How do Dancers make it on Youtube?

[Bicente]

So we all know that there are loads of talented dancers out there, and a lot of them are on youtube.

I've always wondered... given that a lot of their performances (be it freestyle or choreography) are to copyrighted music, are they even able to monetize any of their videos..? Is there some kind of work-around?

 

[Wreckless Eating]

Not sure if it's the same for everyone, but I can fill you in on how Kyle Hanagami does it since he was in our lab. He has to use recent/relevant Top 40 hits since he uses his YouTube videos to get hired by major artists. Most of the time, he just lives with the copyright notice and the record label will run ads on his videos. Since he doesn't depend on YouTube to make a living, it's pretty much a trade off. He makes nearly nothing from YouTube because record labels claim most of his videos, but his videos showcase his skills which enables him to get hired.

 

[Bicente]

Hmmm, gotcha. Well that's kind of a shame (that he doesn't get much from youtube itself) because there are definitely a lot of dancers--Kyle Hanagami included--who produce some ridiculously good/well-edited dance videos.