Music is about more than what you hear 

People discover music with more than just their ears—they also use their eyes. 

In all my experience marketing music, promoting shows, generating leads, and selling merch for artists, labels, and managers through my agency, DuPree X, I can tell you that the single biggest differentiator between success and failure hasn’t always been the song. 

It has been the visual content. 

Yes, what people hear is unquestionably important, but what they see matters every bit as much. 

If not more. 

First impressions 

I am convinced more people discover new music with their eyes than they do with their ears. 

Now, obviously, when someone is listening to music on Spotify, Apple Music, the radio, or walking through Walmart (is anyone really discovering music here?) their ears are all they have to go on when they hear something new that they like. 

But outside of that (and even after that first touchpoint at the aforementioned places), people find new music with their eyes. 

I’m talking about Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook (insert every other social media platform here), billboards, magazines, music videos, traditional ad campaigns, movies… 

You get the idea. 

If anything, people spend far more time discovering new music in these visual-first places than they do within Spotify or any other audio-centric experience. 

For example, did you know that visual processing takes up about 30% of the cerebral cortex in the human brain? 

Yep.  

And audio? 

3%. 

Yes, you read that right. 

We are visual creatures. 

Our eyes are how we make sense of the world around us, how we establish patterns, and how we plug things into our short-term memory. 

Put simply, if you want people to listen to your music, odds are, you’re going to need to capture their attention visually first. 

The opening 

Now, fortunately for you (and for me), most audio-minded thinkers tend to suck at visual storytelling. 

Believe me, I’m one of them. 

It’s why I am constantly trying to improve my ability to communicate emotion and messaging via video, images, and the written word (all visually oriented, by the way). 

And you should too. 

Because most musicians are so audio-focused, there is a huge opening for those who want to put in a bit of extra work and deliver top-notch visuals. 

Do me a favor and just scroll through Instagram for five minutes and tell me what kind of music ads and content you see. 

My guess is most of it is either phoned in at best or completely visually unappealing at worst. 

It’s because most artists seem to view visuals as an afterthought. 

After all, the song will sell itself, right? 

(Narrator: this has never been the case.) 

The opportunity 

“But Tom,” you say, “I already have to spend so much time making music, marketing it, and posting on social media—now I have to get good at video too?” 

No, you don’t have to. 

But you should. 

Because not only will it help you make better ads, but you’ll end up with better content too. 

And probably more listeners. 

And streams. 

And fans. 

And, ultimately, a better return on your investment. 

Because it all works together. 

You’re not just making a song and throwing it out into the wind, hoping for the best. 

Hopefully, you’re making something you’re proud of. 

So why not make the best art you can across sound and imagery instead of focusing solely on one and forgetting the other altogether. 

Rising tides do raise all ships, after all. 

A great song coupled with great video, graphic design, and storytelling is a true work of art and has a much higher chance of success than a song with terrible packaging. 

So if we are truly the artists we claim to be, perhaps it’s worth going the extra mile and learning to be great visual storytellers too. 

It could make all the difference.