History and Developments of Music Videos

What is a music video?
Music videos are created and produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Most modern music videos are made as a marketing device to help to promote the sale of music recordings. Music videos became most popular in the 1980’s when MTV was created and based its company on showing music videos. Before the 80’s, music videos were referred to as “illustrated song” or a “promotional film”. Music videos can be made in a variety of different styles using a mixture of techniques such as animation, live action filming, non-narrative and abstract.

MTV

MTV is an American network based in New York City that was launched in 1981. The original purpose of MTV was to be “Music Television” showing music videos 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, guided by on-air personalities known as VJ’s (Video Jockeys). MTV had a huge impact on the music industry and popular culture, the idea of a dedicated video-based outlet for music was introduced and both artists and fans found a central location for music events, news and promotion. MTV have faced criticisms for the moral influence they have on young people, including issues related to censorship and social activism.

For the last two decades of the 20th century, the music industry rotated along the axis of MTV. The company represented a direct line into the hearts and minds of music consumers around the world, and their main form of expression was music video.

When MTV launched in August 1981 and blasted “Video Killed the Radio Star” through American households, it represented the ambitions of a company who wanted to significantly influence popular culture. It succeeded in a big way, earning millions of pounds. It remains a critical part of the music industry by leveraging music videos to help flesh out the image of acts as diverse as Michael Jackson and Green Day, Guns n’ Roses and 2Pac. 

This is a massive difference from today, where the company is more focused on reality television than music videos, and is now in a battle with Vevo to serve the music video watching populace on the web.

It was the digital revolution in the late 90s that really put the pressure on the entire music industry as it was. Music videos, which primarily served as an advertisement for record sales, feared losing their pillars of support as the big labels worried about declining CD sales as a result of availability of music online, for free. 

Now, not only is MTV used for music, it also shows programmes such as Cribs. This programme is based on showing celebrities houses, and lifestyles, all of this is a way of promoting the artist.

Developments

Over the past year, it is fair to say that technology has increased greatly, this has had a massive effect on the music industry. I believe that the advance in technology has effected the music industry in a very positive way. It has allowed artist to increase the standard of not only the music itself but also the music video.

Not only has it allowed the standard to increase it also has made new places for artist to publish their music. For example, Youtube,
Youtube has become one of the biggest online sites for where people view music from.
Many artist are found on Youtube, for example, Justin Beiber has become a world wide star and it was all down to youtube.