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How To Make A Lyric Video – Tips And Guide To DIY!

June 02, 2021 • 5 min read

Once a song is recorded, there’s a lot of work that goes into music promotion strategies. One of the main ways to go about it is learning how to make a lyric video. This type of production has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. Today, it is one of the main tools to increase your streaming numbers through YouTube. If you’re considering making your own lyric video, keep on reading to learn how it can grow your audience.  

What is a lyric video?

In the music industry, we call lyric videos those audiovisual contents that sync music with its lyrics popping up on the screen. The concept is pretty simple but that doesn’t mean there is no room to be creative here. Through the last few years, lyric videos have become a lot more plural. Some musicians will hire illustrators and videomakers to help them. Others can go even further and shoot a video with a full cast. Sometimes, the result can end up being just as good as a regular music video. The idea of synchronizing music with its lyrics on the screen is not a novelty. The first one ever created seems to be Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step”. The video isn’t a traditional lyric video in the way we’ve been familiar with. Nonetheless, the choice to put up the song’s tittle as part of the background helped boost the songs popularity at the time.  

How did it become so popular?

Even though lyric videos aren’t exactly new, they are definitely a growing trend. If we go back just a few years, the term could probably be confusing to most bands. So, what changed? Music videos were once a coveted piece of entertainment. But watching your favorite band in video format was up to chance. You were so lucky if you managed to tune in on MTV at the right time to catch your favorite artists. As time went by, more and more people got to have internet access — and this changed everything. Now, your favorite music video is only a few clicks away. Not only that, but people started turning to YouTube to simply listen to music as it can actually function as a free streaming service. It didn’t take long until social media music marketing  caught up with that consumer trend. Soon, a lot of artists started uploading their full album in audio format into the platform. In the age of streaming, it’s important to make every play count so you can climb your way up the charts. This is even more crucial if you are a starting artist looking for ways on how to promote your music. With lyric videos, you get to take the listener’s experience to a whole other level and hopefully expand your audience.   As we have mentioned, lyric videos have become increasingly more creative in a sense they can sometimes function as an alternate music video. But unlike official videos, the focus here tends to be on the words sung by the artist. The budget also seems to be a crucial point for its popularity, especially among independent artists. With only a few bucks, musicians can achieve great results. They are also significantly easier to put together — sometimes all you need is a good video editing software. So, it is no by chance that this type of audiovisual content has gained so much traction. Lyric videos can enhance the listener’s experience by giving some context to the song. They also perform very good to promote your music on social media, creating some hype around the releases.  

Creating a lyric video

Apple iMac and Apple Magic Mouse and Keyboard on table At this point, you’re probably wondering how you can create your own lyric video. Below, we gathered some important tips on how to go on with your project.  

Brainstorm with your band

Brainstorming is the process in which a group gets together to think of ideas and possible solutions to a problem. So, on your next rehearsal, take some group time to list everything that comes to mind for your lyric video. In the process, it’s important to let everyone’s creativity flow. Write down absolutely every idea and comeback the next day to sift the good from the bad.  

Choose your style

If you are creating an audiovisual project for your music, it’s important to carefully choose the style. With lyric videos you can either have abstract images or try to create a narrative. Just like a good album cover design, a good lyric video can be a great tool to reaffirm artist branding.  

Find the right imagery

Some artists will choose to hire a photographer and/or graphic designer to work on their lyric video. But if your budget is on the lower side, it’s totally ok to go with stock footage. On the internet, you can find tons of platforms specialized on providing royalty free videos for a low price.  

Consider the media

Whenever you’re making videos for your music, it’s very important to consider the media in which you plan on releasing that material. A lot can change in the format according to where that content is headed to. If you’re set on releasing it on to the internet, it’s worth reading up on YouTube for Artists and all they have to offer to musicians.  

Editing your video

At last, we arrived at the final stage of your video’s production. Once you decided what is your preferred style, you get to gather the ideas from your bandmates to write down the script. This should be your guide through editing. Some ideas will need real footage. But if you have a small budget, you probably opted to use some stock images. Now, it’s time to start putting the lyric video together. With user-friendly interface, iMovie is one of the leading editing software for amateurs. It allows video output in HD and 4K formats. You can use its many tools to create a final product that looks and sounds professional. Unfortunately, it is only compatible with iOS and MacOS systems. Another option here is Lyric.tv. This one seems a top pick amongst international artists. It allows for customizable backgrounds with infinite shades and fonts for a unique result. Seemingly simple to use, it’s available for computers running on Windows and MacOS.  

Connect with your audience

More and more, lyric videos have been growing as a trend as they help artists amplify their audience. This type of audiovisual project can help your songs get more streams while also making a statement on your band’s electronic press kit. So, if you want to connect with your audience in a deeper way, make sure to release your songs in this format.  
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