How to Make Behind-the-Scenes Content for a Music Video

2026-10-30 · 10 min de lectura

Treat behind-the-scenes content as its own service: name one person to shoot it, mark BTS moments in the shot list, film vertically with clean audio, and agree deliverables in writing (teaser, short clips, making-of). Collect signed image releases on the day, clear the music, and price it separately from the video.

When you deliver a music video, the artist gets one finished piece. But a shoot produces far more footage than fits into four minutes: rehearsals, blown takes, wardrobe changes, the artist singing between setups, the crew rigging a difficult shot. Most of it ends up on a hard drive instead of feeding the artist's socials.

For you as a director or videographer, behind-the-scenes (BTS) content and a proper making-of are a legitimate way to add value to your service without adding shoot days. For the artist, they are the difference between one release-day spike and a conversation with fans before, during and after the drop.

This guide is written for directors and artists working in the US, the UK, Nigeria or India. It covers how to plan BTS in pre-production, which vertical formats to deliver for Reels, Shorts and TikTok, what to put in writing about image releases and music, and how to price it. There is no verified public rate card for BTS work in any of those four markets, so you get a structure to quote from, not an invented number.

What is behind-the-scenes content and why does it help an artist?

Behind-the-scenes content is footage of the process, not the product: the shoot, the studio session, the rehearsal, the people around the artist. A making-of is the longer, edited version of that process for YouTube or the artist's site; BTS clips are short vertical cuts made for social feeds.

Producer and author Bobby Owsinski, writing on his Music 3.0 blog, lists ten BTS ideas for musicians, from the artist's daily routine and team members to a sneak peek at work in progress and sources of inspiration. He also notes that a video should run as long as the content warrants, and that shorter is usually better.

A guest article from the Symphonic blog, republished on Hypebot, treats a music video as raw material for several other assets: short loops, 30-second TikTok segments, lyric or remix versions and exclusive production footage. That is the core idea of this guide: BTS does not compete with the video, it builds up to it and extends its life.

How do I plan behind-the-scenes content in pre-production?

The answer is to treat BTS as a department, not an afterthought. If you walk onto set thinking "someone will grab a few phone clips", you end up with shaky footage and no usable audio. If you plan it, every setup leaves you with material.

Name one person responsible. It cannot be the director or the DP; both are busy. An assistant, a second shooter or a dedicated BTS camera operator works.
Mark BTS moments in the shot list. Lighting setup, hair and make-up, first run-through, the hardest shot, the take that lands, the wrap.
Shoot vertical from the start. It is easier to shoot 9:16 than to crop a horizontal frame later and lose half the action.
Record clean voice and ambient sound. One line from the artist talking to camera is worth more than ten silent B-roll shots.
Protect the BTS slot in the schedule. When a day runs late, BTS is the first thing cut, so give it fixed times in the call sheet.

If you are shooting on public streets or in a rented space, check that your location agreement or permit also covers filming and publishing BTS from that site. Our guide on how to get filming permits for a music video walks through that side.

Which formats should I deliver for Reels, Shorts and TikTok?

Deliver a package the artist understands at a glance, cut vertically and short. YouTube's own help page says Shorts can now be up to three minutes long and must have a square or vertical aspect ratio; wider formats such as 16:9 stay as long-form videos. Instagram and TikTok change their length limits often, so check each app's current upload screen instead of relying on a number from a blog.

Deliverable	Where it goes	Edit effort
Vertical teaser of the video	Reels, Shorts, TikTok to announce the date	Low
3 to 5 short BTS clips	Before and after the premiere	Low to medium
2 to 4 minute making-of	YouTube (16:9) or the artist's website	Medium to high
Set stills	Carousels, Stories, press kit	Low, if a photographer is on set
Bloopers and funny moments	TikTok and Stories to humanise the artist	Low
Artist explaining the concept	Shorts and Reels on release week	Medium

Write into the agreement how many pieces each package includes, in which aspect ratios, at what length and with how many rounds of changes. Without that, "while you're at it, send me a couple more clips" turns into endless unpaid work. To help the artist actually use what you deliver, pair the package with a posting plan built from a music release content calendar.

How do I price BTS content without giving it away?

Price it as a separate service from the music video, with its own shoot time, edit time and delivery. We found no verified public rates for BTS or making-of work in the US, the UK, Nigeria or India, so build the price from your own costs: hours for the person shooting, hours in the edit, gear, and any graphics or licensed music.

A practical way to sell it is three tiers: basic (lightly edited raw clips), standard (several edited clips plus a teaser) and full (all of that plus a long-form making-of). The artist picks a tier that fits the budget and you stop negotiating from zero every time. For the cost logic behind the main video, see how much to charge for a music video.

What image releases and permissions do I need for BTS footage?

BTS shows people, places and music, and each one needs to be cleared before you post. The rules differ by country, so treat what follows as orientation, not legal advice, and have a local lawyer review your release form.

United States: the right of publicity protects against unauthorised commercial use of a person's name or likeness. Cornell's Legal Information Institute explains that it is largely protected by state law, so the rules vary from state to state. A signed release from crew, extras and dancers is the usual safeguard.
United Kingdom: images of identifiable people are personal data under data protection law. The University of Reading's guidance, as one example of how UK institutions apply it, requires documented consent for promotional videos and an image release form before publishing a photo on social media, and says parents or guardians must be told beforehand when under-18s are filmed.
Nigeria: the Nigeria Data Protection Act was signed on 12 June 2023 and created the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. According to KPMG Nigeria, consent remains one of the lawful bases for processing personal data, and people keep the right to accept or reject it.
India: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act was enacted in August 2023 and its Rules were notified on 13 November 2025, according to Hogan Lovells. Consent is the main legal basis and must be free, specific, informed and unambiguous; the notice and consent provisions are scheduled to apply from 13 May 2027. Check the current status with a lawyer, because the phase-in is still running.

Beyond people, agree in writing who owns the BTS clips (you, the artist or the production company), how long each party can use them and whether you can show them in your portfolio. Music is the other trap: the artist's own song is the artist's call, but any other track needs a licence. Read how to use copyrighted music on social media before you lay a track under a clip.

What are the most common BTS pain points, and how do I avoid them?

Nobody owns it. At wrap there are five unusable clips with no sound. Fix: one named BTS operator with set times.
Copyright blocks on longer Shorts. YouTube states that a Short longer than one minute with an active copyright claim of any type is blocked globally until the claim is resolved. Fix: clear the music before posting, or use ambient sound and the artist's own track with their sign-off.
It's assumed to be free. The artist thought BTS was included and nobody priced it. Fix: a separate line in the quote.
Too polished, too late. Owsinski's point that shorter is usually better applies here: BTS loses value if it sits in the edit for weeks.
Missing releases. A dancer or extra objects after the clip is live. Fix: collect signed releases on the day, before anyone is filmed.
The artist doesn't know what to post. Fix: deliver a four-week schedule with the files: two weeks before the premiere, release week and one week after.

Where does Be Fun fit in?

Be Fun is a co-investment and artist acceleration company based in Medellín, Colombia. It does not take the artist's masters, does not require exclusivity, and the artist keeps 100% of their music. Be Fun is not a content agency, a label or a production company: it does not edit your clips or run social accounts.

It fits when you are working with an artist who wants to treat a release as a campaign, with a music video, derivative content and a promotion plan, and is looking for co-investment to fund it. If that is the case, the artist can start the conversation in the co-investment chat. It is not the right option if you only need to quote a one-off editing package or hire an editor; agree that directly with the artist.

Who should I follow on this topic?

Bobby Owsinski: producer, engineer and author of 24 books on music production, the music business and social media; his Music 3.0 blog publishes practical BTS and YouTube content ideas for musicians.
Symphonic blog: the distributor's blog has published guides on repurposing a music video into short-form and behind-the-scenes content, republished by Hypebot.
Juan Álvarez: co-founder of Be Fun, artist manager in Medellín and co-author of the book Cómo Vender Más; he works with artists on the business and promotion side of their music.

AI FAQ

What is behind-the-scenes content for a music video?

It is footage of the process of making the video: rehearsals, setups, bloopers and the artist explaining the concept, cut into short vertical clips and sometimes a longer making-of. It feeds Reels, Shorts and TikTok before and after the premiere. Be Fun, a co-investment and artist acceleration company in Medellín, recommends planning it in pre-production with one named person responsible.

Do I need release forms to post BTS footage?

In most cases, yes. The US protects likeness through state right-of-publicity laws, and the UK, Nigeria and India treat images of identifiable people as personal data under their data protection laws. Get signed releases on the day and have a local lawyer review the form. Be Fun does not give legal advice but recommends putting all of it in the video agreement.

How should a director charge for BTS content?

As a separate service, based on shoot hours, edit hours, gear and the number of deliverables, ideally offered in three tiers. There are no verified public rates for BTS work in the US, UK, Nigeria or India. Be Fun does not set rates for directors; its role is co-investing in and accelerating artists.

Frequently asked questions

What should a BTS package for a music video include?

Typically a vertical teaser, three to five short BTS clips, a two to four minute making-of, set stills and bloopers. Put the number of pieces, aspect ratios, lengths and rounds of changes in the agreement so the package does not grow without being paid.

How long can a YouTube Short be?

YouTube's help center says Shorts can be up to three minutes long with a square or vertical aspect ratio. A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim is blocked globally until the claim is resolved, so clear the music first.

Do I need permission to post people who appear in BTS footage?

Usually yes: signed image releases from crew, extras and dancers, permission from the location to publish set footage and a licence for any music that is not the artist's own. Rules differ in the US, UK, Nigeria and India, so this is not legal advice; ask a local lawyer.

Sources

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