25 Innovative Business Ideas For Videographers

Updated: December 4th, 2023

Looking to start a video-related business but not quite sure what to start?

The good news is, that there are so many videography related opportunities you can start today and build a successful business.

You can become a business videographer, start a real estate video service, wedding videography, explainer video service, or any other video-related business opportunities that suit your experience.

In this post, we put together a list of 25 videographer business ideas you can start in 2024.

Here they are:

1. Start a film production company

A film production company is responsible for producing video content for social media, corporate promotions, television programs, commercials,s or other media-related fields. Ideally, the responsibilities of a video production company include scripting, location scouting, and also logistics to ensure a successful film.

Starting a film production company can be a daunting task. However, you can set up your business for success with proper guidance. Here are important steps for creating a video production company:

  • Determine the company niche
  • Choose a suitable company name
  • Draft a solid business plan
  • Hire an advocate to lead all legal matters of starting a company
  • Fund your business
  • Acquire video production equipment and skills
  • Create a website and market your film production company

If you are starting a video production company from scratch, consider creating some proof-of-concept projects so you can market the business. Alternatively, you may buy a franchise or an existing business.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $1,500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 165 days (?)

How I Started A $500K/Month Video Production Company From My Bedroom in LA

Lemonlight CEO, Hope Horner, co-founded an on-demand video production company that has produced over 7,000 videos for more than 3,000 brands, generating over $6 million in sales and growing to a 45-person team, all without taking any outside capital and being recognized in Inc 5000 and Entrepreneur 360 for three years in a row.

About
Hope started Lemonlight about 10 years ago
Revenue
Hope grew the business to $1.5M/month
Costs
It cost Hope $500 to start the business
Read by 17,096 founders

2. Start an explainer video business

An explainer video is a short online marketing video used to explain a company's product or service. Marketers place the explainer videos on the website landing page or product pages to illustrate how the product or service works to their target audience.

Different types of explainer videos include:

  • Live-action explainer videos
  • Live streams on social media
  • Animated explainer videos
  • Whiteboard explainer videos

To create an explainer video, you need a video script and voiceover. You can use an explainer video editing software to add characters, music, and sound effects to the explainer video.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $180,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $6,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

How I Created A $10K/Month Company That Makes Animated Explainer Videos

Italian entrepreneur Marco Gatti shares how he started Whiteboard.ee, a video marketing company that creates personalized animated videos, with a focus on doodle whiteboard animation, and currently invoices about $10,000 per month, having recently expanded internationally.

About
Marco started Mediatopsolution OU about 6 years ago
Revenue
Marco grew the business to $10K/month
Read by 6,894 founders

3. Start an online video editing business

Video editors manage camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics, and special effects to produce the final film or video product. To become an online video editor, you must have media production and communication knowledge and the ability to work with others.

To start a video editing business, you can outsource video editing skills from an experienced professional. Your role will be to pick video footage from the customers and upload them for the video editor to do the magic.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $208,000/month

How long does it take to build: 145 days (?)

How We Developed A $6K/Month Online Video Editing Software

VEED.IO, a London-based start-up co-founded by Sabba and her partner, offers a simple online video editing platform using batch job cloud architecture to help social media managers across the world auto subtitle, filter, rotate videos and much more, earning the company $5,300 MRR and the founders Ramen profitability within just a year of starting.

About
Sabba started VEED over 5 years ago
Revenue
Sabba grew the business to $6K/month
Read by 11,764 founders

4. Start a baking YouTube channel

Do you have a passion for baking? Do you know that you can create a baking channel and earn money selling your recipes and videos online?

Ideally, a baking YouTube channel involves recording the process of preparing baked foods, teaching your audience how to mix the ingredients, and also taking them through the entire process.

When you gain subscribers and watch hours on your channel, you can monetize the videos or allow YouTube to put ads on them. With the baking videos channel, your potential to earn money depends on the ad format, the ads appearing while content is playing and price of the advert featured, and other YouTube set factors.

To create a successful baking video sales business, you need to work on some skills before you can launch the channel:

  • Basic baking techniques
  • Teaching skills
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Filming and video editing skills

Once you have acquired those skills and you are set to start, follow these steps to start your baking video sales business:

  • Watch example YouTube cooking shows
  • Figure out the best approach that works for your schedule
  • Create recipes, film and edit
  • Create a storyboard for each show before filming
  • Create a social media profile to promote the channel

How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)

5. Become a music video director

A music video director is the head of music video production from initial conception to final editing. The director conceives of the video's artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the music act, the technical crew, actors, models, and dancers.

To become a music video director, learn the basics of film-making with photography. Then, purchase filming equipment and produce amateur music videos to prepare you for learning the job.

How much you can make: $100/month

How long does it take to build: 5 days (?)

On Starting A Website About Rock Music

Snake Oil Music News is a website that promotes new and emerging indie rock bands and artists, with a focus on reviews and live events, and has expanded to include merchandise sales and video content creation, looking for volunteers to help keep up with demand.

About
Jordan started Snake Oil Music News over 4 years ago
Revenue
Jordan grew the business to $100/month
Read by 4,870 founders

6. Start a drone photography business

Drone video, a.k.a, aerial cinematography, is the best way to achieve affordable bird's view footage of an event or commercial.

Until recently, when organizations wanted an aerial video of their business, they had to hire a helicopter, or a photographer had to climb the highest roof to cover the business. Nowadays, drones are the best approach when it comes to aerial photography.

The technological evolution has created an opportunity for aerial cinematography. To start a drone photography business, get your drone flying license, buy a basic drone and camera, and create your aerial cinematography profile.

How much you can make: $10,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $850 (?)

How long does it take to build: 44 days (?)

How A Group Of Friends Started A $10K/Month Video Production Company

A group of friends started a video production company called CFF Media that now generates $10k per month in revenue, where they primarily make promotional and testimonial videos for other companies in Atlanta.

About
James started CFF Media over 7 years ago
Revenue
James grew the business to $10K/month
Costs
It cost James $1500 to start the business
Read by 3,745 founders

7. Become an event videographer

Event videography is the art of capturing social and special events onto video. Corporate events use videographers to help them improve their company's image and to create future marketing materials. Social events hire videographers to create memories of their events.

Therefore, becoming a professional videographer presents many possibilities to your business.

To become a videographer, you attend workshops or enroll in a short course, then buy a professional camera. You may work under a professional videographer as an intern as you acquire the skills needed to create professional videos.

How much you can make: $110,000 — $1,500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)

How I Started A $500K/Month Video Production Company From My Bedroom in LA

Lemonlight CEO, Hope Horner, co-founded an on-demand video production company that has produced over 7,000 videos for more than 3,000 brands, generating over $6 million in sales and growing to a 45-person team, all without taking any outside capital and being recognized in Inc 5000 and Entrepreneur 360 for three years in a row.

About
Hope started Lemonlight about 10 years ago
Revenue
Hope grew the business to $1.5M/month
Costs
It cost Hope $500 to start the business
Read by 17,096 founders

8. Start a 360 video production business

A 360º video production company uses one of the most powerful content formats to achieve user engagement. The 360º degrees video has the potential to reach a broader user engagement.

The first and most crucial step to starting a 360º video production company is buying the right equipment and hiring a professional crew. Remember production of 360º video involves multiple time-consuming steps, from preparation to post-production editing.

To ensure the success of your business, invest in the right software for the 360º video editing task.

How much you can make: $50,000 — $100,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $7,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 70 days (?)

How We Started A $50K/Month Video Production Company With A Bunch Of Engineers

Indian video production company Filmbaker has a clientele of over 250 brands and has grown from an initial funding of 4-5 lakhs INR to clock over 3Cr in FY 20-21, en route to cross 5Cr this year, by providing storytelling services and delivering consistent, high-quality work.

About
Tarun started Filmbaker over 6 years ago
Revenue
Tarun grew the business to $50K/month
Read by 4,499 founders

9. Become a tutorial video creator

A tutorial video is a subcategory of instructional videos that share knowledge and interact with viewers. Different forms of tutorial videos include:

  • Presentation: common among college professors and teachers
  • Niche videos: short 10-15 minutes tutorials covering a wide range of topics
  • Training videos: teach candidates the skills they need to perform better at work

Creating tutorial videos is not a difficult task. With a proper strategy, you can make a tutorial video. Invest in a professional camera for your business and start creating a tutorial video. Then, outline the video contents you intend to create and create scripts.

How much you can make: $1,700 — $375,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $109 (?)

How long does it take to build: 18 days (?)

On Creating And Monetising Google Sheets Tutorials

Better Sheets is a Google Sheets tutorial providing screencasts to small businesses, earning $2,291 from 134 sales in May, with sales being mainly driven by AppSumo.

About
Andrew started Better Sheets about 4 years ago
Revenue
Andrew grew the business to $8.33K/month
Costs
It cost Andrew $109 to start the business
Read by 8,200 founders

10. Become a video game audio creator

The video game audio serves to immerse the player in the game through dialogue, thematic music, and sound effects. With the video game industry snowballing, becoming a video game audio creator can be a rewarding career.

To become a video game audio creator, you need a qualification in the related field and work under someone as an intern to acquire the necessary skills.

How much you can make: $20,000/month

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

My College Project Inspired Me To Start A $240K/Year Audio-Sharing Platform

Blerp is a soundbite-sharing platform that works with over 40,000 streamers and has helped them generate over $1M in revenue through sound donations, with over 50,000 active streamers on the platform, thanks to their dedication to product marketing and testing every new feature and product.

About
Derek started Blerp about 5 years ago
Revenue
Derek grew the business to $20K/month
Costs
It cost Derek $20000 to start the business
Read by 2,720 founders

11. Start a youtube video creation business

In today's digital world, YouTube channel has become an essential marketing tool. YouTube is the top video marketing platform for brands looking for paid and organic growth through video content. Businesses hire video creators to help them record, edit and upload YouTube videos.

Are you a videographer with an interest in YouTube marketing? Consider starting a YouTube video creation business.

To start your business, register a brand name and create a website and a YouTube channel. Use the YouTube channel and the website to sensitize your target customers on the importance of video marketing.

Potential customers include new and existing startups, individuals, celebrities, and organizations looking to use YouTube video marketing to grow their reach.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $375,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $15 (?)

How long does it take to build: 7 days (?)

I Bootstrapped A $600K/Year Video Production Company [10M Downloads]

ProductionCrate, a virtual studio offering royalty-free music, video effects, graphics and sound assets, bootstrapped to $600k/year with over 10 million downloads, and one million users, thanks to loyal customer retention rates of around 80% YoY growth at 120%.

About
CHRIS started ProductionCrate, LLC almost 15 years ago
Revenue
CHRIS grew the business to $50K/month
Costs
It cost CHRIS $15 to start the business
Read by 2,959 founders

12. Start a live video service

Live streaming has become an essential service, a trend that has created a business opportunity. While businesses can use social media platforms for video streaming, some prefer an online video platform and setting up live streaming websites.

Are you looking for a videography business idea? Consider starting a live streaming website. With over 57% of marketers using live streaming, it is not hard to see why creating a live streaming application is profitable.

To start your business, plan your live streaming business, and form a legal entity. Market your services to see your business growing.

How long does it take to build: 272 days (?)

13. Start a freelance video production business

More people prefer watching videos over reading text. This trend has led to the widespread adoption of video across multiple platforms, including mobile devices, social media platforms, and video hosting platforms.

With the increasing demand for video services, there is an excellent opportunity for Freelance videographers. If you are a videographer looking to start your new business, consider becoming a freelance video production expert.

To become a freelance videographer, you need a professional camera and video editing software. Remember that you do not need to have every piece of equipment immediately. Learn video editing and videography skills to handle the customer's requirements confidently.

14. Become a tik tok personality

Becoming a TikTok personality is a huge aspiration shared by millions of people across the globe.

To become a TikTok personality, create an account, choose a niche, and post high-quality content consistently. To stand out on TikTok, you need to be creative and ensure you post unique content based on what your followers like.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $12,000/month

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

Riyaz Aly: an Indian TikToker and social media personality earning in lakhs from TikTok and Instagram

This TikTok star is making over ₹70 lakh per year at just 19 years old with 45.2M followers on TikTok and 27M+ Instagram followers.

About
They started Riyaz Aly over 7 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $10K/month
Read by 1,239 founders

15. Start a real estate video service

Video content helps drive more eyes to real estate listings. According to statistics, real estate listings with video receive 403% more inquiries compared to those without listings.

Realtors and real estate brokers have shifted to the use of video not only to generate social proof but also to build trust with potential buyers and sellers.

Therefore, there is a high demand for video creators focusing on the real estate industry. Real estate agents use video to show off their properties, reach customers digitally, and start conversations directly with them. Therefore, starting a real estate video service can be a rewarding and profitable venture.

How much you can make: $1,500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)

How I Started A $500K/Month Video Production Company From My Bedroom in LA

Lemonlight CEO, Hope Horner, co-founded an on-demand video production company that has produced over 7,000 videos for more than 3,000 brands, generating over $6 million in sales and growing to a 45-person team, all without taking any outside capital and being recognized in Inc 5000 and Entrepreneur 360 for three years in a row.

About
Hope started Lemonlight about 10 years ago
Revenue
Hope grew the business to $1.5M/month
Costs
It cost Hope $500 to start the business
Read by 17,096 founders

16. Start an online news

The rapid pace of technological advancements is constantly evolving and creating different business opportunities. Starting an online news channel can be a great business opportunity for videographers with some journalism skills.

Millennials have become more adaptive to the latest technologies and viewing patterns, with most prefer watching news online. According to statistics, more than eight in ten Americans watch news through digital devices like smartphones, computers, and tablets.

Therefore, starting an online news channel can be a profitable venture. To start making money through your channel, focus on growing the audience so that marketers and advertisers can reach out for the airing of their advertisements through your channel.

How much you can make: $10,000 — $3,333,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,650 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

My Finance Newsletter & Community Hit A $3M Run Rate This Year

Contrarian Thinking is a premium membership community that teaches its 1.5 million members how to implement cash flow strategies to achieve financial freedom, with a current run rate of $3 million and a goal of $50 million ARR in five years.

About
Codie started Contrarian Thinking over 4 years ago
Revenue
Codie grew the business to $250K/month
Skills
Public Speaking, Copywriting, Community Building
Costs
It cost Codie $5000 to start the business
Read by 5,024 founders

17. Start a stock video business

Stock video is pre-filmed footage that can be purchased and used in various projects and films. Like stock photos, copyrighted stock videos cannot be used without permission and licensing from the rightful owner.

Businesses and filmmakers use licensed stock footage as they save money and hours, they would need to create original footage. Starting a stock video suitable for use in commercials and entertainment can be a great venture.

How much you can make: $10,000/month

How long does it take to build: 197 days (?)

I Built A $120K/Year Stock Animation And GIF Images Side Hustle

VideoPlasty, an affordable and easy-to-use platform for buying pre-made stock animation elements and GIF images, has attracted over 600,000 visitors since its launch, with over $100k in revenue in 2020 alone, thanks to free organic traffic from YouTube tutorials and optimized SEO.

About
Eduard started VideoPlasty over 7 years ago
Revenue
Eduard grew the business to $10K/month
Costs
It cost Eduard $50000 to start the business
Read by 3,548 founders

18. Start a presentation creation business

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about a company's plans, products, or practices, designed for internal or external audiences. Companies create business presentations to persuade their customers and introduce new offerings.

Most business presentations feature video use and require good video editing skills to make informative, persuasive, and supporting business presentations.

Do you have great videography skills to create innovative business presentations? Consider starting a business presentation creation business. Your target customers can be organizations and businesses looking to create business presentations for commercial or general purposes.

How much you can make: $45,000 — $400,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

I Built A $45K/Month Agency By Creating Better PowerPoints

This case study article showcases the journey of Aayush Jain, Founder of INK PPT, a niche presentation design agency that has completed over 6,000 projects, served clients in more than 12 countries, achieved a 96% customer satisfaction rate, and clocks an average revenue of $45K per month with a team of 30+ members.

About
Aayush started INKPPT about 9 years ago
Revenue
Aayush grew the business to $45K/month
Costs
It cost Aayush $1500 to start the business
Read by 4,609 founders

19. Start a product review blog

A product review blog typically includes a description of the product, as well as a rating and review. This can be anything from reviewing gadgets to books to software.

To start a product review blog, you need to have strong writing skills and be familiar with the available products. You should also have a good understanding of how to market your blog and generate traffic.

The recent trend that is making this business more popular is the growth of social media. With more people using social media, businesses are looking for ways to connect with their customers. Product review blogs provide businesses with a way to connect with their customers and generate positive reviews.

Starting a product review blog is a great way to share your opinion on different products. This type of blog can be very profitable, as you can generate revenue through advertising and affiliate marketing.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $3,500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $210 (?)

How long does it take to build: 35 days (?)

How My Blog With Body-Safe Sex Toys Reviews Turned Into A $2K/Month Side Hustle

Sex blogger turns a free WordPress blog into a $2,000 a month part-time digital business by investing in education, self-hosting, and building relationships within the NSFW community.

About
Cy started Super Smash Cache over 9 years ago
Revenue
Cy grew the business to $2K/month
Costs
It cost Cy $14 to start the business
Read by 17,270 founders

20. Become a product demonstrator

In the past, product demonstrators worked at department stores, malls, tradeshows, and grocery stores, where they met with potential customers. However, with current trends in e-commerce, product demonstrators have adopted videos to reach out to potential customers.

You can become a freelance product demonstrator and focus on creating demo videos that educate and inform the target audience on different products.

How long does it take to build: 20 days (?)

21. Start a wedding videography business

A wedding videographer is a video production company that documents a wedding on video. The wedding videographers cover all events from when the couple starts preparing for the wedding, arrival at the wedding ceremony site, and the reception.

Most weddings use a professional videographer. Therefore, starting a wedding videography business can be rewarding.

To start a wedding videography business, invest in the right gear for filming the wedding ceremony, like microphones, cameras, gimbal, etc. It would help if you had professional video editing software and set up a website so you can be found online.

22. Become a documentary photographer

Documentary photographers capture images that portray people, places, and events and offer their audience an accurate visual recording.

To start a documentary photography business, you need a camera, a DSLR, or a regular point-and-shoot device. Proper photo editing skills will help you present quality results to your customers.

23. Start a vlog

Short for video blog, a vlog is a blog in video form. Think of a vlog as a TV channel that covers matters of a particular topic.

You can create and publish a vlog on different platforms. However, YouTube is currently the most-viewed and successful vlog, followed by platforms like Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. Your vlog can offer instructional, performance art, or comedy-style content.

To create a vlog, develop a niche, decide the niche to specialize in, and create content.

24. Start an adsense business

Are you looking for an opportunity to turn your videography business into an earning opportunity? You can create videos, post them on YouTube or your website, and create an AdSense business. An AdSense business is an opportunity to earn passive income that can generate money without much involvement.

25. Become a Q&A video creator

Q&A videos are a popular format on YouTube and other video platforms. Business executives create Q&A videos to share important information about their businesses. The Q&A video formats help to build trust with the audience and to attract more traffic online.

As a videographer, you can apply your skills in helping businesses to create Q&A videos. You can share the Q&A videos across multiple platforms to expand your reach.

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.