Lyric Videos
Kinetic type and lyrics set into 3D scenes. Cut to your master, in any language.
A lyric video has to do two things well. The words have to be readable the moment they appear, and they have to land on the vocal, not near it. I time the edit to the master frame by frame, then work the type so the letterforms, the spacing and the way each line enters feel like part of the song rather than a caption sitting on top.
The type can fill the whole frame, with the words as the only image, or it can sit inside a 3D scene that shares the frame. We decide that at the start, on stills, against your track. Japanese and bilingual setting is normal here. I typeset in Tokyo and handle mixed Japanese and English line breaking, vertical setting and furigana where the lyric needs it.
It runs on the same method as the visualizers: long listening sessions, stems turned into audio levels, those levels driving the motion. A lyric video and a music visualizer can be one delivery. I have made CG since 2006, freelance since 2012, and I work from Tokyo (GMT+9).
N U I T - ALT REAL
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I Call It Love - Emilie Simon
Tools
- After Effects
- Blender
- Illustrator
- Premiere
- Houdini
- Photoshop
- Logic Pro X
- ComfyUI
- Ollama
What this covers
- Kinetic typography, with the words as the main image, entering on the vocal
- Lyrics set into a 3D or procedural environment that shares the frame
- Bilingual and Japanese typesetting: line breaking, vertical setting, furigana
- Frame-accurate sync to the master, timed against isolated vocal stems
- A master with the words burned in, plus a separate .srt or .vtt caption file on request
- Vertical, 16:9 and square cutdowns, plus short teasers, from one edit
What it costs
A lyric video runs on the JOURNEY package with the lyrics option. It is full length. Your stems drive the motion. The type sits on top.
- JOURNEY plus lyrics: full-length lyric video, one environmentfrom €1,500 per track
- LOOP plus lyrics: a short looping lyric clip for socialfrom €700 per loop
- Across a whole EP or album (UNIVERSE)from €2,000 art direction, then €1,500 per track
These are starting points. Already have an art direction, a brand guide? Tell me what you've got and we work the price around it.
All prices in EUR, excluding tax. Invoices are issued in Japanese yen (JPY) at the exchange rate applicable on the invoice date. Tax treatment and export exemption details are provided on the formal quote and invoice. Quotes valid 30 days. 40% deposit to start, 60% on delivery.
How a project runs
- Send the master, the final lyrics and any timing notesPlus stems if you have them, references you like, and the release date. A quote and a schedule come back within 48 hours, Tokyo time.
- Two type and motion directions on stillsKinetic or set in a scene, plus palette, typeface, and how a line enters and leaves. We pick one against the track.
- Build and syncThe edit is timed to the vocal frame by frame. The type and the background follow the audio levels.
- Review on a previewFirst feedback is on a viewport render. One or two revision rounds are included depending on the package.
- Deliver the mastersVertical and 16:9, 4K or HDR if specified, plus the caption file. Social cutdowns on request.
Before you ask for a quote
How is a lyric video different from a music visualizer?
A music visualizer is a scene that moves with the track. A lyric video puts the words on screen as the main element, readable and landing on the vocal, with the type chosen and animated so it carries some of the mood. Many projects are both, with the lyrics set into a visualizer scene.
Do you need my stems, or just the master?
The master is enough to time the words. With stems I can drive the type and the background from the vocal and the instruments on their own. The animation then follows the mix. If you only have a flat master, I split the main parts in Logic Pro and still get a precise result.
Can you set lyrics in Japanese or another non-Latin script?
Yes. I work in Japanese and English in Tokyo. I often set Japanese, mixed Japanese and English, and other scripts. That covers line breaking, furigana where the lyric needs it, and vertical or horizontal setting.
Kinetic typography, or lyrics inside a 3D scene?
Either one. Kinetic typography makes the words the whole picture. Lyrics set into a 3D scene let the scene and the text share the frame. I show you two directions at the start, so you can see both against your track.
Do you deliver a caption or subtitle file too?
If you ask for it, yes. You get a master with the words burned in, plus a separate .srt or .vtt caption file on the same timing. It keeps the video accessible and lets YouTube read the lyrics.
What if the lyrics or the mix are not final?
I can start the type and motion direction on stills from a rough mix. The sync pass and the final render wait for the locked master and the final words. A lyric change after that counts as a revision.
What formats do you deliver?
Vertical 9:16 (1080x1920) first, for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. Then a 16:9 cutdown for YouTube. 4K and HDR are options. I can also cut a square 1:1 version and short teasers from the same edit.