Most artists now need far more video than they can edit themselves: a main music video, vertical cut-downs, lyric clips, teasers and behind-the-scenes footage. Hiring an editor helps, but only if the brief is clear. A vague brief costs you rounds of revisions and clips that do not fit the platforms.
What a good brief includes
- The song and the moment. Share the final master and mark the timestamps you want featured, usually the hook and one emotional peak.
- Where each clip will live. List the formats: 9:16 for short-form, 16:9 for YouTube, square if you still use it. Note maximum lengths.
- The feeling, in three words. "Warm, late-night, close" tells an editor more than a long paragraph.
- References. Two or three clips you like, with a sentence on what you like about each one.
- Text and captions. Who writes on-screen text, which fonts and colors are allowed, and whether lyrics should be burned in.
- Deadlines that match the rollout. Teasers before release, the main video on or near release day, extra cut-downs for the weeks after.
A simple delivery list
| Asset | Format | When |
|---|---|---|
| Two teasers | 9:16, under 15 seconds | Two weeks before release |
| Main video | 16:9 | Release week |
| Hook cut-downs | 9:16 | Release week |
| Lyric or performance clips | 9:16 | Weeks two to six |
Plan the after-life of the video
A music video is not done when it uploads. Think about premieres, playlist placement on YouTube, clips for creators, and which moments could become a series. That planning is what turns a video into a campaign.
If you want to see how this is handled as part of a wider rollout, MusicPromoToday describes its approach to music video marketing for artists in any genre.