I think I’d approach it from two different angles: my own preferences and from that of the platform itself.

As far as making the changes you listed, I think all of that makes sense, and it’s nice to have things thoughtfully grouped and sorted. I think a profile picture looking into the camera and cropped to just show you and the violin might be more engaging, but that’s not a major point. If you’re looking to set up an archive of tunes for people to explore, this seems like a good layout. I would say that the majority of the categories are Old-Time specific, and having only one to cover the rest of the global fiddle repertoire seems more like the real focus is Old Time, but if you’re going to add categories later, that could change and the page could gradually become more of a global survey. You could promote the idea that Old Time has become a globally represented form, especially as a player in a country that’s not usually associated with that genre. It seems to me that your references to fiddling around the world are to other fiddling genres, though, so that puts a lot of styles under one single heading. If your focus is Old Time, that makes more sense, but I might then suggest slightly modifying the text to reflect that.

The other part is YouTube itself, though. I hear constantly from people who want to optimize their channels that so much relies on finding ways to entice people into watching long form videos. This can mean making shorts that show snippets as advertisements of the full-length videos or it can mean carefully selecting titles or thumbnails that score well with the algorithms. While YouTube was originally a virtual community center for people to share their projects, it has become more and more of a marketplace to replace television with its blend of content and commercials. To be visible, you have to play the game that the platform uses. As one YouTuber put it, total views aren’t really very meaningful, it’s really all down to the number of people watching the long form videos. Shorts are viewed a lot, but they’re monetized differently, and you’re likely to burn out if you try to put out tons of shorts. If there aren’t any, people are less likely to test the waters—a short is a lot less commitment for an uncertain viewer, so it’s easier to try out. It’s a bit like movie previews.

I realize that being monetized is likely not your focus, but I think it’s important to keep in mind that YouTube is a commercial platform now, so if you’re not heading in that direction, your channel is less likely to get lots of viewership outside of the circle of people who you already have. Over time that can be demoralizing as you see subscriber numbers drop or a lack of increase. I think that average subscribers tend to look for what’s most recent rather than exploring archives. That means those who use the channel as you hope will likely be a very small number. Platforms like YouTube are fickle. If you can accept that and view it as a personal passion project and you value it for the meaning you derive from adding to it, then you have a better chance of satisfaction. If it’s a goal to make a channel that fares well on the platform according to its metrics, you may need to embrace a very different approach to fit the algorithms.

There was a time when YouTube felt like a place to go to find all kinds of eclectic things. A good amount is still available there, but more and more has been moved behind a paywall.

Quincy,
I think it looks good and easy to navigate.
You've got many more views per video than me. That tells me, you don't need my opinion.
As far as 'shorts:' Shorts aren't all that short, three minutes or less. Most Fiddle tune examples are three minutes or less. If you don't like the "portrait" look, that's fine. I did notice if I post the same tune as a short and a regular, the short get far more views. Shorts are promoted differently. I have both, because some of my vids are longer than three minutes. (Building loops)
You're doing fine!

Hi Anja,
it’s very nicely organized!

Your header and profile pic is funny and cute and reflects your love of dogs… my only concern is that it might look more like kids’ content? … but, I personally like it! :-)

Sorry guys,I shouldn't be posting without my reading glasses on ... but thanks for reading through the topic and for the responses!
I have no commercial goals at all, just want to share my playing and draw attention to my favorite tutorials and artists (two playlists that will be completed in future), for those who feel inspired to also pick up the fiddle.