How Content Kills Creativity
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2023
- Artists are told to create "content" at a breakneck pace in order to feed algorithms. But what's the cost of this numbers game on our creativity and the art we love to make itself?
That main track from the video:
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If you'd like to watch me perform the track from the video, it's over on my new music-only channel: ua-cam.com/video/TEbRuVakqPg/v-deo.html
you deserve to be picked up by a record label like "Erased Tapes Records". your music is incredible. I don't see somebody merging electronic music and high-level composition like you do very often. ❤
Ah thanks so much! Love Erased Tapes
The mind-numbing torrent of "content" is simultaneously addictive and alienating. 😢
You're actually so real for this.
I've always hated advice that focused on mass production of shit because it doesn't produce anything but mediocrity.
I'm glad you're focusing on yourself
I agree. The term "content" itself pisses me off. That word tells you all you need to know about the current state of the internet. It's not "videos" or "music". It's now "content". Just constant sludge noise made purely to get in front of people while they mindlessly scroll through miles and miles of "content".
Think about it like this. What if Christopher Nolan or Stephen Speilberg started treating their movies like "content". They would probably be passable, but they would feel soulless. What if Pink Floyd decided to make "content" rather than music? That's a scary thought.
We need people TAKING RISKS and BEING THEMSELVES. We have enough "content" creators.
Appropriate that Pink Floyd was mentioned here because ... you have the song "Welcome to the Machine". Enough said.
I think the reason for huge amounts of (largely bland) content being produced by large corporations is that QUANTITY is probably the one tool with which they have left to compete. Smaller creators can frequently achieve the same level of QUALITY as corporations in any given niche.
This is 100% the topic on my mind right now too: I wonder deeply if there's a subtle pyramid scheme developing from all this. Music itself doesn't draw the attention or the spend that courses and products do. There's a huge incentive toward productizing a channel (and I'm not shy of stating that I'm exploring that route myself). But if your course and tools are purely intended to help other consumers turn themselves into more content creators, is that a healthy economy...?
I'm working on solving the riddle - would love to hear some ideas in response.
totally agree.
i was thinking (or hoping, really) people would use all the available knowledge to create more experiential stuff. like how going to a movie theater became an experience. going to an opera, a symphony. there were those instagram looking places you’d go for the photos, like art installations. and then there’s meow wolf. maybe people could make more interesting things to experience, or at least make the existing experiences richer.
we have so many ways to learn and form independent teams, work with people we like. it’s just a matter of getting there.
I've often thought about the same thing, should I spend a large amount of time making a YT channel that teaches production, my take on music theory, tips etc.... and monetize it and make sellable courses...... But does the world really need another one? This music life is hard do I really want to encourage others to do it? Am I really helping anyone or am I doing it for myself and pockets? But food is getting expensive so....., Am I wasting my life/time? Do my tutorials help or hurt people because I'm not a trained professional? Should one even try to be on YT? After watching vids like this one it's understandable to not want to.
But I probs will cause we're all crazy lol and I don't really feel like spending my time on earth any other way, I've come to really enjoy the continual banging the head against the wall
you make an interesting point, but if more people make content, things don't get more creative, they get mainstream, as venus theory explained with playlisting
Little Wolfie was pushed by his Dad into a musical circus as a uniformed servant, his training had a profound influence on what he produced to please people. Sometimes his passion and his genius shone through. It just so happens he was so much better at churning out content to please an audience than his contemporaries but his insistence on recognition for his artistic objectives made him an unpopular employee.
As a visual artist, philosopher and occasional composer, I have recognised that in exchange for my artistic freedom I need to do other stuff to be able to keep doing art. The struggle for me is not the acceptance that people are not coming to me for their art consumption but just making enough time to do art and to reserve enough energy to make it happen.
I've had to give up waiting tables (which I have loved) because nobody wants a 66 year old waiter who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life on keeping his appearance tuned to other people's requirements.
In short, I agree 100% with your sentiments.
There's a way to have your cake and eat it too. People want a story but music IS a story, you just have to learn how to draw it out and make it tangible for others to see it in the way you do. Keep going.
I agree. Much appreciated 🙏
"Any art requires craft, and craft requires experimentation and time" so perfectly succinct and powerful. Really captures the whole issue here
Not only does it kill creativity, it is killing the planet. Not hyperbole. Content takes a lot of energy from fossil fuels, "renewables," and takes time from other things. It's important to consider all of the connections to be able to see the entire picture. We're not separate from the effects of resource mining to create our lifestyles.
All that aside :) I really appreciate your content, and even more than that I love your music. Thank you.
‘Content’ is the detritus that good creativity has to try and break through to be noticed. It’s the awful music I am forced to hear when shopping for groceries, it’s the endless and pointless commentary from so-called influencers, its reality television. But the problem is that ‘content’ it’s the micro plastics of art, and it just makes people so drained that they just want nothing, not even good things.
Even as someone who makes music, I am fucking sick of hearing music EVERYWHERE, to the point where I don’t want to make any because my brain is so fatigued.
Creative energy is a limited resource. Shit, energy is a limited resource. Throw in a full time job, and that album I've been working on for 5 years (and is almost finished) will languish unlistened by most people. "Content" is a dirty word. It is the commoditization of everything.
11/10 conten........video 😅
Remember algo's only deal with past info on what people like, but can't account for creative novelty & how people will react to a unique spin on something🤔
Thank you for this video and others like it. You are one of only a handful of people on UA-cam discussing the structure and psychology of composing music in this time of internet distribution and social media. You are a breath of fresh air (and indispensable) for us creatives trying to navigate the contemporary electronic music landscape. Also, your music is very high quality so keep putting time into your composing and sharing it even though the views are much less than your 'story' based content. 👌
I can’t remember where I read it but the definition of burnout that resonated most with me was one that was business-oriented: “burnout is caused by a lack of return on emotional investment”.
I stumbled upon your channel primarily due to my fascination with Prophet 12. Now, I'm hooked on your insightful discussions about art, the creative process, and intellectual musings. Your humor and music keep me coming back. Please, never stop sharing. I'm hopeful we're transitioning from this overwhelming content era to something more meaningful.
Thanks for this reminder. Content feels like junk food. A dopamine blast that wears off nearly as fast as it comes on.
I appreciate this video. It’s an adult talking. No hype. No clock ticking down on the latest ear training course discount or secret ingredient (for a price) that’s guaranteed to amp up my fan base.
I’m also impressed by the quality of comments elicited by the video.
To maintain your well being, longer intervals between videos and/or shorter videos may be advised. While I would miss the output, I think it would ultimately allow you to sidestep burnout, keep the quality level at a high level, and provide more time for you to compose.
Very well spoken and thought out video. You highlight many of the reasons why I chose to no longer "play the game" years ago. Be your true self, and only create the art which your soul yearns for. In reality, this is what people unconsciously want from Artists, even though "others" may want you to think otherwise... Throughout history, the Artist was understood as the one who defines culture and tells the consumers what they want to experience. Only in recent decades have the roles been reversed, where "artists" now bend to the will of the consumer and allow them to instruct what they create (which forms this vicious cycle of content). We as Artists, must return to being the cultural defining forces once more, no longer listening to what the consumer wants. The truth is, most people or consumers don't even know what they want from you; you can't please them even if you do give them what they think they want. As an Artist, define the culture, and don't allow it to define you.
To dovetail on this: making art is made in service of a master. The question is: for whom are you making it? =]
@@DerekPower Yes Derek, exactly. Why, for what purpose, and the intention the art is being created for are of utmost importance. Vanity, greed, attention, etc. should not be the masters of art as is the case far too much these days. Art shall return to the sacred form it once was, what it was always meant to be, and in return we restore the culture surrounding it.
There are far too many issues surrounding this topic of art, culture, social media, and content creation to fit into a single video or in the comment section. Though, identifying, being aware of, and working toward ways of resolving them are very important for this world and its culture. I have my own plans in place to advance the culture surrounding art and therefore society; I encourage you and anyone else reading this to think about what you can do to do the same. At the very least, do not perpetuate the problem by "playing the game," as you are only serving those who wish ill will and Fear upon you. Allow Love to guide you and you shall find The Way.
There is a basketball channel I follow (SWISHOUT) that has a really good following and no release schedule. Dude just makes videos when he feels like it and they are always great, because he, as you greatly put it, only speaks when he has something to say. I think dealing with the algorithm on your own terms is the way to go, even if it means you're not optimizing for it.
i like to add: it is not just to spread our art, it also about making money with it. and this is the problem in the end.
Excellent thoughts on creativity and making content. Absolutely agree with you on this. One of the main reasons why I didn’t start a channel myself. I have tons of ideas that I use daily for myself, but to make that content somehow will defeat the purpose for me. I guess I’m just weird, but I rather see other music creators instead of myself. Great video!
you're not weird. sometimes the moment magic is captured it dissolves
Sometimes you don't recognize yourself behind the project. It's like those stories where a manager from the record label has some ideas & methods that may evoke feelings of coercion on the musician; except you're all those roles. It's like embracing a temporary insanity of being a committee of one. But we are rooting for you (to keep sane while achieving your success)
The hardest thing about about making UA-cam videos is remembering to keep throwing out the rule book when creating. I don't mean not making a good thumbnail/title, catchy intro, all those top ten UA-cam guru tips, blah blah. I mean sacrificing those things if necessary to create a remarkable work of art.
I listened to your album Somewhat the Same. Something remarkable happening here on your channel.
Thank you!
The synonym of content is the exact opposite of joy and bliss. It’s an appropriate word. Like your channel and music, my tastes are more in the sound of earth collapsing (hecker etc) but you have a lovely sound.
Thanks! I watched this again to cheer myself up after watching a depressing video suggesting that artist only release singles every single week. Instead of using social media to try and go viral, I've just been using it as a way to network and be inspired by other artists, designers, etc. and to connect with possible fans. While I've just done a few Instagram ads in the same way bands used to hand out flyers to people to go see their shows. But instead of a street corner, it's around the globe with an idea of who might take a look at it.
You're so respectable JNJ. Keep going.
I felt this in the core of my tiny rectangle.
Most content that gets promoted by the gurus feels like fast food, it makes you full fast but overall you feel unhealthy and empty (yours is an exception here!) My intuition tells me that people eventually will get tired of this type of consumption and go back to meaningful things like a reading a good novel, meaningful music or just going outside for a walk in nature. At least that's what I observe in myself.
I think a lot of people will hit that crisis point some time. I think others will go full Wall-E and just atrophy as they consume mindlessly. I hope this second option isn't true, but I think it'll be realistically the bigger chunk, at least in the near future.
Thank you. Your work may not be all about the views, but it is a guiding torch. A vital one.
I recently started my channel and spent a long time thinking about some of the points you discussed. I didn’t want to compromise creativity, but did want to grow an audience for my art. 3 days a week, I have dedicated music time, and 2 days a week, I’m editing videos. For my music time, I’m writing songs and letting the cameras roll. The art comes first, but the cameras are there to catch the “content”.
It’s hard to have your cake and eat it too - try to find some other hobbies that recharge your batteries and aren’t music.
I 100% agree, if you can, please never put content before your Artistic heart. I am very thankful for every input and video you put out, no matter how long it takes. BTW Quality is also a matter of time, which seems easily forgotten in these rushing days.
I very much dislike making content. Instead I've opted to do advertising only and working on a double LP which I'm very stoked for.
Wow what a wonderful and important message. As a game developer(and hobby musician) the "how i would run Nintendo" quote at the beginning was such a perfect example about the disconnect the social media world has to actual art creation (and the lack of understanding the reason for -in this example Nintendos- success). A little bit of topic, but this problem you described is actually my biggest concern about the ai future. I am less worried about the replacement of artist, but rather the social impact of the "on demand", instant and customised art supply will have on our society.
Yeah it really does... It feeds the soul...
I'm by no means content creator...
And only now after more then 15+ years of making music... I started to release it.
There was nothing more them financial loss for me since I started... But I really enjoyed in every project, learning and doing art for art.
I remember the day when I first opened the daw as kid... First drum programings and synths exploring... Al the the knobs, have no idea what they do... Star exploring, start learning, twisting knobs...
Lucky and unlucky accidents.
You do you. Just that. I'll come back to your "content" any day because I'm on the lookout for it. Not for the sake of a schedule you are supposedly meant to be keeping. I'll happily wait a month, a year, more? Why? Because what you have to say makes a lot of sense, always and just resonates. Because you have a wonderful sense of humour. Because you come across as being authentic, forthright and truthful - and know how to not take yourself too seriously, perhaps only when you're making music, making your art and feeding your soul. Man, your content just makes me sit back, relax myself and wait for that smile to come on my face. See you when I see you!
So true. The "machine" is hungry and is feeding on creativity with a deep dish of attention span for desert.
Great video, a few of my thoughts after watching: 1) why should one care about how many people experience their art at all? if you make art for yourself, then you succeed every time. If you then chose to share it publicly that's great, but who care's what anyone else thinks or says about it? many artists aren't 'discovered' or appreciated until long after their period of artistic output, often after their death, and that has been true for centuries. 2) if the goal is to make a living from art, then you are running a business, and the basics of business acumen apply, and the art is reduced to a product to be sold and consumed. the people who can excel in both these areas are rare indeed. 3) for me personally, my youtube channel is 100% based on the videos I want to make, basically its just for fun and my own enjoyment. I simply make videos that I want to watch, as snapshots of my process or thoughts at that moment. that means I don't have to care at all about 'how well my channel is doing', or what the analytics say, etc. It frees me up to be as artistic or creative as I want, likewise it frees me up to post dumb videos about whatever whenever I choose. its liberating, and becomes a source of creativity and helps drive me to actually hit record, which can sometimes be the hardest step of the creative process. if youtube didn't exist, I would still make just as much art, but I simply wouldn't have an easy and free way to share it publicly, so it would remain mostly private. keep in mind the founding idea of youtube - it is a public access TV channel of you, you can make whatever you want.
%100 bro, its so hard goddamn, nothing is the same as when I decided to dedicate my life to this stuff, it's changed so much, such a shame, barrier to entry is pretty much non existent now, but everyone thinks they are a star and when there are too many "stars" and not enough fans it makes it so much harder to get the correct exposure we need to gain a following that's aware of our existence, that loves what we are creating and benefits from it.
Thanks for this video. My music has definitely changed as a result of trying to get views, trying to find an audience, so I can go back to making the music that I wanted to make. I switched from posting one or two full tunes/videos per month to one or two #shorts per week. My views expanded from almost nothing to the beginning of something. “Hey, I think this is going to work.” Then, unexplainably, views on my #shorts fell way back, even as my production and thumbnails continued to improve - what the heck! Did they change the algorithm? Did they expect me to start paying to keep my meager, but growing audience as another UA-camr documented? So I’ve gone back to working more on full-length tunes/videos and experimenting with new stuff.
thank you for sharing what so many of us have been feeling these last few years
I am maybe old school...well I am not the youngest anyway so I watch things still very differently. Your channels is very useful and just love to watch the vids. I unfollowed some channels recently as the "content" was either the same thing all over again...or the diss channels ,the plugin testers....the tip givers where you learn squat in the end...
Now is the summer to diss content.
You totally nailed it saying art feeds the soul.
Resonates with me
I’ve been trying to think about this period of time as a golden age. Sure, no one can get their music heard, but alternately there’s so much more music and art being created than ever. That’s gotta account for something. Things will probably change soon. I can’t guess how, but so many people being invested in art has got to have some other positive effects.
A newcomer to your channel but have been engrossed by your videos and found them really helpful in dealing with my own mini-crises when it comes to feeling the creative well dry up, balancing the art with the content creation, and working out where I'm supposed to take all of this. Thanks for your insights (not to mention the hauntingly beautiful soundtracks behind them).
🙏🙏
LOL omfg I agree 100% - my friend's advice is always the same about using tiktok and twitter to promote .. but the problem with that is you become a 'twitter person'. I tweeted at the flashbulb when I saw him kinda b**tching about 'this is why your music hasnt been the same - gtfo social media!' and he tweeted back about how he dropped an album 6 months ago and worked on something today... but his new album just dosnt have the same effect where my emotional environment changes on play.. (and to your point one sounds composed the other sounds more improvised). You do make good music man - if you really want to break through in the industry social media isnt the answer. You have to find the 'gate keepers' and get passed them. For your style - I could definitely hear it being played in a movie or a video game. Anyways, mad respect.
Damn. You really did just kinda sum up all the things I couldn't when talking to my friends who try to actively "be the next thing".
Music isn't my main creative outlet. That's graffiti. And I feel like the... "ephemerality" (is that a word?) of it has helped me alot.
Making something that's gonna be cleaned, or covered up within a week has really helped me understand the idea of making something just because I wanted to make it, and if some train passenger thinks it looks neat, then good for them.
My dayjob is in IT, and its weird how I can see the exact same "Rise and Grind" culture in art now, as I do in my job.
So.. Thanks for making this. I have to send it to a couple people.
Thank you. Artists need to hear this. It's a fine balance of where and when to divert the creative energy. Every artists needs to find their own balance, but we all know it deep down when the balance is off.
The opening minute and a half made me want to calmly "unalive" myself (because apparently the actual words for things aren't useable anymore. The algorithm is scanning you)
How about using that modular system more... some more livestreams of that process without a single thought about whether anyone would be interested
Fantastic new video man. Depths. Love this music at 13:40 ish. Gives me some Ben Folds reminders. But way better.
Ah thanks my friend! Still working on that one.... haha
One of the most genuine youtubers out there. Awesome video as usual :)
i worked as a teacher and trainer for 20 years, the biggest killer of creativity i found was TED. ironically it was Sir Ken Robinsons brilliant talk "do schools kill creativity" . indeed it did. until he called them out on TED. now every tom, dick and Simon thinks they have the answers. thanks to TED. while schools may have pulled up their pants and got their act together, the internet is now the biggest drain, specifically as you say, the socials.
Great presentation by the way 👍
The problem is Yioutube and other social media require new material ALL THE TIME. So people become producers not creators. Instead of creating a song because they were inspired they make songs because they need a new song or update. The internet has brought so many good things and enabled people who wouldn't otherwise have access the opportunity to learn anything but its also been extremely detrimental in so many ways
Ironically, this piece of content just got you another subscriber 😂
What a brilliant video, you are absolutely bang on about this stuff. Music is more about promoting yourself these days, it doesn't even seem to matter if it's any good. I honestly try to make stuff I like rather than 'content' I think will do well, but the algorithm is kind of insidious. Thinking about my own channel the other day, I realised the pieces I was most happy with were from a few years ago when I first started and only uploaded once every few months. The pressue to upload regularly is responsible for so much bad content out there. I should probably take a break and wait until I've got some inspiration again, but once you've got a few hundred subs you feel like you need to upload every few weeks, even if you have nothing to say musically. It's probably what psychologists call a 'sunk cost fallacy', the concept that people plough on and continue what they know to be the wrong strategy because they've invested too much in it to stop!
As usual, you have a really solid, grounded perspective that I think most people, artist or not, would benefit from contemplating.
I agree with the premise that the constant need to feed the Content Beast kills creativity, and I think I share the same lament you have that I think no one (myself included when I'm honest) looks for art in the ways we might have before the content megamachine has taken over our lives.
It reminds me of what one of my favorite theologians said once, that we have lost the art of boredom. Even when waiting for a few minutes in a line, we feel compelled to pull out our phone and fill up on content that usually ends up being entirely meaningless to us. So we lose the space to process art or for the creative process.
And I can't help but wonder what the ramifications will be.
3:31, had to pause and say this: I actually did come to your channel to see your takes on a synth I was eyeballing at the time (Iridium), and I found myself going deeper and checking out your actual work. There are several compositions of yours off of this channel that I was legitimately floored by, that heartened me to keep creating things too. The same is true for a small amount of other "synth youtubers" (not a fan of that concept, but hey, we're on youtube, so I'm distilling it to that. Jay Hosking is another I'm a major fan of). I ended up listening to your tracks, as well as Jay's when I went out for long walks with my dog, doing stairclimbs, hikes, etc. It's meditative, and fantastic. Point being? I wouldn't have run into it otherwise most likely if it weren't for this format. So, grudgingly mission accomplished? Anyway, back to the video. Keep doing good work. The end.
Same. YT has been a gateway in discovering these guys and then buying their music on Bandcamp.
This is so true. It's hard to make a music video and see it get a handful of hits when gear reviews get 10 to 20 times that. It's fun and rewarding to make the video, but then depressing that no one cares. My solution to this was to make a custom intro sequence on every video with my own custom music. It's my favorite part of the process and I can easily spend 4+ hours on making, mixing, mastering and timing clips to the beat...all for roughly 15-20 seconds of video that a decent percentage of people just skip over. Oh well, at least I can fight the algorithm a little bit.
Keep up the good work.
I think it all still boils down to creativity.
What is "content" for you?
It's the same about a physical "product".
Most 90's major music label would think a certain way, but some 70's major music label, just like some 80''s/90's (luckyly a few today) gaming companies would define it a different way.
I think it's just a sum between your own taste, and what you perceive your audience taste to be.
The perception of an audience's taste varies greatly from person to person, that's why major companies deal with raw data and statistics.
What they fail to recognize is how those trends come to be. How do major creative works come to be? How do the star wars, dark side of the moon, fear and loathing in las vegas of this world came to be.
Those things only exist for a reason, to please the person that made them, and luck may have it, please millions of others in the process.
It also takes guts to say "I'm risking losing this percentage of my audience to go ahead with what I think is my own truth" which, can appeal to some other group that you weren't aware of.
How big is that group is only discovered after we have the guts to risk creating "content" more towards our own truths and tastes.
This is so timely. I just released my first music in this "digital age" and considering all of the traps that everything seems to be funneling me towards to get the music out there. I feel like a dinosaur since the last music releases I was a part of were physical CDs and playing shows. The thing that I find most startling is being able to see the real time number of streams and metrics on every platform. This alone is driving me toward the content + playlist avenue, but I am considering this video to take a pause and re-consider. I appreciate the honesty and sharing your prior experience with these things. 🙏
Dude, I only just saw this and its by far my favourite video of yours. I couldn't agree more - trying to do Tiktok, UA-cam, etc all regularly is essentially like drinking poison for my creativity. I go through pretty frequent burnout periods where I fully need to just even stop doing anything related to music, which I never used to have when I was just making music, and not trying to be a "content creator". Really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about this.
Ah thanks man!
thanks so much for your video. I discovered you through Venus Theory live stream. I remember when I met a session singer back in 2012 who was like I have to make more 'content.'. I thought it was so strange to think of art as content; but she was right... at least about the marketing side of content. Your compositions are good and cool to see you at the piano with paper and pencil
Stumbled upon your channel through Venus Theory. I find your calm demeanor pleasing. Subscribed.
First of all, love your content.
This video highlights a few of the reasons why I’m focusing my energy on what I love; improvising. In terms of actually getting content out there, I’m going to stick to strictly live streaming myself playing and improvising in real time.
Live streaming lets me do the thing I actually want to do: play. And since there’s also video involved it has more visual pull than just an album cover. But I don’t have to worry about actually editing and producing videos, because I couldn’t care less about any of that.
It just boils everything down to getting a good live sound mix, getting some halfway decent camera angles and lighting, and doing the thing. Plus now that I have my streaming setup ready to go between all the gear, cameras, OBS, etc., all that’s left is to build up the confidence to start streaming consistently.
Also still need to choose the right platform for streaming, since UA-cam is where live streams go to die. I spent like 2 hours last night trying to hunt through the live stream content to find real humans playing music. It was all these weird live AI content radios, gross stuff. No humans anywhere! Guess I’ll probably have to look at twitch
It's the more modern version of the problem many traditional, and later modern electronic musicians had. Where once you had a following, there were always demands to tour. But touring is exhausting and more conducive to burnout than creativity. But it pays the bills and grows the following, so a balance music be found. Some musicians would structure their time carefully. Like settling into a routine like only touring one event a weekend only, or a weekend of tours a couple of times a month. Keeping a day for admin, downtime, a few consecutive days for writing / recording only. Because it takes a run to get into the flow of anything. I've found the same with using a classical guitar for writing. We've learned to associate the computer with work & comms.
Very well said. It doesn't just drain creativity, also kills people desires to go deeper and search, why read into art and intention, or listen to music and think about the choices - just see another thing. Like sure, I get that people don't always want to be deep and meaningful, like when I'm grabbing a burger or whatever, but it seems these days people ponder on things a whole lot less. I was in an art gallery recently and one of my favorite paintings there was in a back corner and people just glanced it and moved onto the tasty bright sugar, missing all he understated subtlety it had, although maybe I was reading too much into it... but isn't that half the fun? I dunno.
Btw, bought all your stuff on bandcamp - great stuff, I Iisten to it quite a bit, puts me in the same space as earlier music by hammock.
Great video. It's a tough balance of doing what you want to do and making what social media and UA-cam wants you to create.
This is gold. To be honest I make ‘content’ about four times a year and the rest of the time I’m just creative.
But I don’t rely on any social media for my income.
Love your music and your videos, pal. The one thing you never mentioned was "soul." You have a soul and it comes out in everything you do. Thanks for sharing it with us. But I'm still waiting for my lessons. :)
you just reminded me that i also initially wanted to use my channel in an entirely different way. i mean i always wanted to make nerdy sounddesign-y tutorials, but i also wanted to transport the lifestyle of a musician and all that and it just didn't happen. but it's more because i just don't live near my friends and partys anymore rather than youtube's fault. at the end of the day no matter what my life is like i can make good content from it if i want to and so far i do
Masterful as always. I'll be here for any and all of your content, whatever that is.
I say it again and again: We need platforms with focus for art and expression of art. No algorithm. No paid ads. Only with mouth-to-mouth propaganda for truly interested ppl like us!
I 200% agree !!!
I wish you all the best you deserve.
It doesn't matter if you publish less video.. Better the quality instead of quantity ;)
This struck a chord with me! Thanks for sharing!
Nice Theme. I can't wait to hear it's development.
Jameson @6:42 is all of us
I agree (and personally struggle) with a lot of what you have to say in this video. The reality is that there are also MORE ARTISTS THAN EVER and its not just enough to make "good music" and think thats going to connect. Its a very big part of a multilayered process. Gone are the days when you could be written up on a blog and reach a massive audience through your "awesome music" alone. We're now in an era where you (or someone on your team/label) need to spend just as much thought on the idea of making your marketing of the music stand out as much as the music.
Great video!. This express most of my feelings about social media as a musician (even tho i use them a lot)
I've started to play keyboards & make music around 3 years ago, and there was a time that i recorded "jams" every week to get more subscribers on IG (because i saw other people every day turning on their arpeggiators on the synths and post it as "content") . The effort involved on doing those jams wasn't minor (because i tried to make something fun and not some simple arpeggio with some drum machine on the background) & obviously that kept me from working on my songs.
If you ask me the word "content" for me is poison for the music because it obliterates all the creativity on song making. Obviously there are some very skilled guys doing this "daily" jams and i really enjoy them, but i'm wondering of all the universe of "content" creators about the amount of work that they really put in their songwriting .
Everyone is free to post whatever they want on social media but for me it gets disappointing when the jams are even better than the actual songs (because they dedicate their efforts on the "content")
This channel is a welcomed oasis for people who love making electronic music in a desert full of charlatan fake-gear-review ad-makers.
What a dude. So happy to have found this channel.
Your face at the beginning truly describes my feelings on this topic, too. Lol
I so appreciate this video. I started a UA-cam channel a while back and then after about making five or so videos, I deleted the whole thing. I realized it took way too much time editing and coming up with ideas (which, was also fun, to be fair!), for me to realistically be able to work on music as well. But then, it's tough, because where is the audience you (we) so desire?? So, yes, you nailed it, and I applaud you for saying it so clearly. I'm gonna do myself a favor and check out some more of your MUSIC.
This is not really new. Grieg composed his Lyrical Pieces for monthly magazines. Bach churned out music for church services. Italian opera composers had an industrial production of formulaic music. It is different today, but the demand for "content" to make ends meet is something a lot of composers has had to deal with
A very timely message. Like you, I want to see (and put out) videos, posts, whatever that have a genuine rationale. Cameron on Venus Theory is another very talented artist who concurs with you. Playlistification and trying to please "curators" - nah. I'll just keep creating stuff and if it's got some merit, maybe put it out there.
This is such a huge topic.
I don’t know the answer. But I have had thoughts.
First, nobody should let the terrible metrics on these platforms define their objectives. If views or likes are your goal, you’ve already given over control of why you are doing something. You have to pick your own objectives. With music, I think you should make something you want to listen to yourself. Something that you put on in the car or before bed and it gives you a deep happiness. That’s it. You can’t control what other people do or how many other people hear it.
Another idea: stop thinking about music as a career. I’ve been thinking a lot about the Pavement song “Cut Your Hair” where SJM chants career over and over. What’s he saying? When the hell did this become a career? Music isn’t supposed to pay the bills for most people. Success isn’t the goal. We grew up listening to professional career musicians but most people who make music are not like that. There needs to be an embrace of non-professional music.
Relatedly: we should all stop trying to compare ourselves to professional musicians. Listen to a podcast where people talk about the albums they make. One 3-minute song takes years and years to write, edit, record, produce, rewrite, re-record, reproduce. Frankly, that’s a total waste of time. It shouldn’t take more than a few days to get something 85% perfect. Everything beyond that is a waste and hits massive diminishing returns AND crowds out 200 other cool ideas. Point being, it’s a huge mistake to want to compete for attention with this giant production arms race. Instead, listen to what you do with a bit of compassion. This ain’t going to make any of us stars, but that’s the wrong goal. Your goal is to put on one song you did on the drive home from somewhere and to have it make you feel something.
Have you ever heard early demos of songs you love? Most of the time everything you love about the song is already there. Even if it’s played imperfectly and the recording is terrible. The listener can process all that out if they want to. Music is an idea and it doesn’t need perfect editing to be conveyed.
I’m not saying make junk. I’m saying make something that contains the spark of your idea. And be happy that when you listen again it evokes a sense of wonder in you. Then forget the dumb metrics.
These sad people who have given in to just churning content are winning at a game I do not want to play. Frankly they seem like people who have no internal clue about beauty and instead are just so happy the platform tells them what’s good or bad, because they have no idea themself.
A topic that needs to be discussed more, thank you sir
Thanks, you are so right. Creating more vids is like a drug hunting for more likes. We have to come back to create more art and may be we need another channel than this big commercial UA-cam with all those algorithms and commercials breaks. Thanks again for bringing that to a point.
Your point of view...
From mine (on the content consumer side) I have to admit spending too much time watching gear reviews instead of switchin' my synth setup on and start new projects...
In the old days, once a month, you went to the closest newstand and got your fave music technology magazine to fill your WC time...
Thank you, I hear you. The art is worth it. I have a mundane job and spend my free time doing what I love. At this point I’m young and possibly hope to use my skill to provide for myself but maybe that isn’t a good idea. Maybe doing what I love when I chose is the best way to go. I hope some others feel this way too. It’s unfortunate but maybe, again the way it should be
That was written half way through. I hope to also keep my priorities properly aligned and thank you for sharing this knowledge with us 🙏
I'm just seeing my youtube as a diary. If peoeple watch it I get happy. But defently guilty of naming my songs after the gear I'm using, just so I can get that extra 5 views. Degrading the song to a commercial.
Subbed your music channel
Thanks, Mr. Jones. I appreciate your philosophical approach to art as an artist. Expounding on these modern ideas and how to incorporate them with modern technology is largely a double-edged sword. But your videos help define and point out what those shortcomings and advantages are. Thanks for your videos and art. I love your music.
I needed this. Thanks.
Thank you for this video. Much love brother. Keep playing and stay true to what will make you happy.
Thanks for these wise reflections. Very appreciated.
Love this so much, thanks for sharing it.
This was great - thank you
Thank you for this. I have been moved.
Thank you so much for this.
Sorry, second comment. This one better. I listened to the track. Twice. It’s good. Do lots more.
While this is not the heart of the idea, I love the way the low notes on the Rhodes sound. So warm and wooly.
Maybe you could reconcile some of the incongruities of objectives you discuss here by talking in detail about how you made a particular track. How you got each sound. What led you to the sound design. How you wrote each element. What ideas and goals you had in mind. Giving advice about creativity is good. But rarely do we see the full detail of the winding road someone went on. Maybe you could also discuss what you like and dislike about it. I have no idea if lots of people are going to want to see this. But I would. Even more important, it might feel like something that’s perfectly inline with what “feeds your soul”.
Also, if you are spending a lot of time on amazing video editing. Maybe don’t. Is that really so important? What else could you be doing with that time? I like well-produced videos, but is it a cost worth paying? I don’t know.