How to Make an Indie Music Video
Learn how indie artists can create their own music video on a budget.

Videos are an amazing asset for any artist, indie or signed. Videos allow for a deeper artistic expression that helps you connect better with your audience. For example, NF recently released a video for his new song called Hope. If you only listen to the song, there's no way you'll get the full message. You can only find that in the video. So although you can't make videos for every single song, they're an important part of every project. There's only one problem...

Videos are expensive to make. You need a quality camera, awesome lighting, a solid crew, and extensive editing. All that could add up to a hefty bill. So how can you make a music video as an indie artist? I've got some tips for you…

Seven Tips for Making an Indie Music Video

Make a preliminary plan

The first thing you need to do is plan your video. Map out what kind of video you want to make in your head. Then write it down. This helps you figure out exactly what you need. For example, what equipment do you need, and how can you get them? You can't get the insanely expensive video equipment that record labels provide, so find alternatives. Finding alternatives without sacrificing quality can be tricky so you'll have to do some research.

What kind of costumes do you need? Will you be the only one appearing in the video or would you like some extras? Figure out what you can do, where you can compromise, and where your hands are tied. Knowing exactly what you need will help guide you when you're making a budget.

Figure out your team

When making a music video, there are several things to consider. You need to plan the video, record it, then edit it. Each of these steps requires completely different sets of skills. You need a director to plan the video, and a videographer to make and edit the video. Of course, being an indie artist, you might be able to do all of it by yourself.

Perhaps you have some friends willing to help you out. Perhaps you have to hire people from outside. Whatever the case may be, it's important to know who you're working with, what kind of style they prefer, and how you can work together.

It also helps to know whether you'll have to spend money on getting a team or whether you can do it for free.

Come up with a budget

Another cardinal task when making a music video is drawing up a budget. This is where some of your plans will have to be reconsidered because of the cost implications and you might have to compromise a bit. Of course, don't sell yourself short and end up making a bad video. It's better to wait until you can afford a decent video than just make something bad and posting.

Don't just come up with a budget. You also need to figure out a way to get the money you need. Do you have enough money available? Do you have to save? Come up with a strategy to get to whatever number you settle on.

Shoot outdoors

One of the most important elements of a video is lighting, and music videos are no different. It's so important that there are professionals who get paid to figure out lighting. To help you avoid that extra cost, I would advise you to shoot your video outside and during the day. This gives you enough light so you don't have to worry about any extra lighting.

If you have to shoot indoors, do it during the day and hope the natural light is enough. Otherwise, you might want to add lighting to your budget.

Pick the right location

Location is also cardinal when shooting a music video. Burna Boy started his 2021 Grammy performance just outside the National Arts Theatre in Lagos. It was a majestic scene, but how much do you reckon it would cost to shoot a video there? A hefty amount, I can guarantee you. So as nice as it would be to shoot a video in such an amazing location, you have no business going there as a newbie indie artist.

It would make more sense if you picked a spot you don't have to pay for at all. That said, you still need to use a cool location, so do your research. Find out awesome locations you can use for your video that you don't have to pay for. Except if you can afford it, then National Arts Theatre it is.

Use a storyboard

One effective way to organize your plans and thoughts for your music video is to use a storyboard. If you're wondering what that is, it's simply a set of sketches or drawings that give an image of how the major scenes in a video should look. So it's like a script, only with sketches instead of words. Remember when I said you need to plan out the video in your head? A storyboard is a physical representation of that.

So if you're making the video yourself, you need one. If you're working with a team, your videographer needs to have a storyboard to help guide the process.

Go for simple but creative

It can be awfully tempting to go overboard with your music video. Picture Imagine Dragons videos. But you don't have to do all that, you can do something much simpler that still exudes class. You can make your entire video in one house, walking down the street, or on the beach. You don't have to be like NF in the Hope video and transition from the sea to a house.

You can make a simple video that will blow the minds of your audience. All you need is a sprinkle of creativity.

Final Thoughts

Making a video is not cheap, even when you cut down the cost as much as you can. Videos, however, are an essential part of your music portfolio. The more videos you make, the more people can understand what your message is really about, and the more fans you will make.

You may not have the deep pockets of a record label behind you, but you have tons of creativity. Put it to good use.