Maddie Black A2: Music Videos In The Age of YouTube

Music videos started out being live performances on TV and you used to only be able to see them on TV.

How have music video's changed due to their platforms?

Shows like Top Of The Pops and MTV had very specific guidelines and things which they had to do and had to follow.

Top Of The Pops was an early evening show which meant they were unable to show any inappropriate, rude or violent images so music videos had to be kept very minimal and PG.

Spice Girls - Wannabe - 1996

MTV had advertisers which they had to keep satisfied and happy but were easier with what people could post compared to Top of the Pops, this meant music videos during this time all developed a certain look and certain way they came across.

The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star - 1979

In 2005, YouTube was created and not soon after Top of the Pops was off air and by this point MTV had created their own reality TV shows.

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful - 2011

YouTube Opportunities and the impact

YouTube provided everyone with the same distribution deal no matter their importance or status. This platform joined with cheap and high quality camera equipment and very good editing software which led to an explosive number of music videos which were being produced. These new music videos that were being made seldom followed the rules and laws which were laid down by the videos before.

To make your videos stand out there had to be something unique and special about it

How videos are now used to sell the artist / band more than the song

There have always been the artists whose images and videos link with their music and lyrics. But overtime YouTube has created artists that are solely only linked to music videos and you only know them for their music video. This created the idea that YouTube was seen as a device not to help sell the single and album but instead producing work which generates money from views on YouTube and this has further led to more sensational and unusual music videos which only exist as pieces of art.

Nowadays people don't buy music for the same reason they used to. Music videos now focus on promoting the reasons which make the band / artist a star, it is more focused on aesthetics which will attract an audience or certain age group and make them stand out, based on their looks and how they act / come across.

An example of this is Maroon 5. They are a talented, trendy and cool pop band. Their first music video which was very low budgeted and low quality enabled them to sell the band more than the music they were promoting. They were putting themselves out there and labelling themselves as 'this is who we are and what we do'.