With 3 billion total views and 31 million subscribers, Dream not only surpassed the Minecraft YouTuber label, but also helped define the genre. And soon, he could help make an impact in the music industry after recently signing with Mercury/Republic Records.
At its peak, Dream generated two hundred million users a month, even surpassing the 140 million users who play Minecraft each month. Dream, genuinely named Clay, even earned a Guinness World Record in 2022 for the most viewed Minecraft gameplay video on YouTube.
Part of what created Dream’s virality was that until last fall he had never shown his face. Anonymity fueled web campaigns to unmask Dream, and some even flew drones over her home. But Dream’s mask, a newly drawn smiley face, plays a central role in his identity as a designer.
“Not necessarily everyone can be Dream. But anyone can be like Dream, anyone can do what I did. I got to 30 million subscribers on YouTube, started with a crappy laptop, and didn’t show my face,” Dream said. “It’s just proof that, in yourself, you don’t have to worry about what other people think. . . The mask is a representation of that. “
The video revealing Dream’s face now has more than 58 million views. But last June, Dream posted a satirical “Goodbye, from Dream” online. pronouncing that she puts on her mask again.
“It was laughable that there were a lot of complaints and other people were saying ‘you’re ugly’ because of [my] revealed face. It was my way of being, I don’t care. ” Dream said, “I felt like after I revealed the face, I never wanted to lose it again, because it’s cool and the mask is a big part of me. “
He said that when he plays Dream, he will wear the mask. When it’s just Clay, they’ll take off his mask.
Now, after dominating the artistic world, Dream is making his debut as a musician, recently releasing his EP “à qui veut l’entendre”. I sat down with Dream in his practice session area at the historic Third Encore Studio, which has hosted artists such as AC/DC, Elton John, and Aerosmith, to communicate about his rise as an author and why he is now turning to music.
The old man of dreams.
Dream’s YouTube career started the scenes. He had made the progression video for Minecraft creators Skeppy and Bad Boy Halo, however, after seeing his uploads go smoothly, Dream asked himself, “Why wouldn’t I do it myself?”
Unlike most creators, who look to YouTube as a side hustle before going full-time, Dream has gone all-in on YouTube. With 0 subscribers, 0 downloads, and $20,000 in savings, he abandoned his task and planning.
“I had $20,000 in savings. I like it, I keep going through it until I have $2,000 and then I have to go back to my job,” Dream said. “I gave up in December [2018]. . . and from January to July I just planned and studied how to use YouTube. “
Dream uploaded his first video in July, titled “This Cursed Minecraft Video Will Trigger You. ” He first tested the concept with fellow author Skeppy, whose issue now has thirteen million views.
“When I uploaded my first video, it went well. And then each video worked better and better,” Dream said. “Just before my savings ran out, I earned my first paycheck from YouTube. “
Because those first videos did so well, Dream’s decision to hide his face came by chance. As an author who uploaded Minecraft game content, his face never appeared on the screen; Dream had no goal of hiding his identity.
“But then other people took pictures of me wearing a mask, with the smile that I had in my logo,” Dream said.
Dreaming of our interview with the mask on and then taking it off
Dream learned the long-term prospects of a face reveal and how a sense of mystery could add to his appeal as a creator. He temporarily contacted his circle of relatives and said, “Delete all the photos of me! Shoot them all! Me. ” I’m going to be faceless!
“It’s a very quick thing: I had no intention of going from being anonymous to, I have to take credit for it now,” Dream said.
Dream’s ability to locate and turn the biological into the strategic has been very important to Dream’s success.
“The most productive kind of marketing doesn’t look like marketing. So the most productive way to create anything that can grow your logo is, if something happens, [enjoy] that moment,” Dream said. “Because if it’s natural, then it feels natural. And if it sounds natural, it doesn’t feel like you’re watching an ad.
Dream cited this same principle in terms of Dream SMP fitting the 2021 web phenomenon that it was. Dream SMP (Survival Multi-Player) is a shared Minecraft server where Dream and other creators play collaboratively.
What sets Dream SMP apart are the rich stories that evolved naturally from an organization of over 30 creators who play Minecraft together. The gameplay sequences have become a gripping saga filled with shifting loyalties, emerging kingdoms, and heartbreaking betrayals. A mundane Minecraft world retooled into a serialized drama, even earning an IMDB page.
At best, the author generated more monthly leads (200 million) than Minecraft’s monthly player base (140 million), causing non-Minecraft players to care about Minecraft content.
An Overview of the Dream SMP Minecraft Server
I asked him how he could have achieved such a feat. “It simplifies things, it makes them simple. . . I’m going to create concepts that are simple to perceive,” Dream said. “If you look and he has more armor, you might not notice him, but if you look two against one, you’ll know who’s at a disadvantage.
Dream told me that there are many such simplifications in the download. From editing tastes to titles, thumbnails and descriptions. Keeping things undeniable also allows for continuous iteration.
“Even with this undeniable concept of two-on-one, three-on-one, ‘Wow, that’s crazy, is it four-on-one?’ the dream goes. It is above all a question of expanding the range. And I think in music it’s a very similar process: you take the concept of a song and you need to create it so that other people can incorporate it into their own lives.
The musician dreams
MrBeast, YouTube’s largest single author, needed 469 uploads to reach 1 million subscribers. Dream achieved 10 million subscribers with only one hundred downloads. The following year, Dream achieved 20 million subscribers with 112 uploads. So I asked Dream: after conquering the YouTube mountain, does turning to music threaten everything?
“I’m a storyteller. . . I can tell it through YouTube, I can tell it through books, I can tell it through music, I can tell it through live streams, I can tell it through an interview,” Dream said. it’s not really the risk. That’s how I need to tell my story. “
Dream has shown that he will continue to create Minecraft content, but for now he is focusing on his music. He titled the EP “for anyone who needs to listen” for a reason: the assignment is a genuine dive into an aspect of The Dream that we discover in Minecraft videos.
The song “Until I Finish Dead” confronts the concept of life and death head-on, encouraging the listener to appreciate the time they have. The song is committed to Technoblade, a fellow songwriter and friend of Dream’s who passed away last year after battling cancer.
He dreams of presenting his new album, “to whoever listens to it” on stage
Opening the album is “Slow Down,” a song that once again delves into the ephemeral nature of life. Her verses describe the major milestones in Dream’s life so far, wondering what her future holds while also surprising her with many things. of her life already past her. The chorus acts as a reaction to Dream’s existential crisis, encouraging the listener to “slow down” and go on an adventure.
“It’s not a ‘Oh, I’m a YouTuber and I’m just going to strut around in [the music industry],'” Dream said, “No, I need you to pay attention to it because it’s good. And if not, don’t pay attention to it.
As with YouTube, Dream took the time to survey the landscape before jumping into the music industry. “Change My Clothes”, her last single before the first EP, released in 2021.
Dream alternates between leaving his mask on and taking it off while playing
“I looked at making a song, writing it and how things work in the industry,” Dream said of the two-year gap in his discography. “I have a clever idea of how I can make an impact and make a splash in the world of music. “
But as someone outside the music industry, Dream has an exclusive opportunity to turn things around. When he posted an hour-long BTS video for their “Everest” music video, his label asked him why he didn’t simply make a popular three-minute video. The dream answers that his fans enjoyed the raw behind-the-scenes footage.
“Go to my second channel, I have a video that has been viewed 50 million times and it’s 3 hours long and it’s literally nothing but the scene footage,” Dream said. “People are curious enough to stop by and see it. And other people will create their own content and TikToks from it.
The hour-long Everest behind-the-scenes video now has over 256,000 views and is filled with comments thanking Dream for an hour of BTS from their favorite creator.
Dream’s manager, Zach Kardisch, also echoed Dream’s outward sentiment, mentioning in particular the opportunity they have with touring.
Thousands of enthusiasts at one of Dream’s first concerts
“Dream needs to conquer the world and dominate each and every industry in which it operates, from music to YouTube to customer products. I’m especially excited about traveling because it can create a much more interactive traveling exhibit than one might be used to,” Kardisch said. “Even at the biggest VIP meetings, enthusiasts are part of the show. I see it transform into a mix of fun and music on stage. Maybe it’s not your old artist’s opening, maybe it’s a live podcast or a content author opening the screen. I think that’s what it can become as a brand. »
Dream has shamelessly explained that before YouTube, he stated his goals, repeating over and over that he would become a successful creator. But with music, Dream turns out to have another ultimate goal.
“I need music, I think I have every chance to become a wonderful musical artist, but it will take time. It’s not as undeniable as jumping into a waltz and saying, “Oh, I’m here!” »…You have to love doing it and you need to do it, because other people can listen. You can feel the excitement if it’s just about money. dominate or if someone has an emotion that they need to convey to the world,” Dream said.
“At the moment I’m focused on authenticity. In five or ten years, I’ll still be a true artist publishing my stories and my music as a means of telling the stories I need to tell. And anyone who needs to pay attention, will pay attention to it,” Dream said.
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