Do your music movies go viral on platforms like TikTok and Instagram?
If not, there could also be three pretty easy changes you may make shifting ahead to get extra eyeballs in your music video content material.
After all, I can’t promise your movies will go “viral.”
There are a variety of variables for virality: High quality, expertise, developments, timing, algorithms.
However I CAN say numerous the music content material that’s surfaced in my very own social feeds all through the previous yr has shared three widespread qualities.
1. It’s best to submit “dwell” efficiency movies
All through 2023 and 2024, many of the music-related movies that I’ve seen going “viral” (that means numerous views, likes, feedback, and shares) are performances. And I don’t imply live performance footage from gigs.
I imply issues like Jon Poppii’s minimalist acoustic covers.
Or Mark Scibilia’s live-looping movies.
Or Stroll Off the Earth’s hilarious stunt performances.
Regardless of how a lot you hear in regards to the reputation of GRWM movies, dance developments, or memes — with regards to music, it appears that evidently viewers on TikTok and Reels merely love seeing good performers doing their factor. Singing a music. Enjoying an instrument. Feeling the feels.
To be clear, I’ve observed some exceptions to this rule in 2024, which is sweet. Since that provides you extra artistic choices in your movies, and you may discover extra “vertical” approaches to the normal narrative or impressionistic music-video format.
However as a basic rule, I nonetheless assume the dwell efficiency pattern is holding robust and needs to be the method you prioritize.
So… don’t fret about big-budget movies. Don’t fear about “official” music movies. Simply shoot some footage of you taking part in “dwell.”
It may be in your bed room, rehearsal area, studio, a theater, a area of flowers, a mountaintop, a protest, the median of a busy roadway (security first!), a sizzling air balloon, or wherever else. What’s most essential is that you just ship an important efficiency.
And while you do, how do you have to method the video shoot so the viewer feels related to your efficiency?
2. Get it multi functional take with one digicam
One other widespread high quality of viral music content material is the single-camera / single-take method.
A brand new iPhone is sufficient.
No edits! No cutaways! No b-roll!
Simply the intimacy of 1 digicam monitoring no matter motion is most essential within the second. And the entire real-time danger that comes with it.
I don’t imply it’s important to publish your FIRST take. However slightly, your greatest take.
That is nice information for you, on the one hand, as a result of it vastly reduces your manufacturing workload and funds; You don’t want a number of cameras or a number of folks to shoot video. And also you don’t want an editor afterwards.
Nevertheless, as a result of you’ll be able to’t lean on edits to create urgency or to cover-up for awkward moments, the stress is on whereas filming.
Keep in mind, although: It’s short-form video. You’re apt to get extra views for a 15-30 second snippet than for a full 4-minute efficiency.
So for those who can solely confidently ship 30 seconds of the hook, it may be greater than sufficient!
In the event you’re nonetheless doubting your self, anxious you could’t even seize 30-seconds of nice visuals and nice audio concurrently…
3. You’re allowed to lip-sync in your “dwell” efficiency movies
Although the visuals are essential, so is the audio. High quality sound is essential. It could’t be crap.
As I stated above, if getting good audio and video on the identical time is irritating, simply lip-sync!
Seize the nice recording first, after which put effort into believably performing together with that monitor. It must look convincing, however it doesn’t should be hermetic.
Loads of the movies I see going viral in 2024 are clearly lip-synced. Others are much less clearly lip-synced. Some — I assume — are literally dwell. However the level is, that distinction doesn’t actually matter for you common viewer.
It’s the kind of factor we musicians will get all twisted about, holding ourselves again from producing content material that has an opportunity of getting seen! So give your self permission to lip-sync.
You don’t should publish the outcomes, however I’d wager you’ll get higher outcomes while you attempt it.
Conclusion
The thrilling factor about this efficiency video pattern is that it’s asking musicians to do the very factor you must already really feel comfy doing: taking part in songs dwell.
In the event you give your self permission to lip-sync, you’re eradicating one of many largest technical hurdles to capturing good efficiency footage. And for those who decide to the single-camera / one-take method, these sorts of movies are literally EASIER to supply. All nice information for musicians who handle their very own social, video manufacturing, and advertising and marketing.
However developments don’t final ceaselessly, and the algorithms will definitely shift what they advocate finally. So bounce on this music video pattern right now.
