Have you ever wondered how to create karaoke style lyric videos? Or rhythm clap-along videos? Maybe you’ve wondered about the hours of video editing, expensive software, or the technology skills required to make such a video? Today I’m going to tell you about the EASY way to make sing-along videos using the FREE technology that you already have!
Now, here’s a heads-up. This is the EASY way. I never said it was the fanciest, most sophisticated, BEST way to make a video. I’ve used various different softwares and this is by no means the best. BUT, it is easy and quick, and absolutely gets the job done in an efficient timeframe. Perfect for a busy teacher! Below I’ll outline a step-by-step tutorial, but you can also check out this video here:
First, you’ll want to select your music/audio track. You can create your own music in Musescore, Hookpad, etc. I also like to use royalty-free music from Soundstripe. Of course, you can use any music of your choosing but you’ll want to be considerate of copyright.
Next, design a slideshow. I like to use a combination of Canva and Google Slides, but Powerpoint works well too. Create a template slide that will remain constant through the entire presentation. Then decide how you want to show the moving notes, and how often it moves. This is where you can add a bouncing ball, highlighted words, clapping hands/stomping feet, etc. You’ll create a slide for section of music of text. Every measure, every 4 measures, etc. (See pictures below).
Finally, you get to screen record! I use the screen record function on my Macbook, but Loom, Screencastify, and the Snipping Tool can all work as well. You can play your chosen music on a second device, or in the background on your computer. As the music plays, record your screen and manually advance the slides to the correct timing with the music.
So now you have a separate video and audio. The next step is to combine them! I usually use Final Cut Pro or even iMovie, but you can use Premiere, Davinci Resolve, Camtasia, etc. iMovie is free and pretty simple to use, so that would be my recommendation if you haven’t used video editing software before. Line up the audio and the slides to match. Since you recorded the slides to the correct music, they should line up pretty easily.
This next step is optional. This is when you can add a title slide, extra graphics, text, sound effects, etc. This bumps up your production value! But it also adds extra time and the video is usable without it.
Once you finalize your video, it’s ready for use! Post it on Youtube, Google Classroom, or your class website. The options are endless.