When the artist mouths the words of the song in time with the audio playbackThe process of playing the song's audio through speakers on ..., creating the visual appearance of singing the track live.
Lip syncWhen the artist mouths the words of the song in time with th... is the bread and butter of music video performance. The playbackThe process of playing the song's audio through speakers on ... track is always playing on set so the artist can match their mouth movements to their own recorded vocals. Getting a convincing, expressive lip syncWhen the artist mouths the words of the song in time with th... performance is a skill.
Lip sync in the real world
In OK Go’s Here It Goes Again (2006), Tim Nordwind lip-syncs the lead vocals even though Damian Kulash is the band’s actual singer. This was deliberate: Nordwind was already the one performing the vocals in the treadmill choreography for an earlier song, so the format carried over. It is a reminder that in music videos, authenticity is constructed, not assumed.
Related terms
PlaybackThe process of playing the song's audio through speakers on ..., Performance videoThe classic format: you film the artist performing the song,..., A-rollThe primary footage of the video, typically the main perform..., Hero shotThe single most important shot in the video, usually a strik..., TakeA single recorded attempt at a shot or scene. Multiple takes...