"A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos date back much further, they came into prominence in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these works were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip" or "film clip".
Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. Many music videos do not interpret images from the song's lyrics, making it less literal than expected. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance."
Wikipedia
The music video began with the infamous Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Although this wasn’t the actual ‘first’ music video, it was the first to be aired on television, filmed using videotapes. The idea of a music video was initially, and obviously to promote the song by providing a decent/interesting video for their audience, also known as a ‘promotional video’. It could be argued that the success of Bohemian Rhapsody as a song, could have given artists the idea to make a music video with each song release.
Music videos then began appearing on television music shows such as Top of the Pops and shortly after, on MTV. MTV is an American television network that broadcasted music videos initially. Since then it has expanded largely, opened many sister channels, and has differentiated away from the ‘music video’ scene, by broadcasting more documentaries and celebrity TV shows. Over time, MTV has gradually opted to air more ‘reality-based’ shows due to the vast advance in technology. The convenience of the internet and such things like YouTube meant that audiences could watch what music videos when and where they want. It’s all becoming the consumer’s choice, not the broadcasters.
Less and less people no longer want to watch a channel showing a variety of music videos, when they can watch whatever they wish elsewhere. MTV then begun to show programmes involving the lives of famous artists and singers. For example, The Osbournes was broadcast in 2002, a reality show that followed singer Ozzy Osbourne and his music-orientated family. They have also tried to expand and keep as wide an audience as possible, by branching out into different channels for different types of music. From then on MTV still remained as a great success, despite the reduction in music videos.
Top of the Pops was a television show, first aired in 1964, which broadcast chart music in the UK. Music videos were generally shown on TOTP when the artists themselves were unable to perform on the live show. The show was a major success for the BBC, as the audience enjoyed the chart countdown, as initially, it was one of the only places the ‘number one single’ could be found at the Sunday evening slot.
Top of the Pops was a television show, first aired in 1964, which broadcast chart music in the UK. Music videos were generally shown on TOTP when the artists themselves were unable to perform on the live show. The show was a major success for the BBC, as the audience enjoyed the chart countdown, as initially, it was one of the only places the ‘number one single’ could be found at the Sunday evening slot.
MTV could be seen as the catalyst of the effect of the music video. When MTV was first aired in 1981, it was set to be a channel especially for music related programmes. After broadcasting its first music video, Video Killed the Radio Star, it then became apparent of its popularity, and MTV realised that they needed more videos to fill their airtime; and so forth the reputation of the music video began. But after MTV had branched out much larger, the popularity of the music video ‘channels’ as such, began to deteriorate. So the question poses, have music videos lost their influence on us as an audience?
There are many reasons why music videos have suddenly lost effect in the past 10 years. I believe that the main cause is the ‘boom’ in technological development we have seen. Numerous advances such as YouTube, iTunes, mobile phones and Torrents have all taken part in giving the customer exactly what they want, therefore, anything can be watched as of when suits them. Over time, their popularity has expanded further, and the influence of the promotional music video has deteriorated. Although they are still viewed often, they are more seen as a way of promoting the artists appearances, not their music.
