Nowadays, it’s not enough to simply put out great music. In an era where YouTube and Vevo views count almost as much as streams and sales, a killer music video is arguably just as important as the track it accompanies. What’s more, with the average smartphone boasting some seriously impressive production capabilities, there’s no excuse for not investing the time and resources into creating a standout music video.
However, understanding how to make a music video on a budget is a different matter entirely. With minimal funds at your disposal, you’ll need to deploy some out-of-the-box thinking when scouting for locations, assembling a reliable crew, and editing your footage. Need some pointers? Our guide breaks down everything you need to know to shoot, edit, and promote a pitch-perfect music video that strikes the right note with audiences.
How To Make a Low-Cost Music Video: Pre-Production Planning
Indie music video creation starts with the germ of a great idea. Start with vision boards to explore loose concepts and broad ideas. These can be tied to the content of particular songs or more general concepts that help cement your artist brand. Need a primer? Turn to the charts to see what’s working for other artists, or delve into the back catalog of your favorite musicians for inspiration. Your focus throughout should be on budget music video ideas, so you’ll need to get creative if you’re taking your lead from more established recording artists with higher production values.
Another important part of music video pre-production is storyboarding. A series of sketches should suffice, provided they present what happens during your video in sequence. Once you’ve ironed out a rough cut of your video in storyboard form, you can start numbering scenes and creating shot lists. Keep your numbering system simple to avoid confusion.
With your storyboards drafted and shot lists assembled, you’ll be in a better position to allocate a budget for your production. Use your storyboard cells to identify key scenes that you’re prepared to spend more on and start itemizing costs.
Affordable Equipment Options
Hiring lighting and camera equipment to shoot your music video can be expensive, especially if you’ve already sunk a ton of money into creating a home recording studio. For most independent musicians, equipment hire is simply too cost-prohibitive to be practical. However, this doesn’t mean you have to settle for a second-rate production.
Nowadays, the average smartphone packs more than enough power to shoot a respectable music video. Unfamiliar with the finer workings of your phone's camera setup? You don’t need much technical knowledge to put together a video with a rough and ready aesthetic. Better acquainted with your phone and its editing capabilities than most? Even if you’re armed with nothing but a smartphone, putting together a polished production is easier than you think.
While DIY music videos might seem the preserve of the independent musician, many established singers have embraced low-cost music video production in recent years. The iPhone 11 Pro has proved a favorite with stars looking to leverage the potential of smartphones for music video making. In 2019, Selena Gomez turned to the 11 Pro to shoot her music video for the critically acclaimed ‘Lose You to Love Me’. The following year, the video for ‘Stupid Love’ by Lady Gaga pushed the boundaries of the Apple handset, resulting in a vibrant production atypical of Gaga’s brand.
If you’d rather go a more traditional route, hiring filming equipment can still be cost-effective. You’ll just need to keep your production schedule tight so you can control rental costs. Don’t have the budget to stretch to lighting equipment? Not to worry. If you’re shooting on location, use natural lighting as much as possible. While you’re ultimately at the mercy of the elements, using reflectors and diffusers will give you some control over things.
Finding Cost-Effective Locations
One of the easiest ways of making music videos cheaply is to get creative when it comes to location. For convenience and cost-cutting, aim for local locations wherever possible. Nearby beauty spots are a great place to grab some awe-inspiring shots, but even local parks will do if you’re not too concerned about crowds.
Looking for an urban backdrop for your next music video? Somewhere as simple as an alleyway can make an effective backdrop, while disused warehouses and other industrial sites are worth looking into. However, if you are picking a location like this, you’ll need to take health and safety into account, especially if you’ve drafted an entire crew to help you shoot your video.
Searching for a more everyday setting? If your own home doesn’t quite gel with what you have planned for your music video, consider whether any friends’ properties might prove a better fit. For more elaborate aesthetics, you can even use a green screen and replace it with eye-catching visuals in post.
Building a Budget-Friendly Team
Once you’ve decided on your equipment and picked out a suitable location, you can start thinking about assembling a production team. If you want to make music videos cheaply, you’ll want to avoid drafting in professional videographers and other paid talent. Instead, you’ll need to call on a few favors from your nearest and dearest to help crew your low-budget music video project.
It’s unlikely that your friends and family are going to boast much expertise in video production. However, you can still put them to work as production assistants or even actors. To plug the knowledge gap, you’ll need to turn elsewhere for technical know-how. Local film schools are a good place to scout for eager talent. Most students will be prepared to work for free to gain experience and have something to add to their portfolio.
Amateur filmmakers are another option. Head online and use local classifieds to find keen talent in your area or turn to your social media channels instead. Even if you can't find someone in your friends list, a simple repost could be all that’s stopping you from securing the perfect cameraperson or lighting technician.
DIY Production Tips
If you’ve spent over the odds on wardrobe, there’s probably little left in the coffers for set design. However, this doesn’t need to derail your plans for a professional-looking music video. Target thrift stores and pre-loved items when assembling costumes and locating props, or take a beg, borrow, or steal approach and call in some favors. If possible, try to assign props and costumes to a specific person on your crew.
Generally speaking, it’s best to keep things simple when shooting a budget music video. Minimalistic set designs mean you don’t have to spend a fortune on props and set dressing, with pared-back aesthetics often making a big impact. Don’t have much experience with three-point lighting? Use natural light to your advantage instead.
Editing on a Budget
Dreading the edit? If your post-production abilities aren’t up to scratch, you could try shooting your music video in a single take. One-shot music videos can prove incredibly effective, letting your music and lyrics take center stage.
Of course, this approach won’t work for everyone. Fortunately, there are plenty of free and inexpensive editing tools you can wield to your advantage. Have you recorded your music video on an iPhone or want to get stuck in with editing on an iMac? Tools like iMovie are completely free and come with a minimal learning curve. Alternatively, try DaVinci Resolve, OpenShot, and Shotcut if you’re looking for ease of use and drag-and-drop functionality.
Promoting Your Music Video
With your music video edited and uploaded to YouTube, you can start focusing on promoting your efforts. Use your social media channels to your advantage here. Use TikTok to tease short-form snippets and BTS content, or focus on an image-centric campaign by promoting on Instagram.
If you’ve already got an established following, sneak peeks and slow teases can work particularly well. To build momentum, create content that’s shareable. Use your music video footage to create big-impact GIFs that can be readily shared by your fans, or encourage your followers to create their own shareable content. To incentivize participation, you can even think about incorporating prize giveaways and competitions.
Case Studies and Examples
Established musicians know how to create music videos that strike the right note with audiences. However, not every recording artist has to spend a fortune on creating a video that resonates.
Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ (1999) is a particularly good example of budget music videos done right. Shot on a shoestring by director Spike Jonze, the video sees Jonze and the entirely fictional Torrance Community Dance Group stage an impromptu dance performance in the lobby of a cinema. Despite being shot in a single take and costing a mere $800 to film, the video would go on to secure several MTV Video Music awards.
Low-budget music videos are hardly anything new. In 1965, Bob Dylan created one of the first lyric videos ever with the release of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’. In the video, Dylan cycles through a stack of cue cards, each one sprawled with lyrics from the song. Miswritten lines and typos aplenty provide depth while accentuating the amateur aesthetics of the video.
Creating a Music Video is Easier Than You Think
Creating an indie music video on a budget can prove challenging, but a little creative thinking can go a long way. To create your own watch-worthy video, start by pulling together ideas as you hammer out a concept. Once that’s locked down and you’ve assembled some storyboards, you can start thinking about how you’re actually going to pull things off.
When it comes to location, keep things simple. Minimalist set designs mean you don’t have to spend over the odds on props or worry about staging while making use of natural lighting means you won’t have to worry about sourcing expensive lighting equipment. Need to pull together a wardrobe of costumes and an assortment of props? Thrift stores and markets are your best friend. Equipment doesn’t need to cost the moon either. An average smartphone should have sufficient shooting capabilities to deliver a decent-looking music video, while reflectors can be used to enhance natural lighting sources.
If you want to keep the shoot itself as simple as possible, consider a one-shot music video. While nailing a single-take performance isn’t easy, you will save yourself plenty of time in post-production. If you have gone for a more conventional narrative video, you’ll need some decent editing software at your disposal. However, with many free-to-download and use editing options out there, this is one cost you won’t have to budget for.
Once the production itself is in the bag, you’re ready to start promoting your video. Leverage social media to your advantage, capitalizing on every platform you’re using to drum up interest and drive traffic to your YouTube channel. By seizing upon existing followers to build momentum, it’s easy enough to stir up interest and secure new fans.
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