Best Music Video Creators

What a good music video package includes

Music video gigs are usually priced by type, length and complexity. Check that the package states:

• Type: lyric video, animation, visualizer or edit of your footage.
• Length: the full song, or a shorter version.
• Style and examples from the creator's portfolio.
• Formats: horizontal, vertical and square, with resolution.
• Teaser clips for social media.
• Footage and effects sources and licenses.
• Revisions, delivery time and rights.

Look for a creator whose portfolio already matches your genre and mood. A creator who makes great energetic dance visuals may not be the right choice for a slow acoustic song, and asking them to change style completely rarely gives the best result.

How to brief a music video creator

1. The final mastered song and its release date.
2. Lyrics, exactly as they should appear.
3. Mood and story: what the video should make people feel.
4. References: videos you like, with time stamps.
5. Your footage, if any, organized and labeled.
6. Cover art and brand elements to keep the release consistent.

Send the final master, not a demo. Timing lyrics or cuts to a version that later changes means redoing the work. If the song is not finished yet, wait, or agree on a small fee for re-timing.

Plan your release around the video. Ask the creator to deliver a few days before release so you have time to check it, upload it, write a description and prepare short clips for social posts.

Think about the thumbnail and the first seconds too. On YouTube, many people decide from the thumbnail and the opening moments whether to keep watching. Ask the creator for a strong frame you can use as a thumbnail, and make sure the video starts with something visually interesting rather than a long, slow fade-in.

What drives the price

• type of video and song length
• custom animation or 3D versus templates
• amount of footage to edit
• number of formats and teaser clips
• licensed stock footage and effects
• the creator's experience and rush delivery

Red flags

• Footage or effects with no license information.
• A portfolio of the same template with different songs.
• Spelling mistakes in lyric video samples.
• No vertical formats offered.
• Unclear rights to monetize the video.

Check every word of the lyrics in the final video and watch it once on a phone. Lyric videos often have small typos or timing slips that are easy to miss on a computer screen, and fixing them after upload means losing views and comments.

For the cover art, see our album cover design guide. For short clips, read our social media video guide, and for the song itself our music producer guide.

Quick pre-order checklist

• I am sending the final master and exact lyrics.
• The creator's portfolio matches my genre and mood.
• I will get horizontal and vertical versions plus teasers.
• All footage and effects are licensed.
• I can monetize the video on my platforms.