"Big lights will inspire you"

When is the best time to release your video?

Some would say a couple of weeks after the single hits the airwaves - allowing the song to work its way into peoples' brains first. Others would argue for a simultaneous release for maximum impact. Others still would say blogs are the most important tool in the marketing arsenal these days, so you should hoik the video onto YouTube before you even think about "servicing radio" (nb these people are badly, badly mistaken).

For the definitive answer, let's turn to former record company boss Jay-Z. He's such a prominent, well-respected music mogul that the New York Times wrote a profile of him in their business pages. And coincidentally, he has a new single, Empire State Of Mind, with Alicia Keys. What is Jay-Z's plan for promoting this single? When will the video drop, as they say?

"Yo," declares Jay-Z*. "The song went straight into the top 10 when my album hit last month. This Sunday, it dropped down to number 13. So now I'ma rock the video for y'all, just as you've lost all interest in ever hearing the song again."

See? That's the outside-the-box thinking of a visionary soothsayer. And people say the music industry doesn't know what it's doing any more.


Jay-Z - Empire State Of Mind Ft. Alicia Keys

Jay-Z | MySpace Video

PS: We found this Google Map page that goes through all the song's lyrics and shows you exactly where the Jiggaman is singing about. It is potentially better than the video itself.

* Not really, we made this bit up.

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