The Simple Reel Idea That Blows Up Every Time (And 10 Jobs to Give AI)

This is one of my favorite content ideas. It's so easy to make, and the results I've seen with it have been tremendous.

I first noticed this kind of Reel from bands like Golden Cats and DC3, and then from a lot of other musicians.

What the Reel looks like

It's a song performance Reel that starts from a third-person angle with a Snapchat-style caption on it, like someone else is filming you. After a 3-second hook, it cuts straight into the performance with the lyrics on screen.

How to make one

The first part might look tricky, but you can do it in under a minute, even if you don't have Snapchat.

• Ask someone to film you performing the song, ideally somewhere interesting. The more eye-catching the location, the better the chances it takes off. If nobody can film you, use a tripod or place your phone so it looks like someone else is recording.
• Open CapCut on your phone, go to Templates and search for "Snapchat". Pick a Snapchat-style text template, upload your video, trim it to 3 seconds, and change the text to something like "this guy thinks he's a rock star".
• Then add the full performance video. Put the lyrics on screen, and maybe use a filter to make it look more polished.

Why it works so well

The opening makes it look like someone else is filming you and reacting to your performance in the moment, or even making fun of you. That kind of hook grabs way more attention than starting with a plain performance.

10 jobs to hand over to AI

A while ago I made a new cover photo for my newsletter, and it took me 90 seconds.

I made it with AI, on a website called Ideogram. The result was smooth and professional, and it was completely free.

Not long ago, I would have had to find a designer on Fiverr, explain exactly what I wanted, pay for it and go back and forth with edits. Now life is just so much easier. I mean... scary easier. And if you don't adapt, you risk getting left behind.

I know musicians have a love-hate relationship with AI. To be clear, I'm not saying you should use AI to create your music. I think the opposite.

But there are tasks you should be using it for. It saves time, it cuts costs (so you can reinvest in your music), and it helps you look more professional, so people take your music seriously. Here are 10:

• Make animated visuals or video loops for YouTube or Spotify Canvas.
• Design cover art with an AI image generator.
• Write press releases for new songs or albums.
• Write personal pitches to playlist curators. My free Song Pitch Generator does this one for you.
• Come up with ideas for Reels, posts and stories.
• Build a promo plan or a campaign timeline.
• Analyze your lyrics and turn them into hooks.
• Research similar artists for collabs or marketing inspiration.
• Write scripts for behind-the-scenes or storytelling videos.
• Create quote-style graphics from lines in your lyrics.

Go to music events, even when you travel

When I was living in Tokyo, I went to a musicians' gathering and randomly met a musician I had added to my playlists just two weeks earlier. It was a total coincidence!

I love her music, so I invited her to shoot some content with me in the streets of Tokyo, and we filmed a bunch of videos together.

So go to music events in your area, and in any city you visit. These events are happening everywhere, and you never know who you'll meet.