We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andy Gesner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

As a member of a rock band playing bass guitar, doing many shows, putting out records, you could never rely on that income the level we were at. I knew that when I started Hip Video Promo, I would need to be doing other things, such as helping artists with marketing outside of hip, as well as, putting on shows locally here in Central New Jersey. It started with New Brunswick Underground, which was a musical collective, which spawned the likes of Matt, better known as Val emic little T in one Track Mic. Then we started Artist Amplification, which was bands and artists from here in New Jersey, paying to be a part of a compilation cd. Yes, this was back when CDs were still a thing and we would distribute the CDs free at all the events. The bands would make their money back playing these events. All good, but not enough to pay the rent. Hence, Hip Video Promo was born. I knew if I could key in on actual record labels that had the budgetary space in their marketing plans for video promotion, that would be a much better way to earn a living. And it ended up working out.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Andy Gesner and I am the owner and president of Hip Video Promo. I was very blessed to get to grow up in the sixties and seventies, experiencing in real time the music that led me to wanna be a creative. I bought my bass guitar in 1979, and for 20 years I lived it, breathed it, sweated, bled it in bands, and also putting out records, helping others. In 1993, I began my own record label, hedgehog Records and continued to help artists by putting out music. But it was a difficult struggle. I do think my bands were overlooked and underappreciated, but in the year 2000, I figured if I can’t do, I’ll teach. And that’s when Hip Video promo began. As a music video promotions company, we focused exclusively on video content, getting it television airplay. We were there right when the online worldwide web took cold. So for many of our clients, we are a trusted online PR company. About eight years ago, once Spotify emerged as an important new trend, we began offering Spotify playlist pitching, as well as began shooting videos, making lyric videos, providing our clients with well crafted social media visual content, as well as shooting live events. Now we’re also pitching to YouTube playlist curators, and though we’re very curated as to who we work with, we have had the opportunity to help thousands of talented creatives and promoted over 4,400 music videos.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

If I had been a Wildcat oil prospector in the eighties and nineties, it seemed in retrospect that every oil well I dug came up a dud. And along the way we realized that there is a very good reason Hunter s Thompson called the Music Industry a cruel shallow money trench where pimps and thieves run amuck and good guys die like dogs. And of course there’s a negative side too. So I figured if I couldn’t do I’d teach and it was a complete reinvention. 22 years ago, in the year 2000, I felt quite certain that the big guy gave me one last opportunity to stay on the music industry playing field. Because really the only other alternative was to go sell appliances at Best Buy. It was a struggle, especially with nine 11 happening about 11 months into hip video promos journey. But in the year 2003, I had reached my pain point, that point where you’re literally about ready to give up, but there’s a voice inside that says Keep fighting the good fight. That’s when Lost Highway came to us. They had the Johnny Cash Hurt music video that we were very grateful to have the opportunity to promote. And that changed everything cuz once we had promoted that video, we had people lining up at our party here in New Jersey. And it’s been quite the journey so far that resilience and that tenacity and sticktuitiveness in the beginning was instrumental in our success today.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had had a father who was not the supportive father when it came to my creative pursuits. I quit the football team and the wrestling team in high school, much to the chagrin of many people, including my mom and dad. But I knew that my creative journey awaited me. And it was very difficult in the early days because in order to tour you had to have radio, air play and we were not well moneyed and budgetary constraints definitely held us back. But after nearly 20 years of being a bass player in musical groups, I knew I had to do something different. And it was right when the worldwide web came into its own. And I was given a very good tip at the time that music videos were going to be become very important because it was only a matter of time before the entire human family could watch music videos on their computer. And at the time we were just thinking computer. We weren’t thinking phones, iPads, watches. We very much now live in a video-centric world. And though it had been difficult in my own creative journey, it was the right place and the right time. Wayne Gretzky says 100% of the shots you don’t take, don’t go in Hit Video Promo was my gusher and it was what allowed me to do what I enjoy and that’s helping others through my years of experience and my exceptional team of marketing professionals, I would encourage everybody to always get past that pain point. It’s important that you stay strong during difficult times and continue to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hipvideopromo.com/
• Instagram: hipvideopromo
• Facebook: Hip Video Promo
• Twitter: hipvideopromo
• Youtube: HIPVideoPromo