There’s no way around it: in 2024, video content is a crucial part of an artist’s image on social media, and with the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels, effective music promotion requires not only good quality music but also a captivating visual experience.
A lyric video is one of the techniques to get your audience’s attention while also sharing the lyrics of your song and promoting your track before the official video is out. Animated lyric videos can have a simple, no-frills design, but they can also become a way to captivate your fans and bring more engagement to your channel, allowing listeners to sing along to their favorite tunes and inspiring their imagination by enhancing the mood, expressing your creativity and ultimately adding on to the song.
Katy Perry – – ET (feat. Kanye West) [ORIGINAL OFFICIAL Lyrics Video]
Let’s be honest: lyric videos can also be a frugal way to create visual content for your music; they can be produced at a fraction of the cost of filming a professional music video. Just ten years ago, you would use iMovie (which is still used today) or PowerPoint to create a lyric video; fast forward to 2024, and thanks to AI and tech development, you can take advantage of several tools and services that will help you create a visually advanced and stunning lyric video to showcase your artistic channel.
There is a good chance that creative lyric videos won’t get out of fashion any time soon. In the last few years, many of the top musicians, including Kylie, U2, and Lily Allen, have released lyric videos, and lyric videos created to accompany legacy tracks have been experiencing their renaissance in the last decade.
I’ve reviewed the most popular services that allow you to create your own lyric videos (some are free) or work with a professional team so that you can choose the one that suits your needs and budget.
Let’s dive in!
What is a lyric video?
Before we get into the actual lyric video-making tools, let’s catch up on what exactly we mean by it (although I don’t think this needs to be explained).
A lyric video is a music video that features the song’s lyrics displayed on screen. Rather than showcasing the musicians or a narrative, the primary visual element of a lyric video is typography. With the introduction of music videos, bands of all types have used them as creative tools. A lyric video is often a choice of indie performers, as it can be produced with fewer resources and allows listeners to learn the song’s lyrics before the official release.
LyricVids
LyricsVid is a service specializing in professional, artistic lyric videos. It has a team of in-house animators who create personalized videos to suit clients’ music and tastes. LyricVids provides custom lyric videos, animated music videos, audio visualization, and EPK creation services. They work with some big names too, including Sony Music, BMG, and Warner Records.
I have to say their videos are pretty awesome. You won’t get them for a couple of bucks, but if you have a budget to work with a professional animator, you can get results that will be equally good as a professional music video. You can check their work from the online portfolio.
The videos are usually made within 1-2 weeks, and each lyric video order includes free social media snippets.
Price
The cost of the production of a lyric video for a two-verse song with a recurring hook sequence and an intro/outro sequence starts from $500 for “a simple and professional lyric video, with a single background theme and one font and style of lyric animation matching the mood and tempo of the song” to $1500, which will give you a professional lyric video made to match industry standards, “featuring styles like cartoon animation, motion tracking, flying through lyrics, and more.”
They can accommodate any budget in between and custom requests.
Pros:
- Great quality unmatched by a software-made video.
- High level of customization.
- Ability to work with and consult a professional animator.
- Custom-made and personalized solutions that guarantee a unique effect.
Cons:
- Expensive solution compared with video editing tools.
351Studio
351Studio is a video production company based in Skopje, Macedonia, with a focus on music videos, lyric videos, animations, and more. They have produced over 3,500 lyric videos for artists, including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars, and you can check some of them out in their online portfolio. Their team includes over 35 artists who will create personalized and unique videos for your music.
Price
For the prices, you need to contact the company directly.
Pros:
- High-quality, personalized results.
- Ability to work with animators and artists with an artistic vision that will add a unique feel and vision to your video.
Cons:
- It can be expensive compared to freelance video creators or online tools.
- The process can take up to a couple of weeks or longer if you request revisions.
Genera Studios
Genera Studios is a music marketing and consultancy service for artists and labels created by Andrew Southworth, an artist, entrepreneur, and former engineer mainly known for his popular YouTube channel. Amongst other services, the company also offers lyric video production. The custom offer includes a lyric video in either 4K or 1080p resolutions, with advanced visual effects and 3D composting of up to six minutes or 500 words.
It offers free revisions (although the website doesn’t specify how many), and the delivery time is between seven to ten days.
Price
$200 for a lyric video in 1080p and $284 for a 4K version; the fee can also be paid in four interest-free installments, and for an extra $32.95, you can get a full video rendered vertically for social media and ads.
Pros:
- A good middle-ground solution between an agency custom-made video and a self-made video.
- Professional service provided by industry professionals who know the market and current trends.
Cons:
- For beginners, it could still be a pricey option.
VEED
Veed is a web-based video editing tool that has quickly gained popularity thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly interface, which is accessible to anyone without advanced video editing skills. It features a number of video editing functions, with lyric videos being just one of the options. The platform includes a number of various fonts, colors, and animations that will let you customize a lyric video to fit your personal taste and style.
Price
The price starts from $22/month for the Basic plan, which includes 25 minutes of exported videos per month; the Premium plan costs $30/month. You can save up to 41% on a yearly plan.
It also has a free version, but since the videos are watermarked, you won’t be able to use it to publish your content. Still, you can try it out to see if the program works for you.
Pros:
- Easy to use with a minimal learning curve, making it an optimal option for beginners.
- Wide selection of fonts and animations.
- Straightforward sync of lyrics and sound.
- Auto transcribe function: All you need to do is upload your audio to the platform.
- Export videos in various formats adjusted to any platform.
Cons:
- The web-based service requires internet connection (although I’m not sure if this is really a con)
- Watermark on the free version videos.
- Limited video length on the free plan.
Animaker
Animaker is a popular, cloud-based DIY video animation (hence the name) and live video-making app with headquarters in Palo Alto, California. It was the first software to launch animated vertical videos in 2017.
Animaker features over 40 different fonts and over 60 typography effects and transition styles, with the ability to upload your own custom fonts. The platform promotes itself as a perfect tool for “non-designers, beginners, and professionals,” and the process of making a video really couldn’t be more straightforward.
On the website, you will find several tutorials, webinars, articles, and other resources to help you get the most out of your experience. Once you create your video, you can export it to YouTube or download it directly.
Price
Animaker plans start from $150/year for the Basic plan (or $24/month on a monthly plan); you will pay $37/month for the Starter plan and $79/month on the Premium plan.
Pros:
- Free version
- Easy to use and accessible for novices and professionals alike.
- Wide selection of fonts and effects to choose from.
- Customization features.
Cons:
- Watermark embedded on free version videos.
- No branding features on the Basic plan.
- Limited number of downloads/month on all plans.
- 4K videos are only available on the custom Enterprise plan.
Kapwing
Kapwing, similar to VEED, is a web-based video editing software that doesn’t require downloading software to use a full version. It has a simple and clean interface with multiple editing and customization options, allowing you to add background, change and edit fonts, and use animations to create your own video or templates. On the Pro plan, you get up to 300 minutes of auto-subtitled videos.
Price
Kapwing has a free version, but it only allows exporting videos up to four minutes long with a watermark on. The paid plans start from $16/month for the Pro plan with no free trial.
Pros:
- Clean and straightforward interface.
- A good option for a video editing novice.
- Auto-translating option supporting multiple languages.
Cons:
- Watermark on free videos.
- Limited storage on the free plan.
- Lack of some of the advanced functionalities.
YouTube Movie Maker
YouTube Movie Maker is one of the most popular desktop apps for creating lyric videos, along with other features such as karaoke videos, typography videos, and music visualizations. You can create lyric videos using a free version of the software, and its easy learning curve makes it a good choice for beginners on a budget. It has a number of video tutorials and step-by-step guides available on the website, which helps you to start off, even if you never created a lyric video before.
Price
YouTube Video Maker has a free downloadable version, and you can also purchase the Gold or Platinum licenses (lifetime one-off purchase) at $29.99 and $49.99, respectively, for a single license.
Pros:
- Customizable fonts, colors, layouts, and backgrounds.
- Motion effects, particle, mask or shadow effects, and 3D videos.
- Step-by-step video tutorials.
- Free version (without watermark).
- YouTube integration (obvs).
Cons:
- Relatively simple tool if you opt for a free version, missing some of the more advanced customizations.
Freelance Platforms (Upwork, AirGigs, Fiverr)
These freelance platforms have a database of freelance professionals who provide video-making, animation, and editing services at various price and quality levels, from simple, straightforward videos to more sophisticated options that will suit your style and expectations.
Price
Price will vary from person to person; you could find offers starting from $25 per video up to a few hundred bucks.
Pros:
- Wide range of styles and prices to choose from.
- Direct communication with a creator allows for more personalized results.
Cons:
- Many options to choose from, and you may need to spend some time before you find the one that fits your needs.
Final Thoughts
If you want to have great content on your social channels but lip syncs are not your thing (I don’t blame you), and you are not willing to get out of cash by hiring a professional filmmaker, lyric videos are a good in-between solution. By incorporating trendy elements, such as 3D animations, creative typography, and storytelling features, you can make sure you stay up to date with the trends but introduce some variety to your channel.
A professionally-done lyric video will cost less than a music video and might result in the same level of engagement from your fans. You can also go full DIY and create one yourself, using one of many AI-based online platforms and video editing software. Whichever way you follow, there are several options available to fit your needs, budget, and expectations.
Good luck!
