Be more interesting

This is the bit I think a lot of musicians get wrong.

They quite rightly think their music should be the thing people care about. Of course it should.

But imagine you've just discovered an artist you've never heard before.

• They've got a brilliant new single.
• You watch the music video.
• Then you see another clip.
• They're performing the song again.
• Then another.
• They're performing a different song.
• Then another.
• They're... performing.

At some point you might quite reasonably think:

“Yes, I know you can sing.”

The problem isn't the music. The problem is that you're only showing people one side of yourself.

And people don't just become fans of songs. They become fans of artists.

Sing for your supper... but don't stop there

Performance video is obviously important.

If you're a musician, people need to hear you play. A great live performance can be incredibly powerful. A stripped-back acoustic version can stop someone scrolling. A proper music video can create a whole visual world around a song.

But those videos are mostly showing me what you do.

What about who you are?

That's where the other stuff comes in. Here are some examples.

Talking head

Yes, I know. You've just read those two words and thought: “Absolutely not.”

You don't have to become a motivational speaker in front of a ring light. Talking to camera can simply mean telling people something interesting.

• Why did you write the song?
• What happened when you were recording it?
• What does that lyric actually mean?
• What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen at one of your gigs?
• Which song do you wish you'd written?
• What's the piece of equipment you couldn't live without?

Or just:

“This is what I'm doing today.”

It doesn't have to be polished. It just needs to give somebody a little more of you.

Because the person watching doesn't know you yet.

You're trying to change that.

Behind the scenes

This is one of my favourites. Because people love seeing how things happen.

• Show me the recording session.
• Show me the rehearsal.
• Show me the studio.
• Show me the ridiculous pile of cables you've somehow accumulated.
• Show me the moment you finally nail that vocal.
• Show me the bit where everything goes horribly wrong.

Actually, definitely show me that bit.

Nobody expects musicians to be perfect. And watching something being made can make people feel like they're part of the journey. That's powerful.

You're not just saying:

“Here's my new song.”

You're saying:

“Come and see what I've been doing.”

That's a very different relationship.

Actuality

This is where video gets really interesting. And it's something I use a lot in filmmaking.

You don't always need somebody sitting down and explaining themselves directly to camera.

Sometimes you just need to let the camera watch.

• Walking into the studio.
• Chatting to the band.
• Getting ready for a gig.
• Soundcheck.
• The five minutes before you go on stage.
• A conversation with your producer.
• A laugh between takes.
• Something going wrong.
• Something unexpectedly brilliant happening.

That's actuality.

And it can tell you an enormous amount about someone without them ever saying:

“Hello, I'm going to tell you about my personality now.”

Which, let's be honest, would be slightly grim.

Tell the story

Your songs have stories behind them. Or at least some of them do.

• Maybe a relationship inspired one.
• Maybe you wrote another after something happened to you.
• Maybe you've been carrying an idea around for ten years.
• Maybe there's a completely ridiculous story behind the recording.

Tell us. Because context can change the way somebody hears a song.

A lyric that means nothing to me at 10am can suddenly hit differently when I know why you wrote it.

That's not about selling. It's about giving the audience another way into the music.

And yes, you can be funny

This gets overlooked.

• You're allowed to have a personality.
• You're allowed to be stupid.
• You're allowed to take the piss out of yourself.
• You're allowed to tell a terrible joke.
• In fact, please do occasionally tell a terrible joke.

Because if every piece of content you make is carefully polished, perfectly lit and designed to promote your latest release, it can start to feel a little... corporate.

And you're not a brochure.

You're a person.

If you're funny, be funny.

If you're serious, be serious.

If you're slightly odd, congratulations, you've found your niche.

Don't manufacture a personality. Let people see the one you've already got.

Different videos do different jobs

This is the bit I'd really like musicians to take away.

You don't need to make endless videos just because someone on TikTok told you that consistency is king.

You need different types of video doing different jobs.

Performance shows me what you sound like.

A music video gives the song a visual identity.

Talking head lets me hear what you think.

Behind the scenes lets me see how things happen.

Actuality lets me experience a little bit of your world.

Storytelling gives your music context.

Live video shows me what happens when you're in front of an audience.

And the more of those pieces you use, the more complete the picture becomes.

Not every musician needs to do all of them.

And certainly not every week.

But if every single piece of content you put out is you standing there singing into a microphone...

I already know you're a musician.

Give me something else.

You don't need to become a content creator

This is important. I'm not suggesting you spend your life making videos instead of making music.

And I'm definitely not suggesting you turn into one of those people who films themselves brushing their teeth because apparently the algorithm needs to know about it.

Your music is still the centre of this. It should be. But think about the difference between:

“Here's my new single.”

and:

“Here's the song I wrote after that breakup.”

Then:

“Here's what happened when I tried to record it.”

Then:

“Here's the first demo.”

Then:

“Here's us playing it live for the first time.”

Then:

“Here's the completely ridiculous thing that happened during the video shoot.”

Same artist. Same song. But now there's a story. There's a journey. There's a person.

And that's what people can connect with.

People need something to come back for

Ultimately, this isn't really about video. It's about relationship.

Someone might discover you because they like a song. They might stick around because they like you.

That's why I think musicians need to stop thinking about social media as a place to advertise their music and start thinking about it as a place where people can get to know them.

You don't have to share everything.

You don't have to become an open book.

You don't have to dance next to your record.

And you definitely don't have to point at text appearing above your head unless you really, really want to.

But give people more than the performance.

Let them see the person.

Because you might have the greatest song in the world.

But if nobody cares who made it, you're making life unnecessarily difficult for yourself.

Sing for your supper.

Absolutely. But every now and then, put the microphone down and let people see what else you've got.