Independent artists
A first music video often decides whether a track gets picked up by the algorithm at all. For a debut release we build a video that fits the budget you actually have, not the one you don't.
Striking cinematography synchronized to sound and rhythm.
Precision artistic direction, cinematic color grading, and sub-millisecond audio-visual sync.
Custom concept and shot list
Direction
Cinematic filming
Landscape and vertical cuts
VU-L 0dB
VU-R 0dB
Create a music video people actually watch to the last second
A great music video comes from an idea that fits the rhythm and mood of the track, not from an expensive camera. We start by listening, lock the concept and shot list before any camera rolls, and deliver the video ready for YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
- Custom concept and shot list
- Cinematic filming
- Landscape and vertical cuts in one order
One music video, six frames each with its own job
A music video edit is built on the structure of the song itself, not on taste. Each part of the track asks something different from the picture.
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1
Intro
Sets the world and holds the first seconds
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2
Verse
Story or character enters, cuts slow down
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3
Pre-chorus
Cut rhythm tightens to build expectation
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4
Chorus
The strongest image, the one the video is remembered by
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5
Bridge
A change of location or palette so the second chorus lands fresh
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6
Outro
The story closes; titles and the track name land here
Not every track has all six. If your song is built differently, the shot list is too; this is a starting point for the conversation, not a template.
Who a music video is right for
A good track without a picture only gets heard. With the right picture, it gets shared.
Labels and producers
For an album rollout or several singles in a row, instead of six unrelated shoots we define one shared visual language and one production schedule, so the videos read as a body of work.
Brands and campaigns
A branded music video is a commercial that behaves like a song. If your campaign has an original track or jingle, we build its visuals in step with the same digital marketing campaign.
Six music video styles, six budgets, six outcomes
Before we talk price, we work out together which style suits your track. The style shapes the result far more than the camera does.
01
Performance
The artist and band in one designed, lit location. The lowest-risk style for a first music video and the fastest route to release.
02
Narrative
The video tells a short story while the lyric runs underneath it. The strongest emotional payoff, and the most pre-production work.
03
Lyric video
The words as the lead performer. The most economical way to put a track out ahead of the main video and get the audience learning the lines.
04
Motion graphics and animation
When the artist doesn't need to be on screen, or the track lives in an abstract space. Run by the same motion graphics team.
05
AI music video
Generating the shots that cannot be filmed, then editing and grading them by hand. Fast and affordable, and we name its limits in the first session.
06
One-take and behind the scenes
The whole track in a single unbroken shot, or a documentary cut of the rehearsal and the recording. For an audience that wants the process, this beats any flashy edit.
The Same Story, This Time in 3D
This is our own work, not someone else's showreel: the same seven frames we tell on the motion graphics page, rebuilt as a shorter, fully three dimensional scene. One camera that really orbits the mark, one light, under a minute, no sound. If you choose the animated or 3D route for your track, this is the language it gets built in.
Your track can have a frame like this too.
Order an animated music videoFrom audio file to release, in six stages
Every stage has one concrete deliverable you see and sign off on. Nothing happens behind closed doors.
01
Listening and brief
We listen to the track end to end, define the audience and the mood you are after, and put the real budget on the table.
Deliverable: a written brief and a chosen style
02
Concept and treatment
We write the visual idea on one page: world, color palette, locations and references. If you don't like it, we change it before any money is spent.
Deliverable: treatment and mood board
03
Shot list and schedule
We break the song down second by second into shots, lock locations and gear, and set the shoot date.
Deliverable: shot list and call sheet
04
Filming or image generation
The shoot day follows planned lighting, camera moves and takes. In the animation and AI styles, this is where we create the shots.
Deliverable: raw footage and BTS
05
Edit, color and sound
We cut to the beat, apply a cinematic grade and master the audio for each platform. Two revision rounds happen here.
Deliverable: the cut for approval
06
Exports and release
One edit, several cuts: landscape for YouTube, vertical for Reels and Shorts, a short teaser for stories. Cover art and thumbnail ship with it.
Deliverable: platform-ready files
One edit, five aspect ratios
A landscape video cropped down the middle for a story loses half its frame. We plan the vertical cuts into the shot list from the start, not carve them out at the end.
16:9
Master cut
9:16
Full screen
1:1
Square
4:5
Tallest feed crop
2.39:1
Scope
The project spec sheet
The things that usually never make it into a quote, and that cause arguments later. We put them all in the contract before work begins.
- Final delivery
- 4K or Full HD, MP4/H.264, plus a high-quality archive master. We hand over the edit project file on request.
- Audio
- A separate master for web playback; if another studio mastered the track, we use that file untouched.
- Color grading
- One cinematic grading pass across the whole video, matched to the palette approved in the treatment.
- Revisions
- Two revision rounds on the locked cut, within the scope signed off in the shot list. Changing the concept after the shoot is a new project, not a revision.
- Turnaround
- Shorter for lyric videos and animation, longer for narrative projects with cast and multiple locations. The exact date is given once the shot list is locked, not before.
- Rights and clearance
- Footage rights transfer to you on final payment. Broadcast clearance, the composition rights and cast releases sit with the client, and the contract says so explicitly.
- Release assets
- Cover art and thumbnail, an optimized YouTube title and description, and the short social cuts ship with the delivery.
What you get from Seemerce for your track
An expensive camera does not make a music video; an idea that fits the track's rhythm and mood does, and on your real budget.
6stylesEach style has its own cost and result
6framesEditing built from the song's own structure
2versionsHorizontal and vertical in one order
Tap any step to read the details behind it.
Hearing the demo first
We begin by listening to the demo, and finalise the idea and shot list before the camera goes on.
Editing from the song structure
Intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge and outro each expect something different from the picture. This map is not a template but a starting point for a conversation.
Choosing a style before price
Before we talk price we look together at which style suits the track. The choice of style shapes the result more than camera quality does.
Ready for YouTube, Instagram and TikTok
We deliver the video ready to publish, with both horizontal and vertical versions in one order.
For every kind of artist
For an independent singer, a real budget. For a label, one shared visual language across several singles. For a brand, a teaser that behaves like music.
We state limits from the first session
For example, an AI-made music video is fast and low-cost, but we state its limits from the very first session.
Innovative solutions for every music-video style
Six styles, each with set risk, cost and pre-production work.
Tap any solution to see exactly what it includes.
Performance
The lowest-risk style for a first music video.
- The singer and band in one lit location
- One day of filming
- The fastest road to release
Narrative and story
The video tells a short story while the lyrics move behind it.
- The strongest emotional effect
- Script and actors
- Several locations and more pre-production
Lyric video
The lyrics are the lead actor.
- The most economical route
- No filming
- Kinetic typography
Motion graphics and animation
When the singer does not need to be physically present, or the track's world is abstract.
- 2D, 3D or a mix
- Made by the motion graphics team
- Suits abstract tracks
AI music video
Scenes that cannot be filmed are made with video models, then edited and colour-graded by hand.
- Fast and low-cost
- Suits surreal and abstract worlds
- Limits stated from session one
Single take and behind the scenes
The whole track in one uncut shot, or a documentary version of the rehearsal and recording.
- Camera-movement design
- Plenty of rehearsal
- More effective than flashy editing for behind-the-scenes fans
The six steps leading music video teams follow
We put the published process guides of five music video teams and references side by side and lined our own work up against each step.
1
Hearing the track and the brief
All five guides start with concept development. Image Studio says creative clarity beats budget size: a focused concept outperforms a costly video with a vague brief.
With us We listen to the whole track, settle the audience and mood, and put the real budget on the table.
2
Idea and treatment
Four of the five guides treat the treatment as its own document; ProfileTree puts it at 2 to 4 pages and Amos LeBlanc at 3 to 15.
With us We write the visual idea on one page: mood, palette, locations and reference images; if you dislike it we change it before any spend.
3
Shot list and production schedule
Four guides include a shot list and four a schedule or call sheet. Pre-production takes 1 to 3 weeks at Amos LeBlanc and 2 to 4 weeks at ProfileTree and Image Studio.
With us We split the song into shots second by second, lock location and gear, and set the shoot date. We never go to the shoot without a treatment and a shot list.
4
The shoot
Shoots are usually short: 1 to 2 days at ProfileTree and Image Studio and 1 to 3 days at Amos LeBlanc. Wrapbook advises limiting locations to 2 or 3 and building an extra hour into the schedule.
With us The shoot day runs on lighting, camera moves and a number of takes planned in advance.
5
Edit, colour and sound
All five guides include colour work. ProfileTree and Image Studio call two to four revision rounds standard, and post-production takes 2 to 6 weeks.
With us We cut on the beat, apply one cinematic grade pass and master the sound for each platform. This stage includes two rounds of revisions.
6
Delivery and release
Four guides ask for a vertical version; ProfileTree specifies 1080×1920 vertical and horizontal at 1080p minimum with H.264. Image Studio adds 9:16, 1:1 and Spotify Canvas.
With us One edit, several versions: horizontal for YouTube, vertical for reels and shorts, a short teaser for stories, with cover and thumbnail.
Sources: Amos LeBlanc, ProfileTree, Wrapbook, Image Studio, Orphiq (their own published process guides)
Six numbers that make a music video plannable
There is no formal standard for music videos; these are the numbers the teams that publish their process give.
2–4weeks
Pre-production
Planning before the shoot, where most music videos succeed or fail.
Image Studio, ProfileTree1–2days
The shoot
The shoot for an independent music video; 3 to 5 days for complex projects.
ProfileTree, Image Studio2–6weeks
Post-production
Edit, colour and audio finishing through to the final cut.
Image Studio, ProfileTree2–4revision rounds
Revisions
The standard rounds before final approval. With us, two rounds within the scope approved in the shot list.
Image Studio, ProfileTree6–10weeks
End to end
From idea to release.
Image Studio2–3locations
Keep it tight
The suggested cap on locations so schedule and budget stay in control.
WrapbookSources: Process guides from Image Studio, ProfileTree, Amos LeBlanc and Wrapbook
Five guides, seven practices
We read each team's own process guide and marked only what it says outright. The last column is what a Seemerce music video delivery includes.
| Practice | Amos LeBlanc | ProfileTree | Wrapbook | Image Studio | Orphiq | Seemerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A treatment before the shoot4 of 5 | Idea and treatment on one page | |||||
| A shot list before the shoot4 of 5 | A second-by-second shot list | |||||
| A schedule or call sheet4 of 5 | A call sheet and shoot date | |||||
| Colour grading named5 of 5 | One cinematic grade pass | |||||
| Revision rounds stated as a number2 of 5 | Two rounds of revisions | |||||
| A vertical cut for social4 of 5 | Horizontal, vertical and a short teaser | |||||
| Output formats named4 of 5 | 4K or Full HD, MP4 with H.264 |
stated on their published page not stated there (it may still be done)
Sources: the process guides of amosleblanc.com, profiletree.com, wrapbook.com, imagestudio.com and orphiq.com, read in 2026
Where does a music video's time go?
The upper end of each phase, in weeks, in Image Studio's guide. The shoot is shortest; pre-production and post-production take the most.
Sources: Image Studio, "Music Video Production Workflow" (2026); your project's timeline depends on style and scope
What a Seemerce music video delivery includes
Only what this page already promises, along the same three phases the teams use.
Before the shoot
- Hearing the full track and a written brief
- A treatment and moodboard before any spend
- A shot list and call sheet; no shoot without them
Edit and colour
- Cut on the beat of the track
- One cinematic grade pass, matched to the approved palette
- Two revision rounds within the shot-list scope
Output and release
- 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 and 2.39:1
- 4K or Full HD, MP4 with H.264
- Cover, thumbnail, YouTube title and description
What we don't do
- We don't promise your video will go viral; nobody honestly can.
- We do not start a shoot day without a treatment and a shot list, however rushed the release is.
- We do not pass stock footage off as an original shoot; where stock is genuinely needed, it is written into the shot list.
- We do not take on broadcast clearance or the rights to the composition, and we do not give vague assurances about them.
Why choose Seemerce for your music video
Cut to the beat, not to a guess
Every cut is locked to the beat and structure of the track itself. That one thing separates a video people finish from one they close at second twenty.
Consistent with your visual identity
Cover art, thumbnail and color palette come from the same place your brand identity was built, not from a separate studio's taste.
Production to release, in one place
Your video doesn't sit in a folder. The same team that runs your content and campaigns prepares the YouTube copy, short cuts and release plan.
Music video pricing
The price is not one fixed number; it depends on the style, locations, shoot days and how much visual effects work follows. The figures below are the starting point for each style. Once we have heard the track and locked the shot list, we send you a clear quote.
Prices are in US dollars and don't move with exchange rates, so there's no need to call for the "real" price.
Lyric Video
$30
The lyric as kinetic typography, with no filming.
- Kinetic typography cut to the beat
- Custom graphic background
- Word-accurate sync
- 1 revision
AI Music Video
$60
Shots generated with video models, edited and graded by hand.
- Prompt design and a visual world for the track
- Shot generation and selection
- Beat-locked edit and color grading
- 1 revision
Single-Location Performance
$120
The artist performing in one designed, lit location.
- Custom treatment and shot list
- One shoot day with crew and lighting
- Editing and cinematic color grading
- Landscape and vertical exports
- 2 revisions
Animated Music Video
$160
Motion graphics or full animation across the whole track.
- Character and visual-world design
- 2D or 3D animation
- Full sync to the music
- 2 revisions
Narrative Music Video
$280
A story-driven video with cast and multiple locations.
- Full script and storyboard
- Multiple shoot days and locations
- Cast, wardrobe and makeup coordination
- VFX and advanced grading
- 2 revisions
Edit and Grade Your Footage
$40
You shoot it; we handle the edit, color and sound.
- Cut locked to the beat
- Cinematic color grading
- Audio mix and master for web playback
- Landscape and vertical versions
Cinematic, Tour and Concert Projects
Multi-camera concert capture, large productions with a full crew, and a media release plan.
- Multi-camera capture and live sound
- Full production crew and location management
- Release and broadcast planning
Frequently asked questions about music videos
What is good to know before you order a music video.
How long does it take to create a music video?
Lyric videos and animation are usually ready in a few working days. A single-location performance piece runs roughly one to two weeks from brief to delivery, and narrative projects with cast and multiple locations take longer. The exact date comes once the shot list is locked, because anything before that is a guess.
What does music video production cost depend on?
Four things: the style, the number of shoot days, the number of locations and cast, and the post-production load such as VFX and grading. The pricing table above shows the starting point for each style.
What should I do on a small budget?
Start with a lyric video or a single-location performance piece. Both are achievable on a small budget and get the track out; once it finds an audience, the narrative version makes sense. Pushing the most expensive option as the only route is not how we work.
Does an AI music video actually work?
For surreal, abstract worlds and shots that would be impossible or uneconomical to film, yes. For close-ups of the artist and accurate lip-sync, real filming still wins. In practice a blend of the two gives the best result.
I already shot the footage and only need an edit. Is that possible?
Yes. We can edit, grade and mix your own footage. If it won't support the idea you have in mind, we tell you up front, not after delivery.
What versions of the video do I get?
The landscape master for YouTube and your site, a vertical cut for Reels and Shorts, a square or 4:5 cut for the feed, and a short teaser for stories. Cover art and thumbnail come with the same delivery.
Who handles rights and broadcast clearance?
Footage rights transfer to you on final payment. Broadcast clearance, the rights to the composition itself and cast releases sit with the client, and that split is written into the contract.
Send us the track and we will write its concept
In a short session we listen to the track and talk plainly about style, budget and timeline, before any contract.
See+Clip=SeeClip This page's name in the Seemerce family What the name means
This page's name in the Seemerce family
See
to see
Clip
SeeClip
Music video production
Script, shoot and edit for a music video, with a planned shoot day.
The rule is simple: See joins a word to make one new word, just as See and commerce became Seemerce.
Related names
- Content writing SeeWrite
-
Professional translation
SeeLingua
- Website design SeeSite
- App development SeeApp
- Graphic design SeeArt
- Motion graphics SeeMotion
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