Most music video ideas don't fail because of taste. They fail because of budget. In your head there's the mansion, the car, twenty people in the background. In your account there's one shoot day with a small crew. And then everyone tries to make both fit somehow.
It doesn't have to go that way. Some shots cost almost nothing and still look like a real production. These are the ones I use most when the budget is tight.
Detail shots over wide shots
Showing a whole car in frame quickly looks like a parking lot. The badge in backlight, hands on the steering wheel, a ring flashing as the gear shifts. That looks more expensive, and you don't need a perfect car or a closed-off street for it.
That goes for everything. Jewelry, shoes, smoke, cash, food, a microphone. Details give the edit material to work with. When the performance shots run too long, a good detail shot in between saves you.
The image above is exactly that. One close-up, a bit of light on chrome, nothing more needed.
Backlight and silhouettes
Backlight is one of the cheapest tools there is. The sun just before it sets, a lamp behind the artist, a street light. The person turns into a silhouette, smoke or dust in the air becomes visible, and suddenly the image has depth.
You do have to plan when you shoot where, though. Backlight at the wrong time of day is just harsh light. Golden hour doesn't last long, so the plan needs to be set before it starts.
One location, used properly
Four locations in one day means a lot of driving, a lot of setup and very little time at each place. In the end none of them look great. One strong location that you use fully usually gives you more.
A parking garage has a dozen different corners. A rooftop looks different in the afternoon than at night. A backyard with one light turns into a whole new scene. Different angles, different times of day, and the viewer feels like there were several locations.
A performance with a plan
Performance shots are the backbone of almost every rap video. They're cheap, but only if they're planned. If the artist raps twenty takes in front of the same wall, the edit has the same image twenty times.
Better: every part gets its own setup. The hook close and straight on, the verse moving, the bridge wide and calm. That doesn't cost a cent extra, just prep. When a pure performance video is enough and when it isn't is covered in music video, performance video or visualizer.
What you can skip
The drone for one shot that has nothing to do with the song. Extras who just stand around. A rental car that only sits in the background. That costs money and gives the video very little.
If there's money for something big, put it into one moment that really stands out. A car shot in details and in motion. Fire, smoke, a light nobody else has. How to get a cheap music video up to label level in general has its own post.
Good music video ideas depend less on budget than on what you show with the money and what you leave out. If you've got a song and aren't sure what's realistic with your budget, let's talk. I'll tell you which ideas hold up and which ones are just expensive.