Where Short-Form Meets Legacy — Music Video Editing in the Streaming Era

Fergie: A Little Work (2017) – Editor

The music video isn’t what it was in 2005.

But it’s not dead — it’s evolved.

As someone who started out in the punk/DIY scene and ended up editing global music films and visuals for artists like Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Disclosure — here’s what I’ve seen shift, and where I think the best music video work is heading.

Everything has a second life now

It’s not just about the YouTube drop anymore.

A good music video lives on Instagram, in tour visuals, as promo assets, as memes, even as TikTok reaction fodder.

I’ve had videos where the 30-second teaser made more impact than the actual full version.

So I now cut with multiple formats in mind — square, vertical, 16:9.

Each one asks different questions of the footage.

Narrative is coming back

Even in punchy, stylised edits — people crave a thread.

A visual idea. A tone. A shift.

When I cut Fergie’s “A Little Work,” the footage played like a fever dream — fragmented but emotional. The structure was loose, but the through-line was clear: tension, transformation, defiance.

That’s what people respond to.

Not just rhythm. But resonance.

The artist is the message

The closer the edit feels to who they are — the more it hits.

You’re not cutting for trend. You’re cutting for them.

That’s always the goal.