Video is just about the option to promote music in 2025.
As a result of music video can nonetheless:
- seize our consideration
- invite deeper engagement
- and organically attain new followers…
…. even in a world of short-attention spans and media saturation.
And if video can efficiently do all of the above, a fantastic video will push the associated monitor additional than that music may’ve gone with out visuals. Which is why the music business is so laser-focused on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube.
Be part of us for a stay dialogue about music movies in 2025
Within the subsequent interactive episode of The Music Profession Research Group, we’re going to debate the massive alternative unbiased artists have with music movies, ten sorts of movies you must make within the 12 months forward, what every format is greatest used for, and how you can prioritize your video efforts.
Be part of us on YouTube or Fb on Thursday, December twelfth at 2pm EST / 11am PST:
Why unbiased music creators ought to give attention to video
In contrast to different areas of music promotion — like publicity, radio, and even playlists — the place main labels and notable acts have a transparent benefit, video remains to be a reasonably “democratized” method of reaching audiences.
And that’s principally due to the advice engines of social platforms. As a result of the principle objective of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts is to retain viewers. If content material by an unbiased creator retains individuals glued, it’s obtained the benefit.
It is likely to be controversial to say that social platforms are meritocracies, however ya know, they’re not not meritocracies. And that’s excellent news for you. As a result of you can also make nice movies in your music!
Video will be overwhelming for some musicians although. The place to start with so many alternative approaches, platforms, and codecs!? Effectively, that’s why we put collectively this record of music video concepts and codecs. In case you needed to prioritize one factor, I’d recommend quick, vertical, single-camera, single-take, live-performance movies.
However as with something in music, you’ll discover probably the most success whenever you’re most inventive. So try the record beneath and select whichever idea feels most inspiring.
10 sorts of music movies you must create
1. The official music video
The “official” music video isn’t lifeless.
It’s nonetheless very helpful when selling your music to media shops. Some blogs nonetheless wish to premiere official movies. Official video additionally make nice nurturing content material for brand new followers who’re previous the purpose of introductions, and who now wish to dig deeper. So embed your greatest official video in your web site’s homepage. And naturally your diehard followers will take pleasure in full-length official movies too.
However consider: “official” movies aren’t as helpful at reaching new audiences on short-form platforms, and they are often costly to provide, so don’t lay our a fortune right here. That fast video you shot in 5 minutes and posted to TikTok may possible discover far more viewers than the “official” video you labored on for weeks.
2. The song-snippet video
Simply make a video for the hook of your track. The truth is, make a whole lot of completely different variations. Get inventive. Nobody mentioned you possibly can solely have one video for a track. And if the video is simply 15 seconds lengthy, you possibly can create extra choices!
These could possibly be stay performances, “stay” lip-syncing to the recorded monitor, or extra narrative/summary, like a phase from the official video (however vertical).
Take a look at these social developments in music video promo for tons of inspiration!
3. Visualizations
These are the sorts of movies which have graphics that transfer to the music. Most frequently, they’re widescreen orientation.
Identical to the official music video, these gained’t be nice for outreach to strangers, however for the loyal followers, they’ll dig it. So make them as delicate or artsy as you need.Â
4. Lyric movies or karaoke movies
These are nice for followers who wish to sing alongside, or learn alongside and get the phrases appropriate!
Identical caveat as earlier although: These are movies for present followers, not for wowing model new audiences.Â
5. Artwork Monitor movies
An Artwork Monitor is a video that shows a static picture of your album art work whereas the music performs. It’s useful to have.
And fortunately, YouTube creates them for you routinely whenever you distribute tracks to YouTube Music. So that you may not even have to MAKE these, however slightly simply seize the hyperlink and share!
6. Spotify Canvas video
A Spotify Canvas is the quick looping video that performs on Spotify. You’ll be able to add them inside Spotify for Artists.
They need to be roughly three to seven seconds lengthy. There aren’t many guidelines right here, so get inventive. Simply do not forget that the video won’t be “synched” to the track, so that you may wish to keep away from clips of somebody singing particular lyrics.
By the best way, you possibly can swap it out anytime. So attempt various things and see what works greatest. Â
7. Music-related short-form movies
It’s a class of its personal, however consider all of the shorter movies you see artists making on TikTok and Reels that relate to their music with out being an precise music video or efficiency video.
There’s quite a bit to dive into, and numerous choices to discover, so let your persona shine.Â
To repeat: These movies ought to be about YOUR artistry and YOUR persona. As a result of that’s the factor that’s going to distinguish you and hold individuals coming again for extra.
8. Cowl track movies
These work extraordinarily effectively for locating new audiences, and you must undoubtedly use them! Even when your focus is on unique music, do not forget that acts from The Beatles to Adele leveraged cowl songs to broaden their enchantment.
Better of all, with social platforms, you don’t even have to do the WHOLE track. It may simply be a TikTok of you singing the refrain.Â
And they are often stripped-down and acoustic covers, or full-on stunt productions of Taylor Swift hits. Or something in between.
9. Reside movies
I discussed above that you simply may wish to consider easy, stay efficiency movies for social. And sure, these movies will be VERY easy, so long as the music is nice.
However I’m not speaking about social right here. I’m speaking about widescreen documentation of your efficiency expertise. Principally, the kind of video you’ll wish to present a expertise purchaser, live performance promoter, or home live performance host to show to them that you simply placed on present and hold audiences entertained.
So attempt to seize footage at a venue. Simply don’t publish boring movies from the again of the room the place you seem small onstage and the membership appears to be like half empty.
Sound and visible high quality are useful, however the principle precedence is to show you’re filling venues, wowing crowds, and protecting individuals within the room!
So attempt to seize one thing magical about your efficiency expertise, whether or not it’s your voice, your instrumental prowess, your manufacturing expertise, or your songwriting, but additionally seize the viewers power.
10. Behind-the-scenes movies
Give your followers a peek backstage of what it’s wish to be an artist. Share the sights and sounds (and smells) of being on tour, within the studio, at a radio station, or the rehearsal house. You may do that as a mini-documentary, as an AMA (speaking to the digicam), or as a fast vertical video.Â
There are, after all, many different types of video you possibly can create to advertise your music. And you’ll combine and match any of the above — add lyrics on-screen throughout your “official” video, do a stay cowl track snippet, and so forth.
A very powerful factor is: Understand the ability and significance of video for transferring your music ahead. After which go make a video!
