#258 - Top Music Video Release Tips
1. Plan out Your Release Schedule
First, remember that music videos are just one component of your release cycle. So, you have to decide how your music video will fit into your overall release and marketing strategy. Do you want to drop the music video as a single from an upcoming album to build up anticipation? Or, do you want to drop it after the album release, editing in an upcoming tour announcement at the end of the video?
2. Build up The Hype
Out of the blue album release might work for Beyonce, but generally speaking, musicians want their fans to wait for — and hotly anticipate — their music. If your fans know that something is coming, eagerly waiting for what’s in the pipe, it can help you both generate listening across your back catalogue, and excitement for the new stuff.
Music videos are a great way to build the album anticipation. Besides, you can turn the music video itself into a mini-event. The better your video does in the first few days, the better are your chances that it will be picked up by the YouTube algorithm — so the initial impact of your video is key.
3. Leave Time for Edits
There are all kinds of hiccups and delays that can happen throughout the video production cycle: your artistic vision may change over time, the shoot can get delayed, or there may be problems with post-production. That’s why it’s critical to give yourself time for edits.
4. Plan Content Around the Video
Want your music video release to be an event? Make sure to post about it on social media and let your fans know that something is coming. It doesn’t have to be super complex — in fact, keeping it simple and concentrating on the video itself is probably for the best. Artists commonly post screenshots, behind the scenes photos, produce teasers, and other types of content centered around music videos. All that will feeds into the idea of building up hype, continuously communicating with your fans, and maximizing the impact of the video.
5. Release a Teaser
Give your fans a taste of your music video by releasing a teaser: even if it’s just a few seconds, it will help get fans excited and prompt them to check out the video when it’s first released. Keep the veil down, but choose a section that’s visually and emotionally enticing. Remember, the initial impact of your video is most important, so anything that will build anticipation is helpful. Always release a song and then later on the music video, not at the same time. This allows for fans to have their own emotional meaning they attach to the song and their own feel for the song’s vibe — so they’ll be curious to see how you’ve visualized it.
