From the Archives: Pearl Jam’s “The Fixer”
October 8, 2025
HIP Video Promo is celebrating 25 years of helping artists be seen, be heard, and break through.
It’s a milestone that represents more than two decades of championing independent musicians, building relationships across a changing industry, and helping music videos find the audiences they deserve.
The Call That Started It All
Back in the early 2000s, HIP founder Andy Gesner had just left another music video promotion company when one of the labels he’d built a relationship with reached out. Their message was simple:
“We trust you. We want to work with you directly.”
There were no investors, no business plan—just a belief in doing the work the right way. Artist-first. No shortcuts. With a phone, a computer, a fax machine, and an unshakable love for music made by real people, Andy said yes.
On October 26th, 2000, HIP Video Promo was born.
From One-Inch Tapes to TikTok
The early days were all grit. Cold calls. Handwritten labels. One-inch tapes, SP Betas, DVCAMs, Digibetas—whatever networks and programmers needed. MTV, Fuse, Much Music, Promo Only, and countless regional shows became part of the growing HIP network.
Then, in 2003, came the call that changed everything.
Lost Highway Records reached out with a new video to promote—Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.”
A Nine Inch Nails cover. Stark. Raw. Unforgettable.
That campaign became a defining moment. It opened the floodgates to collaborations with legendary artists and respected indie labels alike: Elvis Costello, Morrissey, Fatboy Slim, Bright Eyes, The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, and partners including Fueled By Ramen, Saddle Creek, Polyvinyl, Sub Pop, Merge, Matador, and many more.
Always Evolving
As the industry transformed, so did HIP. When physical tapes disappeared, the team mastered digital—encoding, compressing, tagging, captioning, and optimizing every piece of content to reach audiences in new ways.
They learned design and editing tools like Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and Lightroom; built an in-house creative team; and began producing lyric videos, short-form vertical content, and full-scale social campaigns—long before “content strategy” became a buzzword.
HIP stayed credible because they never stopped caring. They didn’t hire it out—they figured it out.
5,000 Videos Later
Today, HIP has promoted over 5,000 music videos for artists, labels, and managers across every genre and generation. The company’s reach extends from television programmers and digital tastemakers to streaming platforms, press outlets, and curated in-store video networks that feature music in retail spaces, gyms, restaurants, and more.
Through it all, HIP has stayed true to its original purpose: to help artists be seen, be heard, and build meaningful careers.
The Mission Continues
A lot has changed since 2000—technology, trends, even the definition of what a “music video” is. But one thing hasn’t: HIP’s passion for elevating authentic voices and fighting the good fight for musicians everywhere.
As HIP marks its 25th anniversary, the team is taking a moment to look back with pride—and ahead with excitement.
“I’m proud of what we’ve built, and even more proud of the artists and relationships that made it possible,” says founder Andy Gesner. “The mission hasn’t changed—and neither have we.”
To commemorate the milestone, HIP released a 75-second anniversary video celebrating the people, music, and memories that have shaped the company’s story.
Watch it, share it, and celebrate with the team that’s spent 25 years helping artists bring their vision to life.
Here’s to 25 years strong—and many more to come.
