Guide
How to make a bouncing ball music video
Bouncing ball videos where every hit plays a note have been a steady format on TikTok and YouTube Shorts for a few years. They work because they set up a question in the first second (will it get out? which colour wins?) and the music rewards people for watching to the end. Here's how to make one with Melody Bounce and what to check before you post.
1. Pick a scene with a question in it
The scenes that hold attention best have an outcome you can't predict: the spinning hexagon (when does it escape?), ball race and color war (who wins?), 100 strings (does the ring hold?). The Galton board and growing ball are calmer and do well as loops. Every scene already has a two-line hook at the start and a question near the bottom of the screen.
2. Pick a melody people recognise
The notes follow the bounces, so the tune's original rhythm is replaced by the rhythm of the hits. Melodies people know from the first few notes survive that best: Für Elise, Ode to Joy, the Mountain King, Canon in D. You can also upload a MIDI file, as long as you have the rights to the music.
3. Try a few variations
The variation number changes the starting conditions. Some runs are more dramatic than others: a hexagon escape at the last second, a color war decided by two segments. Press Shuffle a few times and watch the preview. Shuffle already skips runs that end too fast.
4. Download
Choose 30 fps for the usual social upload, or 60 fps if you want smoother motion and don't mind a longer export. The video is 1080×1920, H.264 with AAC audio, which every platform accepts. The export runs in your browser and usually takes less time than the video itself on a recent laptop. Keep the tab in front while it runs.
5. Before you post
- Use the video's question in your caption. "Which colour are you?" or "Guess the bounce count" gets people answering in the comments, which helps the video travel.
- Don't add a second soundtrack. The notes are the point. Platform music on top hides the sync.
- Post the escape, not the trailer. Cutting the video short to make people visit your profile usually backfires with this format. Viewers want to see the ending.
- Credit the music if it isn't yours. The built-in tunes are public domain. For anything else, check the rights first. More on that here.