A2 Advanced Portfolio in Media

1. Music Video Industry Regulations
Rhys Ward

2. What is regulation?
• The official definition of regulation is, “a rule or directive made and maintained by
an authority”.
• This is a similar definition to how regulation is used within the media industry. For
music videos, regulation refers to the concept that content should fit in to specified
guidelines. There are a variety of different guidelines that music videos must comply
with. The reasoning behind these specific and strict guidelines is the same with any
form of media, which is to protect a younger audience from being subjected to
explicit content.
• The regulations for music videos is managed by the British Board of Film
Classification (BBFC).

3. British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
• The BBFC are an independent, and therefore non-governmental, organisation responsible
for classifying films, videos, DVDs and video recordings since they were first established in
1912.
• Initially they were called the British Board of Film Censorship because they only worked
with censoring films going out for cinema release. However in 1984 Parliament passed the
Video Recordings Act, which caused for the change of the organisations name to what it is
today. Censorship was changed to Classification because classifying films played a much
bigger part in their role over censorship.
• Generally, BBFC classify the videos by age rating. Different standards are in set to reflect the
content that is appropriate for that specific age. All films are categorised in this way, as we
can see with PG, 12, 15 and 18 films as examples.

4. BBFC and Music Videos
• As music videos are widely watched and are shown across multiple different platforms it is
very difficult for the BBFC to regulate them by age rating. As a result there are other
elements that are taken in to account when a given music video is being classified. Drug
misuse; dangerous, threatening or violent behaviour; explicit language and sexual
behaviour/nudity are examples of what the BBFC has to consider in relation to the safety
of children as an audience.
• Music videos have this regulation because of how successful it has proven to be in
protecting children from such exposure.
• A selection of record labels submit their artist’s music video to the BBFC if it is going to be
released online and if they would expect it to have at least a 12 age rating. From here the
BBFC will watch the music video in full and afterwards classify it with an age rating &
viewing advice (i.e. strong language, sex references or sexualised nudity).

5. BBFC and 3rd Parties
• The BBFC are currently working in partnership with YouTube and Vevo - two very popular
mediums for an audience to view music videos.
• The aim of these partnerships is to “improve consumer awareness about the content of certain
music videos, and to improve child protection online”. As part of their partnerships they have
enforced a permanent scheme to age rate all music videos coming from Sony Music UK’s,
Universal Music UK’s and Warner Music UK’s artists should the videos come across as unsuitable
for younger children.
• Should the music video be classified, the rating will appear on all online platforms of both Vevo
and YouTube including their mobile applications.
• Again, the criteria for these regulations are drug misuse, dangerous behaviour being conveyed as
safe, bad language, sexual behaviour, nudity and threatening behaviour/violence.