YouTube Millionaires: Ten Second Songs Are “Like A Fun Game”

By 03/05/2015
YouTube Millionaires: Ten Second Songs Are “Like A Fun Game”

Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.

In March 2014, Anthony Vincent released a video in which he sang the Katy Perry song “Dark Horse” across 20 different musical genres. The video was a viral hit; to date, it has gained more than 15 million views. Not one to take his success for granted, Vincent continued to create genre-bending “Ten Second Songs” on YouTube, and the channel that showcases them all now has more than one million subscribers. We asked Vincent, who is partnered with Collective Digital Studio, about his continued efforts to smash together disparate song styles:

Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?

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Ten Second Songs: For a second I kinda looked at this question in disbelief. There have been quite a few times I doubted I would get to the point I’m at right now and I certainly didn’t think it would happen in under a year’s time, but I’m here and grateful. Despite my inability to be complacent with anything, I am well aware it’s a great achievement and I’m beyond happy to be in the position I’m in. I owe it all to those who cared enough to hit the subscribe button in the first place.

I have to say my fans have been a blessing. I know it’s weird to say that about those you don’t actually KNOW. But over the past year, I’ve responded to some heartfelt words and I’ve mixed it up with a lot of genuinely good people. Me being the kind of person I am, I wish I could know everyone by name, but I do my best to reach everyone. Seriously guys, thanks for being there. On days that were less than great, your support helped more than you may know.

TF: You’ve risen up the YouTube ranks rather quickly. What has been the most difficult adjustment for you over the past year?

TSS: There were no difficult adjustments. At first the success of my channel came as a shock and for at least a few months I felt like I was in a dream state. Eventually, I made a gradual transition and accepted all of this as my new reality, and now I’m just doing what I have to do to maintain it. It’s a whole new world when you experience that kind of growth in such a short amount of time. However, I don’t hang out with celebrities, I have the same circle of friends, and same daily routine. Not much has changed, honestly.

TF: How long does it take you to plan, record, and edit each Ten Second Songs video?

TSS: It depends on how I feel. There are times I like to take my time and work on a project for a month. Then there are times I can do it all in two weeks. Record, shoot and edit. I’m working on something now that I’ve been technically working on since May. HAH.

TF: Do you think these videos have allowed you to expand your musical horizons or taken you out of your musical comfort zone in any interesting ways?

TSS: Yes, absolutely. I can assure you, some of my interpretations would probably have never happened had I not had this channel. I’m doing it as almost like a fun game for me and my fans. I know I’m not the greatest vocalist in the world, I know I don’t sound like everyone I interpret in my videos, but that’s the fun of it. It’s a game to see how close I get.

TF: Many of your recent videos have been themed around particular holidays. What made you decide to go that route?

TSS: Well I figured I would rise to the occasion. The holidays have always been important in my life, specifically Halloween because that’s my favorite time of year. I just thought, why not? I probably won’t do the same thing this year. I’ve got a lot of other stuff planned.

TF: How much do you focus on conveying a compelling “stage presence” when shooting your videos?

TSS: Well everything I do on video has a purpose. I guess I always thought it to be funny to play this character on camera that kind of just glides through each transition while maintaining an almost stoic yet animated persona. It’s hard to explain, but the way I come off in Ten Second Songs videos is way different than how I perform with my band. It’s two different personalities.

TF: What was your job before YouTube? Do you still do it full-time, and if so, do you plan to pursue video-making full-time in the near future?

TSS: My job before YouTube was creating custom songs and jingles. I still do them from time to time but with the way things are going with my channel, I don’t think I’ll be doing them for too much longer. I do plan on pursuing video-making as a full-time venture.

TF: As you gather more fans on YouTube, do you see yourself becoming more involved with the site’s creative community?

TSS: Like collaborations? Absolutely. I actually have a couple of cool collaborations in the pipeline as we speak.

TF: What’s next for your channel? Any fun plans?

TSS: Lots of fun plans! But that’s all I’ll say. 😉

On Deck (channels that will soon reach one million subscribers): Minute EarthDorklyThread Banger

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