Today, you not only need a music video to stay competitive but you need to know how to work it – how to reach the programmers & ultimately the millions of eyes and hearts of viewers. Andy Gesner, founder of HIP Video Promo explains the process.

Indie-friendly to the core and with more than 600 campaigns to their credit, Gesner and his team have been instrumental in helping big name acts like Bloc Party, The Shins, Morrisey, of Montreal, Maroon 5 and up-and-coming acts like The Academy Is…, Shout Out Louds and Jet Lag Gemini, launch successful video promotions to support their releases.

Here’s everything you need to know about the world of music video promotion - from making to breaking the video and even the difficulties behind launching a business when you don’t have any clients.

Q: Andy, you’ve been an important fixture in the New Jersey music scene for many years, as the bassist of Spiral Jetty and The Urchins, and through your Artist Amplification program, which produced compilation CDs and shows with rising artists – why did you decide in 2000 to launch a video promotion company?

HIP: HIP Video Promo was actually born by complete chance. In October of 2000, I had just left a position working for an up-and-coming video promotion company, as their phone call guy, reaching out to programmers. About two weeks later, I received a phone call from Virgin Records, asking if I would help them promote a video from a band called Amen. They knew I had a close relationship with all of the video programmers from my last job, so I was the perfect candidate to help them out. My friend at Virgin twisted my arm, and HIP Video Promo was born.

Q: How did you come up with the name "HIP" ?

HIP: I already had Hedgehog Records, a label on which I released a number of CDs and cassettes in the 90s, and which was kind of a play on words on The Urchins (in Britain they call hedgehogs "urchins"!). HIP is an acronym. It stands for Hedgehog Independent Promotions.

Q: Initially, who did you pitch your services to – who were your first clients?

HIP: Our first clients were of course Virgin, but also we did some early work with both Doghouse and Sub Pop as well.

Q: What was your sales pitch – was it a tough sell?

HIP: It was a catch 22. People were hesitant to hire us because they wanted to see an established client list with some very recognizable artists, but it’s difficult to establish the client list without landing the jobs to begin with. However, we had enough early successes to keep the company growing, and in early 2003 when we were hired to promote the Johnny Cash “Hurt” video, everything just exploded from that point on.

Q: Besides Johnny Cash, you have promoted videos for Elvis Costello and Morrissey, plus hundreds of indie acts. Who signed on first - indies with little cash to spare or major label acts?

HIP: It was a combination of both. Our work ethic and results were enough to convince the majors and our passion for helping the up and coming bands helped with the indie labels.

Q: MTV used to be the only game around – how has that changed?
Who are today's major music videos outlets?

HIP: MTV is still a huge player in the video world, but other outlets such as Fuse, Much Music, Fuel TV, MTV Latin America, and on-demand outlets like Havoc TV and Music Choice, and others have all stepped up as big players as well.

When we started in late 2000, a music video was an expensive undertaking, beyond the fiscal range of most independent artists, and there were only a limited number of programming outlets for those who could afford it.

It‘s undeniable that the revolution in technology has changed all of that. The widespread availability of digital video and broadband and wireless Internet has put professional grade production quality and worldwide dissemination capability into the hands of the masses; more than at any time in the past, it’s a must that a compelling music video accompanies any band or artist’s new music release.

This same technological explosion, though, has made the music video programming world exponentially more complex and chaotic than it has ever been before - it's the Wild, Wild West out there, and the number of music video outlets is constantly growing.

Q: About how many music video outlets would you say are available to Indie artists today?

HIP: About 150 outlets and growing.

Q: How many were available in 2000?

HIP: Just about the same amount [of television outlets], but now there are many more video-on-demand and Internet outlets on our servicing lists.

Q: Why is it important for a band in today's marketplace to have a
music video?

HIP: Because exposure is the name of the game, and with less of a concentration on radio or MTV alone being the ones to “break” bands, it is very important to have a high quality visual representation of a band in as many places as possible. Internet, retail pools, video on demand, and the regional/multi-market video outlets are more important than ever.

Q: When is a video campaign most effective – just before a new release, just before a tour, or just to keep visible when you have nothing new coming out?

HIP: The best times are right before a new release or a tour, because this will allow you to “fire on all cylinders.” Programmers often ask us what’s going on with the band, so it’s always best to have several things happening at once.

Q: How long does the typical video promotion run?

HIP: The average promotion is about 8-10 weeks.

Q: What are the standard fees?

HIP: It varies from project to project depending on the duration of the promotion and the number of outlets. Keep in mind that our pricing includes all dubbing, tape stock, postage, tracking, promotion, and even closed captioning when necessary. All the client has to do is hand over the master copy of the video and we take it from there.

Q: What's the benefit of hiring a video promoter vs. sending out materials D.I.Y.?

HIP: Between having up to date contacts and knowing what type of tape format they use, getting dubs done affordably, making the right number of dubs, submission forms, following up with outlets, it’s really hard to do it on your own!

Q: Generally is it the band, the manager or the label that contacts you?

HIP: All of the above. For the larger, more established artists, it is usually the label; while with the up-and-coming it is often times the bands themselves or management.

Q: You've promoted over 600 music videos – what are the secrets to a successful campaign?

HIP: A great video is the first ingredient! Another is making sure the video gets into the right hands. With as many outlets as there are, we customize every servicing list to make sure the video is going to the outlets that are most likely to embrace the video. Additionally, we follow up with every outlet with the tenacity that ensures the video is getting the attention it deserves.

Q: How do you break a new artist? How do you compensate for an unknown act?

HIP: Again, the first step is to make sure the video is a quality product.
But the other big thing is making sure that we present the video in the most professional manner, including a concise and intriguing one sheet that goes to great lengths to spell out all the great assets about a band & why we feel they are deserving of the programmer’s attention.

Q: How do you decide to take on a new client? What sort of act would you turn away?

HIP: An un-established artist doesn’t deter us because we want to be a part of breaking these new bands. We’re only as good as our client list and we’re confident that every artist we choose to work with is one that has some great things to offer. We really only decide to not work with a video artist if we believe that it is something we couldn’t possibly have a successful promotion with.

Q: Which markets are the hardest/easiest to break an artist in?

HIP: National outlets and those located in major markets are the most difficult to impact due to the high profile nature and stronger competition at these outlets for their programming spots. We have our best luck in secondary and tertiary markets.

Q: Which type of outlets are most receptive to new artists?

HIP: Regional, retail pools and Internet. Much of this has to do with the fact that they are much less bound by things such as sponsors, parent companies, etc. and tend to be more unconventional in their programming than their counterparts. They have more of a desire to get in on the ground floor with these artists before they break.

Q: Are video stations more open to taking on new artists, as opposed to clubs or radio stations?

HIP: I believe so. Since there isn’t a CMJ or Billboard type of chart in the video world, programmers rely much more on their own instinct and play what they like, not what they are influenced to play by others.

Q: Which type of video is most likely to get selected by programmers:
a video by a name act, a video with just a great song & so-so visuals or
a video that's cool to look at?

HIP: A name act will always receive lots of attention. If [a band is] not a name act, it is very important for the video to be good, because a good song can’t save a bad video, but a great video makes any song better!

Q: Who’s watching videos – what's the audience profile?

HIP: Everyone is watching videos, now more than ever! There is no typical profile of the “average music video watcher.” There's never been a time in history when more eyeballs have connected with new music videos from up and coming artists than in 2008.

Q: Do all genres benefit from music videos? Which genres have the most outlets?

HIP: Rock, Urban, and Pop, and anything that falls into any of those genres are the most prolific. Something like Jazz or Reggae is less likely to find as many outlets.

Q: Does size matter? Should artists consider making shorter videos – say 2-3 minutes so they have a better chance of running on PDAs, YouTube, etc.?

HIP: I’d say in general that if a video can be kept down in length it always helps its chances of being programmed. With only a finite number of programming opportunities available, programmers are looking to fit in as many videos as they can.

Q: What other things should bands consider before they create a video?

HIP: We always suggest they do their homework so that they can make the most compelling and exciting video as possible. You only get one chance to make a first impression so you want to be sure that the finished result is something you are very happy with.

Q: Each year you make a cross-country pilgrimage to visit programmers all over the USA. What new trends have you learned while talking to the programmers this year?

HIP: One thing I’ve noticed is that many more resources are being put into music video promotion. Labels are spending less money on things like college radio promotion and more on music videos and viral marketing. And with such a heavy presence of the music video on the Internet, many labels consider video promotion essential.(To see highlights of Andy's Tour, click HERE )

Q: What new formats or outlets do you see on the horizon?

HIP: Some things we’ve seen recently are servicing blogs, videos streaming on cell phones, in podcasts & on video billboards. Wherever there is new technology to be found, music videos are not far behind.

Q: Which countries watch the most music videos?

HIP: We work mostly with outlets within the USA, but we’ve also seen some great response from outlets in Canada, and many Latin American countries.

Q: Can a band that is totally broke use video visuals to promote themselves?

HIP: Well, thanks to programs like Final Cut, actually making a music video has become a much more affordable endeavor. It is also key to find the right director; so many are willing to work for cheap because like the bands, they are hungry and looking to beef up their own reels and body of work.

Q: What should a band consider before signing with a video promoter?

HIP: Whether or not it is affordable to their budget and also the best time to move forward with a promotion. Like I said earlier, it is always best to time a video promotion to coincide with a tour and/or new release to maximize impact.

Q: Why should artists choose HIP - describe what makes HIP unique:

HIP: We are fearless when it comes to promoting cliché-defying artists outside the mainstream, while always remaining selective in the projects we promote.

We truly do everything we can to go the extra mile for our clients, whether it’s offering up the HIP Hotel, my annual cross county tour visiting programmers, or producing one of our own HIP Clips for them (which we put up on our YouTube page among many other locations). We’re all artists ourselves, so we know how much these things mean to our clients to know that we have a sincere and vested interest in helping these artists out.

Q: What's "the HIP Hotel" and who has stayed there?

HIP: The HIP Hotel is the upstairs area of our offices, which we’ve converted into a place for bands to crash when they come through the area. We know how much it can cost to pay for hotels in the Tri-State area and how difficult it can be to find lodging on the road, so when our artists come through the area we offer them the chance to come stay with us. We have several beds, laundry, warm showers, safe parking, Internet access and anything else we think a band on the road might need. Some artists that have stayed here include Plain White T’s, The Rocket Summer, Minus The Bear, The Soviettes, Sherwood, Aqueduct, Two Ton Boa, Immaculate Machine & Smoosh, just to name a few.

Q: Do you think programs like the Independent Music Awards and the MTV Awards help artists get ahead?

HIP: Of course! I think that any high profile accolade helps an artist in terms of recognition and prestige. The more they get recognized for their work, the more likely they are to continue to see their star rise.

Q: What have been some of your favorite videos to work?

HIP: Some of the highlights over the past couple years have been The B-52s, Spiritualized, Architecture In Helsinki, Jamie Lidell, Pennywise, Flight Of The Conchords, She & Him, The Faint, Spoon, Bat For Lashes, Mando Diao, “Weird Al” Yankovic, of Montreal, Johnny Cash, Sherwood, Nicole Atkins, Pinback and so many more. It’s hard to narrow it down because we have to really love a video in order to work with it, so to pick favorites is so hard!

Q: Who's your favorite video artist?

HIP: There are three artists who we have been fortunate enough to work with enough times to really check out their incredibly diverse yet always compelling body of work. The first is of Montreal, because you never know what you’re going to get, but you know it will always be incredible. The second is The Majestic Twelve. These DIY rockers from North Carolina really embody the independent spirit that we love and each video they offer is completely different from the last. Lastly is Bloc Party. There is just a certain level of excitement that comes with having the chance to work with this band repeatedly. Everything about their music is amazing and we know every new video they have is going to be a huge hit.

Q: Your favorite video of all time?

HIP: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. Not only was this video so pivotal in the development of HIP, but it’s rare that a video really reaches down and touches you on every level like this video. And the fact that it was released so close to his passing, it always just stands out to us as one of, if not, the best.

 

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