We have all seen drum coverings.
We’re fortunate to live at a time when drummers can display their skills to the world on a platform like YouTube. And of the various options available, YouTube is just one. Numerous drum videos may be found on other social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. However, to film a good quality drum cover video requires techniques, and good equipment
How would you handle creating your own drum cover videos?
You’ll need to grasp the fundamentals of putting up camera angles and editing your footage in addition to knowing how to wow your audience with unique beats and energetic conversation.
Don’t worry, though; This article developed a step-by-step manual on how to make a drum cover video that are easy to follow and hard to fail. Let’s dive in!
Full Guide On Making a Drum Cover Video And Equipment Needed
Preparation for Drum Cover Shoots
Don’t skip any of these stages while preparing for drum cover videos if you want the greatest outcomes.
Keep Your Drumming Area Clean
As technology advances, producing high-quality work becomes simpler. Making ensuring everything in the shot is clean is one of the best methods to increase the production value. Move any excess sticks, cases, garbage bags, or old soda or beer cans out of the shot.
Eliminate Clutter
Eliminating clutter from the frame is another method to improve the quality of your drum videos. Garbage removal alone won’t help in this situation. If you intend to use microphones throughout your shot, you might want to think about employing clip-on drum mics rather than large, leg-supported microphone stands. “What about the overhead microphones?”, you may be asking. Fortunately, there is also a method for this. One approach to the problem is the underhead technique, which involves installing overheads under the cymbals upside down. You can try that, but I still hold my overheads in XY with one big stand since I like to record the kit’s overall sound. Usually, the boom arm is long enough to remove the stand from the shot.
Use Lighting
Lighting is one of the most ignored factors while recording drum covers. The overall caliber of your video isn’t always influenced by the camera you’re using. Video appears very different depending on the amount of light. Cameras have to work much harder in low-light conditions to capture clear images. I strongly advise investing in lighting, even if you simply use your iPhone for drum covers. But it seems that the biggest drawback is size. They are obviously in the shot if I utilize an overhead position, so that could be problematic.
*** Read more: How To Teach Yourself Drums: Step By Step for Beginners
Popular Social Media Sites for Drum Cover Uploads
Without a doubt, the largest video-sharing website today is YouTube. There isn’t a single market that this video streaming platform doesn’t cover. To share their works and interact with the community, musicians have discovered a home within this enormous, nonetheless.
Platforms like: follow YouTube’s performance closely.
Patreon
Vimeo
‘Tik Tok’
You could wish to include these sites to increase your exposure, depending on the audience you’re aiming for and the style of your films. You can securely publish the same video content from your YouTube channel to other platforms, with the exception of Instagram and Tik Tok, which use a mobile-friendly quality for videos.
YouTube Drum Covers Uploading
With its user-friendly tool sets, YouTube enables its producers to make quick modifications and changes to their videos before publishing them. YouTube Studio makes it much simpler to manage and upload videos, whether you want to launch a channel focused on music, video games, or pop culture.
These are the aspect ratios for the most popular platforms (the resolution will change depending on your file):
4:5 (Facebook, Instagram main feed)
9:16 (Stories, TikTok)
16:9 (YouTube)
The 1920×1080 MP4 format is still the default for uploading cover videos to YouTube. Almost all video editors will include options in that range for exporting videos, but Adobe Premiere goes above and above by making a number of well-known formats its default export options. This implies that while using Adobe Premiere, a specific YouTube export option will be available.
YouTube gives thumbnails a lot of attention in addition to the video itself. You might thus want to review some fundamental Photoshop skills as you work on learning those video editing tricks. This is a requirement if you’re using several microphones and camera angles.
At the end of the day, the key issue will be to seamlessly combine all the recorded audio and video. Your project could grow extremely complex if you are live-recording your sound. This is due to the overwhelming amount of audio and video sources you will have to manage at once.
*** Read more: How Do You Record Electronic Drums? (3 Best Ways)
Ideas to Consider When Making Drum Covers
There are a few things to consider before you begin creating a drum cover:
Choosing a Camera Angle
Choose your video’s mainframe before anything else. When using several cameras, you should make sure that no frames are overlapped and that each camera catches a distinct frame. Place your primary camera in a position that allows it to capture the complete setup from a convenient viewing angle. The main body of the video will be made up of this footage.
You can utilize any camera for side views or B-rolls as long as it effectively conveys the essence of your setup and the surrounding environment. This task can be completed with mobile phones, or any other common camera. The major goal of taking more photos is to provide the audience with more context.
It’s convenient to set up an overhead camera or a bass drum cam because the main viewpoint might or might not show your feet playing the bass drum. Depending on the song, you could want to emphasize only the toms or the snare drums in your drum set. You may capture those moments by expanding your setup with more cameras, but doing so will need more post-processing.
In your movie, you should make sure that every component of the kit is highlighted without using glares. Lack of lighting can make some locations appear darker than they actually are, which could severely affect viewers’ perceptions.
Don’t Ignore the Ambiance of the Room
You might want to take care of a few more things if you are concurrently recording your drum sound and video footage. So that there are no additional difficulties while recording your sound, first ensure that you are in a noise-free location.
Your sound may become muffled or distorted depending on the situation if the room has a high ceiling or excessive background reverb.
Concentrate on Lighting
The right lighting is crucial for getting the best possible video. When creating drum covers, you will use lighting to draw attention to certain features and motions without sacrificing the detail of the rest of the kit. It also aids in judging the video’s general caliber. Drums require a full spectrum capture to sound genuine and strong because they are noisy instruments.
For beginners, getting rid of extra echo could be difficult, but it’s crucial to do so before pressing the record button. To lessen echo and keep a constant sound for your microphones to take up, remove any unnecessary furniture or artifacts from your area.
*** Read more: How To Set Up A Drum Set? Step By Step Guide
Be Aware Of Microphones
Many people can become confused by the discussion surrounding microphones, especially given the diversity of views in the community concerning them. However, don’t let others’ flattery fool you; there are many drummers out there who can record with just one overhead microphone and still produce quality recordings.
Take Out The Drum From Songs
Last but not least, a drum-free track is the one thing you need to have before you can begin working on your drum covers.
Many well-known songs have drum-free versions you can get on YouTube, but if you’re seeking for something more exclusive, you’ll need a few extra tools to mute the background drum sound so you can play over it.
Tools Required for Videography
Make sure you have the essential tools needed to record and edit your cover videos, such as:
Camera
Since this is where all the magic is stored, it requires the most focus. Regardless of the camera you use, how you set it up can make the difference between night and day.
Many people prefer to film their material using their smartphones or digital cameras, but for cover videos, more camera angles generally produce better results.
Try using numerous cameras while recording yourself playing the drums if your budget allows it
For a unique on-stage look, overhead lights are fixed either on the roof or strung on a string immediately over the player.
These days, LEDs are an excellent alternative for overhead lighting because they are affordable and won’t use a lot of energy. The placement of the lights is essential to getting good video footage and allowing you to bang on the cans without having glare in your eyes.
You can adjust the lighting’s temperature if you purchase professional-grade LED panels for yourself. This saves you a ton of headaches during post-processing and enables you to capture the video in great quality right at the source.
Floor Lamps (Optional)
Even if floor lighting is an optional solution, it can significantly improve your videos. The foot pedals and bass drum in particular are highlighted by using these to emphasize the lower portion of your rigs. Floor lights are a quick and simple way to draw attention to your feet when playing the bass drum.
To give your videos a distinctive personality and a pleasing aesthetic, you might experiment with various colors. Even though they are an optional treatment, floor lights can significantly improve the look and feel of your thumbnails and videos.
*** Read more: 11+ Of The Best Drumming Quotes of All Time
Editing Software on a Computer
In order to combine all of your recorded material into the finished result, you will also need a computer with video editing software. Any machine with more than 4 GB of RAM should be able to handle the editing process in terms of processing power, in my opinion.
On the other hand, the editing software is a whole different experience. Depending on your playing style and how you want to display your finished movie to the audience, you want something that you choose for yourself.
Arrangement of Audio and Video Clips
After everything is said and done, you will have a variety of audio and video recordings that must work together to produce the desired result.
There are several solutions available on the market for video editing software that will essentially accomplish the same task but do so in different ways.
You might wish to keep using the software you are familiar with if you have experience with video editing. Otherwise, consider some of the choices listed below:
iMovie
Filmora
Open Shot
Final Cut
Adobe Premiere Pro
Davinci Resolve
The following three options might require some studying since they are professional programs with a ton of capabilities and templates. As long as you master the fundamentals of light correction and fusing, you should have no trouble utilizing any of the free software on the market if you don’t consider yourself a video editor.
In addition to letting you examine, organize, sample, and mix your stems, video editing software also lets you apply effects to them before combining them into the finished video. Here, you can alter the color scheme, include cutaways between takes, and remove extraneous material from the final cut.
*** Read more: Top 12+ Greatest Singing Drummers Of All Time
Useful Tips For A High Quality Drum Cover Video
Many people are unaware that you may use a variety of 3D and 2D effects to make your material engaging and educational. Here are a few of these consequences that are briefly discussed:
Transitional Effects
The safest and simplest approach to give your cover videos a movie-like appearance is through transitions. To put it simply, transition layers are often used to smoothly change between different camera viewpoints.
Depending on the program you choose to use, there are a ton of both free and commercial transition effects on the market. Again, the general rule for transition effects is to avoid going excessive. Use them skillfully to prevent clogging the footage
Fake Camera Shake
Many content producers take use of this clever technique to give their videos an unsteady appearance during their most intense scenes
Black Video
Any video editor can be used to perform this technique, albeit the nomenclature may vary depending on the program. Users of Adobe Premiere have access to a tool that enables seamless switching between several camera perspectives.
You can switch between various video clips in a black video by using the fade-out feature. When you add a black video layer on top of your film, it gives you control over all the layers that are below it. Additionally, this capability can be used to simulate the disco flicker effect that is frequently employed in cover videos.
*** Read more: Superior Drummer 3 vs EZDrummer 2: Which is Better?
Ceiling Lights
When recording drum covers, lighting is one of the most important factors since it makes it possible to effectively highlight or contrast specific portions of the footage.
Applying a false camera shake to a few frames of your film is meant to emphasize a breakdown or hard rhythmic patterns.
This can be done by zooming into the mainframe and then altering the alignment of the frame by moving it in erratically timed directions. You may either produce a little camera shake or go for a complete earthquake effect, depending on how ridiculous you want this effect to be.
Correction of color
Color correction is where you can make tiny modifications to the look of your movie if your lighting setup is simple and you are only using one light source. The majority of the time, content producers will make use of this tool to highlight or fade out problematic lighting in their movie.
You can also add colours to your videos to completely alter their appearance. To avoid losing important details, keep in mind that color correction is just a technique for adjusting the lighting and color levels in your movie.
Zoom
Even though it’s straightforward, the zoom effect can help draw attention to specific portions of your shot that call for it. You can employ the zoom effect on those frames to provide a sense of surprise, for example, if you hit the toms and snare at the same moment or make a big swing at the clash.
As long as you don’t disrupt the video’s natural flow, you can get away with using the zoom effect a little carelessly. Without letting the viewers notice, a skilled video editor will frequently employ this effect within a few seconds of each other in a video.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What camera settings work best for filming drum covers?
The three primary factors you should consider when configuring your camera are the ISO, the resolution, and the frames per second.
Frame per second: When shooting video, a basic camera provides 24–30 frames per second. Depending on the price and camera technology, this figure may be greater. In plain English, the smoother the video, the higher the frames per second since more frames will be collected at any given time. Cinematic footage is usually recorded at 30 frames per second, but for a drum cover, 60 frames per second is advised to make sure that every movement is clear and audible. Additionally, since you’ll always have more frames at your disposal, there will be more room for post-editing.
The Resolution: 1080p or 720p is the typical resolution for drum covers unless you have a 4k camera. When compared to low quality, higher resolution footage will appear more detailed. Despite having a sharper and more improved appearance, 4k video files are substantially larger than those of lower resolutions. If you lack storage space, keep that in mind before starting a project.
The ISO: The ISO setting in a camera controls how sensitive the shutter and sensors are to light. Additionally, it aids in exposure control, or the ability of your camera to capture light.
If the lighting in your setup is adequate, you might want to keep this number between 800-1200. On the other hand, if you are working in a room with poor lighting, you might wish to increase that number considerably.
*** Read more: How To Remove Drums From A Song? 2 Methods
#2. Which video editing program is best for creating drum covers?
When it comes to video editing software, there is no right or wrong answer. There are a ton of solutions on the market that will meet your needs depending on your budget and the complexity of the project.
iMovie is a wonderful alternative for beginners using MAC to edit and export videos in the desired format. While Windows users can start creating their own drum covers with Filmora or Open shot without spending a fortune.
Software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Sony Vegas, or DaVinci Resolve are professional alternatives. These programs are all loaded with hundreds of thousands of tools and effects to spice up your video projects.
#3. Can I record the audio for my drum covers separately?
There are two methods for creating audio for drum covers. While many people choose to record their audio while simultaneously shooting video, others might prefer an easier solution.
Keep things basic in the beginning if you’re just getting started as a cover drummer. The audio source and video footage should be recorded separately and then synced in a video editing program, according to this. This lessens the difficulty of mixing and editing the finished video since you can correct or re-record any passages where you might have made a mistake.
Having stated that, after mastering the procedure, you can begin recording the audio while concurrently taking video footage. Although this technique is a little more difficult than our earlier recommendation, it can help you save a lot of time.
#4. Are Drumming covers free from copyright in Youtube?
And the majority of those cover songs are posted without the song’s copyright holder’s consent, which means they are violating someone’s copyright—whether the video is a live band performance or a toddler singing from her high chair. YouTube may take down your video if the copyright holder complains.
#5. Can I make money off of my YouTube drum covers?
The majority of the time, it is possible to obtain a mechanical license in order to record and distribute a cover song. Songs that have previously been released are covered by this type of license for reproduction and distribution, but not for public performances or exhibitions.
This means that in addition to obtaining a mechanical license, you will also need to obtain a sync license if you wish to publish a drum cover to YouTube and commercialize it without running afoul of the law. These two licenses can release you from any legal obligations to the original artist, unless the song you’re seeking to cover has entered the public domain.
*** Read more: How to Clean a Drum Set: Easy Steps & Tips
Conclusion
Making drum covers can cause some concerns and conjectures to surface in your mind, but the reward is ultimately worthwhile. You can improve as a drummer by playing covers of your favorite songs, but you can also improve as a performer by doing so.
While selecting your videos can be laborious at beginning, with the correct tools and advice, you can quickly become an expert in making a drumcover video and have your drum covers appeal to an enormous audience.
