What are Art Tracks on YouTube?

What are Art Tracks exactly, why should I make my music available to everyone on YouTube, and will I make any profit from it? We have the answers right here.

YouTube’s Art Track feature is one many are unfamiliar with and is therefore often cause for confusion. We’ve put together an overview for you to try to shed some light on the subject.

What are Art Tracks?

A music video with a static image (album cover), the audio file, and the most important metadata. It’s YouTube’s way of ensuring that the audio formats work on a video platform, as well.

When you submit your music to YouTube via your distributor, not only will registered subscribers of YouTube Music be able to listen to your song, but thanks to the Art Tracks feature also people on the “normal” and free YouTube.

Each individual song will have an Art Track set up for it: so, in an album with 10 tracks, for example, you’ll find 10 Art Tracks on YouTube.

Mixed opinions about Art Tracks

Artists’ opinions differ in this regard: Some are well aware that YouTube is factually the biggest streaming service there is and they absolutely want to make their music available on it. Others, however, are not willing to essentially offer their music to anyone almost for free. That’s why iGroove gives you the option to decide for every release whether you only want to make it available on YouTube Music (Premium) or also as an Art Track (free).

Compared to user uploads, Art Tracks have the advantage of a better audio quality. Additionally, they increase the chances of users discovering more of your music through your Topic Channel.

Even better if you request an Official Artist Channel, because with it you can have all of your own uploads as well as all Art Tracks of your topic channel in one profile. You can find the other advantages that come with the OAC on our other post.

Do I get money from Art Tracks?

Yes, for each view you receive a portion of the revenues that YouTube gets from subscriptions and advertisements.

There is also the option to make your own Art Tracks and upload them. You can monetize these via your Content ID. But whether you will make enough of a profit that it justifies the extra effort is, at the very least, doubtful.

If you want to maximize revenues on all ends, you should make your music available both on YouTube Music and as an Art Track. Additionally, you should use YouTube’s monetization option so that you also make money when other people use your music in their videos.