How do you make a video go viral? Jason Derulo and the cast of Project Icon explain

The cast of BBC Three’s Project Icon explain the secrets of making a viral video, including why it’s so important to a young artist's career.

Creating a viral video can dramatically change an artist's career - just ask the king of social media, Jason Derulo, who claims he wasn’t always a social media pro.

Jason Derulo knows how important mastering social media is to a music career and it’s even become a key part of his new show.

Project Icon: The UK's Next Music Star is hosted by Radio 1’s Jordan North and judged by international superstar Jason Derulo, his renowned manager Frank Harris, and double Brit Award winner Becky Hill.

The competition takes place at Icon Studios, a BBC set in Manchester where 10 artists will be set challenges, reflecting the realities of the music industry today. Top of that list of challenges sees the contestants make a viral video for social media.

Now, Jason and the cast are here to explain how you can make your own…

When looking at a new artist’s potential, Jason Derulo asks: “Can they shine on social media?”

He adds: “That's such a huge part of today's music industry. Honestly, it's not just music [anymore] it’s being able to click and reach a million people.”

It’s something that’s clearly impacted Jason’s career, after parting ways with Warner Records in 2020, Jason used social media to pivot his career, enjoying some of his greatest success to date. Now, he has millions of followers, a string of successful singles including number one hit Savage Love with producer Jawsh 685, and his own show - Project Icon.

Jason isn’t an outlier, though, as viral sensation Raye experienced similar success, after gaining independence from her label in 2021 and releasing her hit song Escapism in October 2022. The song went viral on social media with a total of 377.4k videos being made using the original track, and 716k videos using the remix. By January 2023, it reached number one on the UK singles chart, with Raye thanking social media and her fans for their part in her success.

In 2021, over 40 trending TikTok songs hit number one on the UK official charts, compared to just 10 in 2020. This included Tion Wayne and Russ Millions track Body which was named as the platform’s most popular track by UK artists in 2021.

It’s hard to deny social media’s impact on the music industry. According to TikTok’s end of year recap: “In 2022, 10 of the 12 number ones on the UK Official Singles Chart had a viral moment, and 13 out of the 14 Billboard Hot 100 number ones were driven by significant trends on TikTok.”

The most important thing is being yourself, according to Jason. “When I just put myself on the line and I wasn't concerned with looking crazy, being embarrassed, or having a good time, that's when things opened up for me on a different level.”

Project Icon contestant Emelle, from the Wirral, who has a viral video that has racked up over 9 million views, holds this advice close when making content: “Someone said to me once, that the secret to being the best influencer is someone that knows who they are and knows how to market who they are.”

Using that advice, Emelle takes a pretty practical approach to making viral videos: “So every week, I look under #singing challenges, I look at what's trending in my area, and I set the filter to the most likes within the past week. Then you can take elements of what they're doing and see how it can apply to you. So if you just find a niche and then look under that niche every week, you'll get a sense of what's trending.”

Fellow contestant Jay, from Wolverhampton says “viral videos have really propelled my career.” They’ve landed him brand deals, caught the attention of Lizzo, and even led to the creation of the Rice, Peas and Chicken song from Project Icon’s signature song challenge.

For Jay, making viral content is about enjoying yourself and making something in the moment: “The content that normally seems to blow up is the video that I least expect, the ones that are made in that moment, because it was fun.”

Although sometimes that means the videos you don’t want to go viral do, as contestant Lillie-Jo explains: “I put up a stupid video of me stabbing myself in the eye with an eyeliner and it got like a million views.”

Putting yourself out there can be daunting, but it’s something the Project Icon cast are learning to embrace, because as Jason notes: “That's what this show is about - finding the consummate artist, not just a beautiful voice.”

Contestant Okeam said that he’s pushing himself outside of his comfort zone and embracing social media because “you need an online presence. It’s very inspiring to showcase your story and be in control of the story through social media.”

Project Icon hopeful Barry adds: “I think social media, as much as I despise it, is one of the most important things for a modern artist. It’s a way for you to connect to your fans, on a global level.”

Finding a balance can be hard though, as Lillie-Jo, who gigs in venues around London, adds: “Honestly, social media is so important and I wish I was better at it - you’ve got to be consistent.”

You can watch Jason and the cast put their social media skills to good use on Project Icon, every Sunday at 9pm on BBC Three and on BBC iPlayer.