Video production budget templates
Music video budget template
A one-day music video with a performance setup, a short narrative and ten extras: crew, lighting, art department, cast and an edit cut to the track.
Free, no sign-up. Works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
What goes into a music video budget
- Pre-production
- A treatment and storyboard with the artist, and scouting for the night location.
- Crew
- Director, DoP, 1st AC, a gaffer with two lighting technicians and runners. Music videos are long days, so check the overtime clause.
- Equipment
- Camera and lenses, a heavier lighting package than the crew size suggests, and haze or practicals under other equipment.
- Location, art and cast
- The location fee, set dressing, props, a stylist, two performers and extras.
- Catering
- Everyone on set eats, extras included. On a twelve-hour night shoot that means two meals.
- Post-production
- Edit days, a grade and the vertical cuts the label needs for social. No sound mix: the track is the mix.
The sample at a glance
One long shoot day, a nine-person crew, a dressed performance set, two performers, ten extras and a vertical cut. With the sample rates it comes to €18,199 net.
| Category | Net |
|---|---|
| Pre-production | €1,800 |
| Film crew | €3,750 |
| Equipment | €2,000 |
| Location costs | €800 |
| Hair & makeup | €450 |
| Set design / props / costumes | €2,250 |
| Actors / extras | €2,200 |
| Logistics | €300 |
| Catering | €650 |
| Production costs | €14,200 |
| Post-production | €2,250 |
| Subtotal | €16,450 |
| Production fee, 10% of production costs | €1,420 |
| Insurance, 2% of subtotal | €329 |
| Total, net | €18,199 |
Rates in the samples are illustrative, not market rates. Replace them with your own.
Common mistakes when budgeting a music video
- Starting from the label's number. Cost it line by line first, then cut scope to fit, so you know what you are cutting.
- Leaving favours out. Write them in at their real rate and discount them; next time they may not be free.
- No overtime clause. Night shoots run over; say when overtime starts.
- Forgetting social deliverables. Vertical versions and teasers take edit time.
How the numbers work
Every line is quantity × days × rate
Quantity is people or units, days are shoot or work days. Leave quantity empty and it counts as one, so a flat fee is just a rate.
Production costs sit above the line
Everything you produce yourself: planning, crew, equipment, location, art, cast, logistics and catering. Post-production and licensing sit below it.
The production fee is calculated on production costs
Here 10%. Many producers pass post and licences through without a fee, or charge for them separately. If you work differently, move the line.
Insurance is calculated on the subtotal
Here 2% of all categories. Check what your policy actually requires per job.
Questions
How much does a music video cost to make?
Anything from a phone and a friend to six figures. The sample here, one day with a nine-person crew, an art department and cast, comes to €18,199 with sample rates.
Should a music video budget include a production fee?
Yes, even when the budget is tight. If you have to come down, show the fee and the discount as separate lines, so the client sees what they are getting.
Can I use this template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open the .xlsx in Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers. The formulas are plain multiplications and sums, and the yellow cells are the ones you fill in.
Turn the budget into a quote
In Vidaset your rates fill in on every new quote, the fee and insurance calculate themselves, and the client gets a PDF in your brand colors with price options, deliverables and terms. Every new account gets 30 days of Pro, no card required.