Zay Dante listens to loads of music. Like, a lot of music.
And you’ll inform while you watch his content material. It is why his TikTok movies in regards to the Drake and Kendrick beef went over so properly, and why his skits about fashionable songs hit so laborious: He has the context to make the content material sing (pun supposed). It is that sort of dedication to the craft that has led to him amassing an viewers of over 2.5 million followers throughout YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
And Dante does not simply speak about music — he is creating it, too. He launched his debut EP, TBTV, on March 27 to largely constructive evaluations. At VidCon 2025, we sat down with Dante, who was a featured creator, to speak about making his personal music, the place he will get the inspiration for his movies, and the way he amassed almost two million followers on TikTok.
Credit score: Mashable Composite: Zooey Liao/ Picture Credit score: Getty Pictures/ TikTok/ Spotify/ Zay Dante’s Instagram
How has social media affected your transition into the music trade?
It’s a direct one-to-one. In the future, I made a decision I needed to do a parody track. I had been doing parody songs since about 2020, however by no means significantly. [After recording my first parody song], it did very well. And I used to be like, “Oh, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t keep doing this.”
After I dropped the EP, I used to be actually occupied with folks’s ideas, and I used to be so pleasantly shocked by how a lot folks loved it. I used to be actually blissful as a result of I undoubtedly know that parody music has a stigma to it, that it isn’t alleged to be taken significantly. And there have been songs on my EP the place I used to be like, “Nah, there’s not really a joke to this. I just wanted to rap. I just wanted to make a song.” However I understood that individuals who have been coming from the movies would come into it with the identical mindset that they have been watching the movies, which was, “This is a joke.” However I used to be fairly blissful that individuals obtained one thing from it in any respect. It actually made me very enthusiastic about releasing one thing else, too. I used to be actually simply hype that anybody cared in any respect.
How a lot time do you spend listening to music? Are you listening on Spotify?
Final 12 months, I had 50,000 or 60,000 minutes listened to on Spotify, however I break up my time between Spotify and Apple Music. I actually did prefer it. I did return to Spotify, however I did actually like [Apple Music]. I missed having the Wrapped. All people was posting their Wrapped, and I needed to see how omitted I felt. Can I stand it? Am I going to have the ability to follow Apple Music? And I couldn’t stand [feeling left out].
Whenever you made these movies about Kendrick and Drake, have been you afraid?
Positively. I used to be so scared. I attempted to be so honest. I used to be making movies about what was occurring. I by no means needed Kendrick to do what he ended up doing. And I by no means needed Drake to lose that badly. However he did. So, what else am I alleged to do?
Have you ever lined something that is shocked you this 12 months?
Pusha T’s new album rollout has been superb. I at all times anticipated to take heed to it, however I by no means anticipated it to get to a degree the place I might have the ability to make content material about it. It has been fairly cool. I am actually excited for that album.
Zay Dante at VidCon 2025.
Credit score: Mashable / Christianna Silva
Who do you wish to collaborate with greater than anybody?
Clearly, Kendrick. If Drake was a greater sport about stuff, then him. Tyler, The Creator. SZA. The Weeknd. All of them.
How do you give you concepts?
I am doing what all people else is doing—scrolling via and seeing what individuals are speaking about. However loads of the issues that I am doing are retroactive, wanting again to the 2010s.
Are you able to stroll me via your creation course of?
I exploit the Notes app for writing all of the songs, and I exploit CapCut for modifying all of the songs. And I additionally use CapCut for all my unique music as properly — not constructing the beats as a result of I’ve producers making the beats — however within the reference tracks that I am making, I make all of that in CapCut.
Mashable Development Report
I used to be anticipating you to say Logic.
My producer, Demko, produces in Ableton, however I do not know how you can use Ableton.
I do a loopy setup in my storage the place I write the notes in my Notes app, after which I get my MacBook, and I get my headphones, and I get my telephone. I deliver that downstairs and get the file of the beat, ship that to myself on the pc, ship that file again to myself, play that in my headphones, after which I do the track over that. Ship that again to myself, play that model on my laptop computer, after which I’ll reply to the factor that I simply recorded.
What sort of headphones are you utilizing while you do this over there?
I exploit over-the-ear Sony headphones.
I like how high-quality your headphones are, however you are modifying in CapCut.
I am operating CapCut to the bone. CapCut will actually shut off quite a few instances whereas I am working, and I will get pissed off after which remind myself, “Wait, I am not doing things that are normal.”
Do you save your work on a drive?
No.
I am so scared for you.
I save my YouTube movies and long-form stuff on my drive. However for all of the short-form movies, what I actually love about TikTok, and simply on the whole, is the truth that you may come out a video at any cut-off date.
When did you understand that you may flip content material creation right into a full-time job?
I began doing content material in 2020 and realized I might flip it right into a job most likely a 12 months in, after I had round one million followers. Again then, when you had one million followers, you needed to transfer to LA, so that is what I did.
Yeah, I’ve heard that is the regulation.
Yeah, it is within the privateness coverage on TikTok. A million followers? You gotta transfer to LA.
Have been you getting cash solely via the Creator Fund?
Yeah, I used to be getting cash via the Creator Fund and model offers.
What was your first model deal?
What Do You Meme? They have been my first main deal. I had completed some smaller stuff the place I obtained despatched some free issues, which was good. However that was my first model deal. They paid primarily based on viewership, which made me sufficient cash to maneuver to LA.
Do you employ AI in any respect in your content material creation course of?
None. I don’t become involved.
Why not?
I do not prefer it. I am simply not an AI man. It makes me uncomfortable. As AI continues to develop and turns into extra a part of society, I am realizing I will be like one of many previous males who’s similar to, “I can’t turn this into a PDF.”
Be your self and do the issues that you simply discover humorous, not the stuff you discover humorous since you suppose it is gonna make you go viral.
Do you may have any suggestions for creators who wish to create viral content material?
Be your self. I do know that’s the cliche. There’s by no means been a greater instance of being your self than being on-line, as a result of all people that I do know, and all people that you understand as properly, is attempting to feed into an algorithm to a degree the place it’s not pure anymore. Be your self and do the issues that you simply discover humorous, not the stuff you discover humorous since you suppose it is gonna make you go viral.
Do you may have any recommendation for people who find themselves attempting to fight the truth that it may be embarrassing?
Simply maintain going as a result of generally movies aren’t going to do properly. The best way that you simply scroll while you’re on-line is that you simply’re not checking like, “Oh, this video has only five likes. It must be bad.” You do not care, you simply scroll anyway. It does not matter. A very powerful factor to recollect on the web is that you simply’re not the principle character. If it does not do properly, then who cares? No one noticed it anyway. And if it does properly, then nice. Do extra of that.
