Lyric videos vs music videos; Which is right for you?
When it comes to making music, there’s often a lot of advice around production, social media, and fan engagement. But when it comes to your visuals and marketing, it almost feels like you’re expected to figure that out as you go along.
So I want to break down two traditional marketing methods, and explain how they can be used in a way that suits your personal branding best.
Lyric videos and music videos serve very similar purposes, but they’re not interchangeable. So how do you know in which direction to go?
Lyric videos:
Lyric videos are just as they sound - videos that visualise the lyrics to a track. I like to think of them as a music video’s younger sibling, because despite how useful they are, they can be often overlooked or underestimated.
Typically they’d be animated but I’ve seen some live action and stop motion lyric videos before, as well as lyric videos that repurpose behind the scenes content, or outtakes from the artist’s music video.
But what purpose do they actually serve?
They act as a really seamless way to upload and promote music on visual platforms, such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, making the song a lot more accessible, whilst also promoting the visual side of an artist’s identity. Some artists even use clips from their lyric videos for stage visuals!
Lyric videos also tend to cost a lot less than music videos, and don’t require as much time or planning. If you’re creative with it, you can even whip one up yourself with existing photos or album art!
🍏 Check out this blog post if you’d like to learn more about different types of lyric videos at each budget level.
Due to them being much more time and cost efficient, they’re a great option for indie artists, or anyone on a tight budget. They’re especially appealing from a content perspective, because for the same cost as a music video, you could make multiple lyric videos to sit across all socials including Spotify canvas; and this is what a lot of big artists are doing right now, making sure each track from an album is in front of as many eyes as possible.
It sounds almost too good to be true, right? So let’s talk about the limitations of a lyric video.
For small artists, connecting with fans is probably a top priority and lyric videos simply aren’t as effective as a music video in that regard. Lyrics on a screen doesn’t give fans that same insight into the artist as a personality or as a performer, and if you’re trying to sell tickets to shows, that might be a problem.
Secondly unlike a music video, you’re not going on a creative set. You’re not meeting a crew of new people, and you’re typically not creating any props (unless you really want to commit!). Usually, these types of activities opens the door to more content for social media marketing - think behind the scenes clips, process vlogs, teaser photos etc. We live in a world where content is key, and whilst lyric videos are a great way to use up collateral from shoots, they simply don’t provide opportunities to create more content.
So for this reason, I’d say lyric videos are most effective when used alongside a music video, within a larger marketing plan. They’re probably only best used on their own if the song has a strong focus on lyrics and the budget is a bit smaller.
This is why you’ll notice that a lot of bigger artists will have a music video to promote a title track, and the rest of the album will be promoted using lyric videos and visualisers - and the visuals will always be cohesive.
Music videos:
Is there a need for music videos at all then, if it’s all about content?
I think music videos are still more important than ever. Think of each one as a chance for your audience to learn as much about you as possible, almost like a movie trailer for your artist persona. Your fans will learn more about the track, about what sort of performer you are, and they’ll feel much more connected with you.
The beauty of this as well is you can have a lot of fun with creating a music video, and if you have the right team around you who understand the vision, you’ll get something that truly represents the vibe you’re cultivating.
Though music videos do tend to cost more than a lyric video, you can still keep things to a smaller budget with some strong planning, DIY skills and working with friends. We’re in an AI-rebellious stage right now and audiences are craving authenticity, use this to your advantage and embrace the not-so-polished look.
You can also document each part of the creation journey for BTS videos and other social content. Show the behind the scenes of the shoot day, share how you created certain props or costumes, you can even share who or what has inspired you. The more you provide that exclusive look behind the scenes, the more you invite the fans into your world and share your excitement; you’ll inevitably build a stronger bond with them.
So it does cost more money and take up more time, but if you can find ways to get as much out of it as possible, hopefully it’ll be an easier cost to swallow.
Outside of practical reasons, music videos open up a lot more opportunity to introduce stories, lore and easter eggs for fans to pick up on. Creating little puzzles and ‘gotcha’ moments worked wonderfully for Taylor Swift as it created a talking point within the fanbase which not only strengthened the community, but it also acted as free word-of-mouth marketing.
The only downside to a music video is that they’re not very accessible. There are a lot of barriers to making one - finding the right collaborators, finding the time to manage a large project, funding it all, etc. It’s a heavy lift and can take a good few months to get it just right, and most people simply don’t have the resources.
For this reason, music videos are best used only on a lead single or a title track, and should be carefully thought out so that you end up producing something that truly reflects yourself as an artist, and supports the message behind the song.
🍏 Learn more about some creative direction and skills you can implement as you’re coming up with ideas.
Summary:
Lyric videos:
Pros:
A way to share b sides
Ability to share your music on video platforms
A way to use up collateral from shoots
Cost effective
Cons:
Audience connection
Limited content options
Music videos
Pros:
Great for title tracks
Tends to get more attention
Audience connection
Can make lots of social content off the back of them
Cons:
Generally costs more
Heavier lift
Takes a lot more time
🍏 Need help putting together some visuals for your release? Get in touch below and see how I can help turn your ideas into music videos, lyric videos, short‑form visuals, and release‑ready content.
