If you have a YouTube Music Channel, making Shorts is a must. These videos are a perfect way to tease your longer content and grab viewer’s attention. Perhaps you’re a vocalist, instrumentalist, or producer, or you are a person that likes making beats. There’s an idea that can result in a viral success for everyone!
Tutorials and How-Tos
The first block that we are going to look into will be tutorials. After all, if you’re a professional musician with years of experience behind your back - it’s so easy to do. Not to mention that it can be extremely helpful to people who are just starting to find their voice and dipping their toes into the music industry. The beauty of this format is its versatility – you can offer guidance on everything from vocal exercises to instrument techniques or even production tips. Share your experience and here’s how you can do it!
1. How to Layer Harmonies in Acapella Songs
If you’re a professional vocalist, or you just understand how to stack vocals, explain it to your audience! Break down how different vocal ranges (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) can work together to create harmony (even if it sounds a bit wonky by itself). You can add subtitles to your Music Short to help your viewers understand what you are talking about better.
2. How to Play Famous Melodies on an Instrument of Your Choice
Have you been playing classical piano your entire life? Or, perhaps, you have been learning how to play guitar by learning cool movie soundtracks? Or are you a versatile violinist? Well you can pass your knowledge to people who are much less versed in such things in quick 30-60 second tutorials. Shoot a closeup of your finger positions, add notes or tabs and you’re done! Bonus points if you pick a well-known melody, then your YouTube Music Short can grow in popularity in no-time!
3. How to Create a Basic Beat on GarageBand/FL Studio
Here’s a great music channel idea for youtube for the beatmakers out there, show your audience how to build a simple beat in under a minute using popular software like GarageBand, FL Studio, or Ableton Live. Highlight the basics of beat construction, from kick drum placement to hi-hats and snares. Show how to make the melody sound unique by adding just a few tweaks and your audience will love it!
4. How to (Sing), Short Music Lessons
Another idea for YouTube Shorts Music is to offer mini singing tutorials that focus on vocal exercises, breathing techniques, or specific aspects like vibrato or falsetto. For example, “How to Sing High Notes Without Straining in 30 Seconds.”
Thousands of creators have found their hidden growth spots with AIR Media-Tech. We provide the resources and expertise to turn your content into viral hits. Ready to step up your game? Join AIR Media-Tech and unleash your content's potential!
5. How to Tune Your Guitar/Bass Without a Tuner
If you can explain how to tune an instrument within under a minute, you’re in for a trending idea! A short demo of how to tune a guitar or bass by ear can be a lifesaver for musicians who don’t have a tuner handy. Break down the process using harmonics or tuning by matching strings, making it easy to follow in a quick format.
Did You Know?
The more engagement your Short gets, the more likely it is to be recommended to others. So don’t forget that regularly posting Shorts keeps you on the algorithm’s radar!
Covers
You’re searching for another type of great idea for your music channel? Well look no further. Covers are a staple of YouTube music channels, offering endless possibilities for expressing your creativity. Perhaps you're taking a popular song and making it sound unique or collaborating with other artists, covers can be both a fantastic and versatile way to share your talents on YouTube Shorts.
6. One-instrument Covers/Acoustic Covers
People love acoustic covers of their favorite songs. There’s something truly magical about stripping down a well-known song and recreating it using just one instrument, like an acoustic guitar or piano. And truly, these minimalist performances resonate, and for a good reason.
7. Recreating Songs in Different Genres
Ever wondered what a pop hit would sound like as a jazz standard? Or how a hip-hop track would sound with a rock twist? Genre-bending covers are a great YouTube Music Short idea, because they can go viral by offering something fresh and unexpected.
8. Covers Using Only Vocals
We know that some of you are insanely talented, we have seen it proven to us countless times! One of the great YouTube Short ideas is to show your vocal talent by recreating a song using just your voice. Layer harmonies, beatbox, or mimic instruments to create a complete track without any actual instruments involved.
9. Instrumental Covers
If you can’t sing, but can play instruments, focus purely on the instrumentation of a song, removing the vocals entirely. Let your instrument do the singing by recreating melodies and harmonies, perfect for instrumentalists who want to show off their skills.
10. Covers in Foreign Languages
Singing in a language other than English is impressive. Especially when you can adapt a popular song into YouTube Short format for that! Not only is it impressive, but also performing a popular song in a different language can open your channel to a wider global audience and create a unique listening experience. It's a creative way to connect with people from different cultures.
AIR Media-Tech has helped thousands of music creators to bring their content to the next level. It is the ultimate space for content creators, offering tools and solutions for every challenge you might face. Join AIR Media-Tech and make your content viral!
11. Movie Soundtrack/Tv Show Covers
Take iconic soundtracks or theme songs from popular movies or TV shows and put your own spin on them. People love diving deep into nostalgia with Disney covers, but they also don’t shy away from listening to some modern soundtrack covers. Just try it out and see if it works for you!
12. Metal Covers
Metal covers is a whole sub-genre of covers that is loved by everyone. You can make a short cover of a princess song with a metallic twist for your YouTube Music Shorts and it will attract viewers. Heavy guitars, powerful vocals, and aggressive drumming can turn any genre into a headbanging hit.
13. Covering Difficult Instrumental Feets
Show off your technical skills by tackling notoriously difficult instrumental sections from songs. Whether it's an intricate guitar solo, a complex drum fill, or a lightning-fast piano piece, audiences love to see musicians push their limits. It’s a great way to highlight your mastery of your instrument while appealing to viewers who appreciate musicianship.
Did You Know?
If you want your Shorts to go viral, you need to have a high Average Percentage Viewed (APV). Many viral Shorts have over 100% of that, which means that their video has been watched multiple times. If your video performs well within the first 1k-10k views, the algorithm might push it to the broader audience.
14. Collab Covers
Collaborate with other musicians to perform covers together, either by layering separate performances or doing live duets. This is a great way to cross-promote your music channels and introduce your audience to new talents.
15. Covers in Different Voices
Give your cover an entertaining twist by singing in different made-up voices. You can make the song sound robotic, or you can make your voice sound old. Both musicians and your audience are sure to be impressed.
Remixes and Mashups
Remixes and mashups bring fresh life to existing music, and YouTube Shorts is the perfect platform to show these creative experiments. Perhaps you love blending two songs together or turning a viral speech into a beat? You’re in luck, because possibilities are endless here!
16. Transform Simple Speech Into a Cover
Take a famous speech, viral soundbite, or even dialogue from a movie and turn it into a cover using beats and melodies. It’s a fun, unexpected way to create music from non-musical sources.
17. Original Dj Remix
You can show your exceptional DJ skills by creating a whole new song or even adding your unique spin on familiar and already existing music. You can tease them on YouTube Music Shorts to leave your audience craving for more similar content. Unsurprisingly, fast-paced, energetic remixes tend to perform especially well in Shorts.
18. Original Rap Remix with Speech
Take a well-known speech or famous interview clip and create a rap remix, adding rhythm and flow to the original speech while integrating your own musical elements.
19. Mashups
Here’s another great idea for your YouTube Music Channel. Blend two or more songs together to create something entirely new. Mashup is a magical genre of music that usually matches similar chord progressions, or mashing up contracting genres. It’s always intriguing and interesting to see.
Every creator faces hardships—AIR Media-Tech has the tools to leap over them. Join thousands of successful music creators who have used AIR to boost their content’s reach and make it viral. Ready to create your breakthrough? Start with AIR Media-Tech!
Presenting Your Original Song
Sharing original music is one of the most personal and impactful ways to connect with your audience on YouTube Music Shorts. With the short, punchy format, you can build anticipation, tease upcoming releases, and show off your creative process. Here’s how you can present your original song in dynamic ways:
20. Post a Snippet of Your Original Song
One of the most straightforward but effective ways to draw attention to your original music is by sharing a snippet. Pick a moment that, in your opinion, grabs attention the most and post it. Use the text overlay to tease the song’s release date, or ask viewers to comment their thoughts on what they’ve heard so far. Shorts is all about keeping it concise, so this quick preview can create a buzz without giving too much away.
21. Acapella Cover of Your Song
Stripping down your song to just vocals adds a raw, intimate feel that listeners love. Performing an acapella version of your original song can highlight your vocal ability and songwriting skills. This is especially effective if your usual sound features heavy production or instruments. The contrast between your regular sound and the acapella version can offer something fresh and authentic, giving your audience a new appreciation for your work.
22. Live Performances
Showing live performances is a great way to capture the energy and emotion behind your music. It doesn’t matter if you’re performing on stage, in a small venue, or even in your bedroom, live clips let your audience experience your music in its purest form. Use YouTube Music Shorts to feature standout moments from your shows, like the audience singing along or you hitting an impressive vocal note. It adds a layer of connection and allows viewers to feel like they were part of the experience.
Did You Know?
Since its launch in 2021, YouTube shorts have had an average of more than 70 billion daily views. Every month, YouTube Shorts collects revenue from advertising between videos. This revenue is used to pay for music licensing and compensate creators of Shorts. Profits from this remuneration for YouTube partners is 45% — regardless of whether you use music in your short videos.
23. Snippet of Official Live Video
Got a professionally recorded live video coming up? Build anticipation by posting a sneak peek. This could be a high-energy part of the song or a visually compelling moment. Plus, showing your song in a live setting helps give your audience a sense of your performance skills and how the song translates off the recording.
24. Behind the Scenes
Taking your audience behind the scenes is one of the best ways to connect with them and make your creative process feel relatable. Show them how your original song came together—from writing and arranging to recording and producing. This gives a glimpse into the effort and passion behind the finished product.
Trends
Incorporating trends into your music YouTube Shorts can give your channel a huge boost by tapping into what’s popular. Trends are always evolving, so hopping on them at the right moment allows you to stay relevant and maybe even go viral. The key to using trends is adding your unique musical spin to make your content stand out while still resonating with what’s popular in the YouTube Shorts space.
25. Music Memes
Music memes are a huge hit on platforms like YouTube Shorts. They combine humor with music in a way that’s entertaining and easily shareable. These could be meme-worthy riffs, popular TikTok sounds turned into musical jokes, or hilarious song parodies. For example, you can take a viral meme format and layer it with a catchy or ironic musical backdrop. It could even be as simple as a "me when..." scenario that’s exaggerated with music to make it funnier.
26. Rush E
Rush E is one of those internet musical phenomena on YouTube Shorts that quickly grabs attention. The impossibly fast and complex piano composition has become a meme in itself, with creators trying (and often failing) to play it flawlessly. You can take this trend in several directions: challenge yourself to play the piece on different instruments, speed it up even more, or make a comedic video about your attempts (and inevitable frustration) trying to learn it.
Did You Know?
By using your YouTube Analytics page, you can see when your audience is the most active and post your video around that best time to get an additional boost in viewership?
27. Street Performances with a Twist
Street performances always draw a crowd, but adding a twist can take your video to another level. It can range all the way from a sudden genre shift, or people from the crowd joining in, or an unconventional instrument. Things like that always keep people on their toes. The unpredictability makes these performances memorable, and people love sharing unique street performances that break the norm. Or letting people play instruments to your original songs.
28. Pretending I Can’t Sing in Public
This YouTube Music trend is always a crowd-pleaser. It plays on expectations by having you pretend to sing off-key or poorly in a public space, only to suddenly reveal your real vocal talent. This “pretending to be bad” setup creates tension and surprise, making it a perfect hook for Shorts. You can film this in places like a music store, karaoke bar, or even just on the street. It’s all about the build-up, and the payoff makes the video highly shareable.
29. Bad Instrumental Covers
Another humorous take is to intentionally perform bad covers of well-known songs. The key here is the contrast: people recognize the iconic melody, but your purposefully bad interpretation adds a layer of comedy. This could be through missed notes, weird instrument choices (like using a kazoo or a toy piano), or exaggerated mistakes.
30. Graphic Songs
What are graphic songs, we hear you asking? Well those are the songs with an animated ball that ‘produces’ the music by going through some sort of barriers that visualize each note or instrument. You might think it’s unimpressive, but this has actually been a rather fascinating trend on YouTube Music Shorts and TikTok. These videos usually show moving, bouncing balls or other visual effects synchronized to different parts of a song, creating a fun and interactive way to experience music. For your channel, you can create these animations for your original music, popular covers, or famous classical pieces.
31. Funny Videos
Adding humor to your Short music videos is a surefire way to connect to your audience. You can create a snippet of a parody song, a funny video, where you add music on top, skits with music as a punchline. There’s no limit if you have enough creativity! The more relatable and funny, the better, because people are likely to share videos that make them laugh and feel seen.
32. Guess Who is _ in our band
This trend is highly interactive and adds a game-like element to your Music Shorts, where viewers have to guess the role or identity of each band member. You could make it fun by showing quick clips of each person playing random instruments, then ask your audience to comment and guess who is the drummer, bassist, etc. This type of video invites engagement and lets your audience feel like they’re part of the process, which is a great way to build a community.
33. Beatbox Battles
Beatbox battles are always high-energy and impressive to watch, making them perfect for the fast-paced YouTube Shorts format. You can either challenge yourself by doing solo beatboxing in different styles or team up with other creators for a collaborative battle. The best part? These kinds of Shorts are endlessly re-watchable because of their fast pace and impressive skill factor.
Other Fun Ideas to Try
Why not try to inject some more fun into your music YouTube Shorts? Well, go no further, we have even more creative ideas to try that will not only showcase your musical talent but also offer a unique spin that can make your content stand out among the sea of other music creators. Let’s dive in!
34. Trying to Replicate Different Celebrity Voices
You can challenge yourself to mimic as many celebrities as possible in one Short or create a series where each video features a new celebrity voice. Your audience will love the variety and the playful take on their favorite voices. It’s also fun to make skits that imitate celebrity voices and you don’t necessarily have to sing the exact same songs they had.
35. Try Not to Sing Challenges
This challenge is perfect for engaging with your audience in a fun, interactive way. The premise is simple: play a series of popular songs and try not to sing along, no matter how catchy they are. This can be done solo or as a collaborative effort with friends or fellow musicians. Make it entertaining with your reactions!
Our partners recently reached 125 billion YouTube views, achieving milestones of 100K, 1M, 10M, and 100M subscribers. AIR Media-Tech is the ultimate space for content creators, offering tools and solutions for every challenge you might face. Join AIR Media-Tech and grow faster with us!
36. Progress Playing an Instrument
Share the journey of learning and mastering an instrument with your audience by posting regular updates on your progress. You could document your practice sessions, the struggles you face, and your moments of triumph. This not only adds a personal touch to your channel but also invites viewers to be part of your musical journey. It's a great way to build a connection with your audience, who will root for you and celebrate your achievements.
37. Strangest Instruments or Additions You Own
Show off the weirdest and most unusual instruments or accessories you have in your collection. Demonstrate how each instrument sounds and plays, and maybe even try to incorporate them into a short cover or original piece. Viewers are always curious about unique and unconventional instruments, and showing them can make your channel stand out as a hub for musical oddities.
38. How Fast Can You Guess the Song?
Put your musical knowledge and reaction speed to the test with a "How Fast Can You Guess the Song?" challenge. Play brief snippets of well-known songs and see how quickly you or your viewers can guess them. Plus, it’s a fun way to show off your extensive music knowledge.
Ready to take your music content to the next level? Join AIR Media-Tech and unlock your channel's full potential.
39. Playing a Piece on a Different Instrument
Take a familiar song or piece and perform it on an unexpected instrument. Imagine playing a classical piano piece on a ukulele or a pop hit on a harmonica. This idea not only highlights your versatility but also provides a fresh perspective on well-known music. It’s a fantastic way to introduce your audience to different sounds and show off your creativity. Viewers love to see familiar tunes transformed in surprising ways, and this concept can generate a lot of buzz and interest.
40. Music Animations
Bring your music and your YouTube Short Music channel to life with vibrant animations that visualize the beats, melodies, and rhythms. Music animations are visually appealing and can turn your Shorts into an experience.
41. Music Challenges
Create and participate in music challenges that test your skills or push your creativity. These challenges are engaging for both you and your audience, as they showcase your musical prowess and provide an element of fun. Encourage your viewers to take part and share their own attempts, turning your Music Shorts into a community activity that fosters interaction and participation.
If you want to read more about…
- Trending music topics on YouTube
- If TikTok is a better platform for music distribution than YouTube
- How successful YouTubers made it big
- And if you should bother with Spotify and how it’s different from YouTube
Join AIR Media-Tech and see more useful tips and tricks about ins and outs of YouTube!
42. Dueting Others
Create more duet videos! Whether you’re harmonizing with a fellow singer, playing along with another instrumentalist, or even doing a virtual duet with someone across the globe, these videos can be incredibly fascinating. Duets offer a way to mix up your content, showcase your ability to work with others, and create something unique that wouldn’t be possible solo.
Exploring innovative ideas for your YouTube Shorts can transform your music channel into something grand. Each concept offers an opportunity to grow your audience in a fresh and exciting way. Remember, the key to successful YouTube Shorts lies in creativity, consistency, and connection.
Embrace these ideas, experiment with different formats, and pay attention to what resonates most with your audience. With a bit of imagination and a lot of passion, you can turn your music channel into a vibrant and thriving space where viewers eagerly anticipate your next Short. So, tune up, get creative, and let the music—along with your unique content—shine!
