Vidder

Vidder is a person who creates fan-made music videos, or vids, by editing together film or television footage with music to produce new meanings or storytelling. The term vidder is commonly used in fan communities and is derived from video and the agent noun suffix -er. The practice of vidding has roots in earlier montage traditions but became a distinct activity within online fan culture, particularly among viewers of genre television and film.

Historically, vid-making began with analog editing methods and overdubbing or splicing tape. With the spread of consumer video editing software in the late 1990s and early 2000s, vidder work shifted toward digital workflows, enabling quicker editing, effects, and distribution. The rise of video-sharing platforms in the 2000s and 2010s broadened audiences and encouraged collaboration and feedback.

Vidder work typically involves sourcing clips from copyrighted media, choosing a song, and assembling clips to match rhythm, mood, or narrative beats. Common techniques include lip-syncing, beat cutting, crossfades, and color or visual effects to support the song's tempo and emotion. Many vidder works emphasize storytelling, character pairings, or thematic parallels rather than straightforward music videos.

Communities around vidding organize around platforms such as video hosts, forums, and social media groups, with practices around fair credit, licensing awareness, and disclaimers. Legal considerations include copyright restrictions and the potential for takedowns; provenance and consent vary by jurisdiction and project.

Notable features of vidder culture include collaborative challenges, fan labor recognition, and the use of metadata and tagging to help audiences discover vids. The term and practice continue to evolve with new technologies and platforms while remaining rooted in fan creativity and commentary.