How much does a promo video cost in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois?
A short promo video for social media or ads runs anywhere from $500 to $10,000 around Milwaukee and Chicago. We make 30 to 45-second promos from Elkhorn, WI for $97 to $197 each, or four for $297 to $597. Here is what moves the price, and a calculator.
The local market
What a promo video costs around Milwaukee, Walworth County and the Illinois border
Published 2026 production pricing guides and the quotes owners show us land in these ranges.
| Who makes it | Typical range per video | Denecke Media |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance videographer One person, one camera, edits at home. | $500 to $2,000 | $197 filmed, $97 AI-built |
| Small studio, 2 to 3 crew Lighting, audio, a director, a longer edit. | $1,000 to $3,000 | $597 for four filmed |
| Production company or agency Priced per project, usually for funded brands. | $2,500 to $10,000+ | $297 for four AI-built |
| Do it yourself on a phone Free, if it ever gets done. | $0 | $79 to $149 for website clients |
Market ranges are rounded from 2026 production pricing guides and are general ranges, not quotes. Our prices are the ones on every quote we send, plus Wisconsin sales tax.
Our prices
Two production tracks, flat rates
30 to 45-second promo videos for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and ads. You own the files. One revision round included. Payment at approval.
AI track
$97
per video, or four for $297. Website clients $79 each.
Animated video built from your logo, photos, screenshots and business info: storybook cartoon, flat motion graphics, photo slideshow or an app and website demo. AI voiceover and original music. No realistic AI people, no fake footage of your business.
Human track
$197
per video, or four for $597 from one shoot day. Website clients $149 each.
Filmed on location within 30 miles of Elkhorn. Your actual work, crew and products on camera. No AI-generated footage, voices or people. Footage stays on file for future edits.
Both tracks: vertical 9:16 and square 1:1 (wide 16:9 on request), captions burned in, a hook for the first 3 seconds, a clear call to action, suggested caption and hashtags. Not included: ad spend or ad management, hired actors, posting to your accounts, videos over 60 seconds. Extra revisions $75 an hour, estimated first.
What moves the price
Five things that change what a promo video costs
Filmed or built
A crew on site costs more than an animated build anywhere you ask. Our filmed videos are about double the AI-built ones, and that gap is the whole difference: real footage of your real business is the one thing AI can't fake.
How many at once
Production companies charge per project because setup is the expensive part. Same for us: one video is $97 or $197, four from the same session is $297 or $597.
Length
Agencies price per finished minute, often $1,500 and up. We only make 30 to 45-second promos, which is what Reels, Stories and ads actually want, so length never changes our price.
Travel
The human track includes on-location filming within 30 miles of Elkhorn: Lake Geneva, Burlington, Delavan, Whitewater, Kenosha and the McHenry County line. Farther out is quoted first.
Revisions and extras
One revision round is included. More rounds, actors, voice talent or posting to your accounts are quoted separately. Ad spend is always yours.
Already a website client
If we built or host your site, you pay the website-client rate: $79 per AI video, $149 per filmed video. A site-walkthrough video the week your new site launches is the most common order.
Pricing calculator
What would your videos cost?
Pick a track and a count. The estimate updates as you go.
A starting estimate from our published rates, not a quote. Videos are taxable in Wisconsin (5.5% in Walworth County). Payment is due at approval; we write the script first and you approve it before anything is filmed or built.
Questions owners ask
Promo video cost questions from Wisconsin and Illinois business owners
How much does a promo video cost for a small business in Wisconsin?
Freelance videographers in the Milwaukee and Chicago markets usually charge $500 to $2,000 per finished video, a small studio with a crew $1,000 to $3,000, and production companies $2,500 to $10,000 or more per project. Denecke Media makes 30 to 45-second promo videos for $97 (AI-built) or $197 (filmed at your business), with four-packs at $297 and $597.
What is the difference between the AI track and the human track?
The AI track is an animated video built from your logo, photos, screenshots and business info with an AI voiceover and original music. No shoot, no scheduling. The human track is filmed on location at your business within 30 miles of Elkhorn: real crew, real product, real people, and no AI-generated footage, voices or people.
Why does one video cost less than four?
Four videos come out of one script session and, on the human track, one shoot day. One video gets posted once. Four is about a month of content, which is where owners see results, so we price the pack to make it the easy choice.
What do I get?
Finished MP4 files you own: vertical 9:16 and square 1:1, wide 16:9 on request, captions burned in, original or licensed music, a hook written for the first 3 seconds, a clear call to action, and a suggested caption and hashtags. One revision round is included.
Is there sales tax on videos?
Yes. Promo videos are taxable in Wisconsin (5.5% in Walworth County) and are invoiced as their own line. Payment is due at approval and production starts once it is received.
Do AI videos have to be labeled?
Some platforms require AI-generated content to be labeled when posted. We put that in the quote so you know it is a setting on your own account. Music is original or licensed; we never pull a track off someone else's video.
Does a website client get a better price?
Yes. Businesses whose website we built or host pay the website-client rate: $79 per AI video and $149 per filmed video.
Pricing guides
What each Denecke Media service costs in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
A month of content from one visit
Four short videos you own, built or filmed around Elkhorn, WI and sized for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Ask about videosOr text a good time for a 15-minute call to (414) 710-9605.