EMI Publishing – The Benefit of Videos
What is a music video and what is its
purpose?
A music video is a short video (usually lasting around 2-4 minutes) that
is created to accompany a song by a particular band/solo artist. Their purpose
is primarily to promote the artist and the song. However, it can also be used
as a way to provide the song with further meaning.
There are 3 main music genres:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Concept
Performance:
A performance video is one in which the band/artist is seen performing
the song, usually on stage in front of an audience or in a recording studio.
An example of a performance video would be Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a
Prayer” in which the band can be seen, at first, setting up and rehearsing the
song. Then towards the end we get to see them in front of a live audience.
This video promotes the band due to the fact that it focuses primarily
on them as opposed to anything else. It also provides the bad with a good image
because of the high, positive energy they display throughout. This could result
in higher ticket sales for concerts or just more sales of the song itself.
Narrative: A
narrative video is one which tells a story during. This story will usually work
as a visual representation of what is happening within the song. Providing it with
more meaning or depth.
An example of a narrative video would be “Titanium” by David Guetta in
which the story is about a boy who is running from his school, and then the
police. It is later revealed that there was a “Supernatural occurrence” at the
school and that the boy was responsible as he has special powers. He then runs
from the police more and is caught by what looks to be a SWAT team. The boy is
surrounded, however, he lets out a large surge of power, saving himself and
ending the video.
This video isn’t used as a way of further promoting the artist as it
does not feature them. Its purpose is to provide a visual interpretation of the
song. The song has lyrics such as “Shoot me down, but I won’t fall. I am
titanium”, possibly implying that the boy was being bullied (“Shoot me down”),
but that he will not be beaten by this (“but I won’t fall”). The video simply
provide the song with more meaning.
Concept:
A concept video is one that promotes neither the song, nor the artist.
The video usually has little to nothing to do with the song itself or the
lyrics within. The artist is also very rarely seen within videos of the concept
genre.
One example of a concept music video would be OK Go’s “Obsession”. This
is one of the rare occasions in which a concept video shows the band, however,
the video itself has nothing to do with the song. The video shows the band in
front of walls of printers mounted on a rig. The paper comes out in various
different colours, patterns and images to create a very intricate video. The
video has been sped up at times to account for the printers’ speed. This give
the video an almost stop-motion feel.
This video give the audience no indication as to what the song is
actually about. It functions as more of something interesting to watch whilst
the song is being listened to. Making for a very entertaining audio-visual
experience.
Promotional:
The
three main purposes of a music video are to sell the song, to be memorable and
to provide the audience with a better understanding as to what the song is
about. In this respect, a music video is almost an advertisement for the artist
and the song they have created. An example of a music video working as an
advertisement would be Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as a result of its concept
style and also due to iconic “Thriller dance”.
Extension of Income:
Most music video cost a lot of money to create, although, they can also
be seen as a primary way of making money. This is due to the advertisement-like
nature of a video. Meaning that people may see it and then go and buy the song,
possibly even some of the artists other songs/albums/etc. A music video can
also use product placement as a method of increasing the income, as companies
will regularly pay to have one of their products featured in the video. One
example would be “Hair” by Little Mix as they use GHD’s hair products.
Extension of Outlets:
Back when music videos were first becoming popular, audiences were very
limited in the platforms they could use to view the videos. There was only
really two ways in which music videos could be watched: Top of the Pops and
MTV. However, nowadays, there are many more ways in which music videos can be
watched such as YouTube, Spotify, and various social media outlets.
Synergy:
Synergy is a word used to describe the event in which two media
platforms collaborate as a way of promoting each other. Each of the platforms
will already be successful individually, so, linking the two results in a much
larger amount of income for both of the involved parties.
A good example of synergy would be within the Marvel franchise. Marvel
has, for a very long time, been one of the largest companies in the world.
Their synergy spans across many areas, such as:
-18 films -Countless
television shows (Netflix originals, animation, etc)
-Comic books -Theme
park attractions
-Various toy lines
-Clothing lines
The theme parks, for example. The rides promote the comics and in turn,
the comics promote the rides. Making the deal beneficial for both Marvel and
the theme park owners.
Strategies: Within
the music video industry, there are three potential producers:
-Artists -Major
label
-Independent
label
Artists
Some artists, most notably Sia, may wish to produce their videos on
their own. This method is usually undertaken by smaller artists as almost a
promotional tool. This can sometimes lead to deals with big labels. For
example, Justin Bieber started off making small videos with a very low budget on
YouTube. Whereas, Sia is a much bigger artist with the ability to create videos
on a much larger budget. Therefore, she decides to produce her own video as it
provides her with a lot more creative control.
Major Label
A
major label will typically be used by much larger artists, such as DJ Khaled.
The music that major labels produce tends to be in the style of R&B or pop.
These videos have very large budgets almost all the time and the songs they are
for generally top the charts. They are very much promotional tools for both
artist and label.
Independent Label Independent
labels tend to be much smaller than their “major” counterparts, which in turn,
means they make videos on smaller budgets. The types of music associated with
independent labels are usually folk, indie or dance. These labels will use
lesser known directors, usually believing that their work is an art form. As a
result of this, the videos tend to possess deeper meanings through the use of
experimental narratives, equipment and techniques.
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