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Open Arts Forum YouTube Channel

Will notices be posted on the daily email that a new youtube is up? Or do we need to visit the site on our own. I don't subscribe to a lot of youtube channels, so not sure exactly how that works. I find if I need to check on my own (meaning, not prompted via my email or a text), I forget and won't visit a site regularly.
 
I'm not a big one for AI generated art. Or writing. Narration seems OK, although there are a lot of talented voice-over artists who could do it (but might be hard to find and work with). My take. None-the-less, it's a cool idea to have the spoken word channel, and if AI is making it happen, I guess that's good.

OAF does have a lot of visual artists and photographers. I wonder if they should be invited to pair up with a writer to do things for the channel? Seems like we're sorta replacing the visual artist part. Anyway, thanks for continuing to build OAF and keep it moving along.
 
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Jay Dougherty said:
Please subscribe to the new Open Arts Forum YouTube channel. I'm going to be experimenting over the coming days and weeks with putting out audio readings of member works (with permission, of course)--and music and art, whatever works there. I've discovered an AI service that essentially produces audiobooks from texts, so I'll be using that, as it does a better job than I could myself.

https://www.youtube.com/@openartsforum

You can see a first attempt at this with Lance's "Peaceful World" story:

Click to expand...



I was expecting a more monotone audio with an AI but it's amazing how it comes across as with the right inflections, speed changes, pauses, and raising/lowering of a real persons speech patterns. Will be curuous how many hits they get. Feel free to use any of my Front Paged pieces to experiment with, for any others lyou might want to try let me know so I can see if I think they are ready for "print".
 
i’ve never subscribed to any YouTube channel

what does that involve qua privacy?

will it function if you use a VPN connection?

do you have to pay a fee ?

do they look into what you say
similar to the new AI program that is now
automatically included in Whatsaap ?
that is practically impossible to get rid of


i would be grateful for thoughts
and advice

smiles today from The Netherlands
silent lotus
.
 
Ann Kammerer said:
Will notices be posted on the daily email that a new youtube is up? Or do we need to visit the site on our own.
Click to expand...

I can't do that in an automated way, so far as I know. But it's easy to subscribe to a YouTube channel. Just click Subscribe. Then new stuff should show up in your feed. I'll think about how to notify members here directly.
 
Ann Kammerer said:
I'm not a big one for AI generated art. Or writing. Narration seems OK, although there are a lot of talented voice-over artists who could do it (but might be hard to find and work with).
Click to expand...

That's true, but this site has no budget for that kind of thing (not even for ElevenLabs, really), so this allows us to get additional exposure for the authors and artists here without someone having to do voice-over. I used to do voice-over myself, and it's real work, and honestly I couldn't even do it as well as the AI narration, especially now.
 
Jefferson Carter said:
Jay, I'd love you to re-create one of mine! Let me know what to do. XO
Click to expand...

Tell me which one, and if you want the narration to be in "your" voice, you have to give me an mp3 of you reading. Then ElevenLabs can use your voice. I did with Dan and Jenn (and myself); it's pretty amazing.
 
silent lotus said:
i’ve never subscribed to any YouTube channel

what does that involve qua privacy?
Click to expand...

You just navigate here and click Subscribe: OpenArtsForum - YouTube

As to privacy, well, you know how it goes: YouTube "learns" what you like, quickly enough, and starts feeding you similar stuff. It's actually a "service," if you view it that way, but of course this is how we all get into "silos" these days, so it has obvious downsides if your goal is to see what those who do not have your interests are into.
 
Tom Strong said:
I was expecting a more monotone audio with an AI but it's amazing how it comes across as with the right inflections, speed changes, pauses, and raising/lowering of a real persons speech patterns. Will be curuous how many hits they get. Feel free to use any of my Front Paged pieces to experiment with, for any others lyou might want to try let me know so I can see if I think they are ready for "print".
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was surprised, too. In fact, if it hadn't been pretty amazing out of the box, I wouldn't have pursued this. I'll have to start another thread on how to have AI use your own voice, if that's something you care about. I'm personally not a fan of my own voice, at least not reading poetry, but actually when AI uses my own voice, I like it better than when I do a reading myself.
 
Jay Dougherty said:
That's true, but this site has no budget for that kind of thing (not even for ElevenLabs, really), so this allows us to get additional exposure for the authors and artists here without someone having to do voice-over. I used to do voice-over myself, and it's real work, and honestly I couldn't even do it as well as the AI narration, especially now.
Click to expand...
Sounds like people like it. And yeah, voice over is a real skill. Thanks for all you do Jay.
 
Ann Kammerer said:
Will notices be posted on the daily email that a new youtube is up? Or do we need to visit the site on our own. I don't subscribe to a lot of youtube channels, so not sure exactly how that works. I find if I need to check on my own (meaning, not prompted via my email or a text), I forget and won't visit a site regularly.
Click to expand...

Right now you'll have to visit the site, but your notices idea is good, and I'm going to make figuring out how to do that or something similar a top priority.
 
Jay Dougherty said:
Right now you'll have to visit the site, but your notices idea is good, and I'm going to make figuring out how to do that or something similar a top priority.
Click to expand...
Thank you Jay. I'm going to make sure I visit and check out the videos. Hope you can figure that out. Things can be complex!
 
Ann Kammerer said:
I think some of you may be able to see this article--either as subscribers, or as one of those freebies some newspapers provide. I thought it was fun since we've been discussing poets reading their own works versus AI.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/...e_code=1.JFA.Xizt.ZEo1sd3FFKSL&smid=url-share
Click to expand...

I saw that and agree with it. I've always rolled my eyes at the "poetry voice" that seems to be taught (or learned, at least) in creative writing programs.
 
On this YouTube channel idea, I'm running into two issues: 1. Which pieces here to queue up to be "read" and 2. How to get permission from the writer without a lot of fuss. So both of these could be solved: If you have a piece of your own that you want to nominate for this YouTube experiment, let me know here. Also, this effort may be more trouble than it's worth. Jenn's "je parle Francais" has 41 views, the most of any of those posted, and that's probably because she told folks about it on some social media site.
 
Jay Dougherty said:
On this YouTube channel idea, I'm running into two issues: 1. Which pieces here to queue up to be "read" and 2. How to get permission from the writer without a lot of fuss. So both of these could be solved: If you have a piece of your own that you want to nominate for this YouTube experiment, let me know here. Also, this effort may be more trouble than it's worth. Jenn's "je parle Francais" has 41 views, the most of any of those posted, and that's probably because she told folks about it on some social media site.
Click to expand...


I’d like to hear this one of mine in an AI voice.

https://openartsforum.com/eulogy-to-a-mom-from-a-son/
 
Jay Dougherty said:
On this YouTube channel idea, I'm running into two issues: 1. Which pieces here to queue up to be "read" and 2. How to get permission from the writer without a lot of fuss. So both of these could be solved: If you have a piece of your own that you want to nominate for this YouTube experiment, let me know here. Also, this effort may be more trouble than it's worth. Jenn's "je parle Francais" has 41 views, the most of any of those posted, and that's probably because she told folks about it on some social media site.
Click to expand...
I would focus on long-term quality of content instead of using the number of raw views as a metric. That really doesn't matter at this early stage of building a following on YT. Focus on building a loyal audience that is interested in this specific idea. After all, it's poetry. You have to be patient and understand there is relatively limited interest in the subject, compared to the universe of YouTube. Most YT viewers are not looking for this type of content.

But, you never know. For example, I posted a single, relatively rare early 1970s Ralph McTell vinyl album I had in my personal library on my YT Channel in 2019. It now has 33,500 views. And a second rare album I posted about the same time by Jean Ritchie (1979) now has 22,600 views. Even though they surprised me, these numbers are nothing compare to what you will find for other videos on YT of course.

I think you need to "market" the Channel with some description about exactly what it is your are trying to accomplish with the channel. You have to be very upfront that the narrative is AI and why you are doing it. It can't just ride on the videos themselves. There has to be a greater purpose behind the Channel. It you focus on the quality and specific purpose of the channel, I am confident you will see a large number of views over time. (As far as I understand it, YT "views" are unique views, not repeats.)
 
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Raymond Huffman said:
I would focus on long-term quality of content instead of using the number of raw views as a metric. That really doesn't matter at this early stage of building a following on YT.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, Ray. My philosophy is that first and foremost it has to be fun and gratifying for all involved. If that happens, the rest will follow, and if "the rest" doesn't, that's okay, too.

Here's a stickky thread to tell folks how to request that their work be read:

https://openartsforum.com/forum/donations/site-support-for-2026.9/campaign
 
If someone wants a female voice to read their poem out loud, I am happy to do so, and I'll try to do it right.

I have a background in theatre, have been paid to do voicemails for companies ( though I understand that is very different then a poem) and take directions fairly well, and am critical of sounding too 'performy'.
 
Nathalie Spaans said:
If someone wants a female voice to read their poem out loud, I am happy to do so, and I'll try to do it right.

I have a background in theatre, have been paid to do voicemails for companies ( though I understand that is very different then a poem) and take directions fairly well, and am critical of sounding too 'performy'.
Click to expand...

Very nice of you to offer this, Nathalie. Have to figure out how to get the word out, as your offer will be lost in this thread, I'm afraid.
 
Nathalie Spaans said:
Thanks, and ah dang, yeah, maybe in member notifications?
To note: I'd like to help with my voice as is, not Ai.
Click to expand...

That would be a good place. Would you like to start a thread? Probably best coming from you, since you'll need to direct the inquiries, and I would just be a middle man.
 
Jefferson Carter said:
Jay, I'd love you to re-create one of mine! Let me know what to do. XO
Click to expand...

I need 3 things:

1. Which poem you'd like to start with (let's start with just 1).
2. Whether it's okay for me to pick an AI voice to read it.
3. If the answer to #2 is no, then can you upload either (1) an mp3 of you reading the work or (2) an upload of you reading any work so that I can have our Eleven Labs account recreate your voice and then read that poem and any others you would like to have read.

If you don't care for your own voice, then the clear choice is probably #2.
If you do like your voice, I'd consider having us create an "AI print" of your voice so that you don't have to read each poem anew. I've been impressed enough with Eleven Labs' ability to recreat my own voice and apply it to any number of things (well) that I have no hesitation in recommending this approach.
 
Raymond Huffman said:
I would focus on long-term quality of content instead of using the number of raw views as a metric. That really doesn't matter at this early stage of building a following on YT. Focus on building a loyal audience that is interested in this specific idea. After all, it's poetry. You have to be patient and understand there is relatively limited interest in the subject, compared to the universe of YouTube. Most YT viewers are not looking for this type of content.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. I'm not really interested in raw views. I probably should be because I owe it to the members here to try to get their work maximum exposure. But it's a lot of effort to try to generate views, and the return can sometimes be troublesome--attracting the wrong type of people. So organic growth I've found to be the best. And you're right: patience for that is the key.
 
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