April 24, 2025

Episode

How to Win on YouTube

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Today, we shared an episode about what it takes to win on the platform. I’m joined by George Karalexis and Donna Budica from Ten2 Media, which helps artists with their YouTube strategy.

You can listen to the episode here or read below for my thoughts on one of the topics we discussed.

YouTube’s Compounding Effect

Benson Boone, Brent Faiyaz, and BigXThaPlug are among the clients that use Ten2 Media to up their game on YouTube. When Ten2's machine is working at all levels for an artist, these artists have seen 600% revenue growth on YouTube, often exceeding the revenue that artists make on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

I asked them which artist, even if it's not one of their clients, is doing YouTube the best right now. The answer was Ed Sheeran, which sent me down a rabbit hole after we recorded the podcast. Sheeran released a song in early April called "Azizam."

- March 28 - a 31-second "Pressing Play" trailer-style video
- April 2 - Making of Azizam (Studio Behind the Scenes)
- April 4 - Azizam (pink heart video), song released on all platforms
- April 7 - Lyric video for Azizam
- April 11 - Live performance in Old Delhi
- April 17 - Official music video
- April 17 - Conversation with Sheeran, co-producer, and video director
- April 24 - Behind the scenes (with Azizam playing in the background)

That's eight videos from just his latest single! That doesn't even include all the Shorts that promoted the same song. Sheeran and his team do this regularly with his songs. Each of those videos that include "Azizam" monetizes the same sound recording, which compounds the song's value on the platform. Meanwhile, on Spotify, there are currently two versions, an English version and a Persian version.

Deeper in Sheeran's YouTube channel, there are videos of him being himself, speaking directly to the camera, documenting his journey, and more. It's especially telling to see from someone at Sheeran's level. It wasn't that long ago that this type of hustle on the platform came primarily from NBA YoungBoy or an independent artist who is hustling to make it. Yet Sheeran is by far one of the most bankable acts in the business.

Ed Sheeran has over 30 billion views across his official YouTube channels, which puts him fourth all-time, only behind Bad Bunny, BTS, and Justin Bieber. His Spotify numbers are strong as well, he has the sixth-most streams of all time, and 5 billion streams in 2024.

But even if an artist isn't a superstar or has a new single, there are plenty of ways to maximize the platform. YouTube may be an untapped opportunity for estates who want the legacy of their artist to live on the largest media platform in the world.

Make sure you listen to the rest of the episode. Donna and George shared a bunch of other insights on:

- how they grew Crash Adams' YouTube account from 4,000 to 12 million subscribers and generated millions of dollars in the process
- why YouTube's user-generated content creates monetization opportunities that other platforms can't match
- the specific strategies they use to increase "surface area" for their clients to capture maximum revenue

Listen here: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Overcast

Chartmetric Stat of the Week - The Worldwide Platform

We talk a lot about how international YouTube is, but rarely the data that proves it. Of the top 25 artists on the platform by weekly views on videos, how many of those artists would you guess are from the U.S.? The answer is three: Bruno Mars (8), Lady Gaga (10), and Kendrick Lamar (24).

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