6 min read
Video content for musicians: 5 tips to get started
For musicians, the question of whether to post videos of themselves online is often an easy one: "Should I?" The answer is always yes. Social media has made it easier than ever to share your music with new fans and collaborators across the world. However, once you've decided that you're going to put yourself out there, it can be hard to know where, or how, to start. In this article, we'll give five tips to get started in creating great video content for musicians.
Tip #1: Don't overthink it (but be strategic).
Don’t worry about perfection, you can always make changes later.
It's tempting to try to make your first video production a masterpiece—but you don't have to! It will take time before you have enough experience and resources to make anything that truly stands out from the crowd. In the meantime, just focus on making something good enough for people to see what you're about.
Don’t worry about being too different from other artists.
If there are elements of your music or personality that would naturally lend themselves well to video content, then by all means include them! But don't try too hard to be different just for the sake of being different; it will come off as inauthentic instead of intriguing. Instead, focus on how you want new audiences to feel when they encounter you for the first time. Do whatever keeps that feeling alive while still showing off your unique qualities in an authentic way.
Tip #2: Set a goal for each video.
Your first video is a chance to set the tone for future videos. Deciding what kind of content you want your channel to be known for is important, even before you begin. Is this going to be a place where viewers can expect weekly videos that make them laugh? Or will the channel be one that focuses on in-depth tutorials? It's worth spending some time on this so you'll have an idea of how you can plan future projects.
In addition to setting goals for individual videos and entire channels, think about how you could use each new video as another opportunity for improvement. If one particular series or episode gets great feedback from viewers—positive comments and high watch counts—you might try out similar ideas when preparing future material.
Tip #3: Make it mobile-friendly.
With the rise in mobile devices, it's imperative to ensure that your videos are optimized for viewing on a small screen. You can do this by using a video hosting service that is optimized for mobile devices. It's also important to consider your video dimensions depending on which platform you use.
You'll also want to use video compressors on large files to avoid losing quality while still keeping them short enough that they're easy to watch on mobile devices or other streaming platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. You can use video compressors on many types of video files, including MOV, MKV and AVI formats. Video compressors may also support other file formats, such as WMV and MP4.
Tip #4: Publish as much as you can.
Once you have your channel set up and ready for prime time, start publishing as much as possible! The more you post, the more likely people will find out about you and your music. But don’t stress about this part too much—it really doesn’t matter what content you share. It matters more that you're sharing something! If nothing else, post short videos of yourself playing your instrument or singing one of your songs (or both!).
As musicians, all video content is valuable, regardless of how much effort you put into your videos!
Tip #5: Don't forget the call to action.
The final tip is to not forget to ask your audience to subscribe, buy something, or share the video.
While this may seem obvious, it can be easy to focus on getting the video out there and then forget about how it will help you further down the line. For example, if you have an email list that you haven't been using much lately but want to get back into using more often (or at all), now would be a good time for them to sign up! Or maybe there's a certain product that's perfect for fans of this genre/style of music who might want it as a gift?
Whatever it is, having a call-to-action can boost your engagement rates and widen your reach!
As musicians, It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to creating video content. These are some key points that will help make sure your videos are effective. First and foremost, don't overthink things! You'll never be able to predict what will work in advance, so just create something and see how it goes. The best way to figure out what works is by trying out new ideas on a regular basis, so keep creating new videos until you find something that works for you!
Looking for good tools to help you create video content? The Smartphone Studio Microphone is a portable microphone that allows you to create high quality audio recordings, on any device, anywhere.
About the author: Ronie is an energetic content marketer with extensive experience in the digital realm. His curiosity and enthusiasm resulted in an ever-growing portfolio that encompasses anything from video editing jobs to distributing his creative work to top-notch websites.