Going Viral Doesn’t Guarantee Success: What Musicians Need to Know

For most of my life, I wanted to be somebody. Not just anybody, but a somebody—someone people saw, recognized, and remembered. That desire simmered for years, and then at 36 years old, something happened: I went viral. I’m talking tens of millions of views. The kind of viral that gets you calls from agencies, TV shows, and websites.

And let me tell you this: it didn’t mean shit.

Here’s what happened, and more importantly, what it means for you as an artist.

The Tape and the Laugh

Like most viral stories, mine started small and stupid. One day, I was tossing an old suitcase out onto the curb with my then-7-month-old son in my arms. At some point, I unfurled a roll of packing tape, and the sound of it absolutely wrecked him—he laughed so hard it felt like he’d discovered comedy itself.

It was a wholesome moment. I caught it on video and shared it with family.

Then came the dreaded words I hear from my family constantly:
“You should put that on TikTok!”

They say this about everything, but this time, to shut them up, I did it. I posted the clip with all the confidence of a man who knew it would flop, saying, “This’ll get 700 views, tops.”

Over the next week, it hit 7 million. Then more.

Agencies and businesses started sliding into my inbox asking to license it. Pubity. Lovevery. Blueberry Pediatrics. LADbible. Barstool Sports. ABC’s Good Morning America. And when I said yes to Good Morning America and they aired the video, with the hosts giggling along with my boy, that was then posted to Yahoo!, ABC News, and their own site.

And yet, despite the millions of views, the big accounts, the licensing offers—it didn’t do anything for me.

Why? Because going viral means nothing if it’s not part of what you want to be known for.

A Flash in the Pan

Here’s the hard truth: the content I provided had no connection to anything else I was doing. I wasn’t an “adorable baby video” creator. I wasn’t a dadfluencer. I wasn’t even trying to be funny. It was a fluke moment, unrelated to my work or my identity.

So while millions of people saw the clip, they didn’t see me.

No one cared about who I was, what I did, or what I had to say beyond that one moment. And can you blame them? That viral hit was a one-off—it didn’t connect to any larger story, message, or brand I’d built.

Musicians, listen up: this is the lesson you need to take away.

Viral Doesn’t Equal Value

Every artist wants their moment. That TikTok song that blows up. That Instagram reel that hits a million views. And when it happens, it feels like this is it. But here’s the thing:
If what goes viral isn’t what you want to make, you’re fucked.

Imagine you make lo-fi folk music, but a video of you doing a one-off sketch blows up. You get a million followers overnight—but they don’t care about your actual music. They care about the sketch.

Or you post a random clip that explodes, and suddenly people are asking for more of that. But you didn’t want to be that person—you wanted to be known for your art, your sound, your vision.

This is the dark side of going viral:
The wrong attention can pigeonhole you.

Ticket stub on weathered background. Image made by Lance Marwood with AI.

Make It Make Sense

If you’re going to play the game and aim for that viral hit, make sure it makes sense with the rest of your work. Here’s how:

1. Stay on Brand
   Whatever you post, ask yourself: Does this align with who I am as an artist? Viral content is only valuable if it points people to the stuff you actually care about—your music, your message, your story.
2. Tell a Bigger Story
   Viral moments are just that—moments. But your career? That’s a long game. Use the moment to pull people into your world. If a clip of your song blows up, have more music ready to go. Use your bio, your socials, your website to give people a reason to stick around.
3. Focus on Your Core Fans
   Chasing virality for the sake of virality will burn you out. Instead, build an audience of people who care about what you do, whether you get 100 views or 100,000. Those are the people who’ll actually come to your shows, buy your merch, and ride with you for the long haul.
4. Be Ready for the Spotlight
   If lightning strikes and something does go viral, have a plan. Where do you want that attention to go? What’s the next step for people who discover you? Don’t just hope they’ll find their way to your music—show them the path.

The Takeaway

Going viral is not the goal.
The goal is to build a meaningful, sustainable career.

If you’re not intentional about what you’re putting out, viral success won’t help you—it’ll distract you. The real win comes from showing up consistently, creating with purpose, and building a world your fans want to be part of.

So the next time you’re chasing numbers or obsessing over views, ask yourself:
Will this help people see me, or just see this one moment?

Because moments fade. But you? You’re here to stay.