“What does a music video cost?” is one of the first questions any artist asks before releasing a single, and the honest answer is that it depends on very specific decisions, not on a fixed rate per minute of footage. This guide explains what actually moves the price, so you know what to ask before requesting a quote and don't end up comparing proposals that cover different things.
Short answer
The price of a music video comes down mostly to the number of locations, whether there are actors or dancers as well as the artist, whether it has a narrative concept or is mainly performance, and how much post-production sits behind it. A simple video in one location shot in a day can land in the low hundreds of euros; one with a narrative concept, several locations and an expanded crew can comfortably pass €1,500-2,000. The only way to know where yours falls is to tell us the idea.
What determines the price
Asking “what does a music video cost” with no context is like asking “what does a film cost”, it depends entirely on what sits behind it. These are the things that move the budget most:
- —Number of locations: every change of setting adds set-up, travel and sometimes filming permits.
- —Actors, dancers or extras: if the video goes beyond the artist alone, add casting, rehearsals and staging.
- —Narrative versus performance: a story with a thread needs a script, specific locations and usually more shooting time than a video built around the artist performing the track.
- —Shooting days: most music videos are shot in a day, but an ambitious concept can need two or three.
- —Post-production: grading, visual effects, motion graphics or frame-accurate sync with the lyrics all add hours that never show on the shoot but do show on the invoice.
- —Delivery format: if you need a vertical cut for social as well as the main video, that is extra work on top of the base edit.
Three levels of production, by complexity
Rather than a price per minute, it helps to think in three levels, the same concept can land in any of them depending on how much of the above it involves:
- —Simple: one location, no actors or dancers, a single shooting day, straightforward edit and grade. The usual route for a release with no big campaign budget behind it.
- —Mid complexity: two locations, some art direction or wardrobe, perhaps a dancer or an extra, a more careful grade and an extra cut for social.
- —High complexity: a narrative concept with actors, several locations, an expanded crew (art direction, make-up, choreography) and advanced post with visual effects or motion graphics.
As a very broad reference for independent productions in the Spanish market, not a MIDMEDIA PICTURES rate card, a simple music video usually lands in the low hundreds of euros, and a high-complexity one can comfortably pass €1,500-2,000. The real range depends entirely on the variables above, so the reliable way to find out is to tell us the idea.
What a professional music video usually includes
- —Pre-production: working out the concept with the artist, a shot list or storyboard where there is a narrative, and planning locations and crew.
- —A shoot with film kit: camera, lighting and, when the concept calls for it, stabilisers.
- —Edit and grade: a cut synced to the track and a finish with a look of its own, not a generic filter.
- —Delivery in the format you will use: the main video and, on request, a vertical cut for social.
Plenty of artists use the same shooting day for a photography session too, same wardrobe, same location, and material ready for press and social without organising a separate shoot.
How to prepare before asking for a quote
Before writing to a production company, be clear: does the video have a narrative concept, or is it mainly the artist performing? How many locations do you picture? Are there dancers, actors, or just you? The more context you give, the more real the quote, and the easier it is to compare proposals without comparing apples with oranges. You can see real examples in our music video portfolio.
Common mistakes
- —Asking for “the price of a music video” without describing the concept, then comparing quotes that cover different things.
- —Chasing a high number of locations “so it looks big”, when they add nothing to the story.
- —Leaving post-production out of the conversation until the end, when the grade and the rhythm of the cut are a large part of what makes a video feel professional.
- —Not budgeting for the vertical cut, and ending up cropping the horizontal video by hand for social.
In short
There is no single price for “a music video”, there is a range that depends on the concept, the locations, and how many people and how much post sit behind it. Tell us your idea, even half-formed, and we will help you work out which level of production fits your budget.