Indie folk videoUS + Canada130,276views from the ad, in the US and Canada
YouTube ads for independent artistsYouTube ads for artists
Promote your music video with YouTube ads.
Your video plays as an ad on YouTube, to new viewers in the countries you pick. Your dashboard shows every view and new subscriber. Your ad views also show up in your own YouTube Studio.
From $50. One payment. No subscription.
Not sure yet? See an example dashboard
Your views, day by dayExample · day 6 of 10
Your music videoYour channelAd running · US and CanadaViews5,163Cost per view$0.026Budget used57%
Day 8 · HalfwayYour dashboard shows views by country and what each view cost.
In YouTube Studio: Analytics › Advanced mode › Traffic source › “YouTube advertising”
Your campaign$250once
Estimated 8,400 to 10,900 viewsUS and Canada · runs about 10 days
Start a campaignYouTube ads for music videos130,276 views on one campaign (US + Canada)30 to 40 views for every $1 you pay (US + Canada)Official videos, lyric videos and visualizers
Your fans watched it. New viewers never found it.
- Views · first 28 days · example
Premiere day was busy. A week later, the line went flat.
- New and returning viewers · example
Most views came from your fans. Hardly anyone new saw it.
Then the DMs start. Bought views break YouTube’s rules. They can be removed, and your channel can get a strike.
The photo and these cards are made-up examples. They do not show real data or messages.
None of this means your video is bad. It just needs new viewers, people who don’t know you yet.
Show my video to new viewersHow it works
Step 1About 1 minutePick a budgetFrom $50. Before you pay, you see your estimated views and your price.
Step 230 secondsPaste your video linkAn official video, lyric video or visualizer that’s public on your channel. We never ask for your YouTube password.
Step 3Usually live in 1 to 2 daysYour ad runsIt runs for 3 to 14 days. Your dashboard updates every day. Your ad views also show in YouTube Studio, under “YouTube advertising”.Your ad, 10 daysYour numbers
Your ad, 10 daysYour numbersWhat you get with every campaign
Your video runs as a real Google Ads campaign. You see what it did, and where every cent went.
Typical result30 to 40 viewsfor every $1, in the US and CanadaFrom one campaign, Aug to Sep 2026. Not a promise. Your video and your countries change it.
Your video as a YouTube adIt plays before other videos, or shows next to them. People choose to watch it, or skip it.Included
Only the countries you pickYour ad only targets the countries you choose. Your dashboard shows views by country.Included
Your dashboardViews, cost per view, new subscribers and countries, day by day.See an example dashboardIncluded
Your budget, trackedSee how much of your budget has run, day by day. Any unused part comes back to you.Included
What this is, and what it isn’t
This is
- Your video, shown as an ad on YouTube through Google Ads.
- Ad views you can find in YouTube Studio, under “YouTube advertising”.
- Only the countries you pick.
- One payment. If your ad can't spend all of its budget, you get the unused part back.
This isn’t
- Bought views, view swaps, or anything YouTube calls fake engagement.
- A promise of views or subscribers. Your video decides that.
- A way to get monetized. Ad views don't count toward it.
- Anything that needs your YouTube password.
Best for an official video, lyric video or visualizer you want new people to find. In release week, or long after.
Included · every campaign
Your dashboard shows what YouTube Studio doesn’t.
In YouTube Studio, your ad is one line: “YouTube advertising”. Your dashboard shows the rest. Which countries watched, what each view cost, how many people subscribed, and how much of your budget has run.
Studio and your dashboard count views a little differently, so the numbers won’t match exactly.
Start a campaignThe numbers on the right are an example.
Your ad is running in the US and Canada. Day 9 of 14.
Views14,206+1,812 yesterday
Cost per view$0.023What each view cost you
New subscribers231$1.43 each
Views by country
- Canada10,086
- United States4,120
Your budget
- Used so farUpdated every day66%
- Left to runAbout 5 more days34%
- Unused budgetComes back to you if your ad can’t spend itRefunded
- You paid, once$500.00
How much does it cost to promote a music video on YouTube?
You pick the budget, from $50 to $2,000. One price covers your ads and our work. A bigger budget runs longer and can reach more people.
$50 to $2,000, in $10 steps$250 once
Views are estimates from what Google charged on our recent campaigns. Your video and your countries change the real number.
Every campaign includes
- Video checkWe check it against Google's ad rules first.
- Live dashboardViews, cost per view, subscribers and countries.
- Check it in StudioYour ad views show under “YouTube advertising”.
- Refund what's leftUnspent ad budget comes back to you.
Typical result30 to 40 viewsfor every $1, in the US and CanadaNot a promise. It depends on your video.
Your campaign
2Your video3Where should it show?
Estimated views8,400 to 10,900In United States and Canada. Not a promise. It depends on your video.
- You pay
- $250 once
- Runs for
- About 10 days
- Cost per view
- About $0.026, all in
- Goes live
- Usually in 1 to 2 days
You see everything before you pay. Your ad usually goes live in 1 to 2 days.
If Google won’t run your video, you get every cent back.
Ad budget Google doesn’t spend comes back to you too. We never promise views or subscribers.
Ad budget Google doesn’t spend comes back to you too. We never promise views or subscribers.
What one campaign did in the US and Canada
An indie folk music video, Aug to Sep 2026. Numbers from Google Ads. Every video is different, so treat this as one example, not a promise.
Indie folk videoUS + Canada71%of the views came from Canada, the rest from the US
Indie folk videoUS + Canada34%of ad plays reached the end of the video
How to find your ad views in YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio and click Analytics.
- Click Advanced mode, at the top right.
- Pick your video and the dates your ad ran.
- Click Traffic source. “YouTube advertising” is your ad views. The rest came from everywhere else on YouTube.
Tip: use this to check any promo, ours too. Views sold as “ad views” should show up as “YouTube advertising”.
Trustpilot reviews of our Spotify campaigns. We’ll add YouTube reviews once we have them.
Questions about promoting your music video on YouTube
Does YouTube promotion really work?
It puts your video in front of new people in the countries you pick. On one of our campaigns in the US and Canada, that was 130,276 views. What happens next depends on your video. Some people watch to the end and subscribe. Many skip. We can't promise views or subscribers, but your dashboard shows exactly what your money did.
How much do 1,000 YouTube views cost?
It depends on the country. With Chartlex, 1,000 views cost about $21 in Canada, $30 in the US, $32 in the UK and $42 in Australia, all in. So $50 gets about 1,700 to 2,200 views in the US and Canada. These are estimates from our recent campaigns, not promises.
Is paying for YouTube promotion worth it?
It can be, if you want new people to see a video you're proud of. It works well in release week, or for an older video your fans love. It's not worth it if you only want watch hours for monetization, because ad views don't count toward that. Start small, check your numbers, then decide.
How do I advertise my music video on YouTube?
There are three ways. One: the Promote button in YouTube Studio. It's simple, with fewer settings and less detail. Two: your own Google Ads account. You get every setting, but it takes time to learn. Three: a service like Chartlex. You pick a budget and countries, we set up the ad in Google Ads, and you see the results in your dashboard. One price covers the ads and our work.
Do views from a YouTube ad count on my video?
Yes. When people watch your ad, it can add to your video's view count. In YouTube Studio these views show under the traffic source “YouTube advertising”. Google Ads, YouTube Studio and the public view count each count views a little differently, so the numbers won't match exactly.
Do ad views count toward monetization?
No. YouTube says watch hours and subscribers from ads don't count toward the YouTube Partner Program. Views that come later, when people find you on their own, do count. If monetization is your main goal, ads are not a shortcut.
Is YouTube promotion safe for my channel?
Ads through Google Ads are allowed. It's YouTube's own ad system. What breaks YouTube's rules is fake engagement: bought views, bots and view swaps. Those views can be removed, and your channel can get a strike. YouTube also says its ads and its recommendations are separate systems, so an ad doesn't hurt how your video is recommended. We check your video against Google's ad rules before it runs.
Will I get subscribers?
Maybe, but we don't promise any. It depends on your video and your channel. People who like your video can subscribe. Your dashboard shows how many new subscribers came from the ad, and what each one cost.
What does the price include?
One price covers your ad budget at Google and our work: the video check, the setup, the targeting and your dashboard. You pay once. Our terms show the full breakdown.
What if Google doesn't spend my budget, or won't run my video?
If Google won't run your video, you get every cent back. If your ad can't spend all of its budget, we refund the part that wasn't spent.
More on YouTube ads: What YouTube ads cost for musicians · Our full guide to YouTube ads for musicians · Cost per subscriber, explained
Not ready to pay? Check how your channel is doing with our free YouTube channel analyzer.Try the free analyzer
