One of the best use cases for Runway Gen-2 is creating music video scenes. The best part about it is that you can make numerous music videos at an affordable price. I've noticed some people already doing this. Some music videos were already highlighted by the official Runway team on social media.
Although the cost of producing good music videos has drastically decreased ever since the meteoric rise of smartphone technology, it has become even cheaper and easier with AI-powered tools. In my opinion, Runway Gen-2 is the best AI model for this specific task. In this article, I'll show you how to write prompts for music videos.
What I like about Runway Gen-2 is that it can generate video clips in basically any style. Regardless of whether you're looking for something that looks like real footage shot with a camera or an animated clip, this AI-powered tool will quickly generate the video that you want as long as you clearly describe the scene in your prompts.
The only thing that you'll have to do is use your imagination. This is easier said than done and will likely require you to get used to writing prompts. Even though Runway Gen-2 can create stunning videos from pretty much any description, it's up to you to write prompts that will generate unique visuals.
One thing to remember is that even though the standard duration of a video generated with Runway Gen-2 is only four seconds long, you can extend it multiple times. If you like a video that the AI model produced, it's a great idea to keep extending it to get a longer coherent clip.
Since I'll primarily focus on the process of writing prompts in this article, I won't be doing extended videos. However, I encourage all readers to use this feature when they want a longer scene.
How to Write Runway Gen-2 Prompts for Music Videos
If you've never used a generative AI tool so far, you'll probably have to get used to the process of writing prompts. There is no wrong or right way to write prompts per se. It's up to you to decide how you will describe the scenes you want to create. But there are tips I think you should use when writing prompts to create good results.
I usually separate my prompts into at least a few different key phrases that instruct the model on what I want to create. These phrases contain vital information, such as the style used in the clip, a particular aesthetic, the main theme of the video, the emotions it's supposed to evoke, and characters or objects I want featured in a scene.
You'll get to see exactly how my prompts look in the next section of the article. Before I get to that, I want to mention that although it's important what you mention in your prompts it's equally imperative what you decide to leave out. Don't clog your prompts with information that's not necessary for the scene you're making.
I find that a generative AI model will produce the best results when you keep your prompts concise. Don't forget that you also have a 320-character limit for prompts in Runway Gen-2. Most of my prompts are only up to 200 characters though and that's the perfect length for me.
10 Runway Gen-2 Prompt Examples for Music Videos
If you're a musician and want to release some of your songs on the internet, it's a good idea to have visuals for them as well. It's more likely that people will check out your music if there are videos attached to the songs. It gives listeners something to be engaged with while they're listening to your music.
I would say that the easiest way to create a cool video is with the help of an AI-powered tool like Runway Gen-2. If you don't believe me, check out these short clips that I made using this generative AI model.
prompt #1: 2D animated, people dancing at a nightclub, 70s disco aesthetic, strobe lights shining in various colors, uplifting atmosphere, euphoria
I feel like this clip would be great to use for an EDM track. In fact, you can make numerous clips with the same vibe from this one single prompt and then combine them all together to get a nice coherent music video. Imagine the work and resources it would take to create something like that without the help of artificial intelligence. That's why I believe aspiring musicians can truly benefit from a tool like Runway Gen-2.
Let's break down the prompt now. I wanted a 2D animated clip because it's much easier to get a good result with so many different characters when you do it in an animation style. If you want to make a video like this more dynamic, you can simply increase the camera speed on the Runway AI platform. But I'm perfectly fine with the speed here.
The main theme in this prompt is very simple - people dancing at a nightclub. To further describe the scene I wanted to create, I specified a certain type of aesthetic. I also wanted to make the clip more alluring by including strobe lights shining in multiple colors. Finally, I described some emotions that the clip is supposed to evoke. It's supposed to be uplifting and euphoric, and the result is exactly that.
prompt #2: abstract video, different colors mixing together, pulsating, an abstract representation of sound
There are a lot of different visuals that you can create for a music video with Runway Gen-2. If you're looking for an abstract video without any characters in it, you can make something like this.
As you can see, this is a really short prompt. It contains all the information that's needed, and I feel like adding any additional details would ruin the basic idea for this clip. It's perfectly fine to write a short prompt, especially when you're making an abstract video.
Once again, I think that a video like this would be a perfect fit for an EDM track.
prompt #3: 2D animation, flat animation, anime style animated video, young man running at full speed in the middle of a futuristic cyberpunk megacity, dystopian
There are so many great animated music videos that I remember watching on MTV when I was younger. When I think about animated music videos, the first thing that comes to mind is Gorillaz and the video treatments that they put out. Although I haven't listened to their music in a while, those videos always stuck with me.
The clip you see above kind of reminds me of videos from that era. I will mention that the character is not running at full speed in the clip, even though that's what I wrote in my prompt. But sometimes, you get a generated result that works better than what you wrote.
It's difficult to predict exactly what the AI model will create from your description. Sometimes, your imagination will help you think of a great concept only to later find that there's an even better alternative.
prompt #4: action packed scene, futuristic battle with armies of robot warriors, explosions, lasers, dystopian aesthetic
It's difficult to come up with a general description of what type of clips can be added to a music video. Just like music, you create content that comes from your soul and find a way to piece it together with other types of content. That's why you'll see a lot of variety with the prompt examples in this article.
Here, I wanted to create an action-packed scene with many things going on. I wanted to see robot warriors and explosions. The AI model did not disappoint with this one. I really like how it turned out.
prompt #5: scene set in a colorful fantasy world where everything is living and breathing, everything is vibrating, the melody of life is sending vibrations throughout the land
I think that a clip like this would be great to use as an intro scene to a music video. It kind of looks like a video you'd see for a pop song. It's inviting and colorful. The only thing that's missing is music.
You can always use anything I make with AI without even crediting me. If you find that any of my images or videos inspire you, you can leave a comment and I'll send you the original clip.
prompt #6: futuristic rave party at a cyberpunk nightclub, robots and humans dancing together, neon signs on the wall, bright purple and light blue strobe lights
I wonder when nightclubs will start introducing dancing robots in their establishments to lift the vibes. I bet we're not too far away from that. People nowadays spend too much time on their phones when they're at a nightclub anyway. It would be fun to hang out and dance with some robots.
I could easily picture a clip like this being used in a Daft Punk music video. What's interesting is that Thomas Bangalter, who is a member of Daft Punk recently talked about his concerns about the progress of artificial intelligence. He noted that due to the rise of this technology, the last thing he wants to be in 2023 is a robot.
prompt #7: virtual reality experience, 3D animated, people soaring through a cosmic dreamscape, vibrant galaxies swirling around, celestial music playing, 3D animation
I have yet to try virtual reality. I don't know, but it doesn't seem too appealing to me. I feel like the tech needs to be improved a lot for people to start using it more. Also, I just don't like the idea of being fully immersed in a reality that's not the one I live in. I don't know, I have mixed feelings on the topic.
But I am fascinated by what we've managed to achieve with technology so far and I wanted the AI model to create a video of the feeling you get when you're in virtual reality. This type of video can easily be incorporated in a music video.
prompt #8: watercolor animation, a whimsical journey through a mystical forest, enchanted creatures and flora, soft pastel colors
It would be cool if an artist made a whole music video consisting only of watercolor animations. There are probably not too many music genres that would go well with this style of animation. The one that instantly comes to mind is lofi. In fact, this clip would work as a visual treatment for a lofi song even if it was looped.
prompt #9: psychedelic dream sequence, 2D animation, a surreal journey through abstract landscapes, morphing colors, and bizarre shapes, a mind-bending exploration of the subconscious
There's something special about creating animated videos in Runway Gen-2. Pay attention to how a single keyword can greatly affect the generated results. By using the keyword "psychedelic" you get an interesting clip that would be otherwise hard to produce.
It's important to think about every single word you use in your prompts. Think about which keywords you can use to describe the scene further so that the AI model creates it in a way that's just how you imagined it in your mind.
prompt #10: neon-lit cyberpunk alleyway, 2D animated scene, rain-soaked streets with holographic advertisements, futuristic cityscape in the background
This is another clip that I think would be great as an intro scene for a music video. I'm really impressed with the holographic advertisements featured here. There are many of them and not a single one looks out of place.
Final Thoughts
You can create an entire music video using only Runway Gen-2. If you take the time to create something visually stunning, you might even get attention from AI enthusiasts. That could potentially give you a boost when you're promoting your music.
Another strategy is to use the scenes you create with this tool as B-rolls in your music videos. My focus today was to show you what the AI model is capable of. Now you have to decide how you're going to use it.
There are different ways you can write prompts. For instance, you can also paste some of the lyrics in your songs onto the platform to see how the model will interpret them and what type of visuals they'll create from them. However, that's a highly experimental strategy. It's best to use a process similar to the one I use because it consistently yields great results.
