Industrial Context
Timeline of music videos
- In the 1940s the Scopitone was developed. This was a type of jukebox featuring a film component. It became most popular in the 1950s and 60s in the US and Europe. This is often regarded as the first form of music video.
- In 1963 one of the earliest videos of a Top 40 hit was released (Jan & Dean’s Surf City)
- In 1964 The Beatles produced a feature length film, “A Hard Day’s Night”
- Bob Dylan created one of the first televised music videos in 1966 to “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
- Advances in technology in the 1970s meant that music videos became more visually dramatic and impressive. This included chroma key (green screen)
- Producers started to realise the potential of music videos and so higher budgets were set on their creation
- Top of the Pops began showing musicologists videos in the mid 1970s, again reflecting their new power in the music industry
- Queen produced a music video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 1975 to be shown on Top of the Pops to promote the song. This video was considered the most significant music video of the 1970s due to its striking visuals and special effects.
- MTV started in 1981 in the US. The channel asked record lanes to create music videos for free. The first music video shown was the Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star”.
- In 1983, Michael Jackson’s incredibly influential 13 minute “Thriller” music video was released exclusively on MTV. The video was inducted into the National Film Registry of Congress despite only being a music video because it was “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.
- Due to the fact that music videos are short media forms, they have often been used as an opportunity to experiment with new technology. For example the use of chroma key in the 70s, but also the use of claymation and stop motion animation in the 1986 music video “Sledgehammer”.
- To communicate meaning in this short time frame they also often use intertextuality.
Contemporary context
The major players in the market are:
- Universal Media Group
- Sony Music
- Warner Music Group
- Lighthouse films
- London Alley
- Go Big LA
- Litewave Media
- Video Ink
- Tribesound
- Maximum Flavour Media
- ARTtouchesART
- Partizan
- Escape Plan Productions
- Music videos are highly important in today’s music industry as this is an opportunity to communicate meaning to the audience, showcase talent, promote the artist, enable engagement and build a star persona.
- Due to their importance, music videos have high budgets typically funded by the record label.
- Music videos are largely distributed on platforms such as Vevo on Youtube to allow for easy accessibility and therefore largest possible audience and reach.
