Posts by Michael

Quote from Symph

No I genuinely have no business giving tips as I've never had any true success but I will say that I've always gotten the feeling it was my inability to stick with anything that stopped me. When I DID actually consistently stick to one thing like high quality music videos for a whole month or something, I saw growth. I tend to get bored though or even like... get this panicky "I can't keep this up!" Feeling, then I pivot to something else and growth stops. So I totally do believe the internet rewards consistency, and consistency has always been difficult for me in the past.

Man that right there is experience and worth sharing too. We learn from where we went wrong and others can too. Consistency can be difficult as well as the committing.

Tip: Get a cheap ringlight and use your phone on the mount that comes with it, theyre not very expensive and works as a tripod and is fairly portable.

Quote from Symph

Everything that guy Symph does? Don't do that. Do other stuff.

Go the opposite way haha

Dont worry about a fancy camera, use your phone and go for it.

I feel so tempted once I have my mics paid off to get a little vlog camera to do videos outside and maybe make a basic vlog channel for my spare time, I have done videos outdoors and my audience LOVED them and still ask for them years later. Part of me thinks it would be nice to have a little side project and post randomly and whenever just filming adventures, places I visit and everyday stuff without putting too much pressure on it. Like I love making yoghurt and want to show people how easy it is too.

Anyone else ever felt the urge to branch out into a different type of content just for fun?

Share a single tip in here per post, something you feel would help others I will start this off.

GET STARTED. Dont sit on an idea for months and say you will do it soon procrastinating. Just do it even if you dont have everything ready or in place. Grab the phone and record. Create and dont look back.

Ive been thinking about camera settings this morning and was curious what other video creators think about this. For filming which would you go with, 1080p at 60fps or 4k at 30fps? Like 4k is great quality but is it best to just record 1080p at 60fps for smoother video? What are your thoughts? What do you record in? Thanks guys.

So I recently got a pair of them and one of them was making a muffled rumbling sound when handling if you tapped on the front of the grille/capsule or body it would sound VERY different to the other paired microphone so there was obviously something different between the two. I got a replacement but had the same issue. Now I have sent it off to Source Distribution/hhb for a repair. I am really hoping it comes back fixed. It should arrive there today as its out for delivery already. Anyone else had dodgy mics on arrival from any brand? I had this a few times with condenser mics. It makes me feel like I am being picky with the mic quality when I just expect something working properly and matching at that price point. They are not £30 mics.

I fancy getting creative and helping some people out so I thought id offer to make a few simple channel banners or artworks for members here. If you need some YouTube banner art, channel branding or something similar and it is fairly straightforward, I am happy to have a go and help you out in my free time.

I will do a couple of members designs for free. Drop a reply if you would like one done and let me know your channel name and the kind of style you are looking for too thank you.

Theres a rise of them, causing a nuisance in city centres and creating content from strangers. I do understand making videos in public but stuff that actually can cause alarm and distress and posting people without consent yes its part of the internet now more or less but at the same time I think its quite exploitative of the public who may not want to be featured in said videos.

I see the appeal and interest especially with channels link that!

This prompt is use for muscians, artists and band creators wanting to come up with a strategy for their TIkTok and YouTube channels. Copy and paste and edit the editable parts and let me know what you think if you found it useful or rubbish. Will be good to see if helps anyone out. I know it can be hard finding a footing.

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I want you to act as a world class TikTok and YouTube growth strategist who specialises in helping musicians build an audience from zero.

Your job is not to motivate me. Your job is to build me a clear, practical strategy with 10 actionable steps that gives me the highest chance of growing an audience and turning it into a career.

Before creating my strategy, ask me at least 10 detailed questions about me, my music, my personality, my content, my goals, my audience, my schedule, my equipment and my current social media accounts. Do not create my plan until you have enough information.

Here is my information:

Name:
Age:
Country:
Music genre:
Artists that inspire me:
Favourite creators:
Current TikTok:
Current YouTube:
Instagram:
Spotify/Apple Music:
Monthly listeners:
Subscribers:
Followers:
How long I've been creating:
How often I currently post:
Equipment I own:
How much free time I have each week:
My strengths:
My weaknesses:
What makes me different:
My long term goal:
My short term goal:

Once you have enough information, create a complete strategy.

I want you to cover the following sections.

Personal Brand

Explain exactly what my brand should be.

Describe my personality online.

Tell me what makes me memorable.

Explain how I should stand out from thousands of other musicians.

Target Audience

Who exactly should I be making content for?

Describe my ideal viewer in detail.

Explain why they would follow me.

Explain what emotions my content should make people feel.

Content Direction

Based on my answers, tell me honestly what type of content I should focus on.

Content Pillars

Create between 5 and 8 repeatable content pillars.

For each pillar include:

• Why it works
• Example videos
• How often I should post it
• How it helps me grow
• How it can make money later

Viral Video Ideas

Give me at least 100 video ideas.

• Guitar content
• Original songs
• Covers
• Storytelling
• Challenges
• Behind the scenes
• Audience interaction
• Series ideas
• Trends
• Duets
• Stitch ideas
• Community building videos

Hooks

Give me 50 hooks that immediately grab attention.

Explain why each works.

Captions

Give me caption templates that encourage comments naturally.

TikTok SEO and Hashtags

Explain exactly how TikTok SEO works in 2026.

Explain whether hashtags still matter.

For every content pillar provide:

• Best hashtags
• SEO keywords
• Search phrases people actually type
• Words I should naturally say during the first 10 seconds of the video
• Text I should place on screen

YouTube SEO

Explain how YouTube Shorts and long form videos are discovered.

Recommend titles.

Recommend keywords.

Recommend descriptions.

Recommend tags where appropriate.

Explain when tags actually matter and when they don't.

Explain if its good to repost each TikTok on YouTube Shorts with relevant title created from the TikTok description and how to do this.

Posting Schedule

Create a realistic weekly schedule for:

• TikTok
• YouTube Shorts
• Instagram Reels
• Long form YouTube

Include what I should post each day.

Filming Workflow

Create an efficient workflow from idea to upload.

Explain how to batch film.

Explain how to avoid burnout.

Editing

Teach me how to improve:

• Retention
• Watch time
• Pacing
• Camera angles
• Audio
• Lighting
• Storytelling
• Humour
• Engagement

Growth Strategy

Explain how to reach my first:

• 1,000 followers
• 10,000 followers
• 100,000 followers
• 1 million followers

Monetisation

Explain how I could eventually earn money through:

• Streaming
• Live performances
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Brand deals
• Merchandise
• Affiliate marketing
• Patreon or memberships

Rank the income sources from best to worst for someone like me.

Mistakes

Tell me the biggest mistakes I would probably make.

Explain how to avoid them.

Honest Review

Based on everything I've told you, tell me the uncomfortable truths.

Don't tell me what I want to hear.

Tell me what I need to hear.

Challenge my assumptions if they're wrong.

Point out excuses if you see them.

If I'm wasting time, tell me.

If I'm chasing the wrong things, explain why.

If I need to completely change direction, tell me.

Don't protect my feelings.

Protect my future.

Be clear, concise and blunt where needed.

My 90 Day Plan

Create a week by week roadmap.

Give measurable goals.

Tell me exactly what I should focus on each week.

Accountability

Finish with:

• My top 10 priorities in order
• What I should film tomorrow
• What I should post tomorrow
• What I should stop doing immediately
• The biggest thing holding me back
• A daily creator checklist
• A weekly creator checklist
• Monthly goals
• A simple scoreboard so I can track my progress

Finally, I do not want motivational speeches, vague advice or generic tips.

I want a practical, step by step execution plan with simple actions I can follow.

Every recommendation should explain exactly why it matters and exactly how to do it.

If there are multiple options, recommend the one you genuinely believe gives me the highest chance of success and explain why.

Treat this as if you were personally responsible for making me successful over the next 12 months. Give me the strategy you would use if my success depended on your advice.

I think he is a lot more relatable to our age group too than younger so could be why, like he seems like a great guy and the videos are so well done but yeah maybe he is missing out on the younger audiences

So many of us have a fear of going live on TikTok and I was curious what makes you fear it if you do. For me personally it has always been people leaving nasty comments in the stream, haters and worrying over my response to them and how they will SEE their comments bothering me. I really dont like the thought of that. I havent gone live in over a year on any channel. I dont feel its always needed to grow but certainly helps these days.

What stops you going live? It seems we all want growth but theres always something holding us back even when we are massively capable.

Quote from Symph

No idea, and I can't lie I didn't just LOVE his content either, like it didn't make me laugh or anything. He just seems like a genuinely cool person and nice vibes.

Maybe needs more emotional reaction created in his audience perhaps hmmm makes me think a lot that.

Quote from Symph

I just have imposter syndrome and can't take myself seriously, however I genuinely improve my physical state every day, and it seems to be less and less as time goes on. I thought I was ready to get back out there and start posting confidently, but now that I have done a few TikToks and Instagrams I'm already having that "I shouldn't have posted that" feeling, so I don't think I was as ready as I thought. I have a feeling that the live content will help break me of this, but I'm still stalling on that, maaaaaybe I'll go live today, we'll see.

Man just remember we are all human and its normal to feel that way when doing anything that puts you in front of people. Just know you deserve to be there and can be there just as anyone else. I get like that too with my new uploads. I just recorded a video and about to edit KNOWING it isnt my best but tough shit its 26.5c indoors here and I dont feel my top self but still gonna deliver the best I can, I can always improve too Let me know if can by email in case I dont see the notification if you do before and if not busy ill sit on the stream.

I am thinking about getting this book by Derral Eves has anyone read it? I chatted with him briefly many years ago and he was a very knowledgable guy along with Tim Schmoyer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/YouTube-Formula-Algorithm-Audience-Revenue/dp/1119716020

The book covers understanding the YT algorithm, audience building, content strategies and monetisation.

I noticed you can get it on Audible for free if you use a free credit too, so I am going to download and give it a listen.

The YouTube Formula

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Learn the secrets to getting dramatic results on YouTube Derral Eves has generated over 60 billion views on YouTube…

www.audible.co.uk

Anyone find it useful? Seems definitely worth a listen via Audible for free.

As a creator what do you find you struggle with the most? For me its recording when I am having an "off day" with mental health and just wanting to not really do much. I find sometimes that I dont feel my best and in the past I would end up fully avoiding recording.

What do you struggle with as a creator and making content? This goes for all kinds, YouTubers, TikTokers, streamers etc

I have saw so many more channels doing outlandish content in the city where people are wearing meta glasses doing POV content. Going into businesses like Greggs and recording staff, reviewing their customer service and then posting it online and monetising it when theyre just trying to do their jobs.

A lot of it is within UK law being able to do photography in public is allowed if in a public place but really should people be taking videos of people in the street and posting it online and making money from it without permission. I dont think TikTok has anything in place to stop this.

What are your thoughts on this? I can see why it is appealing to watch as its very dynamic and the scenery and people in them constantly change.

I see this getting out of hand and someone ending up hospitalised eventually when approaching the wrong people. I feel bad for those with poor mental health being approached and recorded, imagine being anxious and going out for the first time in a while and being posted online. You may not leave the house again.

Should there be laws against this and further restrictions? People often dont realise theyre on camera and find themselves later online.

Some channels include Michael Ballymore, NotReal both based in Newcastle. A lot of it verges on harassment and bullying. It is a shame as some of the content is helping the homeless and giving them support etc.

Quote from NoEcho

Id keep it basic clean colours and easy to read font. I see a lot of channels choosing fonts you cant easily read its like really 💀

Ive done this with my new channel. Its just the channel name with a slogan under it and solid colour. I feel like it could have more to it though.

What is your tagging strategy for your TikTok videos?

For my business I tend to think of highly searched terms related to the business and products and think of what people may search thats highly searched. For example if I owned a beauty brand I may use something like "New #lush #facebrushes perfect for powdering your face giving you that #glowup and intense #shadesofpink - dont miss out on these #makeupbrushes once theyre gone, theyre gone"

Or something similar to that. I think doing this kind of peppered tag format works for me and may for you too.

A lot more young ones are enjoying older music, my sons into Metallica and Type O Negative and all sorts of interesting music, more so than me haha

Thats a plan haha are you crying from being overwhelmed coming back and from your audiences responses yeah?