Whether you have been in Music City for a day or a decade, you’ve probably already realized no one rises to fame overnight. The ladder to stardom is seemingly unending, and is harder to balance the higher you go. But how do you even get started climbing when you are now in a sea of talented musicians who are all chasing a similar dream? In other words, how do you stand out in a city full of people trying to stand out? It takes a lot more than a good set of pipes or the ability to tickle the ivory. You have to be smart in your approach.
Making it Big in Music City
While our ears would definitely appreciate it if we lived in a world where the top musicians were chosen purely by talent, we all know this is not the case. We all have a different musician pop in our heads when we think “why is this person famous?” They got there not because of pure talent (which is obvious), but because of connections. You need people who are going to want to back you because they see your potential. But how do you show them you have potential?
While recordings of your songs are good, it's not enough to sell yourself as an artist. Music videos are a much more dynamic way to put what you got on display and demonstrate your talent. Like it or not, it’s not just about your music. Fangirls didn’t listen to N’Sync just because they thought their music was catchy - it was because they wanted to marry Lance Bass (sorry, ladies). Groupies didn’t gather to watch Miss Americana because they wanted to listen to Swift’s songs again - that’s what her album is for. They watched because they wanted the person behind the lyrics.
People get emotionally connected to music, and thus they feel they can relate with the singers. So it’s not just about music, but the person who brings that music to life. Music videos give the audience a glimpse of this by not just giving a catchy tune or relatable lyrics, but showing the person behind them. In this way, a music video becomes your resume. It puts the lyrics to a face, and in the running for potential fans to choose you over the other acts out there. It is your opportunity to show off who you are as an artist; you’re not trying to convince people to like just your song, but you as an artist.
Quality Music Videos
However, a video is more than just your musical resume, it’s also a raffle ticket. If you only have one in the pot, your chances of getting picked aren’t going to be as high as the guy who puts out videos every other month. After all, every day both novice and amateurs alike are pouring more and more music onto Youtube, which diminishes the chances of your songs getting played.
But Music videos aren’t as simple as standing in front of your phone, pressing “record,” and singing loud enough for the mic to pick you up. Quality is an essential element. There are amazing artists out there who are being overlooked every day for the mere fact that their music video was made in their backyard with outdated recording equipment. When compared with a band that has a killer backdrop recorded in 4k, most people are going to click on the nicer-looking one. Why? Because they use the visual clues to assess the effort put into the music, and assume that the nicer-looking one has had more effort put into it because it was musically better.
Now, you can always try to forego quality, but you better have something to make up for it. If you have high levels of creativity (and spunk), you may come up with a music video that goes viral even without high quality, such as OK GO’s Here It Goes Again treadmill video. But with the ever-rising level of creatives on social media and Youtube, this feat is getting harder and harder to pull off. This is why we recommend investing in quality music videos. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it takes money, but yes, it is worth it. If you truly believe your song deserves to be heard by all, then invest in your music career by having a quality music video made. The question now is "how?" The answer is GM. Genovations Media specializes in making videos, and lucky for you, we are based on the outskirts of Nashville. So if you are trying to make it big in Music City, hit us up to get started making quality music videos to help give you the recognition you need.
SOURCES: How To Market Your Music In 2022 | DON'T WAIT TO START DOING THIS! [Video] (visited 9 August 2022)
Burstimo. Don’t Release Your Next Song Until You’ve Done These 10 Things | Music Promotion. [Video] (visited 9 August 2022)
Ditto Music. How to Promote Your Music Video & Get MORE Views | YouTube Ads Guide | Ditto Music [Video]. (visited 9 August 2022)