Searched through stock footage libraries for visuals that actually matched the mood and lyrics of the track. Gave up twice. Found something close enough, not perfect. Edited it together, tried to make the cuts sync with the beat. Then spent another hour doing YouTube SEO research — title, description, tags, thumbnail. Then scheduled the upload. For one song.
Six hours. One video. And I kept thinking - this can't be what everyone does every time they release something.
Curious what other independent artists are actually spending, in time, money, or both. Do you hire a videographer? Use a freelancer on Fiverr? Buy a stock footage license and DIY the edit? Or do you just skip video entirely because it's too much effort for an uncertain return?
What does your process actually look like?