Video is just about the strategy to promote music in 2025.
As a result of a great 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, an important video will push the associated monitor additional than that music may’ve gone with out visuals. Which is why the music trade is so laser-focused on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube.
Be a part of us for a dwell dialogue about music movies in 2025
Within the subsequent interactive episode of The Music Profession Research Group, we’re going to debate the large alternative unbiased artists have with music movies, ten forms of movies it’s best to make within the yr forward, what every format is greatest used for, and the way to prioritize your video efforts.
Be a part of us on YouTube or Fb on Thursday, December twelfth at 2pm EST / 11am PST:
Why unbiased music creators ought to deal with video
Not like 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 primary aim of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts is to retain viewers. If content material by an unbiased creator retains individuals glued, it’s received the benefit.
It is perhaps 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 may make nice movies to your music!
Video could be overwhelming for some musicians although. The place to start with so many various approaches, platforms, and codecs!? Effectively, that’s why we put collectively this listing of music video concepts and codecs. In the event you needed to prioritize one factor, I’d recommend brief, vertical, single-camera, single-take, live-performance movies.
However as with something in music, you’ll discover essentially the most success if you’re most inventive. So take a look at the listing beneath and select whichever idea feels most inspiring.
10 forms of music movies it’s best to create
1. The official music video
The “official” music video isn’t useless.
It’s nonetheless very helpful when selling your music to media retailers. Some blogs nonetheless wish to premiere official movies. Official video additionally make nice nurturing content material for brand spanking new followers who’re previous the purpose of introductions, and who now need 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 bear in mind: “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 probably 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. Actually, make loads of totally different variations. Get inventive. Nobody stated you’ll be able to solely have one video for a track. And if the video is simply 15 seconds lengthy, you’ll be able to create extra choices!
These could possibly be dwell performances, “dwell” lip-syncing to the recorded monitor, or extra narrative/summary, like a section from the official video (however vertical).
Take a look at these social tendencies in music video promo for tons of inspiration!
3. Visualizations
These are the forms of movies which have graphics that transfer to the music. Most frequently, they’re widescreen orientation.
Similar 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 refined or artsy as you need.
4. Lyric movies or karaoke movies
These are nice for followers who need to sing alongside, or learn alongside and get the phrases right!
Similar caveat as earlier although: These are movies for current followers, not for wowing model new audiences.
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 mechanically if you distribute tracks to YouTube Music. So that you may not even must MAKE these, however fairly simply seize the hyperlink and share!
6. Spotify Canvas video
A Spotify Canvas is the brief looping video that performs on Spotify. You possibly can 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 is not going to be “synched” to the track, so that you may need to keep away from clips of somebody singing particular lyrics.
By the way in which, you’ll be able to swap it out anytime. So attempt various things and see what works greatest.
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 rather a lot to dive into, and numerous choices to discover, so let your character shine.
To repeat: These movies ought to be about YOUR artistry and YOUR character. As a result of that’s the factor that’s going to distinguish you and preserve individuals coming again for extra.
8. Cowl track movies
These work extraordinarily properly for locating new audiences, and it’s best to positively use them! Even when your focus is on authentic music, do not forget that acts from The Beatles to Adele leveraged cowl songs to broaden their attraction.
Better of all, with social platforms, you don’t even must do the WHOLE track. It may simply be a TikTok of you singing the refrain.
And they are often stripped-down and acoustic covers, or full-on stunt productions of Taylor Swift hits. Or something in between.
9. Stay movies
I discussed above that you simply may need to consider easy, dwell efficiency movies for social. And sure, these movies could 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 abilities. Mainly, the kind of video you’ll need to present a expertise purchaser, live performance promoter, or home live performance host to show to them that you simply placed on a great present and preserve 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 seems to be half empty.
Sound and visible high quality are useful, however the primary precedence is to show you’re filling venues, wowing crowds, and preserving individuals within the room!
So attempt to seize one thing magical about your efficiency abilities, whether or not it’s your voice, your instrumental prowess, your manufacturing abilities, or your songwriting, but additionally seize the viewers power.
10. Behind-the-scenes movies
Give your followers a peek behind the scenes 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.
There are, in fact, many different types of video you’ll be able to 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 dwell cowl track snippet, and so on.
Crucial factor is: Notice the ability and significance of video for shifting your music ahead. After which go make a video!
