When it comes to recording the audio for your music videos, there are several techniques to choose from, depending on the circumstances of your shoot and production capabilities.
The most common of these techniques are what I define as Live Recording and Overdubbing.
In this short but cute article 🙃, we’re gonna go over each of these options to learn a little more about the most important aspects to be considered and their implications for each one of them.
Starting with…
LIVE RECORDING
Live Recording is basically the act of recording the music, performance or sound you want in your finished product, and the video, simultaneously.
An example of that would be if you filmed the recording session and used it as a music video. Or if you performed straight to the camera with the sound available to you. In other words, whatever sound that is recorded on the spot while you’re filming.
This technique is seen mostly on live performances or documentary videos, in which you won’t have a second chance to capture that exact same sound. In the case of recording live, there are some points to be taken into consideration.
1. ENSURE ENVIRONMENT IS SUITABLE FOR AUDIO RECORDING
Since whatever you record, goes, you need to make sure that the space you are recording at has, at the very least, a workable background noise.
It’s fine to get the sounds of the city from afar, or the waves, but if that noise is too noticeable, it will print in the final recording and ruin your performance.
2. MAKE SEVERAL TAKES, IF YOU CAN
If you are in a controlled environment, and have the opportunity to repeat a take, do as many as you can, to ensure you have some options to work with.
3. CONSIDER THE SPACE FOR CAMERA AND SOUND SETUP
Because you need to record video and sound simultaneously, you need to consider your space and make sure both video and audio are well set. This will require a little more prep time and won’t allow much room for mistakes.
Now moving on to…
OVERDUBBING
Overdubbing is pretty much the opposite. Here you can record the audio at your own time, and just overdub the video. It’s mostly used for narrative music videos, in which you can use your final, mastered version and record the visuals at your own pace.
Some things to consider are:
1. MAKE SURE VIDEO AND AUDIO ARE COHERENT WITH ONE ANOTHER
One of the most common mistakes we see artists make, when it comes to overdubbing a video, is the inability to make audio and video seem coherent. This can happen for many reasons.
For example if your singing sounds super strong in the audio recording, you need to match that energy in the video. Your lips need to articulate the sound in a similar way. Also, the environment you’re in, should, in some way, have a dialogue with the sound.
This is not necessarily a rule, because you could very well have contrasting ideas happening, but you need to be completely aware of it.
2. HAVE A DEVICE WHERE YOU CAN PLAYBACK THE SOUND
This seems obvious, but it’s worth it mentioning. When you overdub, you need the audio being played back on set, at a reasonable volume, so you can overdub as accurately as you can.
One trick to help you start right with the music, is to bounce a version with a few bars of click, preceding the song.
3. IMPROV WON'T WORK
Unless you can replay your improvised solo PERFECTLY, in which case it would no longer be improvised, overdubbing won’t work.
So if you’re a jazz player for example, you either need to transcribe your own solo, or choose live recording instead, which should be a better choice for you.
Conclusion:
Both Live Recording and Overdubbing can be great ways to record your music video. Think of the particularities of your project based on the tips I gave you, and choose the one that suits you best.
If you want to dive more into creating cool music videos by yourself and on a budget, don’t forget to check out the DIY Music Video Workshop.
Take care y’all, talk soon!
Tchau!
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