How Long Does It Take to Film and Edit a Music Video?
Most music videos take between one and four weeks from first meeting to final delivery. A simple performance video with a clear concept can be turned around in ten days. A narrative clip with multiple locations, cast, and complex post-production can take four to six weeks. The timeline surprises a lot of first-time clients — from the outside, a three-minute video does not seem like it should take that long. But the actual filming is usually the shortest part of the process.
Pre-Production: The Phase Most People Underestimate
Pre-production is where the video is actually made. The shoot day is just where it gets captured. Pre-production covers the creative brief, concept development, storyboarding, location scouting, scheduling, and any casting or wardrobe planning required. For a straightforward performance video, this might take three to five days of focused work. For a narrative clip with multiple locations and cast members, allow two full weeks.
Storyboarding — drawing or describing each shot in sequence before the camera rolls — is one of the most underused tools in music video pre-production. Even a rough storyboard communicates the visual language of the clip to the camera operator and keeps everyone aligned on shoot day. It also reveals problems before they cost money. A scene that looks simple on paper often has lighting, timing, or logistics issues that only become obvious when you try to storyboard it.
Location scouting is equally important. Photographs of a potential location and a visit at the same time of day as the planned shoot tell you whether the light works, whether there is ambient noise to manage, whether access is actually possible, and how much setup time will be needed. A location that looks perfect in an Instagram post can turn out to have a power line running through the shot, or foot traffic that makes a clean take impossible.
Production: The Shoot Day
Most music videos shoot in one day. A performance video in a single location with one artist can wrap comfortably in four to eight hours. A narrative or conceptual video with multiple locations might need two full shoot days — sometimes three if there is significant travel between setups or complex lighting rigs involved.
The shoot day is built on everything that happened in pre-production. A well-prepared shoot day moves quickly because every decision about what to film, how to frame it, and how long to spend on each setup has already been made. An under-prepared shoot day is slow, stressful, and tends to miss important material.
Post-Production: Colour, Sound, and Delivery
Post-production for a music video covers editing, colour grading, sound design, and delivery. Editing involves selecting the best takes, cutting them together in a way that matches the music's rhythm and energy, and building the narrative or performance flow. This takes two to five days for a standard music video.
Colour grading — adjusting the visual tone, contrast, and palette of every shot — adds one to three days at a professional level. It is the difference between footage that looks like it was filmed and footage that looks like it was designed. Sound design is usually minimal for music videos (the track is already the audio) but may involve sound effects, environmental audio, or voice-over elements for narrative clips.
Delivery includes exporting in the right formats and aspect ratios: a full-length horizontal cut for YouTube, vertical cuts for Instagram Reels and TikTok, and potentially a square format for Facebook. Each additional format adds time, so agree on deliverables before post-production begins.
What Can Speed Things Up
The biggest accelerator is a clear brief going in. Artists who arrive at the first meeting with a concept, reference videos, and a preferred location compress the pre-production phase significantly. Flexible scheduling also helps — rigid timing restrictions on the shoot day create pressure that affects quality. Rush turnarounds are possible but come with trade-offs: less pre-production time means more decisions made on the day, which means more risk of missing key shots.
3 Factors That Can Blow Your Timeline (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Location Access Issues
A location that becomes unavailable after pre-production has started can push the entire shoot back by a week or more. Confirm access in writing as early as possible and have a backup location identified before shoot day.
2. Unclear Concept Going In
Changing the creative direction mid-production — after locations have been scouted and a shot list prepared — resets the pre-production timeline. Commit to the concept before production begins.
3. Excessive Revision Rounds
Unlimited revision rounds are not sustainable for either party. Agree on a specific number of revision rounds in your contract and consolidate your notes before sending feedback. One clear round of notes is faster and cheaper than five rounds of small changes.
The single biggest accelerator for a music video timeline is a clear creative brief. Artists who arrive at the first meeting with a concept, two or three reference videos, and a preferred location can compress pre-production from two weeks to five days.
| Video Type | Pre-Production | Shoot | Post-Production | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visualiser / Loop | 1–2 days | Minimal | 3–5 days | 1–2 weeks |
| Performance (basic) | 3–5 days | 1 day | 4–7 days | 2–3 weeks |
| Performance (polished) | 5–7 days | 1 day | 7–10 days | 3–4 weeks |
| Narrative | 1.5–2 weeks | 1–2 days | 1.5–2 weeks | 4–6 weeks |
| Conceptual / Abstract | 1–2 weeks | 1–2 days | 1.5–2 weeks | 4–6 weeks |
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Use the CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
A typical single-location performance video shoots in four to eight hours. Multi-location or narrative videos usually require one to two full shoot days.
Yes, for simpler formats. A performance video with a clear concept and confirmed location can be shot and edited within seven to ten days. Narrative videos need more time for proper pre-production.
A basic edit takes two to four days. A full colour-graded cut with multiple format deliverables typically takes five to ten days.
A storyboard maps out each shot in sequence before the shoot. It is not always required for simple performance videos but is strongly recommended for narrative or conceptual clips. It saves time and money on shoot day by resolving creative decisions in advance.
Two to four weeks minimum. If you have a specific release date, book at least a month out and communicate that date from the start.
618 Media is a video production company based in NSW, working with businesses, artists, and organisations across Sydney and NSW on music videos, brand stories, corporate video, event coverage, real estate, social media content, and more.
Every project starts with a conversation about what you want to achieve. We handle everything from concept through to final delivery.
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