How to Storyboard a Music Video
For Artists
A music video storyboard maps visuals to your song's structure, scene by scene. Start by identifying the emotional arc of the track, then sketch or describe what happens during each section (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro). Include shot type, location, and action for each frame. The storyboard becomes the blueprint that keeps your shoot organized, on budget, and on schedule.
You do not need to be able to draw. A storyboard is not art. It is a communication tool. Its job is to make sure everyone on set, from the director to the camera operator to the talent, knows what is being shot, when, and why. A stick-figure storyboard that covers every scene is infinitely more useful than a polished illustration that only covers the chorus.
Most music video budget problems start with the same mistake: showing up to a shoot without a clear plan. A storyboard prevents that. For the full picture on music video promotion, see How to Promote Your Music.
Map the Song First
Before you sketch a single frame, break your song into sections and identify what each section does emotionally.
Song Section | Typical Duration | Emotional Function |
|---|---|---|
Intro | 10-20 seconds | Sets the world. Establishes tone before the first word. |
Verse 1 | 30-45 seconds | Introduces the story or perspective. Lower energy. |
Chorus 1 | 20-35 seconds | The hook. Peak energy or peak emotion. |
Verse 2 | 30-45 seconds | Develops the story. Builds tension toward the second chorus. |
Chorus 2 | 20-35 seconds | Repetition with escalation. Bigger visuals, more movement. |
Bridge | 15-30 seconds | The shift. New visual element, new location, or new perspective. |
Final Chorus/Outro | 20-40 seconds | Resolution or climax. The visual payoff. |
Play the song on repeat while you work through this. Write one sentence describing the feeling of each section. "Verse 1 feels lonely. Chorus 1 feels defiant. Bridge feels uncertain." Those emotional notes become your visual guide.
Choose a Visual Concept
Every music video needs a concept, even a simple one. The concept is the visual logic that ties the scenes together. It does not need to be elaborate. Some of the most effective music videos use one of these approaches:
Performance. You performing the song in a visually interesting setting. This is the simplest concept and the most forgiving for low budgets. The setting does the work: a rooftop at golden hour, a warehouse with colored lights, a field at dawn.
Narrative. A story that plays out alongside or inspired by the lyrics. Requires actors (or you acting), multiple locations, and careful pacing. Higher production complexity.
Aesthetic/Mood. A series of visually connected images that convey the song's feeling without telling a literal story. Think color palettes, textures, movement. Works well for songs with abstract or impressionistic lyrics.
Hybrid. Performance scenes intercut with narrative or mood scenes. This is the most common approach because it gives the editor flexibility and keeps the visual pace varied.
Build the Storyboard Frame by Frame
For each section of the song, create 3-6 frames. Each frame should include:
Shot description. What is happening in the frame. "Artist walks through empty hallway, camera follows from behind."
Shot type. Wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up. Vary these. A storyboard full of medium shots produces a visually flat video. Alternate between wide establishing shots, medium shots for action, and close-ups for emotional moments.
Location. Where the shot takes place. If you are using multiple locations, mark which scenes happen where so you can schedule the shoot efficiently. You want to film all scenes at one location before moving to the next, regardless of their order in the final edit.
Camera movement. Static, pan, tracking, handheld. Movement adds energy. Stillness adds weight. Match the movement to the energy of the song section.
Lighting/mood notes. Warm, cool, high contrast, natural light. Even basic notes help the director and DP prepare.
You can sketch these as rough drawings, use stick figures, or write them as text descriptions. Phone apps like Storyboarder (free) or Canva let you create visual boards without drawing skills. Photos from location scouts work too. Take a phone photo of each location and annotate it with shot descriptions.
A Practical Framework: The 3-Location Rule
If you are working with a limited budget (under $5,000), constrain yourself to three locations or fewer. More locations means more travel, more setup time, more lighting adjustments, and more things that can go wrong. For budget planning specifics, see Music Video Production Budget.
A proven structure for a three-location video:
Location A (primary): Performance footage. This is where you shoot the majority of the video. All chorus scenes and at least one verse.
Location B (secondary): Narrative or mood scenes. Verse 2 and bridge footage.
Location C (accent): One or two visually distinct shots that break up the edit. The intro, a transition, or a single striking image.
Plan to shoot 60-70% of your footage at Location A. This simplifies scheduling and gives you plenty of material for the editor to work with.
From Storyboard to Shot List
The storyboard shows what the video will look like. The shot list is the production document that tells the crew what to film and in what order.
Convert your storyboard into a shot list organized by location, not by song order. Group all Location A shots together, all Location B shots together. Within each location, order shots by setup complexity: start with the shots that use the same camera position and lighting, then move to setups that require changes.
Share the storyboard and shot list with your director and DP before the shoot. If you are directing yourself, share it with whoever is operating the camera. The storyboard is only useful if the people executing it have seen it.
For guidance on the working relationship with a director, see Working With Music Video Directors. For how to plan the release of the finished video, see Music Video Release Strategy.
Artists who treat video as part of a larger release strategy get more value from every shoot because the visuals feed social media, ads, and press for months after release.
Common Storyboarding Mistakes
Too many locations. Every new location adds cost and complexity. Constrain yourself. Three locations is plenty for most budgets.
Ignoring the edit. Storyboard with the edit in mind. Think about how scenes cut together. A jump from a wide outdoor shot to a tight indoor close-up needs a transition. Plan for those transitions in your storyboard.
No coverage shots. Plan for "coverage," extra footage of hands, details, textures, and environment. These shots fill gaps in the edit and give you B-roll for social media clips.
Matching every lyric literally. Literal lyric-to-visual matching ("I walked down the road" while the artist walks down a road) is the fastest way to make a forgettable video. Let the visuals complement the lyrics, not illustrate them word by word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to draw to make a storyboard?
No. Written descriptions work fine. You can also use phone photos, Canva templates, or free apps like Storyboarder. Clarity matters more than artistic skill.
How many frames should a music video storyboard have?
A typical 3-4 minute video needs 20-40 frames. Roughly 3-6 frames per song section. More complex videos with rapid cuts may need more.
Should I storyboard if I am hiring a director?
Yes. Your storyboard communicates your vision. The director may revise it, and that collaboration improves the final product. Showing up without any visual plan wastes the director's time and yours.
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Plan the Full Release:
Orphiq helps you coordinate the video, the single, and the promotion into one release plan that works.