Think about the last song you discovered. Chances are, it wasn’t on a paid streaming app. You might have heard it in a YouTube Short, a viral clip, or a creator’s video. While Hollywood was focused on Netflix, YouTube was quietly becoming the world’s most powerful stage. And it is completely changing the game for musicians.
Today, YouTube is more than a platform. It is a studio, a distributor, and a broadcaster all at once. It doesn’t rely on billion dollar originals. It thrives on creators, algorithms, and the power of Google’s ad machine.
And it is winning.
In Q2 2025, YouTube earned nearly ten billion dollars in ad revenue. That is more than Netflix. More than Disney Plus. For six months in a row, it has been the most watched streaming service in the US.
For music, this shift is enormous.
The Real Streaming Giant
YouTube is the world’s biggest music service. Here in India, it reaches over five hundred million users every month. For many people, it is their first music player, not Spotify or Apple Music.
Every release, every lyric video, every live session ends up here. This is where discovery happens. This is where fan culture grows. And this is where rights must be managed.
The Creator Model
Netflix and Spotify pay for content. YouTube does things differently. Creators upload it. Rights holders claim it. Ads run on top.
That means two things. There is an endless supply of content. And there is endless competition for attention.
For independent artists, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. You can release a song today and reach millions of people. But you are also competing with millions of other creators.
The Royalty Question
Content ID is brilliant technology. It scans every upload and matches it to rights holders. But it also gives YouTube leverage. Disputes, partial claims, and revenue splits can become messy.
And unlike subscription platforms, payouts depend on ad revenue. If ads drop, so do royalties. Creators and publishers need to stay on top of their metadata, their claims, and their reporting.
Shorts and Discovery
Shorts has completely changed the game. Many songs now break first on Shorts before streaming platforms even notice. It has become the new radio.
Artists who plan for Shorts, reels, and community engagement are finding organic reach. The algorithm loves frequency and cultural timing.
Why This Matters for Indian Music
For Indian labels and creators, YouTube is not just for promotion. It is the main release platform. Optimising titles, descriptions, credits, and rights claims can turn views into real revenue.
Live streams, premieres, memberships, and super chats open more income streams. But this only works if rights and royalties are set up correctly.
What Comes Next
YouTube will keep growing. AI music, user generated content, and live sports will fill it with even more material. This will make metadata, rights management, and fair payouts more critical than ever.
For creators and rights holders, the playbook is clear. Treat YouTube as your primary distribution channel, not an afterthought.
If you are building music strategy, managing rights, or designing royalty systems, now is the time to get YouTube right. It is where your audience is. It is where the money flows.
And if you’re building something in music or media, let’s work together to build a strategy that works.
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