Comments on: What Purpose Do Music Videos Serve In 2008?

By: phaballa

phaballa — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:28:39 +0000

I'm surprised that they don't mention the fact that there are some cable channels that actually DO show music videos between shows. Mostly kids' programming, but still. The N does it, or at least they used to show entire videos between episodes of My So Called Life and Degrassi. That's the only reason I knew Liz Phair had sold out--because the N was showing her video for 'Extraordinary' between shows aimed at Canadian teenagers.

The N is also responsible for my knowledge of Hillary Duff. The N has a lot to answer for.

As for videos making money on iTunes, I do know that the video for 'What Goes Around...Comes Around' sold 50,000 copies in the first four days. After that I'm sure everyone just downloaded it illegally.

By: BakerStreetSaxSolo

BakerStreetSaxSolo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:49:46 +0000

Someone should ask Soulja Boy what purpose a music video serves in 2008

By: the sieve

the sieve — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:18:13 +0000

My enjoyment of music seems to have improved greatly since I've stopped watching music videos. (Who has time?)

I find that when your perception isn't coloured by the aesthetic choices of the band/label/director, you enjoy the music more for what it is.

By: brandonsoderberg

brandonsoderberg — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:35:18 +0000

I was thinking the same thing as Noz, not in those exact words, but basically the same thing.

By: noz

noz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:55:33 +0000

"You're ain't no real baller unless you got cho'self some music videos, ya' heard?"

Which member of Three Six Mafia speaks like a ESL student who just bought Juvenile's 400 Degreez?

By: loudersoft

loudersoft — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:55:13 +0000

Videos perform a number of functions:

1) To help an artist "shape their image" with their "core demographic"
2) To uncover the "mystery" behind the "story" being told in the song
3) To connect with the YouTube generation as evidence of an artists' ability to "relate" to "the younger generation"
4) An excuse to help out your struggling best friend that has two semesters of film school, came up with this totally wacky idea to get $50K from your record label to help them live the dream with you

By: alec_baldwin

alec_baldwin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:23:56 +0000

I think when they first started making them, they at least had a message. Today, I don't know...It's wild how relevant this music video from the 70s is to today's issues. "Living for the City"

By: Janelleyo

Janelleyo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:01:48 +0000

It seems to me it depends on the Genre. Like Phaballa mentioned, there is the N and the Disney kids who do a lot with their music videos. The Christian music channels have a lot of videos and various kinds of programming that center around videos (their countdowns, favorite picks of artists, and the metal head show that I love). Just because we’re used to getting our videos from MTV through out the 90s doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been replaced by viral YouTube videos, videos on people’s MySpace profiles, etc. I think they probably get a wider audience than they used to, even without ‘traditional’ music television.

By: Nunya B

Nunya B — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:55:53 +0000

I honestly think that a good portion of the time, a video is at least partially enjoyable for an artist- it might be horrible, I don't know, but at least some of the time artists look at video shoots as not unenjoyable.

I doubt labels make any money at all off music videos. You can download them all in hi-res off the production companies' websites anyway (Colonel Blimp, Partizan, etc.).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:04:58 +0000

The music video also offers the artist another form of media in which to express themselves, keeping them engaged in the ongoing promotion of their product.

Does anybody have any data on the sales of videos on Itunes? I wonder if people actually purchase videos the way they do songs? I bought a few a couple years ago and regretted it.

By: bcapirigi

bcapirigi — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:45:57 +0000

i like the way phil collims’ giant sleeve cuffs don’t cover up the white squares.

By: februarymakeup

februarymakeup — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:33:50 +0000

The other thing is that videos are a pretty safe bet. A video is either good or bad (or neither, I suppose, but you get the idea) If it's good, you have a video that people remember, that gets a lot of attention on YouTube, that encourages people to go find the music, or see the band, or buy a t-shirt, and thus a great deal of profit.

If it's bad, well...think about the last half dozen or so truly terrible videos you saw (terrible videos, not videos for terrible songs), and I would wager it has less than a direct relationship to how much you liked the band in question.

So, once the initial cost is done, it seems a pretty safe game to play, even in the current climate for videos, which is nebulous as far as direct economic effects go.

Also, it seems a little wacky, but James mentions how great an exercise music videos are for film students. There is some evidence that the film establishment feels the same way. Perhaps this could lead to a new revenue stream?