Spotify launches ‘Directed By’ series, exploring the making of music videos
Kicking off the series, viewers can see inside the making of Maisie Peter’s latest music videos, alongside director James Ogram.
Music videos have long been a key part of the music rollout strategy. They spark discovery, deepen fan connection, and give songs a visual identity that can enhance the listening experience. But as Spotify points out, the process behind them usually stays off-camera.
At least, until now. Spotify has launched a new ‘Directed by’ series, designed to spotlight the creative journey behind music videos. The series follows directors from their early ideas and storyboard sketches right through to shoot day, showing how a visual concept actually comes to life.
Inside the first episode
The first of three episodes is live now, focusing on British pop artist Maisie Peters and director James Ogram. The episode explores the thinking behind the visuals for Peters’ recent tracks “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You”.
It breaks down how the creative direction evolved from concept to execution, and for artists, managers, and directors, there’s plenty to take notes on.
Practical tips for your next video
What makes ‘Directed by’ particularly useful is that it highlights the thinking behind the videos. Alongside the video, Spotify also sat down with Ogram to discuss what he likes to bring to each project. For artists and directors planning their next shoot, there’s a few creative ideas worth keeping in mind:
- Start with the song: Let the lyrics, mood, and emotional themes behind your song or latest project guide the visual direction. Strong video ideas often grow from the music itself.
- Use references as inspiration: Film and TV can be powerful inspiration points. The key is to borrow the feeling or aesthetic, then adapt it so it fits the music video. Here, Ogram references Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East film as inspiration.
- Make it your own: Directors should bring their own creative perspective, blending your style with the artist’s identity. Crucially, the visual story still needs to feel authentic to the artist and the track.
- Just get creating: For upcoming directors, simply getting started and building experience project by project is key. With time, more opportunities and resources will hopefully become available as you level up.
Part of Spotify’s video push
The launch of ‘Directed By’ coincides with Spotify’s broader expansion into video. After previously testing music videos in early 2024 before expanding the test later that year, Spotify officially launched music videos in US and Canada at the end of 2025.
For those in the industry, it’s clear that video is slowly becoming a core part of the Spotify experience. Now, the platform isn’t only hosting the music videos themselves, but also telling the stories behind how they’re made.