Music Video Storyboard Template

Put a shot on every line of the song. Time, lyric, picture, camera and look in one table, filled in with a 30 second example.

Use this template

FitsA song or a 30 to 90 second hook
IncludesFilled example and blank
CostFree to copy

Updated 14 October 2026

An anime music video frame: a girl with a red scarf rides a bicycle through a rainy neon city at night

A six panel color anime storyboard of two swordswomen on a bamboo bridge at night and a lantern falling into the river

A six panel color storyboard of a night market chef flipping noodles and an office worker tasting them

A frame of the example music video and two storyboards, made in Ziztu.

The template

The example is a 30 second hook for a song called Neon Bike. Every row sits on a line of the lyric, so the picture changes when the words do.

Music video storyboard

Neon Bike, 30 second hookYour title here

Song card

Decide the feel of the song and the one image the video is built on.

Song: Neon Bike, an upbeat synth pop hook with a bright female lead
Length: 30 seconds, 16:9
Story in one line: A girl rides through a rainy neon city to get to a place she cannot name.
Look: 2D anime, rain, neon pink and cyan, one red scarf

Shots on the lyric

One line of the song per shot. Cut on the beat; put the biggest shot on the chorus word.

Time	Lyric or cue	Shot	Camera	Look
0:00 to 0:04	Intro, synth only	Rain on a neon street, an empty bicycle against a wall.	Wide, still	Pink and cyan reflections
0:04 to 0:09	Streetlights hum, I am already gone	The girl pulls her red scarf tight and gets on the bike.	Medium, push in	Warm pink sign on her face
0:09 to 0:14	Rain on the road, I am riding on	She rides past shop windows, the street blurring.	Side tracking	Streaks of neon
0:14 to 0:20	Chorus: Neon bike, take me there	A wide shot from above as she crosses a bridge, lights on the water.	Crane up, wide	Cyan water, pink lights
0:20 to 0:25	Bridge, one held note	Close-up: her eyes, a tear of rain, a smile.	Close-up, still	Soft pink
0:25 to 0:30	Last line, then a hit	The bike rolls on without her, the scarf caught on the handlebar.	Wide, pull back	Dawn gray, one red line

Rules for cutting to a song

Check these before you generate or shoot.

1Change on the wordA new shot starts with each lyric line, not in the middle.
2Save the biggest shot for the chorusThe wide crane shot sits on the chorus line.
3One object repeatsThe red scarf is in almost every frame.

Song card

Decide the feel of the song and the one image the video is built on.

Song: [Title, genre and the singer]
Length: [Length and aspect ratio]
Story in one line: [What happens in the video, in one sentence]
Look: [Style, colors and the one object that repeats]

Shots on the lyric

One line of the song per shot. Cut on the beat; put the biggest shot on the chorus word.

Time	Lyric or cue	Shot	Camera	Look
[Start and end]	[The line or the music]	[What we see]	[Size and move]	[Light and color]
[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]

Rules for cutting to a song

Check these before you generate or shoot.

1Change on the word[Where do the cuts land in the lyric?]
2Save the biggest shot for the chorus[Which shot is the biggest, and where is it?]
3One object repeats[Which object comes back in every shot?]

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

Use this template

How to fill it in

01
Write the song card
Name the feel, the length and a one-line story. Pick one object that will repeat in nearly every shot.
02
Put a shot on every lyric line
Write the time, the line, the picture and the camera for each row. The shot changes when the words do.
03
Save the biggest shot for the chorus
Plan the widest, most expensive shot on the chorus word and keep the verses simple.

What makes it work

One repeating object

A red scarf or a bike makes a short video feel like one story and makes consistency easier.

Cut on the beat

Even rough cuts feel tight when they land on a drum hit or the first word of a line.

End on an image, not an explanation

The bike rolling on without her says more than a final lyric about it.

More templates

Lyric video: white lyric lines over a glowing city skyline at blue hour reflected in a river

Lyric planLyric videoEvery line with its start time, on-screen text, background and motion.

TreatmentMusic video treatmentThe concept, the look and what happens in each part of the song.

A six panel pencil storyboard: a rainy bus stop, a girl with an umbrella, a kitten in a box, her brother stepping off the bus, her smile, the two sharing the umbrella

StoryboardStoryboard templateSix panels with shot, action, camera and time, filled in with a real example.

A lone figure on a hill under a huge open sky, the top of the frame left empty for a title

Shot listAnime openingA 90 second opening shot list cut to the song, with real frames.

Frequently asked questions

What is a music video storyboard?

It is a plan that puts a picture on every line or beat of a song, with the time, the camera and the look of each shot. It lets you check the video against the music before you shoot or generate anything.

How many shots does a music video have?

A 30 second hook has six to ten shots. A full three minute video can have 40 to 100, depending on how fast the song is cut.

How do I plan a music video?

Pick the story or the image, put a shot on each lyric line, mark the chorus and plan the biggest shot there, then repeat one object so it feels like one video.

Are the song lines real?

No. The lyric lines are written for this page. Use the structure with your own song, and only upload music you have the right to use.

Can I make the music video with AI?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with the video written out, or try the AI music video generator for a short anime clip. In Ziztu Studio you plan every shot to your track.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.