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 incredible 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 a 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 large alternative unbiased artists have with music movies, ten sorts of movies it is best to make within the 12 months forward, what every format is finest used for, and find out how 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 concentrate on 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 continues to be a reasonably “democratized” manner of reaching audiences.
And that’s principally because of the advice engines of social platforms. As a result of the principle 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 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 to your music!
Video will be overwhelming for some musicians although. The place to start with so many various approaches, platforms, and codecs!? Nicely, that’s why we put collectively this checklist of music video concepts and codecs. Should 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 once you’re most inventive. So take a look at the checklist beneath and select whichever idea feels most inspiring.
10 sorts of music movies it is 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 shops. 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 wish to dig deeper. So embed your finest official video in your web site’s homepage. And naturally your diehard followers will get pleasure from full-length official movies too.
However take into account: “official” movies aren’t as helpful at reaching new audiences on short-form platforms, and they are often costly to supply, 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. Actually, make plenty of completely different variations. Get inventive. Nobody mentioned you’ll be able to solely have one video for a track. And if the video is barely 15 seconds lengthy, you’ll be able to 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).
Try these social tendencies 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.
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 delicate or artsy as you need.
4. Lyric movies or karaoke movies
These are nice for followers who wish 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 helpful to have.
And fortunately, YouTube creates them for you routinely once you distribute tracks to YouTube Music. So that you may not even must MAKE these, however somewhat 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 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’ll be able to swap it out anytime. So attempt various things and see what works finest.
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 lots to dive into, and numerous choices to discover, so let your persona shine.
To repeat: These movies must be about YOUR artistry and YOUR persona. As a result of that’s the factor that’s going to distinguish you and maintain individuals coming again for extra.
8. Cowl track movies
These work extraordinarily effectively for locating new audiences, and it is best to 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 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. Dwell movies
I discussed above that you just may wish to consider easy, stay efficiency movies for social. And sure, these movies will be VERY easy, so long as the music is sweet.
However I’m not speaking about social right here. I’m speaking about widescreen documentation of your efficiency abilities. Principally, the kind of video you’d wish to present a expertise purchaser, live performance promoter, or home live performance host to show to them that you just placed on a great present and maintain audiences entertained.
So attempt to seize footage at a venue. Simply don’t put up boring movies from the again of the room the place you seem small onstage and the membership appears 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 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 area. You may do that as a mini-documentary, as an AMA (speaking to the digicam), or as a fast vertical video.
There are, after all, 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 stay cowl track snippet, and so on.
A very powerful factor is: Understand the facility and significance of video for shifting your music ahead. After which go make a video!
