#free music video distribution platforms

[dapg-otmebytheballs]

All or Nothing and lowave records

Strap in because this is gonna be a long one. This post will try to shed some light on how the whole lowave records thing works, how you can use this music, how it is being distributed, and what all a contract with lowave would include. All this and more below the cut!

Let us start with the basics: What is lowave records?

Quite succinctly summed up on their website as follows:

They make and distribute royalty-free music for content creators - specifically video-format content creators like Youtubers and streamers - they share some streaming revenue (30%, we'll get into that) with the creators who are labelled 'co-artists' and get promotion of their music through the content creators.

So, that brings us to the next big question: What is royalty-free music?

This is music that is free to use. Yes, by anyone, by Dan and Phil, by other creators, by you and me, any of us. This is by no means a new thing of course, anyone who has created content online would have come across other such services. just as an example, bensound.com hosts a large library of royalty-free music which you can use in any video by simply crediting the site in your description. Lowave works in a similar fashion. The music is not copyrighted. However, the rights to the music are held by lowave records and there are limitations on its use, which we will get into ahead.

How is the money working (preliminary edition)?

I will add details to this later when I discuss the contract, but let's see the info we get straight away from the FAQs: You do not have to pay them anything to make music for you

The money is coming in from the streaming platforms, depends completely on amount of streams, and is shared between lowave and the creators

Also from the FAQs: how can this music be used?

Anyone can freely use any of the music from lowave records, which means that yes, you can use any music from All or Nothing for your purposes with credit, it will not be taken down

Is this the only music we will hear on dapg now? Will there be more albums?

Not necessarily! This isn't an exclusive deal, DnP can use any music they want on the channel. As for new albums, seems like it depends on how this one does (and it seems to be doing quite well!) which will unlock future avenues for more collabs with lowave

Okay BASICS DONE if you're still reading you're probably here for the real meat so let us get into it

How is the money working (director's cut)?

Let us start with the terms on the partner agreement:

Content Creators get 30% of the 'remaining income'. This basically means any costs that streaming platforms are deducting, any processing fees, taxes etc will be deducted before the 30% share is calculated. The second point there basically means that the deductions here do not include business expenses of the label itself, ie when the label calculates its own profit production costs and various other expenses are deducted from the income, but these costs will not affect the revenue received by the content creators (You are probably already thinking 'how is this company earning enough to keep going?' and I will touch on that later as well)

Payment installments are simple enough but here we see a third party enter the chat: DistroKid. Who is DistroKid and why are payments going through them, Hazel? I hear you ask. Well I'll tell you dear readers:

It is basically a service that takes a yearly fee for putting your music on streaming platforms efficiently and then pockets 0% of the royalties. The royalties go from the streaming services (eg Spotify) to DistroKid who then send it to the rights-holders (in this case, lowave records). lowave records is using this service for a yearly fee to upload all their music through.

But wait! If DistroKid is working with lowave, and lowave owns all the rights, why is DistroKid making direct payments to the content creators?

Well, over the years they have offered a bunch of services:

I am guessing lowave is making use of the teams feature to send royalties owed to content creators ("collaborators") directly from Diskworld, which makes sense, the less people money goes through the less chances of mishandling.

People have of course been talking about what percentage Spotify even pays for many many years. The short answer: we don't know for sure because it is confidential, Spotify won't tell and artists aren't allowed to. The longer answer: people have estimated from a bunch of publically available data that the share seems to be 70-30 (rights-holders- spotify).

However spotify is not paying per stream anymore so that makes these figures harder to pin down. they are using a 'streamshare' system which is much more convoluted:

That was all about the money, now let's talk Licensing

Creators can use this music in any capacity, and do not have to share any of the revenue from their own content with lowave. They have put a stipulation that it may not be used in a way that is "illegal, immoral, discriminatory or derogatory to [lowave]" but what constitutes 'immoral' and 'discriminatory' is not really defined.

The other limitation applies to the contracted Content Creators only as far as I can tell: they are not allowed to remix, sample, or edit these songs without prior permission. This probably only applies to altering the songs and playing under the same name, so fan remixes should not run into issues here, as long as they are not monetised. (thanks kate @goldenpinof for making me think about this part a bit more, I think it should be safe, but even royalty free music cannot be transformed without permission at least in a commercial capacity)

They will also make more music free of cost if the streaming targets they set are being met by the albums produced. The process:

Other services they provide will be handling the creator's account which they set up (DanAndPhilBeats in this case) on streaming platforms and making changes as required, so the Cheeky Banter -> Project X thing was probably done from their end, possibly an older change that they forgot to update?

Also below are promotional obligations:

The promotion wasn't a one-time thing, it is expected to be ongoing, so we will probably be hearing about this in future videos as well. However, later in the partner agreement it is added that this has to be done as often as possible in a way that is "natural and appealing to their audience" which again, is pretty vague wording

Also the licensing goes both ways, so lowave can also use segments of the content DnP make that has the music in the background to promote their music:

Additional stuff from the contract:

lowave takes the guarantee of creating original works that it has the rights to and which do not infringe on copyrights, and the creators likewise take the guarantee not use the songs in content which infringes copyright. If there are any disputes regarding such infringement in the future the record and the creators have to back each other up (including sharing legal fees)

I mentioned before some parts of the agreement being written in vague language. There is also a clause that says if any provision ends up being illegal/not possible to enforce by a court (eg if a court were to it's impossible to say whether content featuring the songs was 'immoral') then only that provision will be removed, the rest of the contract stands.

The waiver part basically means that if any of the parties decide to not sue or forgo a complaint about breach of contract, that does not mean that those provisions are now unavailable, they can still sue later on or for some other breach if they wish.

That's the contracts done. Some of the framing there makes it seem to me like it's a pretty small company. The revenue they hope to generate does not seem to be very sustainable, especially since the revenue is being shared with content creators but the cost is not and they are additionally paying for other services like DistroKid.

So I looked more into this record label: they started business in 2022. If you go to their socials though, twitter and instagram they have followers in double digits and post very sparsely. Their tiktok seems to have nothing on it at all (thanks @lesbiandanhowell for the screenshot) and you may have noticed, Dan did not tag the lowave account at all when he announced the album on twitter

The agreement never mentions creators promoting lowave's social channels or tagging them either (and it is quite odd, I have worked with a bunch of organisations in their infancy and this is, now more than ever, a common requirement from collaborators). lowave records does not seem to be actively working towards promoting themselves on social media or building an online presence, even though they have been operational two years producing music throughout.

There are three people involved with the company on public record:

Benjamin Johnson listed as 'Head of Production' is probably the 'Ben' Dan has been talking about who made the songs. Seems like their scale of operations is not very big and possibly not a lot of producers in the records at all (despite the spotify page saying they have 'producers' plural, but that doesn't have to mean a lot many lol). Anyway, that would solve the mystery of 'how are they playing their employees?' if there aren't many employees to begin with (not even an intern to manage their social media it seems).

Look at the last person in the screenshots though: Robin. I looked at what other companies Robin is associated with and several of them - yeah several different operations that he's involved in - have the same correspondence address of '60 Thorpe Road...', so probably operating out of a ghost office (just to have a registered address and receive mail at etc). And one of these businesses that Robin is associated with is RWD, the business that made lowave records' website for them:

The no-cost production of royalty-free music, little attention to social media presence, vaguely written contract, seemingly small scale of operations with technical assistance like website design coming from an affiliated organisation makes me think that lowave records might be a side project. A labour of love, possibly, hoping to sustain itself enough to keep putting out royalty-free music in a time of extreme crackdown on copyrighted music use.

It makes sense to use content creators for promotion, gets you way more streaming than making your own music and putting it out. And the incentive of unique but guaranteed royalty free music at no cost is great for content creators of all sizes. It is far from sustainable on its own though, especially with streaming revenue being basically peanuts, and I do not think there's much interest in gaining a following or putting in that effort either, so it's probably a very small business by a few people. How long it manages to sustain itself as a project I am not sure, but it certainly isn't looking like something particularly geared towards profit and growth in its current state.

We are at an end! If you read this far, leave me like an A+ or a star for my essay so I can have academic validation from this please. Of course I probably have not covered everything possible in connection to this so if anyone has more info feel free to add on! And if this was all very long and there's something particular you wanted to know you can drop an ask into the inbox about it!

Thank you for coming with me on this journey! Back to the important things, which was your favourite song from the album? I think mine is Arcade Admission

[bfpnola]

Trans Reads is an ambitious project created by and for transgender people to openly access writing related to our communities. We believe education should be free and writing shouldn’t be behind a paywall. Transreads.org provides the opportunity to access, discuss, and distribute texts for free.

If you’re looking for books, chapters, texts, essays, or articles by, for, or about people who transverse or transcend western gender norms, you’re in the right place!

Trans Reads was formed through the work, consulting, and creativity of an anonymous group of trans people of various genders and races around the U.S. involved in organizing, academia, and trans liberation efforts. Trans Reads was launched in 2019 following increasing violence against trans people alongside the lack of accessible resources for trans people to learn about our own community.

There is a serious barrier for most trans people accessing content from our community. Trans people on average have less disposable income, time to read and purchase literature, and knowledge of the available texts. We created Trans Reads to address this problem directly. We offer the largest collection of free trans texts on the internet.

Get Involved:

Trans Reads is almost entirely generated through user content. By uploading, you can help a trans teen in a rural area learn about other girls like her. You could help a trans student who can’t afford a textbook easily pass their class. You can even share your own writing with the world on an easy-to-use platform exclusively for trans content. You can help grow our collection on our upload page. If you are interested in helping us upload texts for our collection, you can reach out on our contact page.

Ethics:

We are faced with the common ethical question about hurting the sales of trans authors. However, the largest ever study on piracy actually found that the piracy of copyrighted books, music, video games, and movies has no effect on sales. In the case of video games, piracy actually helped sales. As far back as 2002, we can see piracy boosting sales of media. Trans Reads strongly encourages you to purchase the books that you enjoy here or find other ways to support the author.

Academic authors rarely – if ever – see income from sales of their books, articles, or chapters. Most want to remove the paywalls withholding their content. Trans Reads is open to collaborating with authors, publishers, and journals on making this a possibility through our website.

History:

In 2014, Leslie Feinberg published the 20th-anniversary edition of Stone Butch Blues, one of the most influential works of transgender literature. The novel was a way for trans, gender nonconforming, and queer people to realize ourselves. It told us we aren’t alone. However, when the publisher went bankrupt, Leslie had to struggle to regain ownership over hir own novel.

“I had to work to recover my rights to Stone Butch Blues. When the first publisher went into Chapter 11 court, I had to spend thousands of dollars of my wages on legal fees to recover the right to this novel… While very ill in Spring 2012, I recovered my rights again.”

Ze didn’t want the book to be released as a film adaptation exploiting hir story for straight fantasies. Ze also used the opportunity to make the book more accessible. First editions shot up into hundreds of dollars. The least expensive print versions are still over $30 on Amazon. This simply isn’t affordable to most queer and trans people. The fight ended with Leslie publishing hir novel on hir website as a PDF, a strategy of reclaiming transgender narratives from greedy publishes by collective ownership of the text.

Trans Reads is dedicated to the memory of Leslie and all those who feel alone. Most individuals don’t have institutional access and cannot afford to pay for texts. Transreads.org allows visitors to effortlessly read texts by, for, or related to trans people online for free as PDFs. Trans Reads is the space where anyone can easily discuss, add, or download trans content.

This project is intended to foster discussion around the current state of learning. We refuse paywalls and withholding education. Trans Reads provides the opportunity to access, discuss, and distribute texts related to our community on its website in a matter of seconds.

Knowledge, learning, and community must be de-commodified for our collective liberation. Take it from Leslie:

“And on the day those paper deeds of ownership are torn up, it won’t matter about protecting Stone Butch Blues anymore from commercial exploitation.”

Authors shouldn’t live in fear of their work being exploited or inaccessible. Trans Reads is just one small part of trans autonomy from corporate publishers. However, it is a necessary step toward engaging with our radical history, politics, and futures.

Click here to upload a text.

[destinedarts]

🎧 OST for the The Dragon Prince Season 6 Trailer "Standing Defiant" 🎙️

WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THIS TRAILER TOGETHER NEEDS TO PAY FOR ALL OUR THERAPY BILLS ASAP 💀💀💀💀

Trailer below for comparison. Okay, did they seriously just put Dark Mage Callum as a thumbnail— We're doomed, y'all. 💀

Check out the teasers' soundtracks, Aerial View and Gargantuan!

Lyrics

Head between your knees Can’t you hear the call Can’t you hear it screaming for relief

Waiting for the chance There’s a hidden strength To set free

When you feel it It’s surreal, it’s No surprise we rise

The earth shakes, the sky shivers The stars fall out of alignment We are the sinners The new stars standing defiant Oh-oh Oh-oh

Hanging off the edge Waiting for a sign Waiting for somebody to defend

Don’t you wait too long There’s a map inside of your head

When you feel it It’s surreal, it’s No surprise we rise

The earth shakes, the sky shivers The stars fall out of alignment We are the sinners The new stars standing defiant

They won’t bring us down They can’t shake us now They are running from this war We’re raging like the perfect storm

They won’t bring us down They can’t shake us now They are running from defeat We’ll see them all upon their knees

The earth shakes, the sky shivers The stars fall out of alignment We are the sinners The new stars standing defiant Oh-oh-oh Oh-oh Oh

Since it seems like it's harder to find the lyrics online. You can find them in the Lyric Info for the song on Extreme Music. 😅

Notes: Yes, got Extreme Music to make their updates. 😊 So lyrics are 100% correct now. There's also a bunch of extra Oh's they didn't write down and no echoes jotted down either.

Further Notes

The only other time they used a lyrical song was for Season 3's Recap video: Make This End. 3 seasons later, we're here. As someone said in the yt comments, you know the season's gonna be fire if they're using a song here too. 🔥

Like usual, the song is available on Extreme Music and other distributing platforms such as Spotify. "Standing Defiant" was composed by Devin Hoffman, Figero Scripp, and Lily Marly as the singer.

It was also released in February 5, 2024. 😳 Meaning the trailer finished sometime between then and June 3 when it was first uploaded on the S6 Trailer playlist. Not gonna go into that story of how we discovered that title leak. 😂

Keywords: Cool, Electronic, Epic, Heroic, Punchy, Struggle, Thrilling

👀 me looking at that word "Struggle" right there 😨

I'm comin' after Netflix if they purposely searched for this song with the word "struggle" 👿🗡️👿👿🗡️👿🗡️

Edit: I just texted Villads since I already knew he made the edits for many trailers. He also chose the music for this as well.

And error: looking at the subtitles for the Netflix-issued trailer. Netflix is incorrect for "The Sun shivers." It's clearly "Sky". I mean seriously, nobody's gonna have the money or time to get the singers to customize a song just to fit the scene. 😂 They just buy the song off the music producer's platform.

[iciousill]

Fragaria Memories Fanwork Guidelines

This is an unofficial translation of the guidelines for Fragaria Memories fanworks/ fanart/ doujin works.

I thought I saw conflicting translations/interpretations from shared posts about the guidelines that I came across recently, so I decided to translate them myself to (hopefully) avoid misinterpreting the actual guidelines. I do not track the official site for updates so there may be future changes not reflected here.

Last updated: 2023/10/23

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Definition of 'fan content activities'

'Fan content activities' refers to works based on Fragaria Memories that either contain creative additions or are wholly new creations. These guidelines exclude copying as-is or activities* that can be treated as such.

*Examples of activities not covered in the guidelines: cropping official character illustrations, filtering/recolouring official art and so on, and making such images public

(T/N: I'll just use 'fanwork' in the main text from here on)

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Applicable scope for these guidelines

The moment you upload your fanwork publicly, you're assumed to have agreed to the guidelines fully. Whether a fanwork is considered to have violated the stated guidelines or not is determined at Sanrio's discretion.

Sanrio may update the content of the guidelines anytime without advance notice.

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Terms of Use

Terms of use regarding fanworks

(1) Not for commercial purposes (such as advertisements, promotions, sales) regardless of whether the work is made free or paid. *However, doujinshi distribution, video monetisation, paid membership perks and livestreams are allowed subject to fulfilling certain conditions mentioned later.

(2) Do not use Fragaria Memories' assets (illustrations, logos, marks/labels, scenarios, videos, voices, music, etc.) in the creation of your fanwork. Tracing is also not allowed even if you do it yourself.

(3) Do not misrepresent yourself as being related to or having the approval of Sanrio or Fragaria Memories.

(4) Do not deviate extremely from the worldview of the series or tarnish the image of the series. Inserting certain ideas/beliefs, or content of political or religious nature in fanworks is not allowed.

(5) Do not harm the reputation or status of others, and do not slander or libel others or commit other acts beyond public order and morals.

(6) Do not use content which third parties have rights to in your fanworks, such as content from collaboration events between Sanrio and its partners.

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Terms of use regarding fanwork involving monetary/paid benefits

Notwithstanding (1) above, the distribution (sales) or publishing of fanworks may be allowed to a reasonable extent for the enjoyment of fans.

♦ Sales of doujinshi

Physical/paper forms, digital forms, illustrations, manga/comics, novels, cosplay photobooks and so on must adhere to the below terms.

(1) They must be sold approximately at cost price (the cost of your materials and production tools)

(2) The below links to a QR code that you can place somewhere easily visible to viewers (to avoid issues arising from being misidentified as official goods).

Fan Contents Nijigen Code (QR Code)

♦ Monetisation on video sharing sites

Monetisation of videos containing official instrumental music for cover songs (utattemita) is limited to the below video sharing sites:

YouTube

Nico Nico Douga *Please refer to these guidelines (the guidelines on the official site) if the video sharing site asks about usage rights when you monetise your video.

♦ Fanwork in paid membership perks and livestreams

Only for non-age restricted platforms (pixivFANBOX, Fantia, YouTube Live, Nico Nico Live Broadcast [Nico Nico Namahousou], TikTok)

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Regarding goods/merch

Please refrain from distributing merchandise (clothing accessories, image accessories, plushies, etc.) regardless of whether they're free or paid to avoid issues of the items being misidentified as official goods.

You may still create items for personal use, but if you're uploading them to social media, it would be appreciated if you tag them clearly as fanwork/fan content.

Even for items for personal use, please refrain from using or tracing Fragaria Memories assets (illustrations, logos, marks/labels, scenarios, videos, voices, music, etc.)

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Recommended hashtags on social media

Sanrio recommends using the hashtag #Fragari_Art when you upload fanwork to social media platforms.

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Miscellanous Terms & Conditions

Fan content activities by official illustrators

Official illustrators (contracted by Sanrio or its business partners) may still make fanworks.

Official illustrators have to follow both their contracts as well as the fanwork guidelines so as to avoid having their fanworks misidentified as official.

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Other conditions

(1) If your fanwork is determined by Sanrio as having violated their guidelines, Sanrio can demand you to immediately cease conducting fan activities, as well as completely scrap and delete the offending fanworks.

(2) There may be times when official projects/adaptations by Sanrio and its partners overlap with or seem similar to fanworks. In such cases, Sanrio and its partners reserve the rights to conduct their projects anywhere, anytime, and in any form without consideration for payment.

(3) In the case that Sanrio or its partners contact creators to make Fragaria Memories content, it will be done with a fixed contract from Sanrio or its partners.

(4) As Sanrio continually fixes and adds new content to Fragaria Memories, there may be times when Sanrio's projects, goods or services unintentionally seem similar to your fanwork. Sanrio and its partners reserve the rights to continue with their project plans and you may not assert legal claims against them on the grounds of copyrights or moral rights.

(5) Even with these guidelines, Sanrio reserves the rights to suspend fanworks to protect their copyrights and moral rights.

(6) Sanrio makes no guarantees of non-infringement on third party rights regarding the use of Fragaria Memories by these guidelines or of Fragaria Memories itself.

(7) You may not simplify/abridge, paraphrase or distort/misinterpret these guidelines through any method when posting on any third party platforms including social media. (T/N: I hope I'm not lol)

(8) Sanrio takes no responsibility for damages or disputes with third parties resulting from fanworks made by these guidelines and will not provide compensation in such cases.

(9) As these guidelines may be updated without notice, Sanrio takes no responsibility for any issues resulting from such changes.

(10) Sanrio reserves the right to take legal actions against fanworks that violate these guidelines.

(11) Sanrio will not respond to individual inquiries on these guidelines.

(12) These guidelines were written in Japanese and follow Japanese laws.

(13) Any disputes between Sanrio and others regarding fanworks or other uses of Fragaria Memories will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court (東京地方裁判所) or Tokyo Summary Court (東京簡易裁判所) in the first instance.

[literally-online]

Hello! Today marks the release of a new musical project I've been working on for the past month or so: Sleep Buddy! Ambient music to help you focus or just get some sleep.

Available now on Spotify and Apple Music!

You can read more about where the project came from below:

After dropping out of college, joining a band, moving in with the band, watching the band fall apart, and then subsequently finding myself with an increasing amount of pent-up musically creative energy, I decided I wanted to make something of my own.

I was also about five years deep into a stint of severe insomnia — from my first year of high school onward I generally only slept about an hour or two each night. After my friends would fall asleep and there was nobody left awake to play games with or text or talk to on the phone, I'd spend the quietest hours of my evenings teaching myself how to produce music.

The blend of these two issues manifested itself into a love of producing and listening to ambient music, and I set out with the goal of creating an album that would help me fall asleep each night. It was freeing to break away from the verse-chorus song structure I'd become so acclimated to, allowing myself to let long droning synths reverberate for hours into the night or searching for field recordings of windy plains or rainy farmhouses to see how I could incorporate the sounds of nature into my compositions. I'd write a song, load it onto my iPod, hop into my car, and cruise around empty New Jersey streets to hear how it worked as a soundtrack for the drive. In the span of about three weeks, I'd finished and released my first solo album under the artist name Boqeh: Halcyon.

Halcyon saw the beginning of a new habit: Almost every single day I'd open up my laptop and throw some nice sounding synths and chords together and let them loop endlessly while I worked on other tasks. Usually these project files would get deleted at the end of the day, but every once in a while they'd be saved and fleshed out into a full track for a hypothetical future album release. My next few ambient albums as Boqeh all followed that same songwriting process, but I eventually got more into the habit of deleting files than saving them. Slowly but surely, I stopped releasing music altogether as my career and other creative endeavors took center stage in my life.

Although I grew into the habit of deleting my daily project files, I never kicked the habit of starting a new one almost every morning. In 2018 while discussing the rise of ten-hour relaxation YouTube videos and 24/7 lofi hip-hop beats streams with a friend, I wondered aloud why I wasn't using the huge volume of music I was creating and disposing of daily to do something similar.

It's taken ten years since the release of Halcyon for me to feel confident enough to make it happen, but I'm finally done erasing the work I create.

Enter Sleep Buddy.

Sleep Buddy is both a new project and revitalization of the intention behind Halcyon — albums of carefully crafted and original ambient music with the goal of helping listeners fall asleep or relax while working on other tasks. Today marks the release of the first album: Intro.

Intro is a thesis statement. Available as a ten hour YouTube video (of course), on Bandcamp, or through your favorite streaming service like Apple Music or Spotify, it contains just under two hours of original ambient music covering a wide variety of ideas I plan on drilling further into for future releases. Almost the entirety of the album was written and produced over three weeks in January of this year, and in the time it has taken to distribute Intro to music platforms, I have already finished a followup for release sometime next month. If all goes well, expect a new Sleep Buddy release monthly in 2023.

In the meantime I hope you'll give this first album a listen, and if you do I hope it helps you relax.

You deserve it.

Head to sleepbuddy.online for more. <3

[protoslacker]

4 links

Internet Archive  is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.

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Free Music Archive (FMA) offers free access to open licensed, original music by independent artists around the world. Tens of millions of online visitors roam the FMA catalogue each month to find and download original songs for personal use or featured tracks in media projects. Tracks on FMA are featured in countless videos, podcasts, films, games, apps, commercials, documentaries, and more!

[emi-nova-music]

—*♪,» WELCOME ONE AND ALL ——•°.

hiii! i’m a 19yo college kid making magic however i can! i’m non-binary (they/nova pronouns), queer, neurodivergent, and i adore my strangely specific process and unique set of influences that lead to some cool ass shit! when i’m not jamming, i’m drawing, designing characters, building websites, and playing games 🫶 don’t hesitate to reach out

my main blog is @emerystellar as a general hub for all my creative stuff, and my crazy tumblr hermit spam all goes on @andromeda-absurdity !

—*♪,» LINKS ——•°.

Spotify || Bandcamp || Youtube || Apple Music

music carrd !! — main website !!

—*♪,» GENRE/INFLUENCES ——•°.

i’m pretty broad and experimental so it’s hard to narrow myself down, but i’d say i fall somewhere between jangle pop, psychedelic rock, shoegaze, and indie jazz! some of my biggest influences are louie zong, mild high club, miracle musical, buried beds, vince guaraldi, toby fox, koji kondo, the avalanches, and temporex :]

for extra reference, here’s my giant playlist of all the music i listen to, and a really big list of weirdly specific genres i like! you can also ask me about influences/inspirations for certain songs, associations you make, Anything, i’d love to hear and conversate about it!

—*♪,» RIGHTS AND USAGE ——•°.

feel free to use my music in any personal projects, youtube videos, animations, character playlists, anything, as long as you do two things:

1. credit me however applicable (link to the song, my website/bandcamp, just listing the song title and artist name, etc)

2. show me what you made!! i absolutely ADORE interacting with the creative works others make and i wanna see what ways you use my creations!! 🩵

the only other thing of note is that if you want to remix/make a cover of my song, keep it non-monetary (i.e. keep it to soundcloud and/or youtube)!

addendum that i’m not great at transcription but if you need stems of any songs/sheet music/garageband soundfont titles, etc, i’ll do my very very best to provide!

i’m very very open to collabs, but i am extremely bad with deadlines “- forcing inspiration never really works for me, but if you’re okay with my weird process and want to hmu, please do so!!

—*♪,» GENERAL FAQ ——•°.

• i use garageband on my phone to write most of the time (sometimes bandlab or acoustic instruments, usually various pianos or organs)

• i use distrokid for platform distribution and i seriously recommend it it’s ridiculously easy and super cheap too

• my process is usually pretty linear, starting with a melodic idea and moving from start to finish with the song, then going back and buffing it out making it meatier and tweaking things as i see fit! then i’ll usually adjust the pitch/speed at the end simply bc the analog sound is a lot more pleasing garageband can get a little sterile after listening to it for so long :]

• writing a single song will usually take me anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on the complexity, spanning however many days (i have drafts that have been sitting in my phone for MONTHS bc i’ll often switch between them so none of them get too stale) -> however, some of my live songs work a little differently, seeing as a lot of them (especially on what never left the nebula) are actually almost completely improvised… you'll never guess which ones >:)

• i’ve been playing piano and singing since i was a toddler, but i started formally making music and being serious about it in 2017! i’ve come a long long long way, don’t look for my old soundcloud /hj

—*♪,» THANK YOU!!! ——•°.

if you’ve got any other curiosities or comments please don’t hesitate to send an ask!! i love when ppl engage with my music so please please by all means feel free to :] thank you so much for sticking around this long and have a stellar day!!!

[xfictionx0]

The Hidden Influence of Media on Our Lives

Intro

Hey everyone! Today, I want to talk about something that affects all of us in ways we might not even realize: the power of media. From TV shows and movies to social media and streaming platforms, media has a profound influence on our lives, shaping our dreams, behaviors, and even our realities.

I’ve been reflecting on how shows like iCarly and Video Game High School inspired my dreams of becoming a content creator and making a name online. It’s fascinating how media can shape our aspirations. Have any of you been influenced by shows or games in your career choices or dreams? Let’s share our stories and talk about how media has inspired us.

Personal Anecdotes:

Not only TV series, but games too. Lately, I’ve been imagining myself living through a game of Super Mario, rescuing the princess kidnapped by Bowser and all that. I think it makes life a little more entertaining when you can draw parallels from your life to your favorite artworks.

Can any of you relate? What shows or games have influenced your dreams or the way you see the world? Feel free to share with me!

Media Influence and Power:

It really makes me wonder how much power media has over us. It makes me think how it’s not too far-fetched that the government might want to manipulate or put subliminal messages in media as part of a psyops agenda.

For those who might not know, psyops are tactics intended to manipulate opponents or enemies, often through the dissemination of propaganda or the use of psychological warfare.

Historical Context and Examples:

Let’s think about some examples. In history, we’ve seen how propaganda has been used during wars to influence public opinion. In more recent times, we’ve seen concerns about fake news and how social media algorithms might shape our perceptions.

What do you all think about this? Have you noticed any ways that media has influenced your thoughts or actions? Do you think there are subliminal messages in the media we consume today? Let’s dive into this topic together!

Personal Reflection and Media Literacy:

For me, recognizing these influences has made me more mindful of the content I consume and how it affects my thoughts and feelings. I try to balance my media diet with different perspectives and sources to stay informed.

America's Role as a Leading Media Distributor:

I think it’s interesting to think about how America is the leading distributor of media and always has been. In the early days, it was Hollywood and television. Today, they are using the internet, with platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch, as well as all the other major streaming sites.

Let’s take a look back. Hollywood has been the epicenter of the film industry since the early 20th century. Movies produced in Hollywood reached audiences around the world, setting cultural trends and shaping global perceptions of American life and values.

Television further expanded America’s media influence. Shows like ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘The Twilight Zone,’ and ‘Friends’ became international hits, spreading American culture and ideals far beyond its borders.

The Modern Media Landscape:

Fast forward to today, and the internet has taken over as the primary medium for content distribution. Platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch are at the forefront, delivering content to millions of people worldwide.

Netflix, for example, started as a DVD rental service and has evolved into a global streaming giant. It produces and distributes original content that competes with traditional television and film studios.

YouTube has democratized content creation, allowing anyone with an internet connection to share their videos with the world. This has led to the rise of influencers and content creators who can reach audiences without traditional media gatekeepers.

Twitch, primarily known for live streaming video games, has become a platform for all sorts of live content, from talk shows to music performances.

Impact of American Media:

American media’s influence is profound. It shapes cultural norms, trends, and values globally. Think about how many global phenomena have originated from American media: superheroes, blockbuster movies, reality TV shows, and even internet memes.

There are also economic and political implications. American companies dominate the streaming landscape, generating significant revenue and exerting soft power.

Soft power is the ability to influence others through cultural or ideological means, rather than force. By spreading American culture and values, these media platforms can subtly influence global perceptions and attitudes towards the U.S.

While American media is dominant, it’s also interesting to see how local cultures adapt and respond. Many countries produce their own content that blends local traditions with global trends, creating unique hybrids.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you noticed how American media has influenced your perceptions or the culture in your country? Let’s discuss how media shapes our world.

Challenges and Criticisms:

Of course, there are criticisms too. Some argue that the dominance of American media can lead to cultural homogenization, where local cultures are overshadowed by global trends. Others point out the concentration of media ownership and its impact on diversity of viewpoints.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how media evolves. With the rise of new technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, the landscape will continue to change. Will America maintain its leading role, or will other countries rise to prominence in the media world?

Closing Thoughts:

It’s always fascinating to think about how media shapes our world and our perceptions. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Make sure to share your opinions in the chat or comments!

[lifestyleandbusiness]

Digital Entrepreneurship: 10 Zero-Cost Ideas to Kickstart Your Online Business

Discover how to turn your skills and passions into profitable ventures with these 10 zero-cost digital product ideas. From customizable templates to online courses and mobile apps, explore lucrative opportunities in the ever-expanding digital marketplace. Whether you’re an artist, educator, or tech enthusiast, there’s a niche waiting for your unique offerings. Start your journey to digital entrepreneurship today without breaking the bank

1. E-book Guides: Create informative ebooks on topics of interest, such as self-improvement, cooking, or DIY projects. People are always looking for valuable information, and ebooks can cater to their curiosity and desire to learn new skills.

2. Printable Planners: Design printable planners for daily, weekly, or monthly organization. With the increasing demand for productivity tools, individuals are constantly seeking ways to manage their schedules effectively. Printable planners offer a practical solution while allowing for customization based on individual preferences.

3. Digital Art Prints: Showcase your artistic talents by creating digital art prints that can be downloaded and printed for home décor. In today’s visually-driven culture, people are drawn to unique and aesthetically pleasing artwork to adorn their living spaces, making digital art prints a lucrative business idea.

4. Customizable Templates: Develop templates for resumes, business cards, social media posts, and other professional documents. Many individuals lack the design skills or time to create polished documents from scratch, making customizable templates a valuable resource for professionals and entrepreneurs.

5. Online Courses: Share your expertise by offering online courses on platforms like Udemy or Teachable. With the increasing popularity of e-learning, there is a growing demand for courses on various subjects, ranging from photography and graphic design to personal finance and entrepreneurship.

6. Stock Photography: Curate a collection of high-quality stock photos that can be licensed for use in websites, blogs, and marketing materials. Businesses and content creators are always in need of visually appealing imagery to enhance their online presence, presenting a lucrative opportunity for photographers and digital artists.

7. Digital Calendars: Develop digital calendar templates for desktop and mobile devices. In an age where digital organization is paramount, customizable digital calendars offer users a convenient way to plan and manage their schedules efficiently.

8. Mobile Apps: Create simple yet useful mobile apps to solve common problems or cater to niche interests. Whether it’s a fitness tracker, budgeting tool, or language learning app, there is a vast market for mobile apps that provide practical solutions and enhance users’ daily lives.

9. Webinars and Workshops: Host webinars or virtual workshops on topics related to your expertise or interests. With the rise of remote work and online learning, webinars and workshops provide a platform for knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.

10. Digital Music Albums: Produce and distribute digital music albums featuring original compositions or royalty-free tracks. With the increasing popularity of streaming platforms and content creation, there is a demand for high-quality music that can be used in videos, podcasts, and other digital projects.

By leveraging your skills and creativity, you can embark on a digital products business with zero upfront costs, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of today’s digital-savvy consumers.

[fluffyblue-multifandommess]

Torrenting 101

I've been meaning to make a post like this for a long while, but the recent removal of many shows from streaming platforms prompted me to finally get it done.

This is a long post, so check out the TL;DR at the end if you don't have the spoons to read the whole thing

What is "torrenting"?

From Wikipedia: "BitTorrent is a communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P), which enables users to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet in a decentralized manner."

In layman's terms: When you're torrenting something, you are connecting to other people who have the file you want, and downloading it from them. This does mean that if few people have the file you want, the download may take a very long time. (I've been stuck at 41% of an anime OST for almost 2 years now) BUT it also means that if many people have the file you want, the download may be completed in just a handful of minutes.

This manner of downloading files also allows you to stop the download at any point and then simply resume it later, whereas downloading through a browser often requires you stay connected the whole time, or else have to start over.

Why torrent instead of streaming?

Permanent availability: once you've torrented a file, it's on your computer. This means you can watch it any time you want without worrying about your internet connection crapping out, or the streaming platform suddenly deciding to pull your favourite show.

Torrenting sites also generally don't ask you to make an account just so you can access files, and they usually don't make you click on a bunch of links that pop out ads - all things I've had to deal with on many streaming sites (much to my annoyance).

Also torrents are free.

How torrent? Much confused

In order to torrent, you'll need a BitTorrent client. Your search engine of choice can give you tons of sites with suggestions, but my personal favourite is Transmission. It works on MacOs and Windows (and Linux distros), and is very simple and easy to use. (You can get it here: https://transmissionbt.com/)

In order to find torrents to download, you simply go to a torrenting website (or you can search "Supernatural season 1 torrent" on your search engine of choice). The ones I use the most are rarbgmirror.org (good for TV shows and films) and nyaa.si (good for anime). But there are tons more.

Safety

Any time you download a file off the internet, there is a risk of downloading malware. Before opening any file you've downloaded, you should make sure it's safe to open. Check whether the file extension matches the expected filetype. For example, a video file should end with .mkv, .mp4, .avi or other file extension used for video files. Music files will usually end with .mp3, .ogg, .aac, or .flac. If you're unsure what filetype a file extension is for, you can look it up here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_file_formats.

On Windows, you need to look out for any file that ends with .exe. .exe are executable file types; in other words, programs/apps. Now to be clear; a file that ends with .exe isn't necessarily malware. Your browser app's file name ends with .exe. Your art program's filename ends with .exe. All .exe files aren't malware. But if you're downloading an episode of a show, and the file name is the.owl.house.s02e20.exe, don't open that bitch.

If you're on MacOs (or a Linux distro), you don't need to worry about .exe, because those files won't be able to run.

Checking file types: By default, file extensions are often hidden in most systems, because most users don't care/need to know them. You can see the full file name in your BitTorrent client, or you can right-click a file in the File Explorer/Finder and click "Properties"/"Get Info".

As a rule, I don't download software, because avoiding malware is much harder with those. So I can't give much advice on how to do so safely, except to use virustotal.com, which checks for malware in the file/link you feed it. It is generally reliable, though it can turn up false negatives (and false positives). I'm not responsible for any malware you get while trying to play Dragon Age for free.

Sidenote: Some torrent file folders will have an .exe with a name like "RARBG_DO_NOT_MIRROR.exe". Those aren't malware, they're not even proper executables. They are just there to prevent mirroring to other sites.

On a different note, please make sure you have an adblocker installed before going on a torrenting site, particularly if you are a minor. Some of them have explicit ads.

Legality

Downloading copyrighted files is completely illegal in most places, while in some places, only sharing files to download (aka 'seeding' if you're using a BitTorrent client) is illegal. Check your local legislation, deactivate seeding in your torrenting client if necessary. Sail the high seas at your own risk.

VPNs: a friend wisely suggested I mention VPNs here. VPNs may protect you from legal consequences of torrenting, but that is only if the VPN company is one that will not give your data to the authorities when asked, so choose your VPN wisely. I don't use one, so once again I cannot give specific advice on this topic, but https://www.privacyguides.org/vpn/ may help you choose a VPN.

TL;DR

Install Transmission via their website.

Find torrents on one of many torrenting sites such as rarbgmirror.org or nyaa.si.

Click on "download torrent" or "magnet" or corresponding icon

Open With Transmission

Do not open any file that ends in .exe.

Run any games/software you've downloaded through virustotal.com before opening/launching them

Et voilà, you can watch Infinity Train as many times as you want.

Final Note

Please remember to support indie artists whenever possible - they have bills to pay, same as you. 💙

[grumpy-composer]

What Can We Do About Spotify’s New Payment Policy?

Spotify’s recent announcement has made many small artists mad. (See this post where I’m mad about it for more information as to why or shoot me a message if you have specific questions!)

Here are the things to do in case you don’t want to read my long explanations:

1.) Reach out to your favorite small and large creators.

2.) Look into other streaming platforms.

3.) Ask Companies for Statements and Send Feedback.

4.) Contact News Organizations

5.) Reblog and Share Your Experiences Online

I’ve provided more detail on each step under the cut. Feel free to add to this list, too!

1.) Reach out to your favorite small and large creators!

Not a lot of people are talking about this, one way to fix that is to bring it up, especially to those who have platforms. Podcasters, YouTubers, and especially musical artists. Large artists on Spotify have the clout to make a difference, but getting influencers to spread the word will be helpful as Spotify desperately wants to control how this change is perceived. (They literally framed their policy as giving millions to “new and emerging artists”, though if you read the policy you’ll see that’s not the case.)

Also send your favorite small artist a kind message about their music as many are feeling invalidated by this decision.

If you’re an artist: Politely ask artists you look up to for advice or opinions, express your distress if appropriate. 

If you’re a fan: Politely express your concerns to larger artists and ask if they have an opinion. Also look for ways to help support small creators you enjoy. Not everyone can afford merch or to buy a song outright, but even a message can help keep us motivated.

2.) Look into other streaming platforms. Both artists and consumers:

It’s no secret that streaming platforms pay artists almost nothing per stream, but artists are entitled to their money no matter how little. There are plenty of other streaming sites so if you currently pay to use Spotify, now may be a good time to consider other options before the policy goes into effect in 2024. 

Obviously Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Youtube Music are all options if you’re looking to pay for a new service that’s popular and has a similar catalog/features to Spotify. However Youtube videos on an artists official channel will also help support and there are plenty of other options like Tidal or Sound Cloud. 

Try to see how these companies compare in price and artist payout to make a decision that best fits you.

Also! Streaming Options I Just Learned About:

Resonate is a site that offers a “Pay2Own” model. Essentially, you only pay when you listen, doubling the cost each time, and once you’ve listened to a song enough to have paid about $1.40 it’s yours forever and you don’t have to pay more. And most of that money goes straight to the artist as Resonate is a CoOp.

SonStream is more direct and has you paying about $0.03 per song. Straightforward. If you don’t listen, you don’t pay. Meaning you can adjust how much you spend if needed each month rather than paying a regular subscription. They just put out Android and iOS apps and it’s free to use, meaning you only pay for what/ how much you listen to. If you want to more directly support an artist, see if they’re on there.

For consumers and fans: There are a lot of options for gaining access to music while still supporting artists, go forth and discover what's right for you!

For artists: See what sites will be best for you, if your distributor doesn't distribute to a site you think is good for you, see if you can upload it yourself.

3.) Ask companies for statements and send in your feedback.

Now is an excellent time to attempt to contact Spotify, Distributors, Labels, and other involved companies for statements about this issue. The more they have to talk about it, the bigger deal it will be. Contact their competitors, ask for their statements. Ideally, they’ll be forced to release public statements and add to the spread of news.

Additionally if their shareholders get upset, Spotify will sweat even more. If you’re a shareholder or know one, please open up the conversation.

Now is also an excellent time to tell Spotify that you don’t like this choice as a consumer, then come back in a week and do it again. Keep the pressure on. You give them money to access music while supporting artists. If the artists you choose to listen to aren’t compensated, why give them your money?

Contact other services as well. If you’re a customer for another service, emphasize to them how you dislike Spotify’s decision and want to ensure they keep paying their artists.

If you are an artist: Contact your distributor or label. Tell them your concerns and ask how they are going to help you.

If you are a consumer: Figure out how to give feedback and send it. Try multiple avenues. Always be polite, but firm.

4.) Contact News Organizations

Again, Spotify really wants to control the narrative. We should not let them. Send a tip to your local newspapers or news stations. Contact major news stations. Tweet at them.

If you’re a consumer/ fan: Contact stations and politely ask if they have any intentions to cover this story. Explain how you’re disappointed that other stations aren’t covering it. If someone in your local area has covered it, offer praise (or if it was covered poorly, critique) and ask if they plan to follow up. Point to any public statements from artists or companies.

If you’re an artist: If you are comfortable, try reaching out as above and offer to interview with them (especially if it’s for a local story). It’s good for your business as you can get in front of people, and show how this is affecting artists in your community. If you’re not comfortable with that, you could also release a public statement on social media and point the news in that direction as a source.

5.) Reblog and Share Your Experiences Online

I’ve seen a lot of people say that only fake artists (AI and bots) will be affected by this. If you are a small creator and are comfortable/ safe doing so, share how this policy will affect you. It will help us be seen and help fight that argument that no "real" musicians are being hurt.

And if you’re comfortable, reblog this post or talk about these changes on your socials. Share Spotify’s Statement and point out the flaws in their argument. 

Not everyone comes to Tumblr for this sort of thing, I totally get that. Not everyone wants to be faced with cold reality on their fun app and you are not obligated to engage in cold reality on Tumblr. That’s not what many use Tumblr for, but I find it strange that something like this isn’t being talked about more on this platform. Kind of seems like something Tumblr users would care about, so let’s spread the word and talk about it.

And that’s what I have. Look, some of the things in their update are good. Trying to stop AI shenanigans and people gaming the system is a good thing. However, the 1000 streams per track policy will hurt Spotify’s smallest creators far more than those putting in minimal effort.

Thank you for your time and good luck to my fellow small musicians.

[jay-who-han]

NEW MUSIC VIDEO!

Happy to release a new cover to celebrate 21 years of Kingdom Hearts, and the 17th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts II! This music video premiered during March Caprice, the fan-run online event celebrating everything Kingdom Hearts through fan creations!

Big thanks to Ro Panuganti, who did an incredible job mixing & mastering the track and who really made it shine, much love to Allen from GameGrooves who handled distribution and co-organized the concert soirée during the March Caprice, and of course, a tremendous thank you to the organizers of March Caprice ❤️

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~

You can stream the song on any online music store/platform by clicking this link here:

[melancholy-marionette]

hey i love your games and the background music you make for them and here's my question - are you going to share your ost on Spotify? I know they are on YT, but I personally prefer the first platform.

Hey hey! I just saw this and also what I'm guessing is your comment on one of the YouTube videos since it's a similar topic and username :3 I figure I might as well reply in both places though just in case somebody else happens to have the same question and might see the answer. The TLDR answer is, I would love to have my stuff on Spotify, but I can't really afford to >.< The longer answer is below :3 Basically, I'd love to have my soundtracks on Spotify, but the barrier is kinda similar to the problem that I have with Steam >.< Both require payment from me to put my stuff on there and since my stuff is free, I'd essentially just be giving away money to them with no way of getting it back. Unfortunately, I don't have much money, so I can't afford to do it. :( I've heard that there are various ways of possibly getting music onto Spotify for free or for a smaller fee via various distribution companies, with the agreement that any royalties go to them and other such terms and conditions, and that might be an option for the future, but for now, it's all too complicated :( I do also have a few of my OSTs available for download though :3 Patreons and supporters on Ko-Fi get access to a page where you can download them (automatic with Patreon I think - and for Ko-Fi you just have to grab a key after a one-off donation), or anyone who donates $5 or more on the game's itch page should also get access to the download for Bitter/Sweet's OST specifically.

Right now, I only have some of the DD tracks, Limbo Line's OST, and Bitter/Sweet's OST on the supporter page, but I plan to also add A9, Dawn of the Damned, and The Graveyard Shift's OSTs there too when I get a chance :3 Thanks so much for playing my games! And I'm really glad you enjoy the music <3

[ogadaedwine]

YouTube Video Optimization: the Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Video Optimization, and Building a Brand Through YouTube

YouTube is one of the most visited websites, reporting approximately 2 billion monthly users all over the world. The platform has become a vital part of the internet and has had a significant impact on the way that people consume and create content. It's been the most prevalent creators' hub ranging from entertaining to educational content. Most YouTube spend most of their time on the platform watching videos and news bulletins. For content creators and agencies, YouTube is not only a medium to build an audience, but also an income generation base.

Why is YouTube Important?

YouTube is significant for many people of different diversities, from creators to viewers and marketers. YouTube is important for several reasons. Content Creation and Distribution YouTube has given people the ability to create and share their ideas with the world. This has led to a constant increase in the amount of video content available online and has created opportunities for people to become pro-content creators, entertainers, and even celebrities in their own way. Education and Learning YouTube is an excellent source of information and education, with countless instructional videos, tutorials, and educational content. The ability to share information in the form of any language and style has made an accommodative platform even for people who can not express themselves in major languages. Marketing and Advertising The platform is crucial for individuals, businesses, and agencies looking for an opportunity to reach out to a large and diverse audience. Companies can use YouTube to promote their products, and services, build brand authority and can use the platform targeting features to reach specific demographics. YouTube has influencers and affiliate marketers with a range of subscribers and intuitive PPC marketing opportunities. Entertainment Are getting bored all the time? YouTube is a source of entertainment for billions of people worldwide. The platform's content creators produce a spectrum of topical videos from music, movies, comedies, video blogs, and many more. YouTube can also be a source of misinformation and violations if not fact-checked.

How to Optimize and Increase the Visibility of your YouTube Videos

There are several ways to optimize a YouTube video to increase its visibility and engagement rate: Keyword Research Use keywords in the video title, description, and tags to make it easier for people to find your video when searching for related content. Keyword research is a very important aspect of optimizing your YouTube videos for search engines. Before embarking on keyword research, you need to identify the target audience, which will help you to determine what video keywords they are searching for. Keyword tools like the Wordstream keyword tool can help you identify relevant and long-tail YouTube keywords. Use Google Trends to help you understand the popularity of keywords over time. When you search for a keyword on YouTube, you'll see a list of related searches at the bottom of the search bar. These related searches can give you an idea of what other keywords people are searching for that are related to your niche. Finally, analyze your competitors: Look at the keywords your competitors are ranking for in their videos. This will provide you with knowledge about how competitive that keyword is and competitiveness overtime. Video Content Creating high-quality, engaging video content that is relevant to your target audience and provides value should be of the utmost goal. The quality of the video will tell the search engine how expert and experienced you are, thus suggesting to the searcher. While creating videos, ensure that you find a better video editing tool with advanced features. Filmora by Wondershare is one the best free YouTube video editing software with intuitive templates to help you stand out strong. Ensure the quality of the video is outstanding and relevant to what the target audience is looking for. The background must be clear with plenty of light while creating the video. Video Title and Description Writing clear, concise, and compelling titles and descriptions that accurately reflect the content of your and include relevant keywords. Use catchy and SEO-friendly titles and video descriptions based on keywords or topics. With everything almost going in the AI direction, there are incredibly free and paid AI tools you can leverage to generate rich titles and descriptions. The structure of your titles relates to successfully your video will appear at the top of search results on YouTube and search engines. The ability to click videos on YouTube depends on how enticing your title appeals even when the content is gibberish. Use hyping words like "shocking", "the complete...", "how to..." and many more to increase the clickability of your YouTube videos. YouTube titles cannot go beyond 100 characters, but make it a bit lower than the maximum, at least 65 to 80. Video Thumbnail Creating eye-catching and visually appealing video thumbnails that grab the attention of viewers and encourage them to click on your videos. YouTube thumbnails are the first impression of what your video is about and decide whether to watch it or not. While designing your YouTube thumbnail, consider who your video is targeting. Creating interesting images with unique branding and descriptive texts and readable fonts. Create an optimized image that works across all devices with moderate dynamic use of colors to make it catchy. Create a thumbnail while keeping in mind the thumbnail policy that applies to sorts of images. Finally, Canva can help you create sizable, unique, and authentic YouTube thumbnails freely or affordable cost if you subscribe to the premium plans. Video Tags Adding relevant tags to your videos helps YouTube and viewers understand your content of your and discover it in search results. Tags are can help your audience find your content because they describe the context of the video. Tags are relevant when used explicitly and not overly. Too many tags on a single video or playlist are irrelevant for viewers looking for the content. Your playlist tags should not go beyond 60 hashtags, lest your content get ignored by the search engines or removal of the video from the uploads. Getting the right and SEO-optimized might be a daunting task when starting. Without overthinking about the right tags to use, you can use YouTube tag generators like TubeRanker, RapidTags, YTubeTool, and many more. Video Duration When you are new, you'd probably ask yourself what the best video length for new channels is. Or how long should a YouTube video be? There is no ideal length for a YouTube. video, however, it depends on one context of your content. Some experienced users suggest that your video should be between 2 to 15 minutes in duration. Videos like, "how to develop a website or an app" will take longer time, even hours compared to "how to create a Facebook page." There is a set upload video length for both non-verified and verified accounts. Non-verified have a maximum of up to 15 minutes length o while verified accounts have a maximum of 12 hours. However, optimize the length of your video for engagement, making sure it is not too long or too short. Video Transcription and Captions Adding a transcript of your video and closed captions, which makes it easier for people to understand your video and can improve its accessibility. Use closed captions or subtitles to make your video accessible to a wider audience, including those who are hearing impaired or non-native speakers. Transcribing your YouTube videos increases the chances of getting a positive impact from viewers who enjoy your content. Users may choose to read the transcripts alongside the video for an in-depth understanding of the message. Uploading your playlists with transcripts can increase your chances of ranking higher on search engines faster. Captioning also makes it easy for multi-language translation which can benefit a wide range of people around the world. The enacted anti-discrimination laws that protect the rights of individuals with disabilities require equal access to the same information as the rest of the people. YouTube has an inbuilt transcription feature that can help you do the task. However, the automatic captioning is not flawless, and don't depend on it. The best way to transcribe your Youube videos is to do it manually or uses third-party services like otter.ai and verbit.ai. Social Media Promotion Promote your video on social media and other platforms to increase its visibility and drive more traffic. Promoting your social media account on other social media platforms is what is referred to as, cross-promoting. Building followers takes time and patience, but with the need to get noticed, you have to share your content with a wider audience. If you are having great fans on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and other socials, then you need to share YouTube videos broadly. The share button on YouTube allows creators and viewers to share videos on various social media platforms, but at the time, you copy the link and manually share it. You can also embed YouTube videos ok your website if you have one, which will redirect your visitors to the channel. Influencer Collaboration Collaborate with other YouTubers or influencers in your niche to reach a larger audience and increase your visibility. Influencer collaboration is instrumental for YouTubers who are just starting out. This type of collaborative content creation strengthens the foundation of newbies and exposes them to the actual space of content development and intriguing content. It is like B2B marketing where brands thrives at the expense of benefiting one another and building a mutual and authoritative brand perspective. Developing your Channel through this method requires that you have one select one running the same niche as yours, and at least have a good number viewership. It can also help in elaborating the topic and in-depth understanding of the subject matter. YouTube Video Call-To-Action Create a video and end the video with a call-to-action, encouraging viewers to watch the next video or subscribe to your channel. A CTA is an interactive element that appears and asks viewers to perform specific actions that are most essential to the channel owner. CTAs can boost video engagement rates when implemented by those watching the videos. It can be in a form of animation or spoken remarks encouraging viewers to subscribe, like, share, and hit the notification button. A CTA can also recommend users visit your website and other social media platforms. A call-to-action is important because it can help you get more video views, subscribers, likes, and comments. It also increases the watch time and high ranks in YouTube's search. YouTube's search algorithm recommends your videos to their viewers faster when it has the highest watch time, comments rates, likes, and subscribers. This reflects the strength of your channel and videos on a particular topic. Encouraging your audience to hit the notification button will make a good number of them return when you post a new video, and this can help you to build a permanent audience. YouTube Video Analytics Use YouTube analytics to track the performance of your video and make adjustments as needed to improve engagement and increase your chances of getting recommended by the search algorithm. The analytics helps creators understand the demographics, behaviors, and responses towards the video. When the is pathetic and doesn't contribute well to the needs of the people, you may receive more dislikes and negative comments. Demographics let you know the regions, age range, and gender mostly interested in your content. Authoritative content is poised to get more shares, likes, subscriptions, and positive comments when it adds to the values of the people. The analytics tool also tracks the divides used, returning viewers, and the average time they spend on your videos. YouTube Community Guidelines Keep in mind YouTube's community guidelines and make sure your video is in line with them to avoid getting flagged or removed. YouTube is a community of billions of people around the world, and the guidelines are there to make it friendly and accessible to all. Not to mention all, YouTube's policies apply to thumbnails, links, comments, and private content. The platform does not allow spam and deceptive practices, misinformation, harmful content, and sensitive ones. Keep in mind that YouTube doesn't allow the selling or promotion of regulated products like firearms, counterfeit documents organs, and endangered species. Many creators have fallen short of these guidelines and have had their channels suspended, content flagged, or complete deletion. This is something that you have to consider when getting started if you want to go far.

How Optimized YouTube Videos increase Brands' Productivity

Optimized YouTube videos can increase a brand's productivity by: Increasing brand awareness: With the use of keywords and promotional videos on social media, brands can reach a larger audience and increase their visibility, which can lead to more people becoming aware of their products or services. YouTube is the most efficient way to improve brand visibility because the presentation is normally both instructional and experimental at the same time. Many people are looking for what they can see and the methods involved in its making. For a brand to stand out clearly, it has to deploy tactics that will draw the attention and interest of viewers. Having catchy titles, descriptions, tags, and appropriate thumbnails should be the utmost focus for brands that wish to enhance their popularity. Creating a video with incomplete illustrations, poorly edited audio, and fumbling clearly exposes the gullibility of the content creator. Driving website traffic: One of the rules of successful blogging is to spend over 80% of your efforts promoting it, and there are several ways to do this. Social media marketing is the most proven and prevalent method most website owners can use to drive traffic, and here, YouTube is among the social media giants. YouTube is the second-most popular website in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users. This makes it feasible to reach many people in a span of a few months to build your popularity. Businesses that do video marketing generate more traffic and revenue and build brand awareness compared to those that rely on text only. Driving traffic to your website works better by including a call-to-action throughout your videos. A CTA must be one that gives your viewers the next step to perform an action. For example, "Click the link to my website and sign up for more courses, buy the product, or find more information." By including a link to the brand's website in the video's description, brands can drive more traffic to their site, which can lead to more sales or conversions. Building trust and credibility The most important factors that most businesses and individuals seek are credibility and trust in a brand. YouTube is a hub for millions of product reviews in all languages and regions. Brand reputations evolve around actionable factors, primarily done by the brand itself. As a customer, I'd want to know the basics of customer service, price, the proactiveness of the customer response team, and the effectiveness of a particular product or service. A brand that produces high-quality videos in an explanatory manner gains recognition faster as compared to those who just dump their videos on the platform. Content creators should be able to respond to queries and clarification in the comment section to prove their customer productivity stance. A good product and service will purportedly make users give a detailed review of your product that would more beneficial. By creating high-quality, informative videos, brands can establish themselves as experts in their field and build trust and credibility with their audience. Enhancing customer engagement Engagement improves with the informativeness of the videos you create. Very helpful and contextualized videos will gain more shares, likes, comments, and subscriptions. Again, viewers tend to return to content sources to look for new ones due to the trust they have in you. Poorly edited and presented work takes to be recognized, and therefore ranking on the search becomes a menace too. Brands that create engaging and interactive videos, can encourage and increase the audience's interactability with their content, which can lead to increased engagement and a stronger connection with their customers. Improving lead generation Lead generation begins with the nature of the content itself. CTA still plays a vital role in improving the lead generation for your brands. Use YouTube cards that allow you to share clickable links at the end of your video. YouTube cards play a critical role in enhancing audience retention before the end of your video. The links must be blog content-related and valuable to the audience, which directs them to a certain landing page. However, YouTube lets you add up to 5 cards only per video. By including a call-to-action in the video, brands can encourage viewers to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or visiting their website, which can lead to more leads and sales. Cost-effective marketing Creating and uploading videos on YouTube is relatively low-cost and can reach a large audience, which can make it a more cost-effective marketing strategy than traditional forms of advertising. Advertising and targeting audiences with your ads has never been easy because you need to spend more to reach out to a larger audience. Though YouTube takes time, consistency, and patience to rank and get noticed, you do not need to have a monthly or annual ad budget. Read the full article

[haikuprajna]

"Their own songs and myths were the greater symbol than that of Napoleon's ideal."

Pigs standing above \\ the good, worse than the better, \\ a greater idea.

#HAIKUPRAJNA - #AnimalFarm [#BookReview #Analysis and #Summary]

...

Thank you for reading,

Allen W. McLean

...

Need more Bite-sized Insights to relieve your stress and suffering?

Readers are gifted a Kindle eBook on Fridays and Mondays--short story selection rotates every few weeks, so follow via email or visit My Author Profile [ https://www.amazon.ca/Allen-W-McLean/e/B0867C5D24 ]

I write mindfulness meditation scifaiku and haiku poetry on my book reviews and on previews of my metaphysical stories, such as "Escape Perennial City". Learn more about my reviews here [ https://haikuprajna.blogspot.com/p/book-review-summary-study-notes.html ]

Connect with HaikuPrajna and Electric Armchair via email [ https://haikuprajna.blogspot.com/p/follow-on-social-media.html ]

Thanks to you, over 700 readers have joined us on Medium! Need to stay in the Medium Partner Program? Please follow and turn on email notifications; I'll follow you back!

I have free short stories available to read, right now, on Medium:

. "Ado the Owl" [ https://medium.com/haikuprajna/20221027-ado-the-owl-official-tell-a-story-day-flash-fiction-story-e4c8a8ec8563 ]

. "Hector Blake" [ https://medium.com/haikuprajna/hector-blake-second-edition-329c5c9309e7 ]

April's psychedelic music videos, art and poetry is available on all streaming platforms; Electric Armchair - Pixie Lead (Official Music Video) (Amorphous I) [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIzyLZimX_I ]

Electric Armchair - Amorphous I (FULL ALBUM) [ https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/electricarmchair/amorphous-i ]

My metaphysical short story "Ado the Owl" is available as an eBook on digital bookstores! Add to Goodreads and learn more [ https://haikuprajna.blogspot.com/p/ado-owl.html ]

Kindle ebooks can be read on any device at www.read.amazon.com

These poems will be collected in future editions of the HaikuPrajna Collection.

#haikuprajna #metaphysical #meditation #mindful #fiction #bookreviews #books #orwell

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[prince-de-pro]

WEBSITES TO SALE MUSIC OR EARN WITHOUT HARDWORKING .

No experience needed,sit back and make a lot.

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Money Bag 1

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3-Ditto

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https://dittomusic.com/en/blog/refer-a-friend-to-ditto-music-and-earn-rewards/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhY-aBhCUARIsALNIC07PDcqqAqhygqScfemeqNBpx9dOqtCyzVPVOM3I5tFtHBQnjjtk9QAaAvUdEALw_wcB

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https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/?af=Prince_De_Pro" rel="nofollow">Find Sheet Music plus Audio Files to download instantly at Virtual Sheet Music <SUP>&reg;</SUP></A><!-- End Virtual Sheet Music Code →

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Page link

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Playgroundses

Distribute you music

Earn through referral program

Link https://www.playgroundsessions.com/?ari=mu

5-TuneCore

Sell your music on Time core or..

Earn cash for every friend who joins TuneCore after clicking your referral link, and pays to distribute music for the first time or signs up for Publishing Administration.

$5 1freind

2-5 friends _$5 each friend.

6-10 friends _$10 each friend.

11-25 friends_$15 each friend.

25+ friends_$25 each friend. 

There’s no limit to the number of friends you can refer

Share your link: 

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