Step 8 of 13 · Polish

Music video & visualizers

Video is now the main discovery engine — short clips for TikTok/Reels/Shorts, a visualizer for streaming, and optionally a full music video. AI video tools (Sora, Runway, Pika, Kling, Luma, Hailuo) generate cinematic clips from text/images; dedicated tools (Specterr, Rotor, Kaiber) make audio-reactive lyric videos and visualizers fast. You rarely need a full narrative video — a handful of strong vertical clips usually drives more streams.

The steps

  1. 1Prioritise 3–5 vertical (9:16) clips for TikTok/Reels/Shorts over one long video.
  2. 2Generate cinematic shots with an AI video tool, or an audio-reactive visualizer for the whole track.
  3. 3Cut to the hook; put the strongest 3 seconds first.
  4. 4Make a streaming visualizer/Canvas-style loop for Spotify and Apple Music.
  5. 5Caption/subtitle for silent autoplay; disclose AI video where required.
🤖 AI path

Sora/Runway/Pika/Kling/Luma for shots; Specterr/Rotor/Kaiber for lyric videos and visualizers — a full AI pipeline.

🎤 Indie path

Film/edit with a videographer or editor; same clips-first strategy still wins for promotion.

🔗 Where they meet

Vertical, hook-first clips + a streaming visualizer matter regardless of how they're made.

The verdict

Skip the big-budget video: a few hook-first vertical AI clips plus a streaming visualizer beat one long film for discovery — and AI tools make both cheap.

FAQ

Do I need a full music video?

Usually not. A few strong vertical clips for TikTok/Reels plus a streaming visualizer typically drive more discovery than one expensive narrative video.

What makes a good promo clip?

Lead with the hook in the first 3 seconds, shoot/generate vertical (9:16), add captions for silent autoplay, and keep it short.