Music video production in New York City has a specific set of constraints and possibilities that no other city offers. The city is loud, unpredictable, and enormously photogenic — often at the same time, in the same frame. If you're an artist planning to shoot a video here, here's what we've learned from making them.
The concept has to earn the city
The most common mistake in NYC music video production is treating the city as decoration. You put the artist on a rooftop with the skyline, or you shoot walking shots in SoHo because it looks expensive. The result is generic — the same video that hundreds of other artists shot on the same rooftop in the same golden hour light.
The videos that work are the ones where New York City is necessary to the story the song is telling. Where the location creates meaning, not just atmosphere. That starts at the concept stage, not the location scout.
How long do you actually need?
A well-planned NYC music video can be shot in one day. Two days gives you coverage, contingency, and the ability to chase better light. Three days is for ambitious treatments with multiple locations and significant art direction. We've made strong videos in eight hours and mediocre ones in three days. The schedule matters less than the preparation.
Permits: the honest answer
The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment issues filming permits for public locations. A standard one-day permit for a small crew costs around $300–$500 and takes 2–3 business days to process. Running without one on a public street is a calculated risk — small crews moving quickly often work unpermitted for years without incident. But the NYPD can and does shut productions down, and the fine plus lost shoot day costs more than the permit. Our recommendation: permit the locations that matter most, work lean everywhere else.
Crew size for a music video
Music videos don't need the same infrastructure as narrative shoots. A director, a DP, a gaffer, a PA, and a sound person (if there's any live audio) is a complete crew for most concepts. Add a stylist if the artist's look is load-bearing. The smaller the crew, the faster you move, and speed in this city is its own production value.
What New York gives you for free
Sound, light, and people. The ambient audio of New York is irreplaceable — even if you're not recording it on set, it's shaping how everything else feels. The city's light in certain seasons and at certain times of day is genuinely extraordinary. And the density of interesting faces on any given subway platform means your background is cast for you. Use all of it.
Making something in New York City? We'd like to hear about it.
hello@emberstudios.nyc →