12 Creative Music Video Ideas for Filmmakers on a Shoestring Budget
Making music videos is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it can also be expensive. Fortunately, you can pull off plenty of creative music video ideas on a shoestring budget and still create a kick-ass result!
To help you on your way, I wanted to share twelve creative music video ideas to create an impressive-looking music video without breaking the bank.
Let’s dive in…
Table of contents:
1. Create a Lyric Video
One of the simplest and cheapest music video ideas is to create a lyric video that displays the song's lyrics synchronized with the audio.
You can use the video editing software's built-in text animation plugins to create an animated lyric video or an Envato Elements text animation template.
If you want to create an animated video including the lyrics, you can use one of the many free video editing software packages available online to help make your videos look more professional and polished as possible.
A completely free professional video editing software package, Davinci Resolve could be a great option to explore! Another free tool is Artlist’s new FXhome video editing software.
If you want to make it even simpler, you can write the song lyrics on pieces of carton or wood and film someone in a crazy place, flipping the boards (and lip sync) when the song lyrics are sung.
It literally doesn’t get any simpler than this!
2. Create an entire music video using stock footage
One of the most time-consuming aspects of making a music video is filming. But there is a way to solve this problem!
It's now easier than ever to create high-end music videos with a limited budget from the comfort of your home using stock footage! Stock footage is footage captured by other filmmakers that you can buy individually or via subscription plans.
This music video approach only requires a video editor, which can be you, editing the different clips into one cohesive story that follows along with the song (check out the $1 million commercial video below to see the EPIC possibilities of stock footage combined with great video editing).
Stock footage is not uninspired
Some filmmakers say that stock footage is uninspired, but I don't see it this way. As a filmmaker, I believe you should use all the creative tools in your toolbox to create a compelling final video for the artist or record label, and stock footage can be an incredible resource to help you do that!
99% of the people who will see the video won't know the difference between stock footage from an existing library and something you filmed yourself.
Over the last few years, I've seen many music videos and music video directors using high-end stock like travel footage and drone footage to create creative music videos for their clients.
where to find the best stock footage?
Before you download and start editing, make sure to double-check the stock's usability. Every stock platform offers different terms and conditions for its usage.
I have had a great experience working with Artgrid for several projects because of its perfect licensing model. You pay one annual fee and can download and use as many shots as possible on any project you wish.
There are no additional hidden costs, and you don’t have to include credits to the stock creator.
3. Take a found-footage music video approach
One great way to turn your financial limitation into a benefit is by using a 'found-footage' or 'home-video' approach for your low-budget music video.
With a found-footage approach, you use a low video-quality camera like a VHS recorder and film a music video concept in which this approach makes perfect sense.
The movies 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Paranormal Activity' perfectly show that you don't need high-end camera gear to make an incredible film!
You can also use your phone to shoot videos and create a nostalgia effect in the post-production by adding additional VHS-style effects in the post-production process for an extra layer of authenticity.
4. Get creative with props
Props (meaning objects that a person in the film interacts with) can be cool to create a unique music video concept around, and they don’t have to be expensive.
You can repurpose old household items lying around at home or use everyday objects uniquely to add an extra layer of interest to your music video without spending a penny.
Thrift Shops are A gold mine for filmmakers.
Thrift shops, second-hand stores, and public markets are great places to find unique props. In my experience, these places are actual gold mines for filmmakers.
In these areas, you’ll be able to find vintage stuff you won’t even be able to find online! And the best part of it all, it’s so damn cheap!
Get creative props on AliExpress.
Another excellent resource for finding creative props for music videos is AliExpress. Just be aware that shipping might take a little longer than forecasted.
As long as you use the AliExpress Standard Shipping option instead of all the other lousy options, you can be assured that the products will actually arrive!
5. Make a Fan music Video
Another creative music video idea for filmmakers on a shoestring budget is using the artists' fanbase to make a fan video.
Via today’s social media platforms, you can ask the artist’s fanbase to submit footage of themselves lip-syncing the song at an exciting location.
You can also get creative with choreography, have the artist perform specific dance moves that sync up with the song's beat, and ask fans to record themselves performing the same choreography.
Fan-made music videos
When I worked for DJ Hardwell, we did these kinds of fanmade lyric videos several times. We asked fans via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to submit video files of themselves singing along with the song.
The people from the label made a simple website portal where fans could upload their files. This one-page website included a list of the technical requirements and a button that made people who submitted their files agree with the terms and conditions of usage.
Youtube fan-made video
Funny side story—in 2011, YouTube did the same thing by asking hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to film one day on Earth.
After receiving the footage, it was essentially a massive editing job, resulting in the feature documentary ‘Life In A Day.’
6. Create a mini-documentary music video
Another simple music video idea is to create a documentary-style music video featuring interviews.
You can interview a few fans of the artist or band to tell their story in front of the camera and edit these stories with your song in the background. My good friends of the Dutch band HAEVN used this music video idea to release their debut album, asking people worldwide to listen to their music and share their stories in front of the camera.
I've included one of their mini-documentary music videos below.
7. Film during an event
If you want to make a music video look like it costs a lot of money, try filming during a big event, like a protest or a riot. It will give your project so much production value if you can make it happen!
If you take this approach, keep it low profile with a guerrilla-style. Meaning: filming without drawing too much attention to yourself and act quickly when shit starts hitting the fan.
I've never done this before, but I think it's wise to prepare well beforehand and decide what you want to film because it's easy to get distracted by all the chaos around you. Once you're in the middle of the event, it will be hard to talk to your cast and crew and tell them what to do.
Taking this approach might sound complex, but it's precisely what the creators of the low-budget film 'Paris is Us' did! This art-house movie eventually even ended up in the Netflix streaming library!
8. Use a green screen
Another fantastic tool to create a great music video on a tight budget is using a green screen.
Green screen filming workflow
To make a green screen shoot work, it’s best to film the project in an interior environment where you can control the lighting with a couple of bright, fancy lights.
After filming, you must do some so-called 'keying' in the editing software. Keying is a fancy word for replacing the background color for moving images. Stock footage, especially time lapses, slow-motion clips, and shots with visual effects, can be a great option if you're looking for footage to put in the background! (like the Madonna video clip below)
I found this tutorial very helpful in explaining the green screen workflow and common pitfalls to avoid.
Green screen alternatives
For green screen shooting, you can also use a white screen or blue screen as an alternative. The screen's color will always reflect a little bit on the person standing in front of the screen, so depending on the footage you want to use for the background, you can choose the screen's color.
For example, a white screen could be an option for using snow b-roll footage or clouds. If you want to use more forest-inspired footage, then you can choose a green screen.
9. Film A Live Concert Performance
A super affordable, great music video idea is filming a live performance video of the artist or band during a show or concert. Additionally, you can intercut the performances with clips of the artist at work in the studio or on tour, giving insight into who they are as people and artists.
This is something I have done for many DJs in the past. I joined them on tour or during a club gig, filmed the show with simple DLSR cameras and Go-Pros, and edited the video footage together afterward.
When creating a great performance or after-movie video, it’s good to mention that the magic of these types of projects is in the editing. So ensure you have good video editing skills or get a good music video editor on board.
As you can see in the Kanye West and Jay-Z music video below, by using a simple mirror effect in the editing, the whole live performance registration is elevated to new heights!
10. Create A Behind The Scenes Music Video
Another great music video idea is filming an audio track's making-of process. A behind-the-scenes video can give fans an inside look at what goes into making a successful song by filming footage during the creation process of a music track.
One great example is the snippet below from the Swedish House Mafia documentary 'Take One.' A couple of years ago, I also made several orchestra film music videos for HAEVN that went viral after their release.
Although we did not do this on a shoestring budget, this blog article, in which I describe how we did it, will give you a good understanding of how effective this approach can be.
11. Create a music video using the rule of one
One golden rule for getting the best creative music video ideas possible is embracing The Rule Of One when making a music video on a shoestring budget.
It means you try to limit all your resources for the entire video to 'ONE.' One location, one room, one cast member, one shooting day, one camera, one shot, one camera angle, one outfit, one dramatic effect, one visual effect, etc.
If you do this, you'll notice that the limitation of one can be a blessing because it forces you to get as creative as possible with whatever you have at your disposal.
Over the years, I've learned that the most remarkable pieces of work come from embracing limitations. They force you to push yourself and the available tools to the absolute max and devise solutions you probably never thought of.
My advice is to embrace these restricting limitations. I've experienced over the years that you'll never have enough money and resources for the things you want to create, no matter how big the music video budget is.
12. Use An AI story generator
If you’re still struggling to come up with music video ideas, you can use an AI story generator to get the creative juices flowing.
With the rise of artificial intelligence over the last couple of years, coming up with truly unique music video ideas just got much easier!
Using AI and machine learning, these digital tools can help you crank stories and music video ideas faster than ever before.
Based on your user inputs, like the type of content, tone of voice, target audience, etc., the Ai will generate fresh ideas in a matter of seconds.
With a few clicks and some imagination, you'll have a fresh music video idea in no time, so no clumsy writer's block anymore!
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Music Videos (FAQs)
What is a music video?
A music video is a marketing tool for music artists to connect with an audience, express the visual style of their brand, and elevate the song's symbolic meaning in a video format.
Why are music videos important?
Music videos are often an afterthought compared to the music itself, but they are essential to how music is marketed, experienced, and consumed.
For music artists, music videos are essential marketing tools to create an audience for their products (their music), so they can charge big money for their services—live gigs, festival performances, concert tickets, brand collaborations, etc.
The more popular their music and the bigger their fanbase, the more money their music business can make.
Where to make a music video?
Locations are the holy grail for making an awesome music video! In this blog, I've outlined the entire process of location scouting and finding the perfect spot to film your music video.
If you're looking for some quick resources to find an epic spot to make a music video, these websites can help you find the perfect location:
Peerspace (US)
The Location Bank (EU)
UK Film Location (UK & EU)
Film Locations (UK)
Giggster (Canada, US, UK, Australia)
Set Scouter (Canada & US)
LocationsHub (US)
Airbnb (Worldwide)
Booking.com (Worldwide)
How can I create a music video?
I know firsthand that making a music video may seem daunting. To help you on your way, I've written a blog post called how to make a music video that details the entire filmmaking process of making a music video from start to finish in as much detail as I was able to include.
What are some Additional creative music video ideas on a low budget?
Low-budget music videos can still significantly impact with the right creative approach. Some ideas include:
Golden hour: Utilize natural lighting during golden hour to create warm tones and lens flare effects in your video without expensive lighting equipment.
B roll and travel footage: Incorporate B roll, travel footage, or stock video to add depth and interest to your video without additional filming costs.
Stop motion: Create a unique stop motion video using a series of still images, which can be an inexpensive and artistic way to tell your story.
Exposed lightbulbs: Use exposed lightbulbs or other low-cost lighting solutions to create interesting visual effects and atmosphere.
One-shot videos: Plan a one-shot video where the entire video is filmed in a single continuous take, which can reduce editing time and costs.
Unique places: Film in unique or lesser-known locations that offer a distinct visual appeal without breaking the bank.
Scribble effect: Incorporate the scribble effect in your video to add an artistic and engaging element without expensive visual effects software.
How can I promote my music video?
Promoting your music video is crucial to gaining new fans and increasing the artist’s brand visibility. Here are some strategies to promote your music video:
Social media: Share your video on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, using appropriate hashtags and keywords to reach a wider audience.
Music blogs and websites: Submit your video to relevant music blogs, websites, and online magazines for potential features or reviews.
Collaborate with other indie artists: Network with other indie artists or musicians in your genre to cross-promote each other's work and reach new audiences.
Live shows: Incorporate your music video into your live shows as a backdrop or by screening it before your performance.
Email marketing: Share your video with your email subscribers and encourage them to share it with friends and followers.
What are some tips for making music videos that stand out?
To make your music video stand out, consider the following tips:
Unique storylines: Develop a compelling storyline or concept that sets your video apart from others in your genre.
Camera angles and moving camera techniques: Experiment with camera angles, drone shots, and moving camera techniques to add visual interest.
Visual effects: Utilize visual effects and editing techniques like slow reveals, variable speeds, and color grading to enhance the overall look of your video.
Location: Choose unique or visually striking locations to make your video more memorable and visually appealing.
Conclusion
Making music videos doesn't have to break the bank—with some creativity, you can turn any music video idea into reality without spending too much money (or time).
I hope these twelve music video ideas offer some inspiration and act as a creative starting point if you have to work on a budget in the music business and want to create something unique for your next project!
If you're looking for more music video ideas and production advice that details how to make a music video on a shoestring budget, then you should check out these 36 tips & tricks.
And if you want to know how to pitch your creative ideas to artists, music labels, and potential clients in a way that makes them want to invest in your creative vision, then this article about writing music video treatments (digital pitch documents that help you sell your ideas) might contain a nugget of knowledge gold for you!
