As brands and creators increasingly lean into video for social‑media, the question “How much does a video cost?” becomes critical.
A recent guide by Vidico reveals that social‑media video production costs vary dramatically—reflecting factors like length, platform, production quality and reuse strategy.
Cost Benchmarks by Video Type
- Short‑form videos (15‑60 s, platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts): Typically US$500‑5,000 each.
- Mid‑length social videos (1‑3 min, feed content on Instagram or LinkedIn): Roughly US$2,000‑7,500 each.
- Long‑form brand videos (3+ min, flagship content for YouTube or websites): Start around US$5,000 and can exceed US$20,000 depending on production scale.
What Drives Cost Differences?
Key factors influencing budget include:
- Volume & frequency: Producing multiple videos in a campaign can reduce cost per video by 20‑50% through economies of scale.
- Quality tier and production approach: From DIY setups under US$500 to full‑service crews costing US$15,000+ per video.
- Talent, location, and equipment: Using internal talent, basic locations and smartphone gear keeps costs low; bringing in professional talent, studio rentals and high‑end gear pushes budgets up.
- Additional production elements: Drone footage, multiple cameras, advanced motion graphics, licensing fees—all add incremental cost.
- Hidden costs: Revision cycles, platform‑versioning, licensing rights and coordination overhead often add 10‑50% to budgets.
Smart Budgeting for Your Video Strategy
Instead of budgeting video‑by‑video, Vidico recommends a systems‑based approach: build reusable asset libraries, set tiered production levels and optimize workflows for scalability.
For example:
- Hero content: High‑production flagship videos used for brand identity.
- Hub content: Mid‑level production that supports education or deeper engagement.
- Hygiene content: Simple, templated videos for regular social posts.
Why This Matters for Business Owners & Creators
For small businesses and creators aiming to scale storytelling without runaway costs, these benchmarks provide practical guidance. Knowing where to invest and how to structure production systems helps align spend with strategic results.
By aligning budget with objective, platform and production approach, your video strategy becomes less about guessing “what will this cost?” and more about building a framework where how many assets you can generate matters more than per‑video cost.
