I think music videos are good and shows a better expression of your art , better to keep the budget as low as possible , if you can afford it do a music video, people make money from UA-cam from their videos so it’s not bad really.
Your are wrong in one very specific way. If you learn how to optimize your marketing to build the SEO for each lyric in your song and you drive that authority to the music video. Then you will get 4-10X multiple on your ad spend.
@@aaronjjacques so are you saying that if you can seo the text in the video you can maximise the money you spend on pushing the video that didn’t get any organic reach?
@DamianKeyes no I am saying you could make some very minor changes to you existing marketing to build authority for a keyword phrase. Then you could pass that authority to the music video (which because of the nature of longer watch times will hold that authority).
If its just a way to express yourself, why do you release them? Just shoot them and watch them on your computer by yourself. The reason behind releasing them is for validation, appreciation and engagement, which in today's world is very hard to get for a budding artist. So, lets be real my friend.
But I think that’s because your videos are very well made and, like Damian says, viral-worthy and shareable. It kind of has more value than what one would perhaps get from the standard music video
All great points- respect. Here are my reasons FOR music videos: A. It basically says "Hey look at us, we're pros!" and looks good for festival promoters and booking agents. B. It's a great way to establish a brand for the band. C. THEN it gives you a bunch of professional footage to cut down for short form content (which we admittedly slack on).
Love this - very true. It all comes down to your aims and goals and what you’re using it for. If you’re using it to then make more from it and the live show works for you, then that’s a good use for sure
I write a lot of sad songs and doing music videos is fun, but it is a chore. I find that it's my way of expressing trauma and somewhat cathartic. I used to get upset because I wasn't getting many views but now have chosen to keep doing them for myself. Great advice and thanks for sharing it.
I support you. I think music/videos should help someone express something, not be a means to an end or a way to get attention/money. If that was the case we might as well get a normal job to make money. We do music for other motives.
I am so happy you stumbled onto my page because what I just listened too was absolutely stunning. Reach is spectacular. I love new music and your masterpiece is tranquil and thought provoking. You remind me of one of my favorite bands Pink Floyd. I absolutely loved this and the message behind it. Also, the AI art is a treasure as well. I am sure your friends were so touched by your heartfelt gesture, and I believe that is just a beautiful thing to help someone else chip away at the painful emotions their hearts must be feeling. AMAZING...@@15thBend
The solution: don't expect to make a lot of money with your art. That's a shot in the dark. Just do it because it means something to you. Every society has had art and music. It's part of our cultural heritage. It's not just a business.
I get the point, but music videos are an artform in itself and can really elivate the meaning of a song or add meaning to it. I'd hate to see music videos disappear entirely. Of course a band just playing the song with some cool camerawork doesn't add too much, but there are lots of music videos that make songs so much more special.
Agreed! This is more about the best use of energy, depending what your goals are 😊😊 if you’re trying to make art and that’s the goal, 100%! If you’re trying to get a record deal, might be the smartest play to get the attention
I totally agree with that! I understand that a UA-cam video does not have any impact in terms of getting more reach. In my opinion it is nevertheless something that is nice to watch by those who are already fans of a band. I gives them something back. So it does not make the community of fans growing, but it potentially makes the existing community more committed to the band.
@@officialWWMlol! Yes all deals are bad, unless you have massive leverage in a large growing fan base, proof of sales and streams and following etc. and even then, you run the risk of being shelved if they have an artist similar to you they are investing heavily in, which they ALWAYS neglect to reveal before you sign. This happens an insane amount of times. Getting shelved can ruin your life… Record deals are fucking bad.
I enjoy creating videos for all my songs, this is how I consider them a complete work. It's not about being the most efficient, that's simply my vision for my project. As a bonus, the music video can be repurposed to make shorts/reels/tik tok, and used for the Spotify Canvas.
I agree! I went to your YT page and checked out Essence of Time, I love the style of music you write and I love when guitarists film themselves playing the song. It adds so much to it in my opinion.
@@chosendebbie Yes, Damian makes a good point if you're going for the most efficient way to use your time and resources. It's a matter of priority I suppose.
Solid advice as always, Damien. I think the music video should now be seen as more of an extension of the artist’s self expression than a marketing tool. It creates a deeper connection with the viewer/listener. Videos on TikTok are the better marketing tool, but they also create another problem which is an abundance of boring mediocre content on social media. If an artist’s song is not strong enough, it doesn’t matter whether they make a music video or 100s of TikToks around it. We need more quality rather than quantity.
Quality is subjective. Someone could like messy grungy rock and another could like crystal clean sounding solos. I agree with your point that making micro content just adds more noise in the world but I think it's just about effectively expressing what you want and attracting who resonates with it.
Albums and music videos these days are more of a personal passion project than entertainment. What I mean is, investing time into another local artist's work is more like a mundane task than actually being entertained. I've never seen any low tier music video where it really added anything to the song. So, I feel like a local live show is a much better way to arrest people's attention. If I see a good hole in the wall performance, I remember that experience and the band. I rarely remember the actual music.
But also look at this from the perspective of happening upon the music of an artist who's NOT local to you - a music video is an excellent way for an artist to really put their brand out on their sleeve. A picture like you'd find in an Insta post speaks a thousand words, but then a video is a thousand pictures, intentionally (hopefully anyway) meant to accompany their music play-by-play. It's one of my favorite resources for seeing anyone's intention with their brand, even if it is super low-budget, because if they're someone I have never heard of and stand no chance of seeing live anytime soon, that becomes the way I will associate something ocular to who/what I'm hearing.
@@codyknapp3003 true but how do people find it? If you spending money for people to accidentally stumble across it, there are better ways. For me the question is: what do you want to happen with the video?
I’m glad to hear this. I spend hours writing, recording and producing my music. One of the reasons I delay releasing my music is because I hate making videos!
if you can do it diy it's worth it. You get so much content out of it. the actual video to feed the people that are really into you, bts of the shoot. and bloopers/outtakes you can make as tiktok or whatever and if you're really efficient, do a photoshoot there.
100 % agree. Build a story around the song and make little videos about it: Whats about the lyrics. Who wrote it. What is our motivation etc ... Dont sell the song, sell the emotion. BTW, great chanel, love it since 6 years. Geat work Damian, THANK YOU !!! :) and best wishes from switzerland. rockON
The shame of that is, it takes a bit of the artistry out of it, because you're telling your listeners how to interpret your songs instead of leaving the personal interpretation up to them
I totally understand the points in the video, very informative. Making mini music video tik toks, ig reels, and shorts is more efficient for discovery. On the other hand for some people making music videos has its own inherent value. I say, why not both? I guess it depends on the goals of the artist.
I agree! I like your Happy Misery music video btw! It feels very genuine and authentic. I feel like by adding a video element the song is so much more interesting
@@Michael.diestra thank you for checking it out! I’m glad you think it’s genuine and authentic, it came from a real place. We all have our doubts in life, but as long as we remember the love we have for ourselves and others, we realize that they’re just bad thoughts that have no merit. The song really helped me heal, and I hope it can help heal others too.
@@DamianKeyes - that's how I make my videos as a DIY punk/alternative artist - smartphone, editing program and filters/aftereffects, the cartoonish aesthetics has became my main brand over the years (I actually use these to cover up the quality of raw material I use) - ua-cam.com/play/PLV-mbL64Ed0BiQQ-SZ44isJ3MEMZzVDfD.html&si=yICae7-APejbn--e
I know - Punk rock is a niche market, especially in a country with 1,3 million population (I'm an Estonian singing in Estonian), besides I don't bother with marketing almost at all nor are we playing live to gain the audience. My band is my little art project that I started as a music therapy project during my dark depression years. Our biggest song so far, a minor radio hit in Estonia "Hipsterid öö" (Hipsters in the Night) got video made of old low resolution aftermovies ripped from the UA-cam of the discos for emo kids that our bassplayer used to organise ten years ago.
Some good points about the need to market your video, and which platforms are easier vs harder. One thing I also told the artists I have worked with, that I was recording or producing (original definition, not the current definition) I would tell them that they needed to budget at least 3-5x above their recording costs for the marketing. Those that followed my advice, built up an audience quickly, and made money.
We just started producing our first music video. That's so ironic. I always take your advice in consideration. Now I find myself lending cameras and cutting it all myself and you tell me we won't get any eyes on it. You've said that the long form videos are dying before, but we were kind of forced to do it. At least it's a ton of fun. Have a nice time and thank you.
Thanks so much, there are still positives to music videos. They are still assets and still art to be proud of. Most importantly they are indeed a lot of fun 😊😊
Cheap, disposable crap will get you attention. At that point, you will be a professional cheap, disposable crap creator. It's good to be aware of the fact that the world only wants cheap, disposable crap, and to be aware of what will and will not make you king of it. But... if you got into this to make high quality, long lasting art, you will be disappointed to realize you hopped on the wrong train. That doesn't mean you're better off broke and anonymous. Or does it? Only you can answer that for yourself. Maybe you can do both, but if you leave the art, the creativity, the ambition sitting in a box for too long, it will be fatally compromised when you pull it out. So make the f***ing video. Then the fruits of your discovery mongering will have something to keep them around.
I think you are mainly right, especially for the indie artist like myself. I was thinking the same few days ago.. If someone wants to be heard, he/her, should focus more on streaming, not both, cause it will lead to dispersion, defocusing from the goal, which is- being heard. At the moment when you generate appropriate amount of streamings, go for it, relase the video, as a new push. Think what you want more, get more streamings or views.
This 8:49 As an independent artist I usually make Travis Scott level videos, with special effects,3d renders, storyline… and get 500-600€ per music video So it’s not dead, just makes something that not everyone with a phone can make
I was kinda sad seeing this title cuz I really do value your opinion. I do think video production is no longer the most efficient way of expanding your brand but I don’t think it’s yet dead though.
Really appreciate that thank you. Always despite the fact that music videos aren’t giving as much free reach as they once did they are still art and fun and something you will look back on in years to come with a smile 😊
I mean its a good point but not great advice. A beautiful music video is still a great piece of content that you can chop up into 10 or more different posts in addition to your more spontaneous/organic efforts at making shorter videos. Yeah its expensive but if you're a professional its a worthwhile investment and an official way to historically mark where/who you were when that song was released. If you are serious about being a music artist, there is no reason to not release an official video (preferably a professional one) for a single you wish to promote heavily. Saying no one will see it is a cop out, I still discover videos from decades ago on the daily and am instantly intrigued by the people who made the song. Its a great feeling to have loved a song for awhile and finally discover it has a music video, whether its amazing or not.
@@DamianKeyes Indeed...Thru my music journey music fans don't respond to music spectacles anymore..at least in music video performing live is a different story,but unless your a Chris Brown or Usher music fans don't respond.. I mean look at Beyonce she has not put out a performance videos to her new music she only put out mash ups(past perfomance videos) or lyric videos .I do think spectacle and performance in music videos Died with MJ...its a harsh way of putting it but the fact is a harsh realization...Love your videos keep up the good work♍
I LOVE to make my own music videos. I get creative enough to where I don’t pay much for them. That’s where I find most of the fun. Improvising and more creative work. I just hire someone to film, or have a family member help and I will direct them on what to do. I also have to buy or make outfits and props, but I’ve never paid more than 500 on one video, and everyone that has watched my videos, are always shocked that I did them myself and that they’re not professionally done. I had two larger labels this year approach me, and they were blown away that I do everything myself. I was told my production is actually really well done. My music needs some adjustments in the mixing area, cause I’m still learning how to mix and master as I grow, but I’m slowly getting there. I actually very much enjoy music videos to this day. I spend hours watching music videos on UA-cam. It allows you to get to know the artist better. They’re very important to a music career.
I find this new world of over saturated bite-size content extremely mediocre and nauseating. It took you almost 10 minutes to make your point (which I appreciate), some people feel the same way about their music.
I had this discussion with one of my bands recently. We don’t have much money and our singer wants a music video for “content”…. Which seems to me like not a lot of return for your investment. Especially when there isn’t much of an audience for it. The whole thing won’t go on TikTok or insta and no one is watching our UA-cam…so who’s it for?
This is totally it in my perspective. You work hard to put that into your music and when you’re building your audience, is it the best strategy or can it be utilised elsewhere - I feel they’re great for labels as they do showcase an artist well and they’ll push it, but tbh all labels care about right now is TikTok anyway, so best used to build that!
@@DamianKeyesliterally created a TikTok for a new band of mine about an hour before seeing this vid…based on advice from you and a few other UA-camrs I’ve seen. At the very least: more eyes on you are more eyes on you, it costs nothing to post there so it’s all upside as far as I’m concerned.
I agree. People want to see and connect with the artist on a personal level. That human connection is achievable through visibility. Damian does have a point though most people do stream and never follow up with trying to watch that video so less focus should be on video production but I still think they’re far from dead.
Most of the bands /artists/ musicians I listen to now I discovered through their music videos. Then again, I don't listen to pop music as much as I use to. You have very valid points, but i don't think the music video will go away anytime soon.
You are soo right been struggling with this but like in yo other video for a song better to make content out it by making like 30 content videos. N building a community instead
Makes complete sense to me. My daughter is in the process of recording songs. I am helping her with the marketing side. I have no experience in it but I have copious amounts of time. This has changed my perspective. We will still make a music video, but will edit it to short clips on the phone screen ratio and post each to TikTok and Instagram. Thank you.
Chill beats to " blah blah blah" videos have more views than any music videos combined that I can think of from new artists that dont have corporate backing. There's also cases where a video which only has the album cover art has more views than the overproduced official music video from many artists even corporate "artists"/products. Its 100% true to say that over budget, over the top, movie like music videos are dead and kinda pointless these days, especially from a low fan base low level non corporate backed artists.
I think the kind of music you produce is probably a factor too. There's not much point being pushed out to a million people if you are a punk band, and your watchers are into Adele or R&B, because few of them will watch. I think it does massively make sense to use all available platforms though. If you do an MV, also make a short 'teaser' version of the MV and have it a short, or multiple shorts, as well as on tik-tok and instagram and other social media. I mainly follow very small bands, and occasionally you'll see a band on youtube with just one of two videos, hardly any subscribers, and thousands of views, and it makes me suspect they are paying for views.
💯 on point with this. Every time we have made a video thinking it could just go viral we have been very dissapointed. Its no ones fault theres just so much out there to be distracted by. The only good thing about it is that committed music fans will continue to seek out new music. Our strategy now is to make a video as low cost as possible and use the savings and invest into promotion. But even then it feels pointless when you only have a budget of a couple hundred dollars. We all have to be content machines to get noticed now and thats just the way the world is. We have to adapt if we want to continue. Artists out there keep workin hard.
Appreciate all the advice Mate. I’ve taken on your advice of pushing TikTok to find that I’m mostly trolled by teenage hero keyboard warriors with no face pics and private accounts. Thoughts?
the thing is tons of music being release. when comes to ground level music videos are way to stand out form the crowd. if you are pro then does not help. I seen some times artist get like 1000 times more views on music video than just one with a thumb nail.
Normally agree with everything you say, but totally disagree on this one. Music videos have provided us with YEARS of repurposed social media content, re-engagement, awards, bookings, and more. The only adjustment we've made is cutting production costs.
MTV plays no music videos, and quite frankly, I'm surprised it took the VMAs to dwindle that long. MTV, just as the Rock Hall, and the current RIAA charts are meaningless. TikTok is horrendous. Having said that, you can still upload a music video to TikTok. Oh, the irony. Just fil a music and break it up for "TikTok". But you still have the full length lol
Sounds like musicians should make music videos that they want and then promote the song AND the video with a ton of smaller videos on TikTok... win, win, win
You're on the money as always, and you sure know how to make people salty haha. I still have literally zero idea how one goes about making so many of those naff mini videos, and I've watched all your videos on it (and a great video by Taetro). I can't even get a decent flat black background for photos without having to do a whole bunch of editing, so figuring out how to shoot a solo film clip boggles my mind... it's all so time consuming, waaaaah 😭🤦🤣
I've said the exact same. Either you're going to spend a ton of money, or a ton of time, when that can be focused on other simple (and more valuable) content!
big artists and labeled artists r paying for views on UA-cam? They still get really high engagement - high comment rate + high like rate. When I or my colleagues buy views on UA-cam, it's 50k - 70k views and 1 comment and 10 likes. What are they doing differently?
I have never made any MV yet so my perspective might be naive but hear me out. MVs are still important, i'm a rapper so if I make hardcore rap stuff i don't really care about a music video, but when i make a rap or a club type banger i think a good video can elevate the aesthetics of the song a lot. MVs also give me a power to kinda assert my views or my stories for a particular track by hiring actors or making a story board for the track maybe. again this is just what i think.
I think there's a lost-in-translation scenario here. Damian is speaking marketing but the comment section is speaking art. As artists, of course we're gonna defend music videos; it's part of our artistic expression and package. But this video is about marketing, not art, and it makes a good argument.
90% agree…. I follow a lot of bands… like a lot. As a music lover, I could care less about videos. I virtually never watch a bands video for a song. Now the exception is social media. A music video can be a great content release to keep your band relevant to fans. And TikTok… this is where your video can convert.
The phrase "Pay to play," with reference to the music industry, does not mean Play as in "play the game," (i.e., an entry fee of sorts, often surreptitious or illegal, which merely grants Access to markets, etc., as the phrase is now used to describe certain business and/or political arrangements). A synonym for music industry Payola (which Became illegal, but never went away), "Pay to play" always meant "Pay to play the Record on the Radio," and then, of course, the concept expanded to include videos played on MTV and other outlets. In this sense, Pay to Play has always meant "pay to Win." It simply denotes a bribe to ensure a guaranteed to shortcut to probable success.
What's the thing I do on Tik Tok in order to get discovery then?? You only said I need to do Tik Tok to get discovery but what Tik Tok things should I do? Also how do I make and maximise my conversions to Spotify... because I understand from what you are saying that Spotify is what I really need to be doing the most. I think this sounds like great news as I'm sick of putting so much time and effort into making music video's when I want to focus on the music but I'm not sure from what you are saying on how to go forward with this. Do I just need to tell them I've made some fantastic new music somehow?
We really need a platform for artists and listeners that’s music/music videos only and is free from an algorithm. No matter who you are, what you do, posting content on UA-cam and trying to get it discovered has become a job itself. And Spotify is in bed with labels so of course an unknown artist isn’t getting playlisted or easily discovered. That was the beauty of SoundCloud. It was art free from the puppet strings of the industry. UA-cam and music streaming was supposed to free us of the hands of big corporations. And it’s come full circle where they have more control now than ever.
Well, to be honest, I do lighting and camera work on music videos and well, I didn't have spotify until 2 months ago. Since I am over 40, I don't use instagram or tik tok when looking for music....I use UA-cam. I rarely watch the lazy lyric videos but instead watch music videos. You see, I think the problem is that the outlets to watch music videos... sucks. There are no music video channels in the US any more because VH1 & MTV plays horrible reality shows and Ridiculousness instead of actual music. People like myself need to seek these out, like and comment so it plays them again when I want to listen and watch. The idea of recording more songs instead of doing a music video is great if one has a backlog of songs but when one wants to promote one song, putting the attention into a music video as not a bad idea. The Dirty Heads average about $1,000 per music video and they get thousands of hits on every video, places like Sugar Shack get bands attention with their backyard performance videos so in theory you are sort of right but when you take into account Gen-X-ers that love music videos, telling musicisans not to make music videos will get far less attention from people over 45 years old
But it isn’t all about discovery. There’s also making art, and leaving a legacy other than a cheap tiktok. There’s feeding true fans and so maybe word of mouth.
Spotify are about to change everything. It’s coming, Spotify HiFi, Spotify Video & Spotify Social Media is coming , all together on one platform. It will have high res sound like Apple Lossless, music videos like UA-cam, Short clips like TikTok, Social followers photos & comments like Instagram.. all in one place. Spotify
Its crazy, we thought the same thing until we had a single take off and the video got 2.2 million views in less than a year. That in tandem with youtube music has led to a monthly 1-2k payout. 😮 But the likelihood of that is pretty low. It was more of a freak accident but now we kind of have a quality bar to hopefully replicate even half of that in the future. Love the content man. Been a fan for awhile. It is cool to cut up a nice video to throw up on TikTok btw. But if that is 100 percent your goal, you dont need to spend 5000+ for a video if the song is really good and you can market it to a niche audience.
That’s awesome that happened!! When the song lands, you tend to find everything across the board does well! For me it always comes down to what you want to do vs what you want to happen, and different artists will have different goals. Appreciate you watching the channel and keep smashing it 😊
Shoot em for cheap and make some cool visuals to clip into short form content. Make visuals that capture the songs essence or theme. Don't break the bank and use it like a commercial for your music
I don't think the music video is dead. I agree that you're not going to get millions and millions of views, your not going to blow up JUST because your video is really cool either. It's more like the music video has become a tool. It's something great to put in your EPK. If you want to pitch your new single to reviewers and reaction channels, it's going to be a lot easier to catch their attention if they have something better to watch than just a still shot of your album art for 3-5 minutes.
A key aspect is that music videos used to build your audience, where as now it's more of a novelty because there are cheaper and more effective ways of building your audience online.
I've done a couple that are more like guitar playthroughs than anything (no massive visuals) and after realising that more people go to Spotify, music videos are a 'nice to have' that I do for fun and to challenge myself. This video solidified that the low views aren't just me and that I'll put music and more interactive video content/reels first
I think it all comes down to what you do vs what you want to happen. When you keep that at the front of your mind with everything you do, making these decisions becomes easier because you’re working towards the outcome
The biggest thing you need to ask yourself about your alleged music “career” is what percentage of time is spent watching videos like this versus actually making music or videos. For me, personally, it’s been weighted tooooooooooo much toward UA-cam. Making a single music video will help your creativity more than watching 100 videos on UA-cam. Are you a musician / producer, or are you a fan of music production and people who talk about it on UA-cam?
Great point about having to wade through a million cheap videos today to find anything of quality... but this is just a CONTINUATION of what the music business has been doing by having cheap end labels and bands getting through the NON-FILTERED entry points of the business. It used to be that you couldn't even get a booking for a band in any local clubs unless a certain agent liked you enough to put your name forward, and once he did that, the others wanted you for their clubs and venues. Those agents disappeared and bands became their own agents, and the venues started booking on PRICE rather than quality or any sort of professional recommendation. This period feels the same, with not nearly enough quality control in place... any other industry would be closed down operating in such a shoddy way. As for making videos, I think that bands who earn more from playing live, rather than from sale of recordings, need to promote themselves to bookers, and with the new breed of bookers in their twenties, they are looking for FAMILIARITY which comes from seeing the videos THEY grew up with, not what today is doing.... that will change in ten years though when the next batch of bookers comes through the system, since the hospitality industry usually hires younger to save on the wages of experience. The VIDEO is crucial to reach the booker today, and it is also DESIRABLE for bands who always have a certain amount of ego to be stroked anyway, so the video will be around for a while yet... maybe just the USE of such video that may change.
In my experience ppl want to see the music video first and then that drives them to the song. Even if they see the reels/stories/tik toks/shorts etc. first they go hunting for the full video and then the song.
As mentioned before, the title of the video should have been “Stop making music videos to get discovered”. You have a good point on the promotion using TikTok and IG but I think you try to throw music videos/UA-cam under the bus just to make a stronger case for social media. For example, you mention the amount of hours that are uploaded every minute on UA-cam but think about the amount of content that is uploaded on TikTok. I also believe that for those playing the long game, music video will always win. Many times people will find a new band due to a music video that was published decades ago, while TikTok/social media content gets old and irrelevant super fast. In that sense, Gary V. has a solid approach to content creation, in which he produces for UA-cam and then cuts it and contextualize it for other platforms with better reach. Sorry, but also another point that you miss out is that just a very small fraction of musicians actually make money with streams, while most artists/bands make a living selling merch, which are dependent on the brand’s strength. In music videos you have a far better chance to strengthen your brand than shorts, because they are far more immersive.
I would contend that one of the reasons that watching habits changed between 2011 and 2021 has to do with the culture's outlook on the entertainment industry in general. People aren't watching hardly any award shows anymore because they are sick of what the entertainment industry has become. Just look at the statistics of when they release a G rated movie versus releasing a movie that is not appropriate for younger audiences. The G rated movie will annihilate the other movies at the box office but that's not the kind of movie Hollywood likes to make. Older audiences don't want to see a lot of what's out there so they've stopped watching all together. This is just a little slice of the big picture but still worth mentioning.
![Socials Are Sabotaging Your Music Release [trigger warning]](/img/n.gif)
So... What do you think? Am I right, or very very wrong? ⚠
I think music videos are good and shows a better expression of your art , better to keep the budget as low as possible , if you can afford it do a music video, people make money from UA-cam from their videos so it’s not bad really.
Plus your competition is … Pixelated flesh. 😅
Your are wrong in one very specific way. If you learn how to optimize your marketing to build the SEO for each lyric in your song and you drive that authority to the music video. Then you will get 4-10X multiple on your ad spend.
@@aaronjjacques so are you saying that if you can seo the text in the video you can maximise the money you spend on pushing the video that didn’t get any organic reach?
@DamianKeyes no I am saying you could make some very minor changes to you existing marketing to build authority for a keyword phrase. Then you could pass that authority to the music video (which because of the nature of longer watch times will hold that authority).
Nah I think music videos are still important, I don't care if anyone likes them or if anyone watches them. They are just a way to express myself
If its just a way to express yourself, why do you release them? Just shoot them and watch them on your computer by yourself.
The reason behind releasing them is for validation, appreciation and engagement, which in today's world is very hard to get for a budding artist.
So, lets be real my friend.
No more validation, pop yo shit
Then great, keep making them for you... no-one is saying that isn't valid, just don't expect anything more than that...
Alright :D@@TheEndless560
Why not?
Maybe others like it, that's why I'm sharing it, but I'm not hoping for success or anything like that
@@mrkewlgai1
Our music videos do very well. We do not pay to promote them. We use UA-cam to promote our content on Spotify.
But I think that’s because your videos are very well made and, like Damian says, viral-worthy and shareable. It kind of has more value than what one would perhaps get from the standard music video
everybody loves a good music video. Its a band's branding.
All great points- respect. Here are my reasons FOR music videos: A. It basically says "Hey look at us, we're pros!" and looks good for festival promoters and booking agents. B. It's a great way to establish a brand for the band. C. THEN it gives you a bunch of professional footage to cut down for short form content (which we admittedly slack on).
Love this - very true. It all comes down to your aims and goals and what you’re using it for. If you’re using it to then make more from it and the live show works for you, then that’s a good use for sure
great points！may I ask your average budget for one single music video？
@@honeybadgerdavid663personally 500€ to 600€ not much but something
Arguably though, if you have 50k followers on tik tok a booking agent will forget you don't have a singular video of course ..
I write a lot of sad songs and doing music videos is fun, but it is a chore. I find that it's my way of expressing trauma and somewhat cathartic. I used to get upset because I wasn't getting many views but now have chosen to keep doing them for myself. Great advice and thanks for sharing it.
I support you. I think music/videos should help someone express something, not be a means to an end or a way to get attention/money. If that was the case we might as well get a normal job to make money. We do music for other motives.
I wholeheartedly agree and i do the same...if mobody wants to watch it, sure...but it is something that goes hand in hand with my music ❤️
I am so happy you stumbled onto my page because what I just listened too was absolutely stunning. Reach is spectacular. I love new music and your masterpiece is tranquil and thought provoking. You remind me of one of my favorite bands Pink Floyd. I absolutely loved this and the message behind it. Also, the AI art is a treasure as well. I am sure your friends were so touched by your heartfelt gesture, and I believe that is just a beautiful thing to help someone else chip away at the painful emotions their hearts must be feeling. AMAZING...@@15thBend
The solution:
don't expect to make a lot of money with your art. That's a shot in the dark. Just do it because it means something to you. Every society has had art and music. It's part of our cultural heritage. It's not just a business.
I get the point, but music videos are an artform in itself and can really elivate the meaning of a song or add meaning to it. I'd hate to see music videos disappear entirely. Of course a band just playing the song with some cool camerawork doesn't add too much, but there are lots of music videos that make songs so much more special.
Agreed! This is more about the best use of energy, depending what your goals are 😊😊 if you’re trying to make art and that’s the goal, 100%! If you’re trying to get a record deal, might be the smartest play to get the attention
I totally agree with that! I understand that a UA-cam video does not have any impact in terms of getting more reach. In my opinion it is nevertheless something that is nice to watch by those who are already fans of a band. I gives them something back. So it does not make the community of fans growing, but it potentially makes the existing community more committed to the band.
That’s all well and good but I make music, not videos!
@@mindtorquemusicnot all deals are bad!
@@officialWWMlol! Yes all deals are bad, unless you have massive leverage in a large growing fan base, proof of sales and streams and following etc. and even then, you run the risk of being shelved if they have an artist similar to you they are investing heavily in, which they ALWAYS neglect to reveal before you sign.
This happens an insane amount of times. Getting shelved can ruin your life… Record deals are fucking bad.
I enjoy creating videos for all my songs, this is how I consider them a complete work. It's not about being the most efficient, that's simply my vision for my project.
As a bonus, the music video can be repurposed to make shorts/reels/tik tok, and used for the Spotify Canvas.
I agree! I went to your YT page and checked out Essence of Time, I love the style of music you write and I love when guitarists film themselves playing the song. It adds so much to it in my opinion.
@@Michael.diestra Thanks a lot man! I saw a pretty cool music video on your page too, you should make more like it!
Same here, I can’t consider it complete until the am official video is released. I do see Damian’s point though.
@@chosendebbie Yes, Damian makes a good point if you're going for the most efficient way to use your time and resources. It's a matter of priority I suppose.
@@sloenmusic thank you! I will in the future :)
Solid advice as always, Damien. I think the music video should now be seen as more of an extension of the artist’s self expression than a marketing tool. It creates a deeper connection with the viewer/listener. Videos on TikTok are the better marketing tool, but they also create another problem which is an abundance of boring mediocre content on social media. If an artist’s song is not strong enough, it doesn’t matter whether they make a music video or 100s of TikToks around it. We need more quality rather than quantity.
Quality is subjective. Someone could like messy grungy rock and another could like crystal clean sounding solos. I agree with your point that making micro content just adds more noise in the world but I think it's just about effectively expressing what you want and attracting who resonates with it.
Albums and music videos these days are more of a personal passion project than entertainment. What I mean is, investing time into another local artist's work is more like a mundane task than actually being entertained. I've never seen any low tier music video where it really added anything to the song. So, I feel like a local live show is a much better way to arrest people's attention. If I see a good hole in the wall performance, I remember that experience and the band. I rarely remember the actual music.
Agreed, I’d never stop an artist making a music video if they wanted it to however I don’t want to see artists in pain over the results
But also look at this from the perspective of happening upon the music of an artist who's NOT local to you - a music video is an excellent way for an artist to really put their brand out on their sleeve. A picture like you'd find in an Insta post speaks a thousand words, but then a video is a thousand pictures, intentionally (hopefully anyway) meant to accompany their music play-by-play. It's one of my favorite resources for seeing anyone's intention with their brand, even if it is super low-budget, because if they're someone I have never heard of and stand no chance of seeing live anytime soon, that becomes the way I will associate something ocular to who/what I'm hearing.
@@codyknapp3003 true but how do people find it? If you spending money for people to accidentally stumble across it, there are better ways.
For me the question is: what do you want to happen with the video?
I’m glad to hear this. I spend hours writing, recording and producing my music. One of the reasons I delay releasing my music is because I hate making videos!
You'd be a star if it wasn't for those peaky music videos
@@Kevinschart exactly 😂😂
if you hate making music videos than that's okay! don't get fooled into the cult of music
@@Michael.diestra yep, I’m a musician, not a movie maker 🤷🏻♂️
if you can do it diy it's worth it. You get so much content out of it. the actual video to feed the people that are really into you, bts of the shoot. and bloopers/outtakes you can make as tiktok or whatever and if you're really efficient, do a photoshoot there.
Exactly!!!
@@morganvespermusic you get itt
I love music video.
I love how you just make them because you tell more story as a band.
SCREW if it works. Many vidoes got me into soooo many bands.
100 % agree. Build a story around the song and make little videos about it: Whats about the lyrics. Who wrote it. What is our motivation etc ... Dont sell the song, sell the emotion. BTW, great chanel, love it since 6 years. Geat work Damian, THANK YOU !!! :) and best wishes from switzerland. rockON
The shame of that is, it takes a bit of the artistry out of it, because you're telling your listeners how to interpret your songs instead of leaving the personal interpretation up to them
@@jasondorsey7110then you'll never grow
I totally understand the points in the video, very informative. Making mini music video tik toks, ig reels, and shorts is more efficient for discovery. On the other hand for some people making music videos has its own inherent value. I say, why not both? I guess it depends on the goals of the artist.
I agree! I like your Happy Misery music video btw! It feels very genuine and authentic. I feel like by adding a video element the song is so much more interesting
@@Michael.diestra thank you for checking it out! I’m glad you think it’s genuine and authentic, it came from a real place. We all have our doubts in life, but as long as we remember the love we have for ourselves and others, we realize that they’re just bad thoughts that have no merit. The song really helped me heal, and I hope it can help heal others too.
Great point. I agree
If you make good enough music live your entire audience will make videos and push them out to followers for you! Cheers Damo!!
Yes but doesn’t need to be part of your roll out
Stupid. Live recordings suck. Unless they are professionaly made.
If you wanna do it for artistic reasons, go ahead. But don't expect too much out of it. Just keep it (wisely) cheap.
I agree, a good analysis!!
@@DamianKeyes - that's how I make my videos as a DIY punk/alternative artist - smartphone, editing program and filters/aftereffects, the cartoonish aesthetics has became my main brand over the years (I actually use these to cover up the quality of raw material I use) - ua-cam.com/play/PLV-mbL64Ed0BiQQ-SZ44isJ3MEMZzVDfD.html&si=yICae7-APejbn--e
@@CitypunkＩgot what you said bro，but the streaming numbers of your video are really.. let‘s just say not that impressive
I know - Punk rock is a niche market, especially in a country with 1,3 million population (I'm an Estonian singing in Estonian), besides I don't bother with marketing almost at all nor are we playing live to gain the audience. My band is my little art project that I started as a music therapy project during my dark depression years.
Our biggest song so far, a minor radio hit in Estonia "Hipsterid öö" (Hipsters in the Night) got video made of old low resolution aftermovies ripped from the UA-cam of the discos for emo kids that our bassplayer used to organise ten years ago.
@@Citypunkcheap video don’t get views and make money anymore
You need a professional video with eye catching imagery like a short movie
Some good points about the need to market your video, and which platforms are easier vs harder.
One thing I also told the artists I have worked with, that I was recording or producing (original definition, not the current definition) I would tell them that they needed to budget at least 3-5x above their recording costs for the marketing. Those that followed my advice, built up an audience quickly, and made money.
Could you provide examples of bands that did this successfully?
We just started producing our first music video. That's so ironic. I always take your advice in consideration. Now I find myself lending cameras and cutting it all myself and you tell me we won't get any eyes on it. You've said that the long form videos are dying before, but we were kind of forced to do it. At least it's a ton of fun. Have a nice time and thank you.
Thanks so much, there are still positives to music videos. They are still assets and still art to be proud of. Most importantly they are indeed a lot of fun 😊😊
music video is really useful and important for 1st impression. When i hear a song with watching MV, it's gives me a lot feelings.
Damian! I tried to tell you this a year ago. Glad you see it now. Music videos are important but not for a roll out anymore
I started making mini videos soon as si had a youtube channel. And on Tik Tok, it make complete market sense
Cheap, disposable crap will get you attention. At that point, you will be a professional cheap, disposable crap creator. It's good to be aware of the fact that the world only wants cheap, disposable crap, and to be aware of what will and will not make you king of it. But... if you got into this to make high quality, long lasting art, you will be disappointed to realize you hopped on the wrong train. That doesn't mean you're better off broke and anonymous. Or does it? Only you can answer that for yourself. Maybe you can do both, but if you leave the art, the creativity, the ambition sitting in a box for too long, it will be fatally compromised when you pull it out. So make the f***ing video. Then the fruits of your discovery mongering will have something to keep them around.
I think you are mainly right, especially for the indie artist like myself. I was thinking the same few days ago.. If someone wants to be heard, he/her, should focus more on streaming, not both, cause it will lead to dispersion, defocusing from the goal, which is- being heard. At the moment when you generate appropriate amount of streamings, go for it, relase the video, as a new push. Think what you want more, get more streamings or views.
Always here and I come with a pen and a note book to learn and Damian for always being my teacher and a lot have learnt from you as a raising musician
I really appreciate that so much, I have some big ideas for videos over the next few weeks 😊😊
This 8:49
As an independent artist
I usually make Travis Scott level videos, with special effects,3d renders, storyline… and get 500-600€ per music video
So it’s not dead, just makes something that not everyone with a phone can make
I was kinda sad seeing this title cuz I really do value your opinion. I do think video production is no longer the most efficient way of expanding your brand but I don’t think it’s yet dead though.
Really appreciate that thank you. Always despite the fact that music videos aren’t giving as much free reach as they once did they are still art and fun and something you will look back on in years to come with a smile 😊
I mean its a good point but not great advice. A beautiful music video is still a great piece of content that you can chop up into 10 or more different posts in addition to your more spontaneous/organic efforts at making shorter videos. Yeah its expensive but if you're a professional its a worthwhile investment and an official way to historically mark where/who you were when that song was released. If you are serious about being a music artist, there is no reason to not release an official video (preferably a professional one) for a single you wish to promote heavily. Saying no one will see it is a cop out, I still discover videos from decades ago on the daily and am instantly intrigued by the people who made the song. Its a great feeling to have loved a song for awhile and finally discover it has a music video, whether its amazing or not.
Great! However, isn't making a music video a precise way to display your image - who you are visually? Photos don't move.
I feel like music videos are best way to express themselves, and shouldn't be stopped.
This can be true for not only music videos, but ANY video.
I come to realize the hard way...lyric videos are making more of an impact...
Lyric videos if they’re done easily can be a good way to just have your music there without it just having the cover art
@@DamianKeyes Indeed...Thru my music journey music fans don't respond to music spectacles anymore..at least in music video
performing live is a different story,but unless your a Chris Brown or Usher music fans don't respond.. I mean look at Beyonce she has not put out a performance videos to her new music she only put out mash ups(past perfomance videos) or lyric videos .I do think spectacle and performance in music videos Died with MJ...its a harsh way of putting it but the fact is a harsh realization...Love your videos keep up the good work♍
I still watch Prince Sign of the Times and it still holds up to today's climate and standards.
@@Thespeedrap indeed so do I and Prince was one of those artist that knew true showman ship
I LOVE to make my own music videos. I get creative enough to where I don’t pay much for them. That’s where I find most of the fun. Improvising and more creative work. I just hire someone to film, or have a family member help and I will direct them on what to do. I also have to buy or make outfits and props, but I’ve never paid more than 500 on one video, and everyone that has watched my videos, are always shocked that I did them myself and that they’re not professionally done. I had two larger labels this year approach me, and they were blown away that I do everything myself. I was told my production is actually really well done. My music needs some adjustments in the mixing area, cause I’m still learning how to mix and master as I grow, but I’m slowly getting there. I actually very much enjoy music videos to this day. I spend hours watching music videos on UA-cam. It allows you to get to know the artist better. They’re very important to a music career.
I just checked you out. Very well done 👏👏👏
I find this new world of over saturated bite-size content extremely mediocre and nauseating. It took you almost 10 minutes to make your point (which I appreciate), some people feel the same way about their music.
Hey Robin!! Yes to this absolutely. Well said.
@@Emilypalen Emily!!!!!
I’m actually very proud of my (our) music videos. Producing them is one of my favorite things to do next to music production 🤷
I had this discussion with one of my bands recently. We don’t have much money and our singer wants a music video for “content”…. Which seems to me like not a lot of return for your investment. Especially when there isn’t much of an audience for it. The whole thing won’t go on TikTok or insta and no one is watching our UA-cam…so who’s it for?
This is totally it in my perspective. You work hard to put that into your music and when you’re building your audience, is it the best strategy or can it be utilised elsewhere - I feel they’re great for labels as they do showcase an artist well and they’ll push it, but tbh all labels care about right now is TikTok anyway, so best used to build that!
@@DamianKeyesliterally created a TikTok for a new band of mine about an hour before seeing this vid…based on advice from you and a few other UA-camrs I’ve seen. At the very least: more eyes on you are more eyes on you, it costs nothing to post there so it’s all upside as far as I’m concerned.
Visibilty is Valuble and that includes Music videos!!! They are far from dead!!!
I agree. People want to see and connect with the artist on a personal level. That human connection is achievable through visibility. Damian does have a point though most people do stream and never follow up with trying to watch that video so less focus should be on video production but I still think they’re far from dead.
They are though you can use short form content to get visible without getting yourself into debt
Most of the bands /artists/ musicians I listen to now I discovered through their music videos. Then again, I don't listen to pop music as much as I use to. You have very valid points, but i don't think the music video will go away anytime soon.
i been preaching this, they dont get the same amount of views as they used to
You are soo right been struggling with this but like in yo other video for a song better to make content out it by making like 30 content videos. N building a community instead
Makes complete sense to me. My daughter is in the process of recording songs. I am helping her with the marketing side. I have no experience in it but I have copious amounts of time. This has changed my perspective. We will still make a music video, but will edit it to short clips on the phone screen ratio and post each to TikTok and Instagram. Thank you.
Chill beats to " blah blah blah" videos have more views than any music videos combined that I can think of from new artists that dont have corporate backing. There's also cases where a video which only has the album cover art has more views than the overproduced official music video from many artists even corporate "artists"/products. Its 100% true to say that over budget, over the top, movie like music videos are dead and kinda pointless these days, especially from a low fan base low level non corporate backed artists.
Stellar history lesson. Thank you.
Thank god, the thought of having to do music vids puts me off making music!
The new video from P.O.D. for "DROP" is hella lit 🔥🔥🔥
You have to go with the trends. Adapt or die. I just thought about it, I haven’t seen a music video in months.
Uncle Damian tells the truth 🤷🏻♂️
I think the kind of music you produce is probably a factor too. There's not much point being pushed out to a million people if you are a punk band, and your watchers are into Adele or R&B, because few of them will watch. I think it does massively make sense to use all available platforms though. If you do an MV, also make a short 'teaser' version of the MV and have it a short, or multiple shorts, as well as on tik-tok and instagram and other social media. I mainly follow very small bands, and occasionally you'll see a band on youtube with just one of two videos, hardly any subscribers, and thousands of views, and it makes me suspect they are paying for views.
Bro I really really love what youre doing🥹💯🔥🔥🔥 ‼️
I cant tell you how much I appreciate this comment, thank you 🙂🙂
💯 on point with this. Every time we have made a video thinking it could just go viral we have been very dissapointed. Its no ones fault theres just so much out there to be distracted by. The only good thing about it is that committed music fans will continue to seek out new music. Our strategy now is to make a video as low cost as possible and use the savings and invest into promotion. But even then it feels pointless when you only have a budget of a couple hundred dollars. We all have to be content machines to get noticed now and thats just the way the world is. We have to adapt if we want to continue. Artists out there keep workin hard.
It's a lot of effort for little gain, I hear you. If you're an artist you should focus on making art for art's sake, not because of money
Grady Smith will be proud of you for this.
Thank you so much 😊😊
Appreciate all the advice Mate. I’ve taken on your advice of pushing TikTok to find that I’m mostly trolled by teenage hero keyboard warriors with no face pics and private accounts. Thoughts?
I just noticed the background is generated lol 🔥
there is no Tik Tok in India sadly.....is there any other way out?
the thing is tons of music being release. when comes to ground level music videos are way to stand out form the crowd. if you are pro then does not help. I seen some times artist get like 1000 times more views on music video than just one with a thumb nail.
What about if your an artist that makes their own videos?
I do, it's expensive asf!
Normally agree with everything you say, but totally disagree on this one. Music videos have provided us with YEARS of repurposed social media content, re-engagement, awards, bookings, and more. The only adjustment we've made is cutting production costs.
MTV plays no music videos, and quite frankly, I'm surprised it took the VMAs to dwindle that long. MTV, just as the Rock Hall, and the current RIAA charts are meaningless. TikTok is horrendous. Having said that, you can still upload a music video to TikTok. Oh, the irony. Just fil a music and break it up for "TikTok". But you still have the full length lol
Sounds like musicians should make music videos that they want and then promote the song AND the video with a ton of smaller videos on TikTok... win, win, win
You're on the money as always, and you sure know how to make people salty haha.
I still have literally zero idea how one goes about making so many of those naff mini videos, and I've watched all your videos on it (and a great video by Taetro). I can't even get a decent flat black background for photos without having to do a whole bunch of editing, so figuring out how to shoot a solo film clip boggles my mind... it's all so time consuming, waaaaah 😭🤦🤣
I've said the exact same. Either you're going to spend a ton of money, or a ton of time, when that can be focused on other simple (and more valuable) content!
Haha love the ending. Nice video
Keep up the good work Damian always keeping it real.
big artists and labeled artists r paying for views on UA-cam? They still get really high engagement - high comment rate + high like rate. When I or my colleagues buy views on UA-cam, it's 50k - 70k views and 1 comment and 10 likes. What are they doing differently?
I have never made any MV yet so my perspective might be naive but hear me out. MVs are still important, i'm a rapper so if I make hardcore rap stuff i don't really care about a music video, but when i make a rap or a club type banger i think a good video can elevate the aesthetics of the song a lot. MVs also give me a power to kinda assert my views or my stories for a particular track by hiring actors or making a story board for the track maybe. again this is just what i think.
I think there's a lost-in-translation scenario here. Damian is speaking marketing but the comment section is speaking art. As artists, of course we're gonna defend music videos; it's part of our artistic expression and package. But this video is about marketing, not art, and it makes a good argument.
The only what i dont like on Tiktok ist the vertical 9:16 frame, i like the epic cinematic horizontal widescreen 16:9 frame... 😂
You're very right my 👑 thanks for teaching me this
90% agree…. I follow a lot of bands… like a lot. As a music lover, I could care less about videos. I virtually never watch a bands video for a song.
Now the exception is social media. A music video can be a great content release to keep your band relevant to fans. And TikTok… this is where your video can convert.
You are making perfect sense King
Fantastically put
The phrase "Pay to play," with reference to the music industry, does not mean Play as in "play the game," (i.e., an entry fee of sorts, often surreptitious or illegal, which merely grants Access to markets, etc., as the phrase is now used to describe certain business and/or political arrangements).
A synonym for music industry Payola (which Became illegal, but never went away), "Pay to play" always meant "Pay to play the Record on the Radio," and then, of course, the concept expanded to include videos played on MTV and other outlets.
In this sense, Pay to Play has always meant "pay to Win." It simply denotes a bribe to ensure a guaranteed to shortcut to probable success.
Its the ending for me, "If that pissed you off then this is really gonna piss you off"😆
What's the thing I do on Tik Tok in order to get discovery then?? You only said I need to do Tik Tok to get discovery but what Tik Tok things should I do? Also how do I make and maximise my conversions to Spotify... because I understand from what you are saying that Spotify is what I really need to be doing the most. I think this sounds like great news as I'm sick of putting so much time and effort into making music video's when I want to focus on the music but I'm not sure from what you are saying on how to go forward with this. Do I just need to tell them I've made some fantastic new music somehow?
We really need a platform for artists and listeners that’s music/music videos only and is free from an algorithm. No matter who you are, what you do, posting content on UA-cam and trying to get it discovered has become a job itself. And Spotify is in bed with labels so of course an unknown artist isn’t getting playlisted or easily discovered. That was the beauty of SoundCloud. It was art free from the puppet strings of the industry. UA-cam and music streaming was supposed to free us of the hands of big corporations. And it’s come full circle where they have more control now than ever.
Really good video, great info
Music videos tell stories , movies need music , music needs movies
Well, to be honest, I do lighting and camera work on music videos and well, I didn't have spotify until 2 months ago. Since I am over 40, I don't use instagram or tik tok when looking for music....I use UA-cam. I rarely watch the lazy lyric videos but instead watch music videos.
You see, I think the problem is that the outlets to watch music videos... sucks. There are no music video channels in the US any more because VH1 & MTV plays horrible reality shows and Ridiculousness instead of actual music. People like myself need to seek these out, like and comment so it plays them again when I want to listen and watch.
The idea of recording more songs instead of doing a music video is great if one has a backlog of songs but when one wants to promote one song, putting the attention into a music video as not a bad idea. The Dirty Heads average about $1,000 per music video and they get thousands of hits on every video, places like Sugar Shack get bands attention with their backyard performance videos so in theory you are sort of right but when you take into account Gen-X-ers that love music videos, telling musicisans not to make music videos will get far less attention from people over 45 years old
Right. That's what I thought
But it isn’t all about discovery. There’s also making art, and leaving a legacy other than a cheap tiktok. There’s feeding true fans and so maybe word of mouth.
literally filming one tomorrow 😂
Spotify are about to change everything. It’s coming, Spotify HiFi, Spotify Video & Spotify Social Media is coming , all together on one platform. It will have high res sound like Apple Lossless, music videos like UA-cam, Short clips like TikTok, Social followers photos & comments like Instagram.. all in one place. Spotify
Go look it up online
Its crazy, we thought the same thing until we had a single take off and the video got 2.2 million views in less than a year. That in tandem with youtube music has led to a monthly 1-2k payout. 😮 But the likelihood of that is pretty low. It was more of a freak accident but now we kind of have a quality bar to hopefully replicate even half of that in the future. Love the content man. Been a fan for awhile.
It is cool to cut up a nice video to throw up on TikTok btw. But if that is 100 percent your goal, you dont need to spend 5000+ for a video if the song is really good and you can market it to a niche audience.
That’s awesome that happened!! When the song lands, you tend to find everything across the board does well! For me it always comes down to what you want to do vs what you want to happen, and different artists will have different goals.
Appreciate you watching the channel and keep smashing it 😊
Interesting facts and context, Damian!
very cool. Thanks Damian!
Shoot em for cheap and make some cool visuals to clip into short form content. Make visuals that capture the songs essence or theme. Don't break the bank and use it like a commercial for your music
It makes sense. If you're fishing would you rather use 50 good rods or one expensive rod?
I don't think the music video is dead. I agree that you're not going to get millions and millions of views, your not going to blow up JUST because your video is really cool either. It's more like the music video has become a tool. It's something great to put in your EPK. If you want to pitch your new single to reviewers and reaction channels, it's going to be a lot easier to catch their attention if they have something better to watch than just a still shot of your album art for 3-5 minutes.
Some ppl just can't be told
Just because he says it doesn’t mean he’s correct.
A key aspect is that music videos used to build your audience, where as now it's more of a novelty because there are cheaper and more effective ways of building your audience online.
Well support the local music should make video to map them on. But everyone thinks differently if it works for band.
I've done a couple that are more like guitar playthroughs than anything (no massive visuals) and after realising that more people go to Spotify, music videos are a 'nice to have' that I do for fun and to challenge myself. This video solidified that the low views aren't just me and that I'll put music and more interactive video content/reels first
I think it all comes down to what you do vs what you want to happen. When you keep that at the front of your mind with everything you do, making these decisions becomes easier because you’re working towards the outcome
I make ai music video. I think I'm currently the record holder for the most videos made. I made 40. It's cool.
The biggest thing you need to ask yourself about your alleged music “career” is what percentage of time is spent watching videos like this versus actually making music or videos.
For me, personally, it’s been weighted tooooooooooo much toward UA-cam.
Making a single music video will help your creativity more than watching 100 videos on UA-cam.
Are you a musician / producer, or are you a fan of music production and people who talk about it on UA-cam?
Great point about having to wade through a million cheap videos today to find anything of quality... but this is just a CONTINUATION of what the music business has been doing by having cheap end labels and bands getting through the NON-FILTERED entry points of the business.
It used to be that you couldn't even get a booking for a band in any local clubs unless a certain agent liked you enough to put your name forward, and once he did that, the others wanted you for their clubs and venues. Those agents disappeared and bands became their own agents, and the venues started booking on PRICE rather than quality or any sort of professional recommendation.
This period feels the same, with not nearly enough quality control in place... any other industry would be closed down operating in such a shoddy way.
As for making videos, I think that bands who earn more from playing live, rather than from sale of recordings, need to promote themselves to bookers, and with the new breed of bookers in their twenties, they are looking for FAMILIARITY which comes from seeing the videos THEY grew up with, not what today is doing.... that will change in ten years though when the next batch of bookers comes through the system, since the hospitality industry usually hires younger to save on the wages of experience.
The VIDEO is crucial to reach the booker today, and it is also DESIRABLE for bands who always have a certain amount of ego to be stroked anyway, so the video will be around for a while yet... maybe just the USE of such video that may change.
In my experience ppl want to see the music video first and then that drives them to the song. Even if they see the reels/stories/tik toks/shorts etc. first they go hunting for the full video and then the song.
I'd like to see an introspective that shows the futility musicians go through releasing an album.😢
what about comedy videos? would the same concepts apply?
As mentioned before, the title of the video should have been “Stop making music videos to get discovered”. You have a good point on the promotion using TikTok and IG but I think you try to throw music videos/UA-cam under the bus just to make a stronger case for social media. For example, you mention the amount of hours that are uploaded every minute on UA-cam but think about the amount of content that is uploaded on TikTok. I also believe that for those playing the long game, music video will always win. Many times people will find a new band due to a music video that was published decades ago, while TikTok/social media content gets old and irrelevant super fast. In that sense, Gary V. has a solid approach to content creation, in which he produces for UA-cam and then cuts it and contextualize it for other platforms with better reach.
Sorry, but also another point that you miss out is that just a very small fraction of musicians actually make money with streams, while most artists/bands make a living selling merch, which are dependent on the brand’s strength. In music videos you have a far better chance to strengthen your brand than shorts, because they are far more immersive.
I would contend that one of the reasons that watching habits changed between 2011 and 2021 has to do with the culture's outlook on the entertainment industry in general. People aren't watching hardly any award shows anymore because they are sick of what the entertainment industry has become. Just look at the statistics of when they release a G rated movie versus releasing a movie that is not appropriate for younger audiences. The G rated movie will annihilate the other movies at the box office but that's not the kind of movie Hollywood likes to make. Older audiences don't want to see a lot of what's out there so they've stopped watching all together. This is just a little slice of the big picture but still worth mentioning.
I will never stop watching videos. Ever.