Tiny Desk AI: who to put on lead, sax, keys and backup
Cast the Tiny Desk AI band: who gets the laugh close-up, who gets the sax solo, why keys is on screen longest, and five line-ups that work.
5 min read · Updated
Star in Tiny Desk with one photo
Make yoursWhat each seat does
Lead: the laugh
The lead is the reason anyone shares the video. They get a close-up from about 5 to 12 seconds: a rising note, the head thrown back in a laugh, then a little finger-flutter wave at the band. Nobody else is on screen, and the lead doesn’t appear in the band shots.
Sax: the solo
A three-and-a-half-second solo on a gold saxophone, eyes closed, completely serious. It suits the friend with the most dramatic face, or the one who has never played an instrument in their life.
Keys: the most screen time
Front and centre at the red keyboard in the opening and in the last shout, and in the corner of the sax solo. If someone in the group needs to be seen the most without being the subject, they go here.
Left and right mic: the backup singers
They stand behind the desk, shouting the hook and pumping their fists. Their faces are smaller, so these seats are best for people who just want to be in it.
Line-ups that work
| Occasion | Lead | The rest of the band |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday | The birthday person | Their closest friends, the best friend on keys |
| Group-chat roast | Whoever lost the bet, the league or the game | Everyone who won, smug on backup |
| Family video | The parent or grandparent with the best laugh | Kids who are adults on sax and keys, the rest made up |
| Office send-off | The person leaving | The team, with the manager on sax |
| Just you | You | All four seats to the made-up band |
Only use photos of people who are fine with it, and keep anyone under 18 out of it.
Seats you leave empty
Every empty seat is played by a made-up musician, so the band always looks full. The video costs the same with one face or five, so filling more seats is only a question of who wants to be in it.
Ready? Make it on the Tiny Desk page, and check the best photos for each seat first.
NowStarring is an independent fan tool, not linked to NPR, the Tiny Desk series, Charlie Wilson or The Gap Band, and the song belongs to its rights holders.
Questions
Who should sing lead?
The person the video is about. The lead gets the only close-up and the laugh, about six seconds, and isn’t seen anywhere else.
What if I only have one person?
Put them on lead and leave the other four seats empty. Made-up musicians fill them, and the video costs the same.
Which seat is on screen longest?
Keys. The keyboard player sits front and centre in both band shots and shows up in the corner of the sax solo.
Can I mix people and pets?
Not in one video. “Who is in the photo” sets the whole band to people or to pets.
