Music videos are designed to promote a band or singer, on multiple media platforms, ranging from T.V and Internet, to being able to be sent to iPods, Computers and the like. However they weren't always around, and at first it was only something used in palce of the actual musicians. Back in the 1950's bands and singers had to traverse the road all year round, traveling from city to city, from country to country. Usually playing the same song over and over again, this of course would get tedious very fast, so peopel started to experiment with 'Promo Videos'. These videos had the band playing on a stage, like a normal performance, but then it was recorded, copied and then distributed around the world. This mean't that the band members could stay at home and relax, not have to play the same song over and over, and people would still get to hear and watch these videos. People like the Beatles and Bob Dylan had jumped on the train ride, since they were so popular, and racked up some large air miles, this would be a breath of fresh air for them. So as the 1960's rolled around, the promos were being made, small budget of course, nothing fancy, just giving the people the music they want.
It is a very simple idea, but this got people going crazy, and soon The Beatles and other artists such as The Monkees and The Animals. As the 60's past by, nearly every household in the UK had a T.V, and The beatles were abusing this, making more and more multiple promos, each becoming more intricate then the last. By 1967, the famous Strawberry Fields video wa released, ranging in full colour, and none of it really being performance based. This video took promotional videos to a new level, using techniques from films; slow motion, reversed film, weird lighting techniques, and the camera angles were a tad off.
However this wasn't caught on in the 1970's and it seemed a lot of artists were still sticking to the basic performance based videos. This can be shown by Abba, who have a basic lip syncing song with a white background, and the group playing instruments and singing. David Bowie as well, with his hit single 'Life on Mars' was just him singing with a white background. This was probably because the industry felt that their audience would only want to see their artist performing the song, not mixed with pointless distractions. However bit hitters like the Rolling Stones, had mushc more imaginative videos, which usually consisted of chopped up clips cuttign from a city, to a concert and finally some post produciton effects are added.
Even though this is mainly focused in Britan and America, New Zealand and Australia' bands soon picked up the ideas and followed suite. Also with the development of technology and nearly every house and home in the UK having a T.V. Australia was a key element in the development of music video broadcasting as it began making shows to host these videos. Some were called," Sounds Umlimited and Kommotion". The british show Top of the Pops, had been showing music videos since the early 70's however it limited the amount of those it woudl show, thus not becoming massive world wide.
By the 1980's music videos were all over the place. Also with the development of technology and nearly every house and home in the UK having a T.V. However in 1981 eyes turned to America as the Music Television program was launched, or M.T.V as we now know it nowadays. On it the song, 'Video Killed the Radio Star' was the first to emerge on its broadcast. The fact that the title of the song was in a sense actually happening during that time was quite amusing, now people were listening less and less to their raidos, and were focusing on the T.V. MTV was the first 24 hour music show, and signified that Music Videos had gone mainstream and the show was perfect for popualr music marketing. Also during this time, technology had taken another leap forward, with the editing and recording equipment standards rising much higher then previously. It also ushered more wild and strange videos, the performance based idea was slowly disappearing. From this revolution, music videos then began a new era, where the Directors themselves start to become famous for their work, the Internet becomes video friendly and another new medium for peopel to watch them is opened.
Promotion
When somone wants to create a musiv video, one thing that must be in their minds, is how they would promote the video, and thus promoting themselves as artists. Usually if your backed by a record company, one would not have to worry about it, as they have the means and resources to 'spread the word'. The way they do this, is they start off small, maybe only releasing the single out for radio usage. Once that has built up a large enough fan base, they create the video, and then it is pushed out onto the TV Music Channels, like; M.T.V, or Kerrang. Obviously they place the video on the channels that support the songs genre, as that would reach the desired target audience faster then if not. The video will get air time, and from that people will start posting the video up on websites such as YouTube, and Myspace. Now this isn't just left up to the people to do, they may decided to go through the Internet first.
It all depends on how you want to reach your area, if the artist in question is not well known, then the Internet is the best way forward, as millions of people who like listening to new talent will pick up on the song and spread the word. If you give a first timer a sudden million pound video, it wouldnt just be horrible because the artist has no idea what is happening, and also the auidence will look upon it badly. Another way to promote ones music video, is doing a cover for a film, whether it be a student level of a big block buster, somone will hear the song, search for it and will find the video. Without a Record Label under your belt, it is near impossible to get your video onto the big monsters MTV and VH1. Even if your music is the freshist and most wonderful thing they have ever heard, it just won't work. Hence why big time artists like; Lilly Allen and The Wombats went through the internet, because that is where companies are now looking. Before one would have to send a tape or dvd containing the video, but now because the world is focusing on live streaming and downloading videos, the best place to find them, and distribute a video for one of yoru artists, is the net. Its free, open to all, and takes a lot less time to become known then radio, TV, or even movies.
Another way to promote a Music Video, is through interviews and live performances. Even though the percentage of people watching TV around the ages of 16-25 is very low, they tend to watch music channels more often. Or a particualr show which is based around those ages will contain music acts, for example the show called T4, usually runs on the weekends, and hosts a mix of 'teenage soaps' as well as exclusive music interviews and performances. If an artist was to get on that show and talk about their music, then play the song which was made into a video, people will hit the internet yet again to find the video.
Extension of Income
This basically means, how people can get the money to fund their music videos. This has a large range, going from relying on your record label to pay for it, or you yourself have to cough up the cash to get it sorted. In the year 2000, prices for a low budget Video were around about £150,000, of course only the rich and those under thw wing of the biggest labels could make them. But, people do not need bucket loads of money to make a music video, if a friend is a film student, wanting to beef their portfolio. They may do it for free, and only ask for a small cost to pay for extra items for set and stuff. Though £10,000 can be spent, if you know how to control your money.
But to be able to get the money, for maybe small time artists, its only through interviews with tv shows and magazines, performances around the country. That will get you the money needed to be able to make one, which would then improve your cash flow. Once the music video is made, of course you have just parted wit ha large sum of money however, because it has been made it is now ready to be sent across the world. You can upload it to the internet or to a music tv show, because once that is done everytime the song is played on tv, you gain royalties from it. After that people will see it, and enjoy it, more people will request it on the radio because they saw the video. Thus you gain royalties from the radio stations for each time they play it, and hopefully a record label notices you. From this they can mass market the video and other song you have created, thus you Income will increase, allowing you to make larger more grand videos.
Extentsion of Outlets
The number of outlets, that music videos can now have access to is amazing. Before in the past it was limited to just TV, then it reached Betamax and VHS, moving on from that DVD became the next new way to distribute them, and now the internet, ipods, the number of places they can be is growing non stop. You used to be able to by the song on video, or record it to video, so you could watch it at anytime you felt like. Then technology progressed, and we starting viewing our favorite artists and music videos on DVD, burning the clip onto the disk, or buying it from a retail shop in the high street. Then the internet came around, with the creations of iPods and the new format MPEG4. When the internet was able to stream videos live, it opened the doorway for massive video sharing sites like Youtube.
The fact that all of it is free, and you don't need an account to watch them makes it all the more popular. Record labels do have jurisdiction there and can remove any of the videos made by its artists at any time, if they feel their rights are being abused. This rarely happens, though it did happen last year, where the UK branch was abusing the rights, and all music videos were removed. This is why companies such as Spotify were created for people to listen to the music they love, without having to watch the videos. The internet is now only the tip of the iceburg for consuming Music videos, as people can download them to there computers, or better yet, their MP4 players. Thus in doing so, they could be watching your video and somone who hasnt seen it watches it as well, then they like it, and it spreads like wild fire.
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