Types of Music Videos (With Animated Examples)

Music videos come in three classic types: performance, where the artist plays the song; narrative, where the video tells a story; and concept, where a visual idea carries the song instead of a plot. On top of those sit formats like lyric videos, dance videos, visualizers and animated character videos, and many videos mix two types.

Animation can do almost all of them. Only live footage and behind-the-scenes videos need a camera. Below is each type with what it is, when it works and, where we have one, an animated example from our studio.

The types of music videos at a glance

Type	What carries the video	Works best for	Can it be animated?
Performance	the artist playing the song	bands and live energy	yes, with the artist drawn as a character
Narrative	a story	songs with a plot in the lyrics	yes
Concept	one visual idea	songs built on a metaphor	yes
Lyric video	the words	releases and sing-alongs	yes
Dance	choreography	songs driven by rhythm	yes
Character	characters and their world	mascots and worlds you can’t film	yes
Kids sing-along	big lyrics and simple characters	children’s songs and nursery rhymes	yes
Educational	a lesson set to music	teachers and learning channels	yes
Holiday	a season or a celebration	seasonal releases	yes
Visualizer	a looping image that moves with the music	audio releases on YouTube and streaming	yes
Live and behind the scenes	real footage	tours, sessions and fan content	no, these need a camera

1. Performance music video

The artist or the band performs the song: on a stage, in a studio or on location. It is the most direct type, because fans watch the person they came for.

When it is animated, the band becomes a cast of characters and the stage can be anywhere: a rooftop, the moon, the inside of a guitar. It keeps the energy of a performance without a shoot day, and it suits artists who would rather not be on camera.

2. Narrative music video

The video tells a story, sometimes the one in the lyrics and sometimes a parallel one. It works when the song has characters, a place and something that changes.

“Like You”: a drive from sunset into the night, with the lyrics set inside the scene.

Animation gives a narrative video freedom with places and time. A story can cross a city, a decade or a dream without adding a single shoot day.

3. Concept music video

A concept video is built around one visual idea instead of a plot. The idea often comes straight from a metaphor in the song.

Gonzo Mendes: a hand-drawn book opens as the lyrics compare someone to a plot twist.

Simple line art like this keeps the attention on the idea and the words. A concept video does not need a busy world to work.

4. Lyric video

In a lyric video the words are the main visual. They appear and move with the rhythm, over illustrations in the style of the song. Artists often release one before or alongside the main video, and fans use it to learn the song. Styles, prices and more examples: animated lyric videos.

A lyric video for Chez Lim: the words move around a layered heart under hanging stars.

5. Dance music video

Choreography carries the video. Filmed, it depends on dancers, rehearsals and a space to shoot. Animated, characters can dance to the beat in any setting, and the moves can be as impossible as the song asks for.

6. Character music video

Characters and their world carry the song: a mascot, a cast of animals, a band that only exists in drawings. This is the type animation does best, because the characters can look and move any way the song needs.

“Cheeseburgers for Everyone”: a cheeseburger character leads the song, one of six we animated for Golden Carrot.

7. Kids and sing-along music videos

Children’s songs need bright colors, simple characters and big words on screen, so kids can follow and sing along. Repetition helps: the chorus comes back, and so do the characters.

“Do You Like Broccoli Ice Cream”, from the same series for Golden Carrot.

8. Educational music videos

An educational song turns a lesson into a melody: grammar, numbers, letters, science. Characters can stand for the concepts, so children remember who each one is and what it does.

“Pepe the Pronoun”, from a grammar song series for Norm Birds where each bird is a part of speech.

The same series includes “Ishmael the Interjection”. Giving every concept its own character turns a lesson into a cast that kids want to see again.

9. Holiday music videos

Seasonal songs live on a calendar. They have to be ready before the season starts, and they come back every year.

North Pole party: Santa and an elf dance through the workshop.

10. Visualizer

A visualizer is a looping image, often the cover art, that moves with the music. It gives an audio release a moving picture on YouTube and streaming platforms when there is no full video.

11. Live and behind-the-scenes videos

Concert footage, studio sessions and short documentaries show the real artist at work. These are the types animation can’t replace, although an animated title or opening can frame them.

How to choose the type for your song

Answer four questions:

1. Do you want to be on screen? If yes, performance or dance. If not, let a character or a concept stand in for you.
2. Does the song tell a story? If the lyrics have characters and a turn, go narrative. If they are built on one image, go concept.
3. Who is it for? Kids and classrooms respond to characters, big lyrics and repetition: character, sing-along or educational.
4. What is the budget? A lyric video or a concept with a simple world goes further on a small budget than a full story with many characters.

Many strong videos combine two types: a narrative with the lyrics on screen, or a performance that drifts into a concept.

What each type costs to animate

We price animated music videos per second of finished video, and the type you choose mostly decides the package:

• Lyric videos and simple concepts fit Starter: $5 per second, $900 for a 3 minute song.
• Narrative and character videos with custom illustrations usually sit in Advanced: $10 per second, $1,800 for 3 minutes.
• Rich worlds with character acting are Premium: $20 per second, $3,600 for 3 minutes.

For the full price table, and how animation compares with filming, see how much a music video costs.

Frequently asked questions

What are the three main types of music videos?

Performance, narrative and concept. Lyric videos, dance videos, visualizers and character videos are formats built on top of them.

What is the difference between a lyric video and a music video?

A lyric video makes the words the main visual. A music video can tell a story, show a performance or follow an idea, with the lyrics on screen or not.

What is a concept music video?

One built around a single visual idea or metaphor instead of a story or a performance.

Can an animated music video show the artist?

Yes. The artist can appear as a drawn character, or the video can leave the artist out and let the characters or the concept carry the song.

Which type of music video works best for a kids channel?

Character and sing-along videos: bright colors, simple characters and big lyrics on screen. Educational songs work well for learning channels.

How long does it take to animate a music video?

Delivery starts at 7 days for 30 seconds. A full song takes longer, and every stage waits for your approval, so we agree on a schedule before we start.

Get an animated music video for your song

Pick the type, or let us suggest one when we hear the song. Every video goes through three stages you approve one by one: first the storyboard, so the story follows the music the way you hear it, then the illustrations, then the animation.

See our animated music video services, compare the prices or ask us about your song.

Next step: Animated music videos: packages and samples · All prices

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