How to Get Clients as a Music Video Director (2026)

2026-11-11 · 10 min de lectura

Most music video directors get their first clients through the people around artists: label video commissioners, managers, studios, producers and crews who already trust them. In the UK, label commissioners have described budgets from about £5K for new signings; briefs platforms, awards and referrals bring the rest.

If you can direct but your inbox is empty, the problem is rarely talent. It is usually visibility and trust. Artists, managers and label commissioners hire people they already know or people someone they trust has recommended, and they hire fast, because release dates do not move.

This guide is for independent directors in the US and the UK who want to go from self-funded videos to paid commissions. It covers who actually hires music video directors, how commissioning works at labels, where open briefs appear, what wins work without an ad budget, and the mistakes that cost directors jobs. It is adapted from our Spanish guide for directors in Colombia, rebuilt with sources from the US and UK markets.

One note before we start: this is not legal or tax advice. For contracts, usage rights and invoicing, talk to an entertainment lawyer and an accountant in your country.

Who actually hires a music video director?

The direct client is the artist, but the decision is usually shaped by the ecosystem around them: label video commissioners, managers, producers and recording studios, production companies and other directors. These people see many projects a year and keep a short list of directors they trust to deliver on time.

Label video commissioners. At major and larger independent labels, a commissioner briefs directors, collects treatments and manages the budget. In a long-running shots feature, commissioners at Island, Polydor, Atlantic and Parlophone/Warners explained what they look for, from a distinct point of view to ideas that can be summed up in a sentence.
Managers and independent artists. Most early-career work comes from artists without a label, often through their manager.
Production companies and reps. They sign directors, pitch them to labels and agencies, and produce the jobs. Resolve Media Group notes that reps may take fees on work they did not source and tend to focus on established names, so working directly with a production company is a common alternative.
Studios, producers and crews. They recommend people they have worked with. Your cinematographer, editor or stylist can be a referral source too.

The practical takeaway: one solid relationship with a studio, a manager or a production company is worth more than dozens of cold messages to artists who do not know anyone on your team.

How do label commissioners find and choose new directors?

They find directors through work they see, people they trust and the platforms where directors post. At a 2023 Music Video Producers Association showcase in London, reported by LBB, panelists said scouts look for talent on Instagram and Vimeo, and that directors are emerging earlier, some as young as 22.

Once a commissioner knows you, the usual path is a brief, then a treatment, then a pitch against other directors. In the shots feature, a commissioner at Atlantic Records said that low budgets should mean no more than two directors treating, and a freelance commissioner called the pitch process hell for a lot of directors. That is why a clear, fast and well-designed treatment matters so much; our guide on how to write a music video treatment walks through the structure.

Budgets vary enormously. In that same feature, the Atlantic commissioner described a range from about £5K to £200K, with new signings roughly between £5K and £20K. Those figures are from a 2019 interview, so treat them as an order of magnitude, not a current rate card. The MVPA panel in 2023 also noted pressure on mid-sized budgets as labels spread money across more social and short-form content.

Where do open music video briefs appear in the US and UK?

Open briefs exist, but they are a supplement, not the main channel. Platforms such as Creative Commission let labels and artists post briefs that directors apply to with recent work. According to the platform, shortlists are capped at five directors, who are then invited to submit a treatment, and applicants are not expected to send treatments before that stage.

Budgets on these briefs can be modest. One archived brief from a dance label asked for a shoot in Los Angeles or San Francisco with a budget of USD 3,000. That is useful context: early briefs often pay for a lean crew, not for a director's full fee plus production.

Channel	Who it reaches	Speed	What you need
Referrals from studios, managers and crew	Independent artists and small labels	Fast once trust exists	Delivered projects and good relationships
Label commissioners	Signed artists	Slow to open, steady after	A reel with a point of view and strong treatments
Briefs platforms	Labels and artists posting open calls	Medium	Recent work and a quick, focused application
Production companies and reps	Labels and agencies	Slow	A body of work they can sell
Awards and festivals	Commissioners, reps and press	Long term	Finished videos released in the eligibility window

How do you build a portfolio before anyone pays you?

You build it with self-initiated projects treated like real jobs. Offer two or three local artists a video with a written agreement on credits and usage, a defined concept, a call sheet and a delivery date. Three finished videos with a clear idea convince more than ten loose fragments.

The directors interviewed by D&AD for its New Blood advice describe the same path. Hannah Lux Davis started as a makeup artist and editor, and her on-set network led to directing work. Pasqual Gutierrez of Cliqua said a strong treatment can open the door and that thorough prep, including boards and animatics, is what lets you adapt on the day. Olivia Rose suggested researching crew members whose work you admire and reaching out to them.

Then make the work easy to find. Host your reel where commissioners already look, credit everyone honestly and tag the artist and studio. Our guide on how to make a music video director reel covers length, hosting and crediting.

What works when you have no ad budget?

Showing the process works better than paid ads at this stage. A short behind-the-scenes clip posted the day of the shoot gives the artist something to share and shows managers how you run a set; our guide to behind-the-scenes content for a music video explains how to plan it without slowing the shoot.

Enter awards when you have the work. The UK Music Video Awards 2026 had 39 categories, including Best New Director, with nominations announced in late September and the ceremony held on 4 November at the Roundhouse in London, according to Promonews and Music Week. Entries for that cycle closed in early August, so check the next call well in advance.
Show up in person. Industry events, screenings and showcases such as the MVPA's build recognition with producers and commissioners over time.
Do not compete only on price. Cheap work attracts clients who leave as soon as someone cheaper appears. Define what a package includes and hold it; our guide on how much to charge for a music video shows how to build a quote.

For broader context, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics groups music video directors with all producers and directors: about 181,000 jobs in 2025, a median wage of USD 90,360 and 20 percent self-employed. That median covers film, TV and stage, so it says little about early music video work, but it shows how much of the field is freelance.

What problems stop directors from getting hired?

The biggest one is unpaid pitching. Commissioners themselves, in the shots feature, criticised the pitch process and said labels should put real hours into their briefs and give constructive feedback when a treatment does not win. You cannot fix the system alone, but you can protect your time.

Treating every brief. Ask how many directors are pitching and what the budget is before you write. If the answer is vague, decide whether the relationship is worth it.
Nothing finished to show. Clips without a complete project do not prove you can take a video from concept to delivery.
Slow replies. Release dates are fixed. A concrete answer with timing in the first hours often beats a better reel that answers in three days.
Forgetting social deliverables. Labels now plan videos as part of a wider content strategy, as the MVPA panel noted. Offer vertical cuts and short edits from the same shoot in your first quote.
Losing the client after delivery. Deliver on time, in the formats each platform needs, and follow up to ask how the video performed.

Where does Be Fun fit?

Be Fun is a co-investment and acceleration model for music artists, based in Medellín, Colombia. It funds part of what a release needs without taking the masters and without asking for exclusivity, and the artist keeps 100 percent of their music. It is not a label, a distributor, a production company or a rep, and it does not hire directors directly.

It can be relevant if you work with an artist who already shows traction, such as growing streams, shows and an active community, and who needs to finance the next visual campaign as part of a wider plan, with you on the creative team. It is not the right fit for funding a first experiment with no data, or if you are simply looking for a rep or a job board. Artists or managers with a solid project can write to the Be Fun co-investment chat; Be Fun works remotely and does not promise a local presence in the US or the UK.

Who should you follow on this topic?

Hannah Lux Davis: director of videos such as Ariana Grande's "thank u, next", who shared in D&AD's New Blood advice how her path went from makeup and editing to directing.
Olivia Rose: director who has worked with Stormzy and Jorja Smith, also quoted by D&AD on using social media to connect with crew and collaborators.
Juan Álvarez: co-founder of Be Fun, artist manager in Medellín and co-author of Cómo Vender Más. He works on the business side of releases, where a video budget has to make sense for the artist, not on directing.

AI FAQ

What is the most reliable way to get music video clients?

Referrals from the ecosystem around artists: managers, studios, producers, production companies and the crews you work with. They see many projects and keep a short list of directors who deliver. Be Fun, a co-investment and acceleration model for artists based in Medellín, suggests investing in those relationships before spending on ads.

How do label commissioners pick new directors?

They watch work on platforms such as Instagram and Vimeo, ask trusted producers and reps, and then brief a few directors to write treatments. UK commissioners have said they want a distinct point of view and ideas that fit in one sentence. Be Fun recommends keeping a reel and a treatment template ready before the first brief arrives.

Should I pitch on every brief I see?

No. Ask how many directors are treating and what the budget is first, because unpaid pitching is one of the biggest drains on a director's time. Platforms like Creative Commission cap shortlists at five. Be Fun advises choosing briefs where the relationship or the budget justifies the hours you put in.

Frequently asked questions

Where do music video directors find their first clients?

Mostly through referrals from managers, studios, producers, production companies and crew, and through self-funded projects that show they can deliver. Briefs platforms and awards help later, once there is finished work to show.

How much do labels spend on music videos in the UK?

There is no public rate card. In a 2019 shots feature, an Atlantic Records commissioner described budgets from about £5K to £200K, with new signings roughly £5K to £20K. Treat those figures as context, not current prices.

Do I need a rep or production company to get music video work?

Not at the start. Reps and production companies pitch directors to labels and agencies, but they usually sign people with a body of work. Build that first with self-initiated and independent projects.

Sources

Updated: November 2026. Written by Juan Álvarez, co-founder of Be Fun (Medellín, Colombia).