--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unless you had a popular video on YouTube…" description: "\"Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands, musical ability meant nothing.\" — Nicholas Sparks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg" --- # Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform… ![“Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands, musical ability meant nothing.” quote by Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg) > “Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands, musical ability meant nothing.” [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that musical talent is worthless without a large audience or media platform. **In simple terms:** Musical skill matters only with fame. Key Takeaway Seek exposure, not just skill. Themes fame media talent validation Mood critical skeptical Type observational critical When to use this quote - musicians seeking fame - content creators - record labels - marketing strategies Key Concepts cultural capital social proof Questions to Reflect On - How does audience size affect perceived talent? - Can talent thrive without fame? A Different Perspective Even with exposure, skill still matters for lasting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-ability/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) ## Related quotes > [Hypebeast we know aboutchea.' Don't buy shoes unless they popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinidad-james/hypebeast-we-know-aboutchea-don-t-buy-shoes-unless-they-popular/) [Trinidad James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinidad-james/) > [People have got a preconceived idea of what I look like, what I perform and what my shows are all about. I can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakin-stevens/people-have-got-a-preconceived-idea-of-what-i-look-like-what-i/) [Shakin' Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakin-stevens/) > [I still perform it in all my shows. I'll do it as long as I'm breathing. I'm so proud it has stood the test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-e-king/i-still-perform-it-in-all-my-shows-i-ll-do-it-as-long-as-i-m/) [Ben E. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-e-king/) > [From when I was really young one of the first things I did was to perform and do shows. It was like a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-morgan/from-when-i-was-really-young-one-of-the-first-things-i-did-was-to/) [Colin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-morgan/) > [Disgrace is a subtle, multi-layered story, as much concerned with politics as it is with the itch of male flesh. Coetzee's prose is chaste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bailey/disgrace-is-a-subtle-multi-layered-story-as-much-concerned-with/) Paul Bailey > [I was born with God-given gifts of very talented musical ability and exceptoinal physical coordination. I always needed prodding to practice piano, violin, cornet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-graham/i-was-born-with-god-given-gifts-of-very-talented-musical-ability-and/) [Otto Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-graham/) > [We've learned that musical ability is actually not one ability but a set of abilities, a dozen or more. Through brain damage, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/we-ve-learned-that-musical-ability-is-actually-not-one-ability-but-a/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [Metaphysicians are musicians without musical ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/metaphysicians-are-musicians-without-musical-ability/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [It's definitely about the rhythm of the words and how they sound together, writing one sentence and then another and another and cutting something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-miller/it-s-definitely-about-the-rhythm-of-the-words-and-how-they-sound/) [Mary J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-miller/) > [Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinichi-suzuki/musical-ability-is-not-an-inborn-talent-but-an-ability-which-can-be/) [Shinichi Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinichi-suzuki/) > [We must ask why apparently general musical abilities should be restricted to a chosen few in societies supposed to be culturally more advanced. Does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-blacking/we-must-ask-why-apparently-general-musical-abilities-should-be/) [John Blacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-blacking/) > [I think at times the very strong feelings I have about my country coincide with my musical ability, and I'm able to actually turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/i-think-at-times-the-very-strong-feelings-i-have-about-my-country/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [By the grace of God, I'm the only person in my family with any musical ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-fisher/by-the-grace-of-god-i-m-the-only-person-in-my-family-with-any-musical/) [Jordan Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-fisher/) > [We often say that psi is like musical ability: it is widely distributed in the populate, and everyone has some ability and can participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-targ/we-often-say-that-psi-is-like-musical-ability-it-is-widely/) Russell Targ > [I have come to the definite conclusion that musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinichi-suzuki/i-have-come-to-the-definite-conclusion-that-musical-ability-is-not-an/) [Shinichi Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinichi-suzuki/) ## More by Nicholas Sparks > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I'm sure you think that I don't understand what you're going through, but I do. It's just that sometimes, our future is dictated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-m-sure-you-think-that-i-don-t-understand-what-you-re-going-through/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“You weren't out there that long, were you? I can't bear to think that no one found you right away." Noah shook his head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-weren-t-out-there-that-long-were-you-i-can-t-bear-to-think-that/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“And in your smile, I will live forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/and-in-your-smile-i-will-live-forever/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [When we first met, I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I didn't have the time or energy, and I wasn't sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/when-we-first-met-i-didn-t-want-to-get-involved-with-anyone-i-didn-t/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“There is something terrible in the moments after waking up, when the subconscious knows that something terrible has happened but before all the memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-something-terrible-in-the-moments-after-waking-up-when-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There is nothing like love. You should try it.” Thibault shrugged. “Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-nothing-like-love-you-should-try-it-thibault-shrugged-maybe/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“more time she’d spent with him, the more convinced she became that he was by far the sexiest guy she’d ever met. Who else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/more-time-she-d-spent-with-him-the-more-convinced-she-became-that-he/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, that way, we’ll be with each other all the time, even if we’re not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/dear-john-tell-me-everything-write-it-all-down-that-way-we-ll-be-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You were spying on us?" "It was kind of hard not to. You were right there by the workshop with Will. it looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-were-spying-on-us-it-was-kind-of-hard-not-to-you-were-right-there/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There are lots of real men out there - men who could fall in love with you at the drop of a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-are-lots-of-real-men-out-there-men-who-could-fall-in-love-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I don't know. I really don't. While I was in the living room, I kept asking myself what I really wanted in life." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-don-t-know-i-really-don-t-while-i-was-in-the-living-room-i-kept/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) [Explore all 1,309 Nicholas Sparks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands, musical ability meant nothing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas Sparks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtube-or-could-perform-shows-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtube-or-could-perform-shows-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/nicholas-sparks-93_ability_unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtub_1384211.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unless you had a popular video on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands, musical ability…” — Nicholas Sparks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nicholas Sparks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Unless you had a popular video...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtube-or-could-perform-shows-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/unless-you-had-a-popular-video-on-youtube-or-could-perform-shows-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```