YouTube Milestones

Last month my YouTube Channel hit a couple of milestones - a total of 10,000 views (now 10,796), and one video 'Whitchurch' with 1,000 views (now 1,036). When I started the Channel in January 2017 I had no long-term vision for it. 

 In my naivety I supposed that as long as I added a video to my Channel, the videos would be seen. To some degree I was right, but only to a small extent. That changed dramatically in 2019 when I sent the link of one video 'Whitchurch' to Mel, the manager of the place I had been staying in Wem, Shropshire. She said "Would you mind if I sent this to the people of Whitchurch to view?". Was she a type of Town Crier? 

In a way she was. She posted the video to the Friends of Whitchurch Shropshire facebook page, and the viewing figures for that video immediately skyrocketed. Well, skyrocketed in a way small skyrockets rock. Skyrockets come in different forms. According to one list 'Baby Shark Dance' is the most viewed video on YouTube with 8,126,261,340 views that includes the interesting statistic that 11M didn't like it. I haven't got any problems like that. I don't think I'll be changing my style. 

YouTube must have thought for 'Whitchurch' 'Barrie never has viewing figures like this', and promptly discarded many of the views. But the happy story is that the views climbed back up again, to the current position. So, turning to 'Whitchurch' - it was of course one of my 'places' video. I have also made 'song' videos, 'buskers' videos (so far only in Cambridge, UK) and some others. I didn't set out to make videos to any pattern, it's just the way it's turned out. Music is an integral part of all my videos so far. The first it seemed, just naturally got licenses. Then I had a few where I was refused permission to use the music. It wasn't 'personal' - it just felt like it. 

By the time I was about to seek permission for 'Whitchurch' there was a YouTube permissions list. I wanted to use Eva Cassidy's version of 'True Colors'. I wanted that version because Eva had such wonderful intonation, phrasing and style, and he also had a talented band that supported her. It wasn't to be, and surprisingly as I thought I wouldn't be able to get permission for Cyndi Lauper's version, I did. Try this: turn Cyndi's version off, and listen to Eva's, see what works better for you. 

 So, sometimes I've taken Mel's example, and joined facebook Pages, and posted the relevant video to the Page. Generally it makes sense, with an audience that is a focussed Group.