How-to · beginner · 3 min read
How to choose music for a short-form video
Match tempo to the format, 90 to 110 BPM for vlogs and 120 to 140 for montages, keep music 6 to 10 dB under speech, and cut on beats when the music leads.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24 · Example: @sulansart
- Level
- beginner
- Read time
- 3 min
Music sets the energy before the first word. I pick tempo by format. 90 to 110 BPM for vlogs and calm process videos, 120 to 140 for montages, slow or ambient for cinematic pieces, and little or none under a talking head. Under speech the track sits 6 to 10 dB down. When the music leads, cuts land on the beat.
Why it matters
The wrong track makes good footage feel off and nobody can say why.
The method
- Decide who leads. Talking head, tutorial, story. The voice leads and music is a bed. Montage, cinematic, hype. Music leads and cuts follow it.
- Pick tempo from the table. Tempo matters more than mood.
- Find the energy curve. A build, a drop where your best shot lands, a comedown for the end.
- Set the level. Music-led is full. Voice-led is 6 to 10 dB under speech, rising a few dB in the gaps.
- Cut on the beat when music leads. Cuts on downbeats, shot size changes every 4 or 8 bars, hold the hero shot through the drop.
- Trim the track to the video. A phrase should end when the video ends.
Rules of thumb
| Format | BPM | Music role | Under speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talking head | 70 to 95 or none | bed | minus 12 to 15 dB |
| Vlog | 90 to 110 | bed, lifts in gaps | minus 6 to 10 dB |
| Storytelling | 60 to 90 | bed, drops at the turn | minus 8 to 12 dB |
| Montage | 120 to 140 | lead | speech rare |
| Cinematic | 60 to 90 or ambient | lead | speech rare |
Examples
- Montage at 128 BPM, 24 seconds. Cuts every bar for the first 8 seconds, every beat through the build, a 3 second hold on the hero shot at the drop, every 2 beats to the end.
Do it in Vyra
- "Add the track I uploaded as a music bed. Duck it 8 dB whenever I speak and let it rise between sentences. Drop it fully for the reaction at 31 seconds."
- "Cut this footage to the beat of the music. Shots change on every bar for the first 8 seconds, every beat through the build, and hold the finished painting through the drop. Trim the track so it ends with the video."
- "Suggest three tracks from the library between 90 and 110 BPM that fit a calm studio vlog, and place the first one under the cut."
Common mistakes
- A 140 BPM track under a slow process video.
- Music at the same level as the voice.
- Cutting to the beat when the voice should lead.
FAQ
Where do I get music I can use? In-app sounds for that app, a royalty-free library for cross-posting, a direct license for client work.
How do I find the BPM? Tap along for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Vyra detects beats on upload for syncing.
Related
- /how-to/pace-a-short-form-video
- /how-to/record-clean-audio
- /formats/montage
- /prompts/add-music