Our Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, recently spoke with Bloomberg about why Shorts have become so critical for artist development. Lyor also echoed that sentiment in his latest letter to the music industry.
As we further develop and build Shorts with music in mind, we’ll continue to work closely with all of our partners across the business to ensure that YouTube is THE PLACE for their artists to build long-term, sustainable careers. We know how important these relationships are to our continued success. As Kevin Lipson, EVP of Global Commerce and Digital Strategy at Republic Records, shared:
"Shorts has quickly become a staple in our roster’s marketing strategies, social presence and album campaigns. It allows both developing artists and global superstars to tap into their fan bases and future channel subscribers." Kevin added, "The consistent flow of unique short-form video content is driving increased consumption throughout YouTube’s entire ecosystem—most importantly taking fans through a journey of storytelling, from the first studio session to the video shoot and then world tour. Shorts is our guide into the artist’s vision that will shape pop culture."
Zack Gershen, Partner and Head of Digital Strategy at Mtheory, offered similar sentiments, noting:
"Shorts has had a significant impact on both our label and management services roster. And that's been across a wide cross-section of genres and artists, regardless of where they are on the development spectrum." As Zack explained, "There is of course the engagement on the short-form content itself, which we've all seen explode across the entire industry and social ecosystem, but equally encouraging is how it has reinvigorated artist channels on YouTube. That's been evident across several data points—percentage increase in long-form video views, long-form video reach growth, and net subscriber gains. This all makes Shorts another incredible way to engage with audiences and another key tool within a growing suite of tools that YouTube has developed."
And Capitol Music Group President Arjun Pulijal also echoed these sentiments, saying:
“We’ve already seen firsthand the way that Shorts has organically driven artist discovery, streaming, and subscriber growth. We’re always looking for ways to bring the conversation back to the artist, and I’m excited by the opportunities for world building and connectivity that can go beyond a snippet of audio." He then concluded, "Unique Shorts content that lives in the same ecosystem as an artist's long-form videos lends itself to a more holistic and immersive experience for artists and fans alike.”
The momentum is real and the time is now for the music industry to join the FUN on YouTube Shorts!