YouTube is in hot water over their streaming music service with musicians looking to obtain more money for their content.

Personally, I also want YouTube to start paying more for content.

YouTube does provide a free server to upload data for their users. This is one of the many tradeoffs that major media outlets overlook when covering this debate. Another tradeoff is the search engine connected to the content.

As a media producer that runs my own website, I completely understand the cost in providing server space for millions of users. That cost should be far more transparent.

YouTube is going to have to start creating more contracts to the bigger YouTube channels. They started doing this for select channels with YouTube Red, but have failed to provide similar programming for musicians and other content producers. They did create YouTube Music, but still need to refine that product with more visual content.

In the past, major music labels would work on contracts with radio stations and major television networks. The biggest labels would pay to promote their signed musicians on these major media platforms. I personally would love to see YouTube stars create a union to work on fair and balance wages. If we all strike, YouTube would have to make drastic changes faster. If we don’t strike, they can continue paying small amounts of money to hard-working individuals.

If YouTube wants to draft contracts that show an increase in revenue for content producers over the next decade; that would provide the transparency people need and demand. If they don’t want to start working on individual contracts, I strongly suggest YouTube producers obtain their own servers, build traffic, and work directly with major companies that advertise online. Cut out YouTube from being a middle man. Problem solved.

In 2017, we have seen a trend that drew people away from investing in albums that would generate revenue to the major labels, and in return, would be pumped back into companies like YouTube.

The overall problem is not YouTube with 25 percent of the streaming music industry. The major problem is the trend of people paying for streaming music instead of buying complete albums directly from record companies.

Soundcloud is an excellent example of a company that will have to go bankrupt for providing a free service. YouTube producers will have to work independently with major corporations to create revenue if they want their content to stand the test of time.

Recently, there was hype around Chance the Rapper being able to save Soundcloud, but if Chance only invested one million into the Illinois public school system, I doubt he will be able to save the company requires tens of millions of dollars in funding each year.

Another major problem is content producers in the United States continue to produce content covering local and regional topics. In reality, the majority of viewers come outside of the United States. The Los Angeles Times reported:

‘YouTube’s audience has surpassed 1 billion, with 80% of the viewers outside the U.S.’ 

YouTube producers will need to be more independent and less co-dependent on YouTube to survive in this modern era. They will need to think on a more international level, and focus on producing content that adds value to society.

Major media companies can stop blaming YouTube for providing a service, and start blaming content producers for not properly investing in their own content with their own servers and search engines.

Overall, I would like to see a union for YouTube producers. I would be happy to run the union on behalf of the hard-working individuals that need more transparency. As an independent YouTube producer, I have little influence over the companies decision, but I do have an independent server, and I can openly disagree with their policy in a intelligent and mature manner.