Social media is the way to promote music. For artists choosing between a visualizer or a full music video for a track can make all the difference in engagement.
Both serve different purposes but understanding how each performs on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube is key.
In this post, we’ll look at how to get more engagement with either and how Beatwave can help you create sick music visualizers by easily uploading an audio file.
Visualizers on the rise
As music consumption moves online, artists have more tools than ever to reach their audience. Music videos have been around for decades, but with the rise of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, there’s been a shift in how artists engage with fans.
This has opened the door for more stripped-back visuals to complement the music – enter music visualizers, which originated from music visualization functions within electronic media playing software like Windows Media Player.
A music visualizer is an artistic audio-visual experience that highlights the rhythm and mood of a song without the need for complex narrative-driven footage. Unlike actual music videos, which often involve elaborate storytelling and production, visualizers can be super simple, just focusing on the vibe of the music.
They’re great at keeping listeners engaged, especially when paired with bold and colorful graphics or minimal visuals. These visualizers are often less complex music videos, providing a simplistic visual accompaniment to songs.
On TikTok and Instagram, visualizers allow artists to quickly show off their music with a simple visual representation that can grab attention instantly. In fact, music visualizers work better than traditional videos on these platforms. TikTok thrives on short, engaging content, so it’s perfect for showing short snippets of music with visually appealing and simple visual designs that enhance the song.
Music Videos still matter
While visualizers are on the rise, music videos are far from dead. In fact, realized music videos take center stage on YouTube where artists upload fully developed music videos to engage with their fanbase. A complex music video is a great way to tell a story, immerse fans in a narrative, and drive a deeper emotional connection with the song.
But creating a music video takes time, effort, and budget – something that can be a barrier for smaller or independent artists. Also, music videos are generally longer than visualizers, so they are more suited to YouTube where viewers consume longer video content. But with the rise of snackable content on TikTok, music videos may not always be the best way to get attention.
Getting more engagement with visualizers
With the demand for quick, bite-sized content on the rise, music visualizers are a great way to stay engaged with fans. Using video editing software can help create engaging music visualizers by providing the flexibility to upload visual elements and sync audio tracks effectively. Here’s how:
1. Share Short, Snackable Video Clips
On TikTok and Instagram short videos rule. Instead of uploading the full track share short clips of the music visualization with the most engaging part of your song. For example, a catchy hook or a standout lyric will resonate with listeners and give them a taste of the song to go and check out the full track.
2. Use Lyric Videos
A simple lyric video is a great way to engage listeners by helping them connect with the meaning of the song. With Beatwave you can create dynamic lyric visualizers that display the lyrics of the song with a cool visual accompaniment. This will get more engagement and encourage fans to share the song and its visual.
3. Customizable Graphics
One of the best things about music visualizers is you can customise them to your track’s vibe. Using colourful graphics that match your music’s energy will get people’s attention. You can use Beatwave’s simple interface to design a visualizer that matches your song’s aesthetic whether that’s a more vibrant, psychedelic style or something more minimal and subtle.
4. Interactive Social Media Posts
Get your audience to engage with your music visualizer by creating interactive posts. For example ask fans to share videos of them listening to your track using the visualizer as their background. This will get more engagement and get your music noticed.
5. Use Album Artwork
Another option is to combine the album artwork with the visualizer. Beatwave allows you to upload images and integrate them with the music visualization so you have a cohesive visual brand. This will keep your audience engaged with the song and promote your album or EP at the same time.
Getting more engagement with music videos
While visualizers are great for quick engagement, music videos are still very valuable. Lyric videos, a simpler yet effective way to visually represent music, can serve as placeholders before the release of an official music video. To get more engagement with a music video, focus on high production and emotional connection. Here’s how:
- Make it Shareable: Make your music video social sharing friendly. Create a shorter version for TikTok or Instagram Stories.
- Appeal to Your Fans’ Emotions: A music video should tell a story or create a mood that connects with your audience. Engage their emotions by visually representing the themes of your song.
- Create Behind the Scenes Content: Fans love to see the creative process. Share video clips of the music video shoot to give fans a sneak peek.
Final Thoughts
It’s all about your goals and the platforms you’re targeting. For quick engagement, visualizers are simplistic visuals intended to engage audiences quickly, especially on TikTok and Instagram. They’re cost-effective and easy to create with Beatwave.
But if you want to create a deeper emotional connection, music videos are the way to go, especially on YouTube. By using them wisely, you can get more engagement with your new music and keep your fans coming back.
