This Presentation for the Vienna Music Business Research Days presents results of a Study that models the different forms of value as created by YouTubers, YouTube Stars and Musicians on YouTube. It also reflects on the role of YouTube as a medium that enables and limits value creation and cultural participation of its users.
Caring For Free Culture: Strategie für Europäische Medienkultur
Value Creation on YouTube: How Musicians, YouTubers and Commercial Networks Create Social, Cultural and Economic Capital
1. VALUE CREATION ON YOUTUBE
Lorenz Grünewald, M.A.
Joachim Haupt, M.A.
How Musicians, YouTubers
and Commercial Networks
Create Social, Cultural and
Economic Capital
4. Research Question
How and with whom do
musicians on Youtube create
which forms of value?
5. A
G
E
N
D
A
1
2
3
4
Theoretical Framework & Methodology
Research basis
Research Insights
Cultural, Social and Economical Value Perspectives
Media Intermediation
How YouTube Structures the Value Creation of YouTubers
Conclusion
Scope, More Forms of Capital and (un)equality
7. Theoretical Framework
YouTube as a Holistic Economy with Contingent Definitions of Value
Castells, 2009
Circulation/Exchange!
Economic Capital
Cultural Capital
Social Capital
Bourdieu, 1986
Value is what is processed in every
dominant network at every time in
every space according to the hierarchy
programmed in the network by the
actors acting upon the network.
“
8. Methodology
Object of research and research method
Focus
Youtuber
Germany
Musicians
Methods
In-depth interviews
Exploratory approach
Qualitative content analysis
Induction/Deduction
Dimensions
Content
Careers
Identity/Selfconcepts
Networks/Collaborators
9. Interviews
Youtube Musicians
Ten interviews from April to
Mai 2014
Duration: 49 to 77 Minutes
Name alias does… on YT since Abonennten overall views number of
videos
Gregor Hilden GregsGuitars Gitarrensoli 2007 42.266 43.921.289 5900
Rieke Werner StrawbellyCake Anime-Songs 2010 53.998 7.048.627 105
Noah Hunold Noah Hunold Sound-Tutorials 2008 3.553 395.696 77
Robin Segebarth DeservingDeath A-Capella-Solo 2007 17.136 3.538.538 145
Jannik Brunke JannikBMusic Pop-Musik 2012 25.771 1.358.494 43
Lukas Moeller YoungPianoTV Piano-Cover 2009 20.094 3.325.719 174
Jan-Hendrik Dreyer J Dryor / Playerboy Hip Hop Satire 2010 12.972 304.209 13
Anonym Anonym Rock-Musik 2006 124.008 8.757.311 36
Vincent Lee Rosovits Vincent Lee Music Musikproduzent 2010 25.513 1.742.648 96
Christian Behrens - Manager McFitti 2012 113.462 19.569.325 124
+ an anonymous representative from UFA Labs, a TV production studio also working with YouTubers
13. Cultural Perspective
From Skills to Cultural Capital
Skills as Starting Point
Famous YouTubers as Role Models
Cross-Promotion & Collaborations
Cover Songs and Parodies
Importance of Freedom and Cultural Intuition
Various Forms of Selfpresentation and Fan
Communication
!
ADDING UP TO CULTURAL CAPITAL
Cultural
Social
Economic
15. Social Perspective
The Valorization of Relationships
Friends and Acquaintances
Fans as an Active Audience
Subscribers as a Key Figure
Economy of Collaboration
Calculus vs. sympathy and friendships
!
ADDING UP TO SOCIAL CAPITAL
Cultural
Social
Economic
17. Economic Perspective
YouTube as a Source of Income
YouTube Partner Programme
Monetization by Advertising
Indirect Revenues
Professionalization
Fostering the Economy of Collaboration
!
ADDING UP TO MONETARY CAPITAL
Cultural
Social
Economic
18. The Story of…
YoungPianoTV
“
„Wow, the guy who used to be
on a poster in my child’s room
just gave me feedback!“
19. How YouTubers Create Value
Friendship
Relationships
Collaboration
Networking
Fan Communication
Economy of Collaboration
Role Models
Cross Promotion
Cultural
Social
Economic
Skills
Cover Songs
Freedom
Intuition
Selfpresentation
YouTube Partner Programme
Monetization by Advertising
Copyright
Indirect Revenues
Professionalization
…and with whom?
+ MCN
20. What do MCN do?
Quotations from our interviews
“ Selected network partners will
Today nothing really works
without a network. If you wanna
get support and you contact Google
without being in a network, you
can wait for two month until you
will get a reply. And if you are part
of a network you will be served
more quickly.
be placed on the homepage in
cooperation with YouTube. [Or]
you can get special permissions
like for music that would
otherwise not be displayed
because of the GEMA but it
is unlocked for such a purpose.
“
21. Ranking of the top 10
YouTube partners
according to their
unique viewers in Sep.
2013 (in Mio. in GER) |
Source: comScore /
Statista 2014
Multi-Channel Networks
22. Multi-Channel Networks
The Rationalization of Value Creation
Companies with economic interest
Collect and Administrate YouTube(r’s) Channels
Locked into Content-ID (Tracking and Blocking Content)
Attract Advertisers
Earn Revenue from Advertising
Empower and Connect YouTubers
28. YouTube’s “Scope“
Empowerment Through Digitally Networked Mediation Media
YouTube?
SoundCloud?
Bandcamp?
“ SCOPE
YouTube
The possibility to plan viral [video] was
gradually scaled back. With just one
video you have fewer and fewer influence
on how many people get to see your
video. Some people talk of conspiracies.
(YouTube Musician in an interview)
29. What do MCN do?
Empowerment and Rationalisation
YouTube
Systematic ‚Cross-Promotion‘
Dealing with legal issues (strikes)
Getting licences
Coaching (Format Development,
Channel & Profile Building)
Studios & Equipment
Relationships w/ YouTube
SCOPE
30. MCNs influence YouTube’s Scope
in social, cultural and economic respects
MCN
Artist
Artist
Artist
Label
SCOPE
YouTube
31. It’s about the scope
And about increasing it through empowerment
Artist YouTube
Fan
Media-Intermediation
MCN
33. Conclusion
Empowerment and Rationalisation
‚New’ forms of capital as restricting element in of value
creation & participation
MCNs trying to concentrate cultural and social capital
Additional source of inequality in the network society
Neo-Capitalism vs. Post-Capitalism
!
34. SCOPE
YYoouuTTuubbee
MCN
Friendship
Relationships
Collaboration
Networking
Fan Communication
Economy of Collaboration
Role Models
Cross Promotion
Cultural
Social
Economic
Skills
Cover Songs
Freedom
Intuition
Selfpresentation
YouTube Partner Programme
Monetization by Advertising
Copyright
Indirect Revenues
Professionalization
Summary