YouTube US Electronic Music Content Opportunity Analysis™ 2019-2022

Content Opportunity Methodology

1. Measure & Categorize. Analyze the Top 150 videos from the 10 creators to find content buckets that are significantly outperforming the average. Videos that were used as advertisements or heavy product focused videos were omitted from the dataset.
2. ‍Identify Top Themes. Identify the themes that are resonating most with the audience by sorting the themes by their aggregated performance metrics.
3. ‍Identify Low Performing Themes. Identify content themes that are performing under benchmarks.
4. ‍Repeat For Each Platform. Repeat the analysis for every platform that matters to your brand and audience to find platform-specific opportunities.
5. ‍Measure & Categorize. Analyze the Top 150 videos from the 10 creators to find content buckets that are significantly outperforming the average. Videos that were used as advertisements or heavy product focused videos were omitted from the dataset.

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YouTube Content Bucket Definitions

• MIDI Jams:  Musicians playing melodies on a MIDI that lights up in sync with the song.
• Sets in Stunning Locations: High production videos of artists playing sets in outrageously stunning or unique locations.  
• 10 Things: A series by GQ that invites artists to share 10 things they can’t live without.
• Meaning Behind the Music: Artists break down the meaning and stories behind their songs, albums, lyrics and work. 
• Production Challenge: Creators challenge themselves to create songs using different types of instruments, plugins or bpm.
• How It’s Made: Creators educate viewers about how different types of tracks are made.
• At-Home Set: Artists streaming lo-fi sets from the comfort of their own home.
• How to Sound Like: Videos breaking down how artist produce specific sounds, melodies or songs.
• Live Set: Full set performances from one artist or group, including those from festivals (virtual and irl) and at clubs.
• Festival Stream:  Full-day live stream of various electronic festivals, including those hosted IRL and virtually.
• Answering Tweets: Videos of artists answering questions that fans asked over Twitter.
• Day in the Life: Videos take the audience along for a typical day in the life of various artists.
• Reactions:  Videos of creators “first listen” to electronic songs or albums their initial reactions and thoughts.
• Conversation Games: Artists participating in conversation/party games such as would you rather, spin the wheel and overrated vs underrated. 

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MIDI Jams was an extreme performing content opportunity, averaging 3X the views & engagement rate on YouTube.

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Excellent performing content opportunities for the US electronic music audience on YouTube include:

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Good performing content opportunities for the US electronic music audience on YouTube include:

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Substandard performing content opportunities for the US electronic music audience on YouTube include:

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Low performing content opportunities for the US electronic music audience on YouTube include:

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Extreme Performing Segment:

MIDI Jams

YouTuber and musician, Composerily, shared a series of impressive videos of him playing a MIDI Fighter 64 which generated an average of 2M views per video. In the video on the left, Composerily plays classical music on the MIDI by mapping out the notes across the buttons like a piano. On the right, Composerily plays a sample of his song Farewell and includes a link to the full version in the video's description.

Tactics to Implement:

• Clickbait-y Titles: In the top-performing videos, Composerily uses humerous/clickbait-y statements in their titles such as “When You Can’t Afford a Piano” or “When Nobody Watches Your Videos Anymore” to capture the viewer's attention.

Content Opportunities:

• Skills Over Frills: Electronic music uploads grew by +77% between 2020 and 2021 on social —meaning that the electronic space on social is more crowded than ever. Artists and brands should not overlook the importance of sharing high-quality content, developing and honing their skills, and sharing content that adds value if they want to cut through the clutter.

2.8M  Views

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2.5M  Views

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Content Opportunities:

1. 10 Things

10 Things is a series by GQ that invites artists to share 10 things they can’t live without. Videos featured Marshmello, Diplo, DJ Snake and Alok. 

Tactics to Implement:

• Video Length: While the popularity of Marshmello and Diplo in the US may be the main reason their videos generated significantly more views than those of DJ Snake and Alok, a noticeable difference between the videos is that the former are much shorter than the latter two. The lengths of Marshmello and Diplo’s videos were between 9-10 minutes long, while DJ Snake and Alok’s were 6-7 minutes long.

Content Opportunities:

• Beyond the White Helmet:  Unlike hip-hop in the US, electronic music has traditionally been “faceless” as far as artists are concerned (both metaphorically and figuratively, in Marshmello’s case). In an age of abundance, we naturally gravitate toward artists with character, fashion, and culture. Video formats like "10 Things" allow artists to be more intimate with their fans and open up more easily.

951K Views

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2.3M  Views

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2. Sets in Stunning Locations

Stunning, high-production video content of DJ sets from around the world, filmed in breathtaking locations such as the south coast of Iceland, a beautiful mountain landscape in Gstaad, Switzerland and a sunset on the Brazilian coastline.

Tactics to Implement:

• Production Value: These videos were filmed in high definition and have a professional production value. Multiple camera angles are used including aerial footage to capture the best viewing experience possible.
• YouTube Live: Among these videos, those that were premiered live on YouTube generated an average of 861K views, while non-live videos averaged 528K views.

Content Opportunities:

• Views on Views: Electronic music and festivals often draw inspiration from nature. Live sets in stunning natural settings can complement that inspiration and draw viewers closer to the music. Additionally, electronic music is a global movement with fans worldwide. Look for unique places across the globe (and beyond) to help elevate videos of DJ sets.

2.2M Views

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2.9M  Views

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3. Meaning Behind the Music

Genius’ VERIFIED series features artists discussing the meaning behind their lyrics and work. Similarly, Pitchfork has a series called On the Records where artists breakdown their albums and the meaning behind their lyrics.

Tactics to Implement:

• Green (or Yellow) Screen: Many media outlets have been sharing video series starring artists, in front of a blank background like Genius' "VERIFIED", Pitchfork's "On the Records", and GQ's "10 Things" series.
• Beyond the Lyrics: In the video on the left, Grimes goes beyond discussing her album lyrics and music and talks in-depth about her album art and the process of making the album. 

Content Opportunities:

• Add Meaning: As Pitchfork and Genius mainly focus on hip-hop, indie and pop artists, their “VERIFIED” and “On the Records” videos have featured a limited number of electronic artists. Create a similar series which allows artists to break down the meaning behind their songs and work. 

1.3M Views

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2M  Views

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Viral Videos:

These videos were omitted from their content buckets as ‘viral’ outliers for exceeding 3x the views and engagements of their respective benchmarks.

Live Virtual Set

Length: 30 minutes and 1:30 hours

Content:  This video was the live countdown for Insomniac’s Virtual Rave-A-Thon which featured a set by DJ Soda. In this premiered video, Deborah De Luca performed a live set in the Maradona stadium. 

Tactics: Despite our return to live performances, live streaming isn’t going anywhere. Livestreaming has become an integral form of entertainment in the electronic space, and although live events and streaming hours have declined, there will always be a market for it. Continue to premiere live DJ sets to allow viewers to watch and experience the set together, similar to a live performance.  Livestreaming festivals is a great way to engage those who couldn't attend the festival, and spark interest for the following year's event. 

2.8M Views

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3M Views

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Festival Stream

Length: 12 Hours

Content: *As this video was a livestream, the content is now unavailable to view. The 12 hour stream was from the first day of Proximity’s “Digital Mirage: Online Music Festival” in April 2020. 

2M Views

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Extreme Performing Opportunities are removed from the graph benchmark to avoid skewing the dataset.