In an effort to pander to musicians more effectively, YouTube has recently unveiled a tool called “Music Insights” that allows artists to see much more than just how many people view their videos. Now, musicians can access a myriad of statistics, allowing them to see where their videos are viewed, what videos are the most popular, and whether their top songs have been uploaded and reproduced in fan videos.

“Music Insights” allows an artist to choose where to tour more most efficiently. By pinpointing where fans watch their videos, artists can more easily choose which cities to play, and which to leave aside. This also allows artists to choose which radio stations should pitch their songs, as well as the songs to market as singles. Not only that, but the new tool displays the number of fans who have posted their own videos using an artist’s song as the soundtrack. Now, musicians can account for all the lyric videos and spin-off music videos fans are so keen on making.

Ultimately, YouTube hopes that “Music Insights” will make artists cleave to its gigantic mass, rather than using smaller music providers like Spotify and Pandora to reach listeners. A deluge of data, localizing the strength an artist’s fan base, will let musicians more effectively tour and manage their popularity.

Source via Tech Crunch.