The Text-Hook Formula for Music Posts
Published · updated · by Loopin
The line on screen is the only part of your post a stranger reads before deciding. Six shapes cover almost everything, and none of them mention that the song is out.
Seven words, top third, frame one
Under seven words so it is read in a glance. Top third so the platform's own captions and buttons do not sit on it. Hard-cut on at 0:00 rather than fading, because a fade spends the exact second being measured.
Write it before you shoot. Knowing the line changes what you film — you stop recording a performance and start recording an argument, and the takes get shorter.
The six shapes
The claim they want to argue with — "this beat took 11 minutes". The gap — "wait for the key change". The stake — "nobody has heard this". The confession — "I nearly deleted this one". The question they can answer — "which chorus?". The category — "for people who work nights".
Rotate them. Using the same shape every post trains the audience to skip it, and each shape catches a different kind of viewer: the claim catches producers, the category catches identity, the question catches anyone bored.
Be specific about the number
"Made this fast" is nothing. "Made this in 11 minutes" is a hook, because it is checkable and slightly absurd. Numbers are the cheapest specificity available and almost nobody uses them.
The same applies to time, gear and place. "Recorded in a stairwell" beats "recorded at home". Precision reads as truth, and truth is what makes somebody stay for the second three seconds.
The four openings that read as an advert
"New song out now." "Link in bio." "Stream my new single." "Check this out." All four announce rather than offer, and the feed has trained everyone to swipe past an announcement before it finishes rendering.
If the song genuinely is out, the release information belongs in the caption, not on screen. The on-screen line has one job and it is not to inform.
Test the line, not the clip
Post the same eight seconds twice a fortnight apart with two different hooks. That is a clean test of the line, because the only thing that changed is the sentence. Retention at three seconds tells you which won.
Do this four or five times and you will have a personal list of what works for your audience, which is worth more than any general advice — including this. Keep the list.
Frequently asked questions
What should I write on a music video?
One line under seven words, in the top third, hard-cut on at 0:00. Use one of six shapes: a claim, a gap, a stake, a confession, a question, or a category the viewer belongs to.
Why do my posts get ignored even though the song is good?
Usually the on-screen line announces rather than offers. "New song out now" and "link in bio" read as adverts and get swiped before they finish rendering. Release information belongs in the caption.
How do I know which hook works?
Post the same clip twice, a fortnight apart, changing only the line. Compare retention at three seconds. Four or five of those gives you a list specific to your audience.