Availability of the artist is important when it comes to creating music videos. The Beatles are a good example as in 1964 they starred in their first feature film 'A Hard Days Night' directed by Richard Lester. A year later they then began making promotional clips for distributing and broadcast in other countries, the purpose was so they could promote their record releases without having to make an appearance. However it was only after the success of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that it became the norm for record companies to produce promotional videos for artists' single releases. These videos could then be shown on programs such as 'Top Of The Pops' without the artist having to be there. This meant that if the artist was unavailable at the time they were meant to be aired they could still show their music, Brian May said that promotional videos were made so the artists didn't have to mime to complex songs and they were unable to appear on the program every week as they were scheduled to appear on tour.
Another purpose of a music video is to promote the artist. Music videos quickly became a promotional tool for artists and for a long time it was their main function. Fundamentally music videos are adverts which are designed to draw attention to that artist from a large audience and to illustrate the song as well as appealing to the visual audience. A good example of a music video that appeals to the visual audience is 'Gangnam Style' by Psy. It is a good example because the lyrics, even though they are not sung in English throughout, seem to be catchy and we find ourselves singing along to a video we don't understand. Additionally the dance in the video is easy to replicate and many audience members can remember the dance to this song. After the song was released there was a large range of merchandise related to it including things such as tops and mugs. Therefore the video was a huge promotional tool for the artist.
Music videos have many purposes, one important purpose is creating a brand. Often artists or groups are sold as a brand and the music video acts as a product of the brand, with the intention that the audience will be interested with the product and buy it, therefore buying 'into the brand'. This is done most commonly through the mise-en-scene and extending the 'look' of the video into 'the rest of their lives' which means the artist will aim to have a constant image across a range of platforms, music video, websites, CD covers, etc. Most of the time the image is of a greater importance than the quality of the product. A good example of this is the Spice Girls. Each of the Spice Girl's had their own identity and had to live up to that identity whenever they were promoting their music. Their look was extremely important as they each had their own style and many audience members had their favourite. However sometimes the image of an artist isn't as important as their product, for example Ed Sheeran is an extremely successful artist and his image has little to do with the sale of his music. Another comparison we can make is the images of Lady Gaga and Adele. Both artists are highly successful but each have their own distinct images which means they appeal to different target audiences.
Extension of income is another purpose of a music video as it provides a great opportunity to increase income, watching the video may persuade audiences to purchase a number of items based upon that artist such as t shirts, CD's, wristbands, singles, and albums. This then raises the profile of the artist which means they will be widely recognised by a large audience which then encourages the artist to start touring and attending events worldwide. It can also be an opportunity for product placement, a good example of a music video with product placement is 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
Extension of outlet is also one of the purposes of a music video, this means that the music video allows the artist to extend the outlets in which they are accessible through. Examples include music channel, websites, youtube, and smartphones/tablets. Having these different platforms available means that there is a higher possibility of audience members becoming fans of an artists music. Many websites provide opportunities for fans to buy merchandise based on the artist and provide news of any tour dates coming up. This helps to promote the artist at the same time because people are likely to let their friends know about the artist. Sometimes websites also give audience the opportunity to sign up to a newsletter regarding any news about the artist and tour dates and a chance to pre order a single or album.
Another purpose to the music video can be to provide opportunities for Synergy, which is when two media products work together to mutually benefit each other. A good example is 'Skyfall' by Adele. The arrangement meant that both Adele and the producers benefited from the agreement. As the film promotes Adele's song her video has clips of the film to promote that at the same time, so they are effectively promoting each other and both gaining profit. The song became the first bond film to win at the Golden Globes, the Brit awards, and the Academy Awards. With competition from a variety of online platforms, music channels are no longer the strong promotional platforms they once were. It is fair to say that in many ways the music video channel is in danger of becoming defunct and irrelevant. Because of the advancements in technology, music videos are instantly available via online streaming and downloads.
There are many types of artists, Major Label, Independent, and Self-produced artists and for each of these the music video has a different purpose and they each use it in a different way but for all of these artists the music video is still an important tool. The music industry as we know it today is dominated by four multi national corporations; Universal, Sony Music, Warner Brothers, and EMI. These particular labels are commonly referred to as 'The Majors' and the majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as Film, TV, and Electronics. Many of these own or license a series of smaller labels which are known as 'Major Independents' in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genres. Some of these labels are Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA, and Virgin. Independent/indie producers often see their work as an art-form and not just an advertisement for the music industry. Most of the time their videos are almost like stepping stones for up and coming directors to further their career, these types of producers often become well sort after by mainstream artists.
An example is Chris Cunningham who made his directorial debut in 1997 with the music video for 'Come to Daddy' by Aphex Twin. The video was praised, banned and raved about by many people in the business, he has since gone on to have a career in film making and advertising. Artist self-produced videos have the smallest budgets and are usually unknown artists, making a video is vitally important to them as it helps to promote their early career. Having websites such as Youtube allows them to utilise them as much as they can which sometimes can lead to great success if seen by the right people. Another good example is Justin Bieber who started his career with music videos he uploaded on to Youtube with only him and his guitar. In 2008 he was discovered by American Talent Manager Scooter Braun after he stumbled across Bieber's videos.
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