Friday, April 11, 2008

Live Concert Videos on YouTube

More and more people are recording country music artists in concerts, and posting those videos on YouTube. Some of these video are quite well done. Like this one of Miranda Lambert. The person taking the video is so close that at one point you can her Miranda stomping her boots on the floor.



This leads to a key question for country music artists - should they allow the videos remain on YouTube, or order them taken down. Copyright laws allow country artists to demand YouTube remove the bootleg videos. Artists may feel that the bootleg videos cut into their concert ticket or video sales. After all why pay for what you can get free.

However, an artist should think why the person who made the video put it up in the first place. Most videos are uploaded by enthusiastic fans eager to promote their favorite artist, and show how good they are in concert. This kind of enthusiasm spreads, and can lead to more people going to that artists concert, and buying the artist’s music. It is the core, enthusiastic fans that carry an artist career. Alienate those fans, and the artist is done.

I have notice most country artists are leaving the videos up. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift seem to the most popular country artists for fans to post videos of. Here is a Carrie Underwood one I think is pretty good
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