea here is only for actual musicians who post films of themselves performing.-- pocmloc, Sep 20 2013 Seems like this doesn't really need to be tied into YouTube. You could simply post a link in your video description that allows viewers to contribute a tip. What you need is some easy way of getting users to sign up for an account, put money in the account, and transfer it without hassle and huge expense.
So really, it's just a specific application of a more generalized problem—how do you successfully implement a micropayment system? This problem is, unfortunately, thornier than it might seem. It's been considered for over a decade, but so far no really great solution has been implemented.
This idea could be summed up as “YouTube micropayment tips”. This already exists, and there are a few solutions out there. Link provided to an example.-- ytk, Sep 20 2013 It's really about monetizing content. If everything was fair, everyone on social media would have an account that the big social media sites pay into for the content they provide. For instance, everyone with a facebook page should receive a nominal one dollar per month from that company for uploading their social lives. Of course that would empty facebooks coffers by a billion dollars per month, so that's out of the question. But nobody said the currency has to be on par with the american dollar. Even if it was a thousandth of a dollar, a million viewers throwing one each would still be a thousand big ones.-- rcarty, Sep 20 2013 [MaxwellBuchanan] observe link, Google/Youtube has a partner program in which they place ads in high-profile videos, and as the content creator you get a piece of the action. You can join voluntarily but you don't have to, if you have a viral hit video they'll contact and ask you into the program. There are many people using this as a sole source of income - I've heard of someone who posts gaming videos who is able to support a business.
You need lots of views and channel subscribers but it can be done. A common number I've seen bandied is about $1000 US per million views but this is affected by how quickly views accumulate, subscribers, thumbs-up, other popular videos, whether they watch to the end, etc.-- tatterdemalion, Sep 21 2013 [+] "Internet busking" sounds like a cool idea, and [meh] the existing YouTube "monetization" program which does not allow an individual to "tip" a performer and is unrelated.
But as far as rights go, there's the same issues. I assume that, in the case of the "monetized"(ie: "with advertisements") YT channels, YT does a crude pre-screening of content ?-- FlyingToaster, Sep 21 2013 Someone with the necessary skills should set this up.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 21 2013 It would be fairly straightforward for said busker to embed her/his youtube videos on her/his website with a Paypal "Donate" button placed next to it. This is as close as possible I think.
Youtube is not going to allow this for aforementioned reasons (and why I mentioned/why it's related).-- tatterdemalion, Sep 21 2013 When you put up a video on YT, and then embed it on your website, still the majority of views are direct on the YT page. Your suggestion is like busking in your front room with the hat at the front door.-- pocmloc, Sep 22 2013 Advertising revenue is an extremely inefficient way of getting money from YouTube. My notorious "Other Channel" has getting on for a million views now and I've never seen a penny from the advertising on it. There are many better ways to get money from videos than "monetising". I still think people should monetise their videos so that YT gets money, but - well, I've made a video about it. Forget advertising as a source of income - it never happens.-- nineteenthly, Sep 22 2013 // When you put up a video on YT, and then embed it on your website, still the majority of views are direct on the YT page. //
First, on what are you basing this? Second, I suggested it as a possibility of accomplishing the idea, where none exists otherwise. Certainly it happens that people subscribe and then see the videos primarily direct from youtube but I want to know where you're getting "still the majority".
For those that subscribe it's trivial to include an annotated link your video pointing people back to your website.
[nineteenthly] and others, with respect, if you produce videos that people actually want to see, income can be made. More links. The kid who got his figure bit by Charlie got upwards of a quarter of a million dollars.-- tatterdemalion, Sep 22 2013 [tats] before they changed their style, Youtube used to report on each video the source or location it was viewed in.
Also this is not about "stars". Neither is it about cats. This is about ordinary performers, the kind who might busk on the street, but who now post videos online.-- pocmloc, Sep 22 2013 I like this idea. +-- blissmiss, Sep 22 2013 Oh believe me, people want to watch videos on that channel because they think with their gonads and YT doesn't realise what they are. The main channel is unpopular and I know it. I've sold loads of stuff through the other one.-- nineteenthly, Sep 23 2013 [+]-- pashute, Jun 09 2015 random, halfbakery