The Media Production skill is a 5 level skill that comes with The Sims 4 Get Famous. It’s tied to three new objects that come with this expansion; the Music Station, the Video Station, and the Drone. The Music Station allows your Sims to produce and remix their own music tracks. The Video Station allows your Sims to film, edit, and upload their own videos. Sims can also use a Drone to capture footage which they can then transfer to the video station for editing.
The Music Station
The Music Station is where your Sims can produce, customise, and release their own sick beats to the world. To start creating your own customised music track, select Produce New Track on the music station and pick one of the options.
You’ll notice that Remix and Burn Track are both greyed out in the menu until your Sim starts using the Music Station. Your Sim needs to be playing a track to be able to remix and burn it. Once your Sim has a good beat going, you can remix the track to your liking. Toggle whatever musical effects you like on or off to get your sound just right. Build the Media Production skill to open up new tracks and remix options. When you’re satisfied with the way your new track sounds, select Burn Track to put a copy in your Sim’s inventory. You’ll be able to name your track and give it a snappy description.
When your Sim has a finished track in their inventory, you can release it to a streaming service. You can do this from the Music Station or through your Sim’s inventory. In your inventory, you can also rename the track and hover over it to see its quality and other information. Your Sim will gain fame whenever they release a new track and earn daily royalties from it. Releasing a track doesn’t delete it from the inventory. Your Sim gets to keep their copy.
If your Sim wants to truly make it big, they can submit their tracks to a record label. There are three record labels to choose from that range from low to high in terms of their standards and reputation. Getting signed with a label will earn your Sim more fame and royalties when they release a track, but they need to be releasing new music every day or their label may drop them.
The Video Station
The video station is where your Sim’s dreams of being a famous YouTuber can come to life! Record, edit, and add effects to your videos, then upload them to get views and fame. To get started with the Video Station, record a video using its camera, or record some footage using the drone and transfer it to the Video Station to begin editing it.
On the Video Station, your Sim can film fashion and beauty tips. They can also film product reviews for toys, gadgets, or beauty products. Your Sim can also film emotional vlogs depending on their current emotional state. When you finish filming a video, you’ll be able to name it and give it a description.
Before filming a video, it’s a good idea to study the current trends. Do this by selecting Study Trends on the Video Station. Knowing what kinds of videos are popular right now will help you decide what kind of content will get the most views.
Once you have some footage in the Video Station’s inventory, you can edit it and add effects to improve its quality before you upload it. Click on View Video Inventory and choose the footage you want to edit. New editing options will open up to you as you build the Media Production skill. You’ll eventually be able to add transitions and effects to your videos as well as edit them, but beware! Adding transitions and effects can sometimes make your video worse! Sims with high Media Production skill accidentally ruin their videos less often.
When you’ve finished editing your video, you can upload it. Uploading videos increases your Sim’s fame. They will receive daily royalties depending on the number of views their video gets.
Filming, editing, and uploading videos eats up a lot of time. If your Sim doesn’t have the time to do all that but still wants to keep up their online presence, they can post updates using the Video Station. Select Post Updates on the Video Station to Hype Next Video, Promote Old Videos or Reply to Comments. Replying to comments increases your Sim’s fame and is an easy way to stay in the spotlight even when your Sim is too busy to make new videos.
PSST! Did you know that children can use the Video Station, too? Why not try making your little ones famous by filming and uploading some toy reviews?
Video Station Improvements
There are several improvements you can make to the Video Station to improve the quality of your videos. Some of them are upgrades that require Handiness skill and upgrade parts. Other improvements just cost some simoleons.
Improvements
Adjust Lights: You can change the lighting settings on the Video Station to set the mood for your videos. Choose between Bright White, Cool and Cloudy, Hazy Nightlife, and Warm Sunrise. Adding the Create Light Controller upgrade will open up even more lighting options.
Buy Add-On Components: You can buy a new camera and new lights for the Video Station. The camera costs §525 and the lights cost §235. After buying both of these components, you’ll be able to purchase a third improvement. Buy EVEN MORE LIGHTS for §550.
Upgrades
Create Light Controller
Description: Gives the complete light options
Requirements: Handiness 3, 1 Electronic Upgrade Part
Add Increased Memory
Description: Allows more videos to be stored on the station
Requirements: Handiness 5, 2 Electronic Upgrade Parts, 1 Common Upgrade Part
Install Auto Updater
Description: Makes the More Views Video Station Unbreakable!
Requirements: Handiness 7, 4 Electronic Upgrade Parts, 2 Common Upgrade Parts
The Drone
There are two drones you can buy to help your Sim capture footage for the Video Station; a mid-range and a high-end version. The drone is useful because it gives your Sim the freedom to record videos anywhere. They aren’t stuck standing in front of the Video Station’s camera all the time. Use the drone to capture a variety of footage to transfer to the Video Station.
Select Begin Recording to turn on the drone and have it start recording your Sim. It will follow your Sim wherever they go and film everything your Sim does. Different activities result in different kinds of videos. Consult the Video Station to see what kinds of videos are trending. You can also select Begin Recording of… to have the drone record another Sim in the area.
You can stream with the drone, too! Streaming increases your Sim’s fame. Just like recording, the drone will follow your Sim around and capture footage of everything they do. The only difference is that there won’t be any footage to transfer to the Video Station after. The footage gets broadcast live to your Sim’s followers. You can stream for as long as your drone can hold a charge. Upgrade it to increase its battery life.
To see any footage the drone has captured, select Open. The drone is also porta
ble! Put the drone in your Sim’s inventory to take it with you wherever you go! Record festivals, shopping trips, and even your travels on vacation! The world is yours to capture and upload to the world!
You can also record footage of the neighbourhood with the drone. Select Record Neighbourhood Footage to send the drone out on its own to canvas the neighbourhood. When it’s finished capturing footage, it will return to your Sim and shut down. No need to keep track of it while it’s roaming around.
You can even give your drone a name! Aw!
Remember to transfer any footage the drone has captured to the Video Station! You can’t do anything with it while it’s still on the drone. Click on the drone to transfer your footage.
Drone Upgrades
Insert Lithium Battery
Description: Improves the battery life of the Streaming Drone
Requirements: Handiness 3, 1 Electronic Upgrade Part, 2 Common Upgrade Parts
Swap in Reliable Components
Description: Makes the Streaming Drone break less often
Requirements: Handiness 5, 2 Electronic Upgrade Parts, 3 Common Upgrade Parts
Install HD Camera
Description: Improves the quality of videos the Streaming Drone produces
Requirements: Handiness 7, 2 Electronic Upgrade Parts, 4 Common Upgrade Parts
The Media Production skill is easily the most exciting 5-level skill we’ve seen in The Sims 4 so far. With so many options and customisations available on these objects, it feels like a full-blown 10-level skill. I had a lot of fun mixing my own tracks and editing videos with these objects. The drone is quite possibly my new favourite object in The Sims 4. The possibilities are nearly endless if your Sim has a drone with them. I can’t wait to make a famous world traveler who captures footage of their adventures in Selvadorada and Granite Falls!
How have your Sims used the Media Production skill to become famous? Let us know in the comments or tell us on social media!
