Do you want to put your music out there, but you feel too timid for a face reveal? 

The Advantage to Being Anonymous 

‍The plus side to creating a video without a face is that you won’t have to deal with comments about your appearance.‍

It came to me as quite a shock when I began my Tiktok account for short covers and classical flute. People came out of the woodwork to make comments like “Fix your makeup!”. They also become oddly intrigued by the color of my strawberry blonde hair. 

As a musician, I was a little overwhelmed. I just wanted to share my music. It seems that creators (even with a following as small as mine) are subject to criticisms on our appearance (for better, or for worse).  ‍

By making anonymous videos, you forgo these comments entirely. 

The Drawback 

The flip-side to the equation is this: People love to see other people’s faces. 
It’s been statistically proven that music videos with people in them, do better than those without people in them. 
All of this being said, starting out anonymous, and then gradually doing the ‘face reveal’ can have a very positive marketing effect. 
Whether you’d like to be not seen, yet heard or, heard and ‘seen eventually’, here are some ways to make music videos without a face more interesting. 

Ways to Make Videos Without A Face Interesting 

-Spliced Scene Videos and Lyrics Videos 
I recently did a beta test of the program, Whirligig. Whirligig is a music video and lyric video maker.
Moving lyric videos, and videos that are made from spliced scenes keep the viewer interested, as there is a lot of change happening visually.
They are quick to make, and economical as well. 

-Frames in Acapella App or DaVinci Resolve
If you are an instrumentalist, you can use frame videos including your instrument and your hands.
People love to see that you are playing and that you really made the music yourself.
You can show them your technique while remaining anonymous. 

–Masks
Musicians like DeadMaus and Marshmello have taken faceless music videos the old-fashioned way: by wearing a mask!
Other artistic types, such as poets, seem to have a tendency to want to be heard and not seen, as well.
Making all your music videos with a mask could lead your viewers to ask the question:
“What does this artist have to hide? “

–Make a Time Lapse‍
Billie Eilish’s video for the song ‘Six Feet Under’ is simple: It is just two, colored smoke bombs, gradually spreading into the air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ0iq10ULNA
If you have a video camera, time-lapses like this are one of the most simple yet interesting ways to add a symbol or theme to your music without making it too busy.

Conclusion ‍

There are many reasons why musicians want to remain anonymous.
But with a little help from technology, and a dash of creativity, you can make a stellar video that people are still going to enjoy! 

‍‍About the Author:  Aleah Fitzwater is a classical flutist, music educator, and music blogger.

You can find more of her work at Scan-score.com‍, where she teaches musicians how to digitize sheet music.

Aleah Fitzwater‍