Make a Lyric Video for YouTube

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A lyric video displays the lyrics to a song as the music plays. This can be a great way to share the words of a favorite song with friends and the YouTube community. It's easy to make a lyric video with iMovie, Windows Live Movie Maker, and other simple video-editing software. Before you shoot, you'll want to Make-a-Lyric-Video-for-YouTube. Once designed, you can begin Make-a-Lyric-Video-for-YouTube itself. After its finished, you can Make-a-Lyric-Video-for-YouTube. Once you've made one lyric video, you can apply the same method to make more!

Steps

Designing the Video

  1. Make sure that you have a video-editing program installed. You will need some sort of video editing program in order to create this video. This program should allow you to import songs, add backgrounds, and add text. Although the following methods will focus on iMovie and Windows Live Movie Maker, you can apply the outlined techniques to other video editing programs as well.
    • Consider buying software, or at least downloading a program from a reputable company. Many companies offer free trial versions that expire within 30-90 days, free (simplified) versions, and full versions that cost more money, but allow you to use more features.
    • Avoid downloading free programs from second-party and questionable websites. The free program that you download may not be worth the loads of free viruses and Trojans that might come with it.
  2. Choose the song. Make sure that the song is saved as an audio file onto your computer. If you don't already own the file, download it from a reputable website or copy it from a CD. Make sure to use a file with decent sound quality. If it sounds static-y, scratchy, or fuzzy, try another copy of the song.
    • Be wary of downloading any free music. Not only is the artist not getting any money, but that free music file might also come with a free virus or Trojan.
  3. Set the video's aspect ratio to 16:9.[1] Your video will still play if you don't have the right aspect ratio, but the proportions will be off, and YouTube will automatically compensate by adding black "filler" bars on either side of the display. Some programs automatically use a YouTube-compatible aspect ratio, and most allow you to adjust the ratio.
    • If your video editing program doesn't let you set a YouTube-compatible aspect ratio, try giving your lyric video a black background. This way, the black filler bars will be less noticeable.[2]
  4. Choose the color scheme of your video. Consider using a solid color for your background so that the text stands out – especially if the song is fast-paced and wordy. Try to use contrasting colors so that the text is easier to read.
    • If you want to use an image as your background, try fading the colors. Alternately, use an image for the title screen, and switch to a solid color once the lyrics start.
    • Consider the song's mood and theme when choosing colors and images. Use darker colors for a sad song, and brighter colors for a happy song. If the song is about loneliness, consider using images that feel lonely, such as empty parks or fields.
    • If your background is black, use white for the text. If your background is mostly blues, consider using a warm color, such as pink, or a contrasting color such as orange. If you want to use light/dark colors for both your text and background, consider outlining the text in a dark/light color.[3]
  5. Use a readable font style and size. You want the words to be easy to read. If your text is too fancy or too small, your viewers might not be able to read the lyrics. Try using a simple font like Ariel or Calibri. Use a large font size so that the words fill the screen. [4]
    • Stay away from very thin font styles, as well as those with close-knit kerning. This will make them more difficult to read.
    • Don't be afraid to change your font style throughout the video to reflect the mood of certain parts – but don't go too wild. For the sake of consistency, try to stick to 1-3 fonts: vary the size as needed, or pick a bold font, a plain font, and a fancier font.
  6. Pace the video to reflect the song. If the song has a very quick tempo, you may want to put an entire stanza on each slide so that people can read all of the words as they're being sung. If it's a slow song, try putting each line on a separate slide to reflect the pacing.
  7. Add a title page. The title page gives credit to the original artist, and it confirms that the viewer is watching the video that he/she wants to watch. The title page should include the name of the song and the name of the artist. Consider adding the name of the album, especially if you want this video to become part of a full-album playlist.
    • Consider adding your own name. If you are doing this for a school project or trying to build the "brand" of your YouTube channel, you may want to credit yourself for making the video. You can use your real name, your YouTube username, or both.
    • Consider leaving the video silent during the title page by making the video slightly longer than the song track. This might make the transition cleaner.

Creating the Video

Using iMovie

  1. Open iMovie and begin setting up your movie. Once you have opened iMovie, you can set up your movie by clicking on "File" and then selecting "New Event" from the drop-down menu. Name your event whatever you want, such as a variation of the song title. This is where you will be importing the song and background image that you'll be using in your video.
  2. Import your song and background. Click on "File" again and select "Import Media" from the drop-down menu. A new window will pop up. From here, click on the song you want to use for your video, and the image you want for your background. Once you have everything you want selected, click on "Import." Your song and image should now be in your Event. You are now ready to start creating your video![5]
  3. Create your video. You can start creating a new video by going to the top of the window and clicking on "Create." Choose "Movie" for the project type, and "No Template" for the template. Make sure that the video is being saved in your Event.
    • You will also be asked to name the video. You can choose whatever name you want, but some variation of the song title might help you find the video later on.
  4. Move the background image to the project pane. You can do this by clicking on the image and dragging it over to the project pane. It will be automatically set to 4 seconds, so you will need to extend the length.[6]
  5. Adjust the duration of the background image. In order to do this, go back to your project pane and click on the image. At the top of the window, click "Adjust," and then "Clip Information." This will allow you to change the duration of the background from 4 seconds to however long the song is – or however long you want your final video to be.
    • If you don't do this, the background will appear only for 4 seconds, and then disappear.
    • Do not leave the adjustment window just yet!
  6. Remove the automatic pan-and-zoom effect. When you add a background image to an iMovie project, the program will automatically apply a panning-and-zooming motion to the picture. If you like this effect, feel free to leave it – but make sure that you at least know how to get rid of it. In the adjustment window, click "Crop," and then select "Fit." This will clear away any unwanted image motion.[7]
  7. Place your song. First, open the Event Browser. Double-click your song, and drag it to the bottom of the project pane. If you want the song to start right away, place it all the way to the left. If you do not want it to start right away, then leave a bit of space in the beginning.
    • If you have a "title page," for instance, you might want the viewer to have a chance to read the name of the song and the band before the music begins.
  8. Find a font style you like. You can select a font style by going to the bottom left corner of the screen and selecting the Content Library. Click on "Titles." If you can't find the Content Library, click on "Window" and select "Show Libraries." You will see many different titles. Hover your mouse pointer over each one to see what it does. Click on the one you like.
  9. Add the lyrics. Click on Play, and wait until the person starts singing. When the person starts singing, hit Stop. Click on the "title" and drag it to the stopping point on the time line. Then, click on the title again, and select the text in the preview pane. Type out the first line or two of the song.
  10. Match the typed line to the sung line. You can do this by playing the song and seeing where the first sung ling (the one you just typed out) ends. Hit Stop and look where the play-head rests. Drag the right border of the title so that it matches with the play-head.
    • If the lyrics start too late, you can make them appear sooner by dragging the title to the left.
  11. Add the next line. Once you are happy with the placement and timing of your first line, you can add the next line. Do this by clicking and dragging the play-head to where next set of lyrics begins. Repeat steps 9 and 10. Keep doing this until the song is complete and you have written all of the lyrics.
  12. Play entire song and adjust where necessary. Once the song is complete and you have typed out all of the lyrics, press Play and watch your video. You may find that you have to adjust the timing of the lyrics. If this happens, simply click on the title you want to adjust, and drag it left or right.
  13. Save your video and export it. Once you are satisfied with your video, click "Share," and select "File" from the drop-down menu. You will be asked to name your file and choose a location for it to be saved in. Type in a name for your video and choose a location that you will remember (you will need to access this location later when you are uploading your video to YouTube) then click on "Save."
    • Make sure to use a YouTube-compatible file type: 3GPP, AVI, .FLV, .MOV, MP4, .MPEG4, .MPEGPS, WebM, or .WMV.[8]

Using Windows Live Movie Maker

  1. Open Windows Live Movie Maker. If you don't have it, you will have to download it from the Microsoft website. Avoid downloading the program from a second-party website, as it may come with viruses.
  2. Add a background. To add a background to your video, click on the Home tab, and select the button that says "Add videos and photos." Go to the folder where you keep your images and select the one you want. Your player on the left will now contain the background you chose, and the storyboard on the right will contain a thumbnail version of the background.
  3. Fit the background to the music. You want your background to last throughout the video, and there are two ways you can achieve this: you can either do it manually by copy-pasting the image or you can let the program do it automatically for you. If one way doesn't work, try the other one.
    • You can copy-paste the thumbnail image all the way to the right side of the screen, then select the whole line, and copy-paste it several times. This should be enough to cover the whole song.[9]
    • You can also add your song first, and then select the "Project" tab, and click on "Fit to Music." This will cause your background to stretch from the beginning all the way to the end.[10]
  4. Add the music. To add music to your video, click on the Home tab, and select the button that says "Add Music." A new window will pop up. Select the song you want from the list. Once you have added your song, you should see a green bar right above the background thumbnails.
    • If you do not see your song in the pop-up, go to the folder where you keep your music, and select it from there.
  5. Delete the extra images, or add more if necessary. If you extended the background manually, the green song bar may stop before the background thumbnails do, or it may extend past the thumbnails. If this happens, you may need to extend the background, or shorten it.[11]
    • If the green bar stops before the last thumbnail, your background is longer than your song. Look to see where the green bar stops, and delete any backgrounds after it.
    • If the green bar extends past the green bar, your background is not long enough. You will need to copy-paste the background thumbnails until the green bar no longer extends past it.
  6. Start adding the text. You can add words to your video by opening the Home tab and selecting "Caption." When you select "Caption," you will be able to start typing words directly into your video screen. You can adjust the length of the Caption by clicking on it in your storyboard, then selecting "Caption" from the "Home" tab. You'll see two places where you can input numbers: start time and text duration. Adjust the "text duration," and type in the number of seconds you want your title page to last.
    • You can add more Captions by clicking on the next thumbnail.
  7. Write the lyrics. Now that you know how to add text to your video, you will need to add the lyrics and time them to the words in the song. You can do this by first clicking on Play in the player, and letting the music start. When you hear the person start singing, press stop. Note what background image it is where the person starts singing. Then, add the lyrics.
    • Don't write all of the lyrics at once. Instead, write the first line or two, and then add another Caption for the next few lines.
  8. Save the video to your computer. Once you are satisfied with your video, open up the File menu (or click on the very first tab) and click on "Save As." You will be asked to choose a name and file type for your video. You can select a location for your document to be saved in from the menu on the left. Choose a name, file type, and location for your video. Then, click "Save."
    • Be sure to save the video in a file format that's accepted by YouTube: 3GPP, AVI, .FLV, .MOV, MP4, .MPEG4, .MPEGPS, WebM, or .WMV.

Uploading the Video

  1. Upload the video to YouTube. Open https://www.youtube.com/. If you are already signed into your account, click "Upload" in the upper right-hand corner. Drag the video file into the "Upload" box in the center of the next screen, and your lyric video will automatically upload.
    • If you don't have an account yet, click the red "Create an Account" button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Follow the instructions to create a YouTube account.[12]
    • If you want anyone to be able to watch your lyric video, make sure that the "Public" option is selected, rather than "Private" or "Unlisted." Choose "Public" from the drop-down menu directly beneath the large grey arrow.
  2. Publish your video. When you upload your video to YouTube, you will be asked to add a description, title, and tags. Fill out all three options before publishing your video. Once you have chosen a name and description for your video, and added some tags: click on "Publish."
    • The video description should include the name of the song, the artist or band, and the album. You can also include who is doing the vocals and instrumentals. Be sure to mention that you made the video!
    • The title of your video should include the name of the song and the artist. Consider including "with lyrics" in your title so that people will know that this is a lyric video.
    • The tags should include the name of the song, artist, band, and genre. Consider using the "lyrics" tag.
  3. Watch the video. Once you've uploaded your video to YouTube, watch it through to make sure that you're satisfied. If something isn't right, you can always take the video down, tweak it, and re-upload it.

Tips

  • Don't add too many lyrics on one part of your video, or it will get cut off on iPhones and iPods.
  • Keep the title of your video straight and simple: *Insert Song Name* Lyrics.
  • If you find that you are getting frustrated with the timing of the lyrics and the singing, try to take a break. Leave your video for a few minutes (or longer) and then return to it.
  • Ensure it is not copyrighted.

Warnings

  • Be sure to credit the original artist of the song so that you don't infringe upon a copyright.
  • Be wary of downloading any free music. Not only is this considered piracy and the artist is not getting any money, but the free music file might come with a free virus or Trojan.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Internet
  • YouTube account
  • Video-making software

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ YouTube.com, Recommended Upload Encoding Settings
  2. ↑ YouTube.com, How to Make a Lyric Video Super Easy!
  3. ↑ Shutter Stock, How to Make a Lyric Video: The Creation of Cobra Starship’s Newest Clip
  4. ↑ Shutter Stock, How to Make a Lyric Video: The Creation of Cobra Starship’s Newest Clip
  5. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/2066991/constructing-an-imovie-project.html
  6. ↑ http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-movie-from-start-to-finish-with-imovie--mac-59638
  7. ↑ https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/graphics/imovie/1create.html
  8. ↑ https://support.google.com/youtube/troubleshooter/2888402?hl=en
  9. ↑ Windows Tutorials, How to Make a Lyric Video Using Windows Movie Maker
  10. ↑ YouTube.com, Windows Live Movie Maker 2011: Fit Images to Music to serve as video
  11. ↑ Windows Tutorials, How to Make a Lyric Video Using Windows Movie Maker
  12. ↑ YouTube, How to Make a YouTube Account - 2015
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