Task 2: Purpose of Music Videos

1. Unit 1,16,29
Task 2: Purpose Of Music Videos.
By Mustafa Said

2. Purpose Of Music Videos
The purpose of a music video is mainly to promote a new or known artists or
record labels to attract a mass audience in order to make money off them. This
is done as they persuade the audience to watch the music videos by using the
male gaze theory and get them interested in the music produced so they buy
them. Nowadays music videos are part of a marketing scheme to sell music
recording such as in CD’s, Vinyl records, or digitally download for example Apple
Music on the iPhones. A music video can be also used to send
out a message to the audience for example Michael Jacksons
music video for “They Don't Care About Us”, which is about
human right abuses
and racism.

3. Promotion of Artist
This is where a music video is used to attract the audience towards the
artist by dressing them in a certain way and make them look hoe people
dreamed of being. This can be done by alerting the audience on social
media sites such as YouTube, sound cloud, etc. For example 50 Cent is
dressed up as a “thug” or “gangster” in all his music videos which inspire
people to do as the audience like it. As the audience like what they see
they become interested and expect much more. For example, 50 Cent is
seen wearing gold chains and a snapback which show luxury and in a club
with a lot of girls wearing XL jeans and XL shirt in “In The Club” or
“21 Questions”

4. One way to promote an artist is by having them collaborate with
a famous artist in a duet. For example Roy Woods did a
collaboration with Drake which caused Roy Woods massive
publicity as his single with drake, “Drama” was a hit with over
millions of viewers.

5. Promotion of Record Label
A great way of promoting a record label is by signing great artists loved by the
audience. For example Young Money records. Lil Wayne, Drake, Tyga, Nicki
Minaj and other great artists are under Young Money records. So that’s why
artists such as Drake and Lil Wayne always shout out Young Money in their
songs such as “Loyal” with Chris Brown and Tyga. This promotes the record
label as well as the artists as the audience check out more information about
the record label and are introduced to more.
The logo itself
is used to create
a brand identity
as the audience
starts to trust the
brand.

6. The Male Gaze Theory
The Male Gaze Theory is mostly about ‘visual pleasure’. This is used in many modern
music videos nowadays. This means how women are portrayed sexually in many music
videos or even movies and television series in order to grab mostly the male
AUDIENCE'S attention. Women are also attracted as they
wish they were as attractive as the women they see. This is used to use women as objects
for male pleasure for example artists like Nicki Minaj. Her music videos are always
sexual especially when she is half naked as in the music video of “Only”.

7. SYNERGY
SYNERGY IS THE RELEASE OF A BRAND ACROSS DIFFERENT MEDIA PLATFORMS. FOR EXAMPLE
HARRY POTTER STARTED OUT AS A BOOK THEN INTO A MOVIE AND ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN
SOUND TRACK. HOWEVER IN THIS CASE, MUSIC VIDEOS ARE ALSO USED AS SHORT FILMS OR
THE MUSIC VIDEOS USE MOVIE SCENES IF THE SONGS ARE PART OF THE MOVIE’S
SOUNDTRACK. FOR EXAMPLE THE MOVIE SUICIDE SQUAD HAS RELEASED ITS OWN
SOUNDTRACK WITH GREAT ARTISTS SUCH AS RICK ROSS, TY DOLLA SIGN AND MORE. IN THE
MUSIC VIDEO OF "SUCKER FOR PAIN" THE DIRECTOR HAS USED SCENES AND ALSO FILMED
THE ARTISTS USING THE SETS AND PROPS FROM THE ACTUAL MOVIE. MEDIA USE THIS
TECHNIQUE IN ORDER GET MORE MONEY AND GAIN A LARGER AUDIENCE .

8. ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE IS "IT'S ON AGAIN" BY ALICIA KEYS AND KENDRICK LAMAR
WHICH THE SONG WAS USED IN THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2. THE MUSIC VIDEO
INCLUDES SCENES WITH SPIDERMAN HIMSELF FROM THE MOVIE.

9. REPRESENTATION
THIS IS WHEN THE MEDIA RECONSTRUCT REALITY TO MAKE THEIR AUDIENCE BELIEVE. IT
ALSO USED AS AN ELEMENT OF SEXISM. FOR EXAMPLE, TORY LANEZ WAS IN A MUSIC
VIDEO, "LA CONFIDENTIAL" WHERE HE CHEATS ON HIS GIRLFRIEND BUT IT WAS A SETUP
FOR HIM AND GANG VIOLENCE INVOLVED WHICH WAS ACTUALLY MEANING HOW
GUILTY HE FELT AS THE WHOLE TIME IT WAS A DREAM AND HE WAKES UP.

10. A PERFECT EXAMPLE WOULD BE BRUNO MARS’S MUSIC VIDEO TO GRENADE WHERE IT
SHOWS THE REALITY OF HOW GUYS WOULD DO SO MUCH FOR THEIR LOVER EVEN DIE
FOR THEM HOWEVER THE GIRL ALWAYS WANTS MORE NO MATTER WHAT SACRIFICES
THE GUY MAKES. IT IS KIND OF SEXIST HOWEVER AS USUALLY IT IS THE GUY WHO
CHEATS ON THE GIRL AND IS NOT SERIOUS IN A RELATIONSHIP.

11. ALBUM SALES
MUSIC VIDEOS ARE A GREAT WAY OF SELLING ALBUMS. THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN THE AUDIENCE
LISTEN TO THE SONG, THEY WANT A VISUAL VIEW AS IT IS LIKE WATCHING A MOVIE AFTER SEEING
THE TRAILER. THE MORE PUBLICITY THE MUSIC VIDEO GETS, THE MORE MONEY THE ARTIST AND THE
RECORD LABEL MAKE AS THE AUDIENCE BUY THE ALBUM AS THEY ARE ATTRACTED BY THE HOW THE
ARTIST IS PORTRAYED IN THE VIDEO AND THE SONG. FOR EXAMPLE, JUSTIN BIEBER HAS ONE OF
THE MOST VIEWED MUSIC VIDEOS, "BABY" WITH OVER A BILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE. THIS THEN
MADE JUSTIN BIEBER MORE FAMOUS AND MADE EVERYONE AWARE OF HIS NAME. OR THE MUSIC
VIDEO FOR MICHAEL JACKSON’S VIDEO FOR "THRILLER" GOT HIM TO GAIN 9 MILLION ALBUM
SALES WHICH WAS WORLD RECORD BACK IN 2006.