Music videos play a huge part in how fans connect with their favorite songs, but the craft that goes into them has largely stayed out of the limelight. Today, as we continue to grow the video experience on Spotify, we’re launching Directed By, a new documentary-style series that gives viewers a front-row seat to the making of a music video.
Created in partnership with Android, the series traces a music video’s journey, from early storyboard sketches and location scouts to the final day on set. Across three episodes, each featuring a different artist and director, it pulls back the curtain on the technical and creative decisions that bring a song’s visual identity to life.
The first episode, available now, follows British pop artist Maisie Peters and director James Ogram as they develop the videos for her latest songs, “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You.”
Stream the episode below.
Spotlight: James Ogram
James is a London-based director and U.K. Music Video Award nominee known for creating distinctive visuals for artists including Fat Dog and Lauren Auder. He’s also worked alongside Academy Award–nominated cinematographers like Robbie Ryan, bringing a technical precision to his films that balances his personality with an eye for emerging talent.
For the Record caught up with James to discuss the inspiration behind Maisie’s music videos and what he aims to bring to every project.
How did you and Maisie build the vision for “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You”?
Maisie and her team put together some words that made the thematic intentions behind these songs and her album really clear. I took what she gave me, listened to the songs, then spent time writing down ideas until I had a vision of what the videos should look like. Once I have the images in my head, I tend to feel like I’m heading down the right path.
Beyond the inspiration Maisie provided, what else influenced those music videos?
Sean Price Williams’ The Sweet East by was very much in mind when I was first conceptualizing these videos. That movie is tonally very different, but some of the scenes visually inspired me, including one where a character sings to herself in a bathroom. There’s a lot of ideas in that film, some that are beautiful in their simplicity and others that are very eccentric. It makes for an interesting piece of work to explore.
What’s most important to you when creating a music video?
First and foremost, I want to make something that feels right for the song and for the artist, something that will augment the experience of listening to the music. Then I try to weave in my own interests because I want to feel like I’m making something that’s mine. Trying to bring both of these into a music video isn’t always easy, it’s something of a balancing act.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring music video directors, what would it be?
The best advice I ever got was to make stuff. Start with low-budget videos created with your friends. Make it the best it can be and repeat. Eventually, someone might give you a little bit of money and you can make something more ambitious. Then, that might inspire someone else to give you a little more and so on and so on, until one day you’re Steven Spielberg. I’m still working on this process.
Watch more on Spotify
Directed By’s debut comes as Spotify continues to expand music videos to additional markets, giving fans new ways to experience an artist’s world beyond the music. And we’re just getting started. New episodes, created in partnership with Android, will explore other artists’ creative processes and reveal how directors use Google Gemini to capture, refine, and execute their ideas.
Dive into the first episode of Directed By featuring Maisie Peters and James Ogram now, then check out the official music videos for her songs “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You.” Stay tuned—new episodes will be released in February and March.
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