What is the purpose of a music video?Music videos are essentially just a short video that accompany a certain piece of music. They are mainly used to promote and advertise the band or singer and the record label. They get publicity by their videos being shown on music channels like the famous,MTV (music television) where people can watch the video, this also helps people remember the song and the artists.
When did they become popular?They started to become popular in the 1980's when MTV was introduced. Music videos used a wide range of techniques, including animation, documentaries and other styles. This makes them more interesting and appealing to a wider range of people.
Who controlled the development of music videos in the past? Who now has control of the development of a music video?In the past when music videos were first being made it was mainly the director of the video that got to make most of the decisions. But more recently in more modern videos the artists and record labels are having more say in what happens in their video. This means they have final decisions on how they are going to be shown through their video and how their fans will see them.
How have new technologies impacted on the relevance and importance of music videos?When music videos started to be produced the technologies on offer were very limited. With more modern videos better technology is becoming more and more necessary. An example of new technology being used is in the video 'Ladyhawke, My Delirium' that I analysed. Part of it is animated and this is a modern part of technology that gives artists the freedom the express themselves through their videos in any way they want. Different technologies have also had a big impact on the music industry itself. Websites such as YouTube allow people to freely search for mu sci videos and watch them also comment on them. This gives artists more promotion and exposure, rather than just being shown on music channels.
