The document discusses the purpose and benefits of music videos. It provides examples of how music videos can help promote artists when they are unavailable to perform live, like Queen promoting their song when on tour. Music videos are also an important promotional tool that draws attention to songs and artists. They can help artists create brands and increase income through merchandise and expanding their fanbase. Music videos allow artists to be promoted through different outlets like music channels, websites, and YouTube. They can also provide opportunities for synergy between artists through collaborations. The strategies for music videos differ between major labels, independents, and self-produced artists.
2. Availability of Artists
The ‘Availability of Artists’ is simply when the artist is free or
whether they are busy and unable to make appearances.
This can happen often in the music industry as there may be
many things going on in the space of a short time, although
the artists and companies involved try to find ways to resolve
these problems.
3. Example
An example of when the availability of the artists caused
problems which were resolved was on ‘Top of the Pops’,
where ‘Queen’ were number one in the UK charts for 9
weeks. Although they weren’t able to perform live on the
show because they were on tour at the time. For this reason
they made and released a music video which was shown
instead.
4. Promotional
Music videos quickly became popular promotional tools. This
is because the music video is basically and advertisement for
the artist and their song. This is because it draws attentions
to the song but also is used to create a visual and shows the
meaning to the song.
5. Example
https://youtu.be/QK8mJJJvaes
An example of a music video which is extremely popular and promotes the artist would
be ‘Thrift Shop’ by ‘Macklemore’, the reason for this is because the music video is very
lively and looks fun, which intrigues the audience and makes them want to watch the
whole video.
6. Creating a Brand
This is when the artist wants to not only promote their music
but also want to promote everything that comes with them as
well.
7. Example
An example of this would be ‘One Direction’, I chose this
group because as well as promoting their music, they also
have many other products which promote themselves and
their group. For example, lunchboxes, action figures, mugs,
pens, calendars, bedding and lots of other products. Most of
these things are not necessarily promoting their music but
promotes them as a whole.
8. Extension of Income
Music Video’s create a huge opportunity to create an
increase in income. From people watching the music videos,
this is a good way to make people intrigued into purchasing
the artists merchandise.
This also increases the popularity of the artist because if they
see someone with merchandise, they will want to find out
who the artist is, possibly making more people attend tours
etc.
9. Extension of Outlets
Music videos allow artists to be promoted through many
outlets.
For example: Music Channels
Websites
Youtube
Smart Phones
Each of these outlets help promote the artist and there
music, creating more chance that they will get more fans.
10. Synergy
Another benefit of music videos can be to provide
opportunities for synergy.
Synergy is what happens when two or more artists work
together to mutually benefit one another.
11. Example
An example of this would be from the latest film in the ‘James
Bond’ franchise, ‘Spectre’ sung by Sam Smith.
https://youtu.be/8jzDnsjYv9A
This is basically a double promotion because both Sam
Smith and the producers of ‘Spectre’ are using the song to
promote one another.
The film promotes Sam Smith’s song as it is in it, whereas
Sam Smith’s music video promotes the film. This is an
example of ‘Synergy’
12. Producers Strategies
There are three different types of artists:
• Major Label
• Independent
• Artist Self-produced
For each of these different types, the music video has a
different purpose.
13. Major Label
The music industry is influenced by four main corporations.
• Universal
• Sony Music
• Warner Brothers
• EMI
These are known as ‘The Majors’. Most of these are apart of
huge conglomerates which also dominate most of the, Film
and TV industries.
14. Independents
There are a numerous amount of small companies with little
or no financial connection to ‘The Majors’.
These companies often concentrate on a smaller genre of
music. For example, Hip/Hop, Rap, Electronica, Dance.
These are called ‘Independents’. An example of a highly
successful in Independent would be ‘Boy Better Know’. This
company have many well known ‘Grime’ artists, such as,
JME and Skepta.
15. Artist Self-Produced
Artists that make self produced videos have extremely
smaller budgets and are, most of the time, unknown artists.
Making a music video is crucial to them trying to promote
themselves in their early careers. One of the major websites
which people use to take advantage of this method is
‘YouTube’.
There have been a few people that have found success from
this method. One person being the famous ‘Justin Bieber’.
