How to Make a Music Video with AI
Plan a shot list from your song, render each shot with an AI video generator using an audio excerpt as a reference, and edit the clips to the beat. A practical workflow with prompts.
To make a music video with AI, split your song into sections, write one shot for each, render the shots with an AI video generator (attaching an excerpt of the track as a reference), and cut the clips together to the beat in a video editor. AI models render clips of a few seconds to half a minute, so a three-minute music video is always assembled from shots.
Here is the workflow step by step, using the EveryGen AI music video generator as the example.
Step 1: Map the song
Listen through and note where the sections change: intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, outro. Write down the timestamp of each change and the feeling of that part. This becomes your edit plan and tells you how many shots you need.
A typical three-minute pop song has about eight sections. If each one gets two or three shots, that is 16 to 24 clips.
Step 2: Pick a visual idea
Decide what the video is before writing any prompt. Three approaches that work well with AI:
- Mood visuals: abstract or atmospheric shots, such as ink in water, night drives or city lights, that follow the feeling of the music. Easiest to keep consistent.
- Story: a simple narrative with one or two characters across the verses. Needs the most planning to keep characters recognisable.
- Performance: the artist or a dancer performing. Works best with a photo of the artist as the opening frame.
Step 3: Write a shot list
For each section, write one line per shot: subject, action, setting, camera, light. For example, for a slow synthwave track:
| Section | Shot |
|---|---|
| Intro | Empty coastal highway at night, neon city in the distance, static wide shot |
| Verse 1 | Vintage convertible driving, slow dolly alongside, pink and cyan reflections |
| Chorus | Driver's hand out of the window catching the wind, close-up, slow motion |
| Bridge | Neon signs reflected in a puddle, rain starting, slow push-in |
Keep one main action per shot. Copy the same description of the car, the driver and the colours into every line so the shots match.
Step 4: Render with the track as a reference
In EveryGen AI, paste the shot list into the chat and attach an excerpt of your track (MP3, M4A, WAV or OGG). The agent turns each line into a full prompt and renders it, passing the audio to the model as a reference for mood and rhythm.
Some details that help:
- Model: Seedance 2.5 is preselected for music videos because it renders up to 30 seconds per clip and can follow an audio reference on its own. Use MiniMax H3 for sharper 2K close-ups; it needs a reference image or clip alongside the audio.
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Decide before rendering; cropping later loses picture.
- Length: render shots slightly longer than you need so you have room to cut on the beat.
Step 5: Revise the weak shots
Watch every clip against its section of the song. Reply with what to change, such as "slower camera", "more rain", "same shot at sunset", and the agent renders a new take next to the old one. It is usually faster to re-render a shot than to fix it in the edit.
Don't expect accurate lip-sync to your lyrics. Performance shots, dancing, instruments and atmospheric visuals come out much more reliably than close-up singing.
Step 6: Edit to the beat
Download the MP4s and drop them into any video editor on top of your full track. Place cuts on strong beats or at the section changes you noted in step 1. The AI clips come with their own generated sound; mute or lower it so your song carries the video. Add the artist name, song title and any lyrics as text in the editor.
Rights and credits
- Use only music you own or have permission to use.
- Don't prompt for real celebrities, other artists' likenesses or copyrighted characters.
- Check whether the platform you upload to asks you to label AI-generated content.
FAQ
Can AI make a full music video from a song automatically? Not in one render. You make it shot by shot and edit the clips together, which also gives you control over pacing.
How much does an AI music video cost? It depends on the number of shots and the model. In EveryGen AI a 5-second shot costs 100 credits on MiniMax H3 at 2K or 400 on Seedance 2.5 at 720p; see the pricing page for all rates.
What music video styles work best with AI? Atmospheric, abstract and stylised looks, such as neon, animation, dreamlike scenes and nature, are the most reliable. Realistic close-ups of a singer are the hardest.
Ready to start? Open the EveryGen AI music video generator and render your first shot. For general tips, see how to make an AI video.