Music videos are an opportunity for
artists to promote their music. They can do this by creating hype through the
internet, Enticing masses of people to watch the video. PSY and the Harlem
Shake are good examples of videos going viral as they became huge online. The
band could take full advantage of this by putting their brand emblem or just
their band name in clear viewing so they become recognizable and also this
could lead to their music creating hype through word of mouth and this could
lead to a solid fan base being formed. An example of a band using this to full
advantage would be OK Go with their
viral sensation Here it Goes Again.
This was a low budget but clever video which enticed many viewers which lead to
the band becoming recognised by millions. Sometimes the producer of a music video
gets recognition for a series of good video, for example, Michel Gondry built a
good reputation through a series of successful videos and this lead to him
being a sought after producer in the music video business.
Producers use different strategies to
promote their artist depending on their image. If a producer is trying to
promote a mainstream artist like Beyoncé they’ll be able to get a lot more publicity
and have a ready-made image. You would expect the video to have advanced dance
routines, props, and costume changes and also you would expect that the sex
appeal of the artist would be sold in every single video. However, if the
producer wants their act to have a glossy polished image they’ll try and keep
it that for as long as possible because it’ll build up a loyal fan base who has
bought in to the image. This was the case for Britney Spears when she first
came on the scene as her producers sold the fact she was a virgin and she was
just an innocent school girl as seen in the video for Hit Me Baby One More Time. When eventually Britney Spears grew out
of this image, she instead started selling her sex appeal like seen in the
video for Toxic. You would then
expect to see the video on various media outlets such as, YouTube, Spotify and
music channels like MTV Hits. Independent artists’ and bands’ labels however may
have limited funding from independent to produce and release their music video.
They would also have to look to build up a good/ unique image in order to
become recognised. The outlets available for smaller bands and artists would be
a lot more limited and would have to look at free internet sites like YouTube
in order to get it ‘out there.’
With the ways in which the public
can listen to their favourite musician increasing, so is the ways that artists
and record labels can make money. Every time an artist’s song is played on the
radio, the artist is entitled to royalties or a source of payment for the use
of their property. This is the same also if the artist has an accompanying
video; every time it is shown the artist is again entitled to some payment.
However, because of the increasing number of media outlets, it is near
impossible for the artist to track down every time their product is used so
they might not get all the money they’re entitled to. Mainstream acts tend to
hog the airplay and therefore the more underground artists have to settle
little if any airplay. The best way for a new talent to make money in the
competitive music industry is to get their music popular through free sites
such as YouTube or to do something so unique they create a huge buzz.
When talking about music videos an
outlet is something which allows us to access a music video. Now, the internet
would be considered the most common way used to access music videos. There are
various websites you can use for free to get to your favourite videos, the most
popular being YouTube, Twitter and Facebook as they’re the most used plus an
added bonus would be they’re free to use also. If internet isn’t directly
available, to you there are other ways that you can access music videos for
example, the classic way of watching television. Times have changed and MTV
isn’t the only channel available; there are now many different channels
catering for a variety of different tastes e.g. Channel AKA for grime and rap
lovers. Although not used as much as in previous years, you can still buy DVDs
that include the ‘making of’ and music official video on. Some might say that
the growing number of outlets is a good thing because you now have, more
options, more varieties catering for everyone, increased chance for artists to
get publicity, platform for up and coming acts and also businesses have more
advertising opportunities. However there are disadvantages: such as, too much competition;
with more videos being uploaded it’s harder to find what you want. Also there are
issues with piracy and copyright when covers are uploaded. It is fair to say
the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of having increasing amounts of media
outlets.
In the media industry you may come
across the term synergy; this refers to the use of another company’s product in
order to promote or sell something belonging to a different company. This is
done through licensing deals; this benefits both the producer of the gear (as
they will sell more promoting a well-known product) and also the company who is
letting them use their product as they will not only get royalties but also get
even more promotion. An example of this would be what the Spice Girls did. In
their prime you could buy almost anything with their faces planted on them e.g.
cushions, blankets and even mugs. This would have benefited the producer of the
merchandise with the Spice Girls on them as they would have got more sales
through their fans but also it would benefit the Spice Girls as they would get
royalties and promotion through the sales.
In conclusion, I believe the music
video industry will carry on growing for the foreseeable future as it’s a simple
way to promote your music. The reason behind music videos being so popular, in
my opinion, is because it’s a way in which fans can feel like they are getting
to know their favourite artist through watching the videos (and also ‘the
making of’ the video.) I also believe music artists like music videos because
it’s a way for them to project an image to their fans. However, this can’t be sustained in my
opinion as there will be too much competition for providers and this could lead
to smaller independent companies going out of business or fads becoming the
norm, for example, a new PSY or LMAO.
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