As an artist, there are many ways to get your music out there. You can release singles, put out albums, or create a YouTube channel and start uploading videos. YouTube is an easy way to access hundreds of millions of potential listeners in a short space of time.
If you’re looking for a more professional way to present your music on YouTube, you may want to consider the Official Artist Channel (OAC) from YouTube.
In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of creating an OAC, what criteria you need to meet, how to apply for an OAC, and explain how it can benefit your career as an artist.
What is a YouTube Official Artist Channel (OAC)?
An OAC is a channel that merges a standard YouTube channel with a topic channel, managed by YouTube, and optionally, a VEVO channel, managed by VEVO and verified as the official channel for a particular artist. This means that YouTube has confirmed that the channel represents the artist and their music.
OACs are different from regular channels in a few ways. First, they have an “official artists channel badge” badge on their profile. Second, they appear in search results before other channels when someone searches for the artist’s name.
Finally, OACs can access certain features that are not available to regular channels, such as Analytics for Artists and the ability to feature upcoming concert listings.
What are the benefits of getting an OAC?
There are a range of benefits to getting an OAC, including:
- Increased visibility on YouTube – OACs appear before regular channels in search results. This means that your channel is more likely to be seen by new fans.
- An official artists channel badge (a little music note) on your channel – this helps show fans that your channel is the official artist channel and adds credibility to your channel.
- Access to certain features that are not available to regular channels – as mentioned above, having an OAC gives you access to Analytics for Artists and the ability to feature upcoming concert listings.
How do I get an OAC?
If you’re interested in getting an OAC for your channel, there are a few things you need to do:
First, make sure your channel is in good standing. This means that it meets all of YouTube’s policies and guidelines.
Next, you’ll need to submit an application. You can do this by reaching out to your label, digital distributor, or YouTube Partner Manager.
Once you’ve submitted your application, YouTube will review it and decide whether or not to create an OAC for your channel.
If your application is approved, you’ll receive an email from YouTube with instructions on how to set up your OAC.
What criteria do I need to meet to get an OAC?
YouTube requires that you meet a certain number of requirements before you are able to apply for an OAC. These include:
- Owning and operating a YouTube channel that represents one artist or band
- Having at least three official releases on YouTube delivered and distributed by a music distributor or label
- Your channel must follow YouTube policies, including YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and copyright policies
And one or more of the following:
- Being part of the YouTube Partner Programme
- Working with a YouTube Partner Manager
- Your channel is part of a label network that works with a Partner Manager
- Your music is distributed by a YouTube music partner
Additionally, your channel must be in good standing with YouTube’s policies. This means that you cannot have any copyright or community guideline strikes on your channel.
Meeting these criteria is the most complicated part of obtaining an OAC, so let’s break them down one by one for clarity.
Owning and operating a YouTube channel that represents one artist or band
This one’s pretty simple – if you want an OAC, your channel needs to represent a single artist or band. This means that you can’t have a collaborative channel with multiple artists, a channel for a label, or a channel dedicated to music news and events. Additionally, each artist is only eligible for one OAC.
Having at least three official releases on YouTube delivered and distributed by a music distributor or label
This is where it gets more complicated. In order to even be considered for an OAC, you need to have at least three official releases on your channel. These can either be singles or albums, but they must be delivered and distributed by a music distributor or label.
Your channel must follow YouTube policies, including YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and copyright policies
Back to being relatively simple again, we’ve already mentioned your channel has to be in good standing with YouTube.
This boils down to a few key things: having an active presence, not being in violation of any YouTube policies, and generally being a good community member.
While adhering to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service is reasonably easy, the copyright policies can sometimes be a sticking point. This is because anyone is able to launch a copyright strike against your channel for using even a small portion of someone else’s content without permission.
If you have any outstanding copyright strike against your channel, you won’t be able to apply for an OAC until the strike has been cleared.
The same goes for any community guideline strikes.
If you’ve had issues with either of these in the past, now is a good time to get them cleared up before moving forward with the application process.
It’s important to note that you need to fulfil all of the criteria above, but only one of the following ones.
Being part of the YouTube Partner Programme
One of the ways to get an OAC is to be part of the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP).
In order to join YPP, you’ll have to fulfill the following criteria:
- Follow all of the YouTube Channel Monetisation Policies.
- Live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Programme is available.
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
- Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
- Have more than 1,000 subscribers.
- Have a linked AdSense account.
You can request to join the YPP through YouTube Studio, under the Monetization tab. If you haven’t quite fulfilled the requirements yet, particularly the number of subscribers and the valid public watch hours, you can ask to be notified when you do by clicking the Notify me when I’m eligible option.
But what is the YouTube Partner Programme?
Well, the YouTube Partner Programme is a way for YouTube to work directly with creators, like you, on YouTube.
As a partner, you get access to special features and tools that help you grow your channel and make money from your videos.
Plus, as part of the program, your channel will be automatically enrolled in monetization opportunities.
You’ll also have access to the Creator Support team which can help you with everything from technical issues to account management.
Working with a YouTube Partner Manager
YouTube Partner Managers are a dedicated team of experts who work with partners to help them reach their business goals on YouTube.
Your Partner Manager will be your main point of contact at YouTube and can offer advice and guidance on everything from channel optimization to Creator Academy resources.
There are a number of benefits to working with a Partner Manager, such as one-to-one support, exclusive invitations to YouTube-sponsored workshops and events, and priority access to new creator programmes
Your channel is part of a label network that works with a Partner Manager
If you don’t directly work with a Partner Manager, you can still get an OAC if your channel is part of a label network that works with a Partner Manager. This means that you can allow your label to manage your OAC for you.
You can check if you are currently part of a network by checking your YouTube Studio dashboard.
If you’re not currently part of a network but think you should be, reach out to your label and ask them to get in touch with their YouTube representative.
Your music is distributed by a music partner listed in the YouTube Services Directory for Music Partners
The YouTube Services Directory for Music Partners is a list of companies that can help you upload your music to YouTube. It should be noted that if your distribution partner is not on this list, it will not in any way stop you from getting an OAC.
Why an OAC is important
Your OAC is an official presence on YouTube, verified by YouTube.
OACs also comes with some special features, like Analytics for Artists, which gives you insights into how your fans are discovering and consuming your music on YouTube, or promotional content that allows you to advertise upcoming concert listings.
It also adds a level of credibility to your channel, which can help you attract new fans and grow your YouTube following.
Creator on the Rise and Artist on the Rise
The Creator on the Rise and Artist on the Rise programs are designed to give eligible up-and-coming artists a chance to have their music videos featured on the YouTube homepage, in search results, and in the Trending tab.
If your channel is selected for these programs, your music videos will be given special treatment and appear more often on YouTube. You will need to have an OAC to be eligible for these programs.
How Novecore can help you get your OAC
As you might have noticed from this guide, a lot of the criteria for having an OAC is geared toward having a label or distributor, but not every artist has one.
This is where Novecore can help. We are a full-service music company that offers music distribution, marketing, and promotion services to artists of all sizes. We believe that all artists should have access to the same tools and opportunities, regardless of their budget or team size.
We can help you get your OAC by:
- Submitting your channel for review to YouTube
- Meeting all or most of requirements for an OAC
If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help you get your OAC or any of our other services, please contact us. We’d be happy to chat with you about how we could best support your career.
