The history of music videos began in the 1930s with short film musical shorts. In the 1960s, bands began creating music videos when they could not perform live. The launch of Top of the Pops in 1964 increased demand for music videos. In the 1980s, MTV was launched as a dedicated music video channel, greatly expanding the audience for videos. Modern technology has allowed music videos to explore new themes and visual effects, while YouTube has enabled easy access and stronger connections between artists and fans.