How Isabel Fay got noticed on YouTube
I hope you have tried uploading music videos to YouTube. No? Then what are you doing to promote your music? Or are you content to let your work molder in a cupboard?
The problem is that we thought the Internet age would allow 'small guy' musicians and bands to flourish and prosper. The reality is that there is so much average-to-bad music about, it is really difficult to get noticed, even if you're good.
I hadn't heard of Isabel Fay, although to be fair she is primarily a comedian rather than a musician. I don't have a professional interest in comedy so there is no particular reason why I should.
But now it seems that everyone, at least in the UK, has heard of Isabel Fay. She has been on the BBC, ITV, and has been mentioned in the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and many other media outlets.
And her video has received 683,649 views on YouTube at the time of writing. That's a lot of views for a comparative unknown. So how did she do it?
But first, take a look at the video. It's a bit NSFW by the way but, considering its purpose, it has to be.
The video is successful because it covers a topic that has been in the news recently. As you know, there is a lot of hate about on the Internet. In the UK, where we don't have constitutional freedom of speech, there have been moves to 'out' haters and trolls and, where necessary, bring them to justice.
And, regardless of legal issues, to upload a video to YouTube and then be subjected to a barrage of pointlessly negative comments is discouraging and upsetting. There is a distinction between criticism, which should always be encouraged, and the kinds of comments posted by haters and trolls.
So Isabel Fay has hit this particular nail very squarely on the head in her video. And rather than let it languish on YouTube attracting even more hate, she has promoted it vigorously to the media outside of the Internet. Media companies need material to cover, and despite the NSFW context, cover it they did.
Another aspect to the promotion of this video is that profits from sales of the song go to an anti-bullying charity. If a media company is considering covering the video, it makes it more difficult for them to say no when a charity is involved.
So in summary, you can write a great song, make an eye-catching video and receive hardly any YouTube views. Or you can cover a topical issue, link with a charity, and gain massive publicity.
Well done Isabel Fay and her collaborators, from Audio Masterclass you get nothing but love.
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David Mellor
David Mellor is CEO and Course Director of Audio Masterclass. David has designed courses in audio education and training since 1986 and is the publisher and principal writer of Adventures In Audio.
@LimeyRedneck: 🔥🤠🍋🟩
@SanAndreas0611: I remember this coming out, not sure why it’s being served up to me now though. Interesting trip down memory lane.
@wirelesmike73: It's 2023, and it's like this came out yesterday. But now, they're more violent and proudly fascist.
Yay, us?😕
@reckley: I still love this!
@NeuroPandas: This popped back up in my, for you mix, and even after 10 years its so good
@ChristianMcCabe13: Fuck yeah lol
@Pebblesmas: Love love love this, but... Besides laughter, it also makes me very sad
@ThatOneNerdGirly: Ah, the internet will never change it seems.
@CrowingHen: This is your last upload? That's so sad.
Thanks for a great song. I watch it whenever I'm feeling down.
@luckystar9279: I can't believe it's been eight years
@tishsmiddy71: Thank you 🤟🏻❤️😜
@trampledbygeese: Love the video! But it makes me sad because it's your last video and it's 8 years old.
Thanks for making such a great video. It cheers me up!
@MammaCass: Perfect lolll
@patthebiff: I hate the fact that 8 years after this came out, it's still relevant.
@kingsnorthlobotomy replies to @patthebiff: ten years and counting
@wirelesmike73 replies to @patthebiff: 11 years, and the racist, homophobic, misogynistic s**t gibbons are still slinging it in every corner of SM, even if only slightly more literate.😒
@mreclecticguy replies to @patthebiff: Now 11 years -- still hasn't changed
@snufkin20025: I love this beyond words. Never gets old. Or irrelevant, sadly.
@kamoogy: I still love this video!!
@kamoogy: still awesome
@callumhighfield1804: Omg love this!!!
@nattyfeatureseverything297: still a classic in 2019
@themilomileschannel: Wonderful... I smiled all the way through! As I build my channel I'll think of your song when the 'HATE' comes... Big LOVE and thank you. Xx's
@TerryGee: Still brilliant and unfortunately still relevant
@kaiyaravenx1184: Makes me happy tbh 🤣 and my cousin is in this so watch it a lot
@subsonicdeathmonkey: Unfortunately, this song is more on point than ever.
@titiavandeneertwegh3170: Fantastic!
@GenXWildChildCreatress: Bahahaha, this is bloody brilliant!! 🙌🏻 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@Kauffy901: God, this is criminally underappreciated.
@geezerdiamond: Just perfect! 😄
@itsmetinaa1446: Um so I was at school and um this popped up and everyone was shocked...
@readventurekids: I typed in a lyric for an old early 90's house track, that was completely unrelated to this video and Richard Herring popped up on the video preview image as the top result... WTF?! He happens to host one of my favourite podcasts - RHLSTP!!!!! Weird.
@AlFooteIII: Little did you know, someday he would become president of the USA.
@sevendaughters: I think this video is directly responsible for the alt-right.
@bluebesos: So smart, so funny! Thank you for making this!
@finnmcqueen9072: This needs subtitles. Between your whiny English accent, or wherever the fuck you’re from, and the shitty audio quality of the sound mix, I can’t understand half the shit you say. Postscript: the camera truly adds 30 pounds, or in your case 50... get on the treadmill, you fat ugly bitch.
@junkinjodi8942: Oh my gosh how funny
@tamartin64: If there's a UK version of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Isabel Fay should be the lead.
@MadMooseMedic: This is strangely catchy. I can't explain why.
@Avalon7332: Every time I watch this, it never fails to cheer me up. Thanks!
@shannonbrand8384: LOL Brilliant!
@mzhauss: 781 people loved this so much that they where so happy they turned the like button upside down ! ;)
@suicune2001 replies to @mzhauss: Zhauss H I assumed those people realized the song was all about them.
@RedmanColorado: Can't understand 3/4 of what she's singing.
@dandielionous: I would so love to post this on my forum! This is great! I am afraid I would be banned though :(
@sheyibay1262: I would send this to my hater but she will be too dumb to understand this. so nevermind. but thanks for this.❤ it was fun watching❤ love from the Philippines❤❤❤
@lochlannkingz5279: vcause here
@e11ij4h: She looks like Ivy Latimer:0 Also this song was funny as hell. Please make more :3
@mollynoven3439: I if I make a youtube channel and I get haters I'll just send them this video.
@kitt5418 replies to @mollynoven3439: Yeah, some guy told me to kill myself so I sent him the link to this 😂😂😂
@MichaelBlume: Love that song and clip. Put it on my German science blog for the second time! :-)
@maribeld84: This song is amazing. Thanks for posting!
@hyperplaguerat: this made my day
@hohi3189: Lol
@amy-vx2yy: Is that Rossana Pansino and her sister Molly behind the bar?
@irjessica: So so funny! Nicely done guys!
@entitledindustries9135: best thing I have seen all month lol
@Valeomega1996: come on lyric chain
-------
Well hello friend Mister Insightful
Thank you for your comment on my little Youtube clip!
Most people say you're cruel and spiteful,
But you're right, how do I sleep at night? I am a massive prick.
@GreenLighterStudios: I have seen this video like 5 times and I just now caught the jizz landing on her leg at the end lmao
@karleewilson5977: This is my new favourite thing! <3
@shadracarthur: I love this video, buuuuut I don't see anything wrong with Masterbating .....not that I would do that.... you know.
@sbcode: Hey, don't hate the haters,
They fight for your freedoms,
Check this out 'US State Department Operation Viral Peace',
@Muskateering: 40 seconds in and this really made me cringe. Time to move on.
@juliettethecutie460: This song is like the best song ever👌😭💕
@RichardPriceElliott: You Clever, Clever Pie you are always good for an amused smirk.
@yelby: I like this song, however there is ONE thing that deeply annoyed me, in the last scenes her jacket wasn't symmetrical to the body!
@mari.s752 replies to @yelby: +yelby the jacket was symmetrical but her bustier being shifted about 12 cms to the right that gave it the illusion that it was not
@yelby replies to @yelby: Maritzah Siarvanaux Well whatever it is annoys me.
@maride95: I cant get over this song, adorable! haha :B
But where can we find more song from you?
@dazkiss9120: MICKEY SMITH <3
@cameronellis9235: I love this it talks about almost all types of haters and is wonderfully adorable. It reminds of cute Sucre macaroons with all of the colors or a 1950's soda shop. Charming!
@Anonymoussomeonenr1: This reminded me of the Grease-musical in school that I was in when I was 14! Teacher for that course was a thin teengirl only a few years older than us, with long blonde hair and big boobs. She looked like a teen Barbie-doll, but she was very flat as a teacher! She told me I played my chick-role WRONG and when I asked her what personality my character had then? she got quiet! Then she laughed and said she didn´t know WHAT personality my character had, only that it WASEN´T right the way I played it! Well thanks a lot then worthless teacher! I thought. I also remember she made us start the whole show again, from the beginning, EVERY TIME someone got their lines wrong! It was SO tiering and we never got to practice the end of the show, really. LOL. That show got really boring really fast! Hahaha..! Oh, the bad school-memories!
@Anonymoussomeonenr1 replies to @Anonymoussomeonenr1: And to clarify if it isen´t clear to everyone: This comment above wasen´t to hate on this video. It was for me to hate (a little) on the Memories I got, that got knocked up by my association. I´ve got loads of shit memories. LOL.
@EyesOnLinz: OMG OMG OMG This is so funny! And PERFECT!
(BTW...I've decided to move to England, where my humor would be appreciated)
@deyjay5: This is hilarious! Love it xoxo
@vaska1999: Brilliant! :-)))
@TeamWolves: "I love the way you don't upload things" - this line is so true x3 It happens aaaall the time!
@zlkimagenX: This maybe the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Good job.
@hikikhun6668: This is the most elaborated reply to a youtube troll comment. Quite fun :D
@Japorilogos: Why does this remind me so much of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
@AnneEliseMorrigan: Thank you! This is perfect.
@vaughangarrick: what does that make art and movie etc critics? They say the same things but nicely-what's the difference. I say " she can't act" whereas Roger Ebert will say " This is not her best performance, we've seen this too many times from her". This does not make you a hater. We are slowly turning into a dystopian society where freedom of thought and speech is being whittled away. Voltaire said if you want to know who rules you, then look at the people you cannot criticize.
@TeamWolves replies to @vaughangarrick: I think it's mostly talking about the threatening/aggressive comments and the things like that, which only have a brief mention, are probably referring to the people who put that on every video no matter how true or not it is. Also when critics do it they give reasons for why they think that which can be used as constructive criticism and so help the person improve.
@foxyproxy123 replies to @vaughangarrick: constructive criticism isn't being a hater. If you tell someone you don't think they can act that's fair enough. If you swear at them and tell them they're a waste of space and that something bad should happen to them then that's not... That's generally why people have a sense of discernment IRL.
@AndrewsAutoDetail: I came here from arcavious :D
@coolkidzclub3322 replies to @AndrewsAutoDetail: Me too
@priyanshubarnwal9938 replies to @AndrewsAutoDetail: Same!
@dieselreadsbooks7653: Yes. All the times, Yes!
@andressolo: I hope you get conquer, you beach! xD Thanks for this great song! I will surely make use of this link tens of times, as I am a forking immigrantic, bipolarish, non-monogamouse, vegagnostic, feminacious, egalitaristic piss off sheet :)
@JohnGoundry replies to @andressolo: HAH!
@Campology: Brillant :)
@amyphilpot: You wished me "cancar" ... you misspelled cancer!
@rubiksrox224: That one lady actually looked like ms piggy though
@andressolo replies to @rubiksrox224: I think she dressed like that to get comments like yours, just to illustrate the song, genius.
@rubiksrox224 replies to @rubiksrox224: I'm talking about the lady at 2:33. You can't even see what she is wearing, aside from the top of what appears to be some kind of black jacket. The shape of her head and voice kind do remind me of Ms. Piggy. I never said it was a bad thing. She's definitely not ugly. But I doubt she was doing it on purpose, 'genius'
@andressolo replies to @rubiksrox224: rubiksrox224 I didn't mind about who it was directed to. I understood it as a condescending comment, as it is very uncommon that someone points out the resemblance with Ms Piggy as a positive thing precisely. The particle "though" at the end reinforced my idea that it was not a comment of support towards what it was being said in the video.
Anyway, evidently, misunderstandings occur, and especially by writing, and doing so in short sentences and with people one doesn't know. So if my interpretation was far from your intention and your comment was just as saying that that woman had straight hair then please accept my apologies for my sarcasm.
@jonathanpartin9833: I don't say this as a hater:
I want to do Isabel. Because she's awesome.
@scotchf: Nice video. I visit it every once in a while to remind myself not to read viewers comments.
@AngelaLandis: Thank you Isabel for this absolute MASTERPIECE!!! I share it with all my haters :)
@mytinywetsuit: That was genuinely brilliant!
@deeplyconfused13: Hilarious.
@feminewbie: this was soo funny.
@lizb.4419: I love this song. And Helen Lederer really does remind me of Miss Piggy! And that is no insult!
@lowfro02: I've watched this video 6 times IN A ROW. All while dancing like an idiot in my room... Thx for that!
@Scripter555: I think I recognize that Gibbon from SKY NEWS!!!
@finalfansix: I think she is cute... :x
@fixati0n: You guys should make some new videos.
@fixati0n: Love it!
@omgitsfed: Anyone else pick up on the Irony of the "Don't feed the trolls" sign in the back?
@heuheueheueheueheuhu: She looks a lot like Zooey Dechanel.
@SuzufaDe: That Assclown stole your Laptop!
@クォーク核ダーク: In all honesty, responding to these types of People only encourages them. It's better to just completely ignore them all together.
@RichardPriceElliott: The message is clear. Trolls spewing invective are best met with laughter.
@conundrum11: excellent...simply brilliant ^_^
@heatherrae8487: Oh my, So many lovely darlings here! I do not know what the internet would be like without such absolutely uniquely insightful viewpoints.