Vevo and YouTube have started age rating music videos from three major record labels that may be unsuitable for children under 12. The BBFC classifies each video based on its guidelines for films, assigning a rating and content descriptors. Ratings of 12, 15, or 18 appear on the sites, denoting the level of language, nudity, violence, and other content in the video. Alternative rock music videos commonly feature drug use, sexuality, and sometimes violence, so they are usually not suitable for those under 12 or 15. Artists generally aim to keep ratings below 15 to maintain their audience size.

1. Music Video Age Ratings
and Guidelines
Dan Field

2. BBFC,YouTube and Vevo
 To improve the audience’s awareness about the content of some music videos,
Vevo and YouTube, working in partnership with the BBFC, have started to age
rate all music videos by artists signed to Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK
and Warner Music UK that are unsuitable for younger children (under 12s).
 These record labels must submit any video that could potentially exceed a
rating of a 12 to the BBFC if it is to be uploaded to one of these sites. The
BBFC then classifies each video, watching it through in its entirety and then
assigning an age rating and bespoke content advice on the basis of the BBFC's
published Classification Guidelines(The same guidelines used for mainstream
films). Areas of interest include: Drug misuse, Dangerous behavior presented
as safe, bad language, sexual behavior or nudity, threatening behavior or
violence.
 These ratings appear on Vevo Online and YouTube. Both on a desktop and a
mobile version of the website.

3. Age Rating 12:
 Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive
discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
 Drugs: Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorized or give instructional detail.

Imitable behaviour: No promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy. No
glamorization of realistic or easily accessible weapons such as knives. No endorsement of anti-social behaviour.
 Language: There may be moderate language. Strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which
it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual
justification.
 Nudity: There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must be brief and discreet.
 Sex: Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Moderate sex references are permitted, but frequent
crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Threat: There may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Although some scenes may
be disturbing, the overall tone should not be. Horror sequences should not be frequent or sustained.
 Violence: There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries
or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be
implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and its depiction must be justified by context.

4. Age Rating 15:
 Discrimination: The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be
racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.
 Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example,
through instructional detail). The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols
or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Imitable behaviour: Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail
which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such
as realism, context and setting.
 Language: There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which
it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual
justification.

Nudity: There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual
context but usually without strong detail.
 Sex: Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to
sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose
primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
 Threat: There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be
acceptable.
 Violence: Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images
are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

5. Age Rating 18:
 It is rare that a music video will require a rating this high. This is done
purposely by artists and directors. If a music video was rated too high, then
their audience for the video would be a lot smaller.
 As it is intended for adult viewing, there are minimal guidelines in place for
certificate 18 films. Nudity, violence, and excessive bad language and
terminology is permitted.
 The only real restrictions on 18 rated films are based on ethical or moral
guidelines. For example; it would be unlikely to see child/animal abuse, as it
is a commonly despised subject. However it is not illegal to be shown in a
music video/film. As long as it was all acted out and it not genuine
child/animal abuse. Showing these types of material would be un beneficial
for an artist and their producer, unless it coincided with the theme/lyrics of
the song. As it could potentially reduce views/sales otherwise.

6. Alternative Rock Music Videos
 Music videos of the Alternative Rock genre will commonly feature drug use,
sexual themes, and sometimes violence. This is because of the genre
conventions.
 Because of this, rock music videos are usually not suitable for children under
the age of 12. Sometimes this could be raised to 15 depending on the
video/lyrics of the song.
 Music videos (even from the rock genre) will not usually exceed a 15 rating,
unless specifically intended to by the artist or producer.

7. How this helps us:
 We will use the information that I have collected in this presentation when
we come to identifying our target audience.
 We will also use it when we come to filming, to ensure that we do not break
any guidelines from the BBFC that could increase the rating of our project
higher than what we intended.
 We can also use this presentation as a reference in our evaluation, when we
look at the successfulness of our project. We can examine if it conformed to
the age rating we chose, and if our target audience would even be able to
view the video.