Research: Channels

A music video channel is mostly used to attract the wider audience who do not always engage in the radio channels. It also gives option to the public whether they prefer to use to the TV or radio. This is also used as synergy due to using different media platforms to promote the music for e.g. the station Capital FM has it's own music channel also which suggests the synergy used. Music channels are becoming increasingly popular and have increased for this reason. People are wanting to actually watch the different music video's and want to play it on their TV's when they are home, not just radio, with different channels for different genres where it will be more concentrated for the audience. Therefore, the music channels have increased for this reason.

Some music channels are: 

• Smash hits
• 4music
• Bliss
• Viva
• Vintage TV 
• Kiss
• Capital
• Kerrang
• VH1 
• Flavour 
• MTV 
• Magic 

In class case study: 

MTV has many different sister channels in order to give more of an option to the audience. This is because just one channel isn't enough anymore to satisfy a whole audience and also people do not want to just watch music videos all day. MTV very rarely shows music videos because of this and instead promotes TV programmes such as Catfish, Teen Mom, Ex on the beach, and Geordie Shore. These shows are relied on to keep the audience entertained as music videos do not do this any more.

Therefore, MTV's sister channels are used for the different audiences belonging to different genres which are:

MTV ROCKS:

Which only displays rock music videos.

Usually aimed at 16-25 white males.

MTV HITS: 

Which only displays pop music videos.

Usually aimed at the extremely young audience from 5-20 as artists such as Taylor Swift and One Direction are shown.

MTV BASE: 

Which only displays urban music videos. 

Usually aimed at 16-25 year olds from ethnic backgrounds as artists such as Beyoncé and Chris Brown are shown.

MTV DANCE: 

Which only displays club music videos. 

This is usually aimed at 18-25 year olds due to the fact that this is the age gap of people who attend clubs and are still actively going out. 

MTV LIVE: 

Which only displays live concerts for the public. This could be for any genre of music however is probably focuses on the mainstream popular culture.


Underrepresentation:

Niche genres such as Alternative RnB/Hip Hop, Jazz, and Grime may become underrepresented due to the smaller audiences they have which may not be enough for them to gain a music channel. Also, genres that may be offensive to audiences may not be able to go on TV before the watershed time meaning they may be underrepresented.

Advantages of music videos:

• More money for the artist 
• Gathering a wider audience 
• Promotes artist 
• Gives a choice for the audience 
• More music entertainment 

Disadvantages of music videos: 

• Decreasing popularity 
• Less videos on music video channels instead more TV shows
• Underrepresentation of niche genres of music, they don't get a music channel
• Sometimes can be extremely expensive for artists who aren't as popular 

Overall, I would most probably categorise my music video into MTV BASE as I will be focusing my music video for the audiences between the ages of 16-25 who listen to urban music. This is because I am planning on using a Hip-Hop/Rap genre which is what MTV BASE are focused on.

Research: Institutions

Music video institutions are companies who help produce and fund music videos for their signed artist. By having an institution, helps to gain more publicity by the loyal audience the institution already has which then will follow the artists they have signed. Also, this may help the artist gain collaborations to make them more popular and become known on a global scale. Moreover, the most important is the financial gain the artist will get from being part of an institution.

The four leading institutions:

EMI: 
This company is one of the worlds leading music companies. They are a international institution that own record labels such as Angel, Capitol, Capitol Latin, Astrelwerks and Blue Note. These companies have artists such as, Tinie Tempah, Lilly Allen, Snoop Dogg and Fufu Fighters. These artist's are slightly alternative mainstream stars who EMI tend to focus on rather than the mainstream artists. The benefit of working with someone who is not constantly in the public eye may mean that they will get less negative news on them which will help maintain the artist's positive reputation.














SONY:
This institution is for international superstars. The company was previously called Sony BMG Music Entertainment which then changed to Sony Music. This institution consists of diverse genres and have signed record labels such as Arista Records and Columbia Records. These companies have artists such as Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Beyonce, One Direction and Pitbull. The benefit of having a variety of genres in the record label gives them a greater chance in being able to work with loads of different artist and are able to make money through different audiences.










UMG:
This institution is the world's largest music content company. It develops recording artists and then markets and promotes their music across a wide array of formats and platforms. They own artists such as Akon, Mary J Blige, Sheryl Crow, Busta Rhymes, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Adele, Cheryl Cole, Florence And The Machine. These artist's are mostly in the RnB genre suggesting the focus on one main genre to maintain the reputation of UMG being successful for this.

WARNER:
This is the least popular institution with record labels such as Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Rhino and Sire. Warner helps artists achieve long-term creative and financial success by providing consumers with the highest quality music content available. Artists include, Paramore, T.I, Kid Rock, Plan B, B.O.B, Bruno Mars and Estelle. This company also focuses on more niche audiences rather than the mainstream in order to promote the other types of genres available.












Advantages and Disadvantages of being signed to an institution:

Advantages:

• Remain popular in the public eye, as the institution will carry the artist's reputation in order to stay successful.
• The artist is more secure and stable within a institution with less responsibilities. Most beneficial for new artists who are new to the industry.
• New artists also benefit from institutions as they are able to become popular quickly within a short amount of time ensuring success.
• Financial stability for the artist as recording songs and making music videos will cost high amounts of money without a institution to provide this.

Disadvantages:

• Once the artist is signed, they will have to follow the rules and listen to the institution, restricting them from making independent decisions.
• If the artist is not successful the institution may decide to let the artist go which may be the downfall of an artist's career.
• Getting signed to an institution in the first place may be extremely difficult as the artist may have to prove their worth.

Overall, from looking at these media institutions, I will personally pick SONY, because this is the most popular and will gain the most publicity for my music video. They also have diverse genres which will give me a choice in which genre I want to follow. Chris Brown who is signed to SONY is the artist I prefer to follow when making my own music video as this is the type of image I think will sell to an audience.

Research: Genres

A genre is a category where the different types of music fit into. There are many different genre's in order to keep the different types of music in their own sections. There are a wide variety because different audiences listen to different music so it is expected that there are options. For example, the most popular genres are, Hip Hop, RnB, Pop, Rock, Rap and Jazz. However, after these, there are hundreds of more niche genres.

All music genres:

• Pop
• Hip-Hop
• RnB
• Rap
• Rock
• Heavy Metal
• Trap
• Indie
• Jazz
• Classic
• Dance
• House
• Garage
• Electronic
• Country
• Reggae
• Afrobeats
• Bashment
• Techno
• Dubstep

There are also hybrid genres which could be e.g. Hip-Hop Rap which could mean the Rap is slower than most normal Rap songs. Also, another hybrid genre is Indie Pop which could mean the typical Indie genre of slow the songs being slow may seem much more upbeat due to the Pop genre mixing with this.

Mainstream and Niche Genres:
Mainstream genres are usually Pop as this is what the majority of the masses listen to. This includes, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainer, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, One Direction and Little Mix. However, Niche genres are usually Indie or Jazz as these are not popular amongst the masses including artists such as, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Owls.




Hip Hop 
Key Conventions: The promotion of the lavish lifestyle is the main focus of a Hip-Hop music video. Also, the focus on females in order to attract the male audience more. Jewellery such as gold chains, sunglasses and hats are main iconography in  Hip-Hop music video again to attract the right target audience as this is the stereotypical image for males between the ages of 16-25. Hip-Hop videos are usually concept based and tend not to follow a narrative as the song does not carry a storyline.
Target Audience: Males, ages between 16-25, from a black ethnic background.

One example is "Ayo" by Chris Brown & Tyga:





Rap
Key Conventions: Low budget filming and the promotion of the lack of necessities as this is what artist's usually rap about. Typically, showing a 'squad' of boys to represent gangs in communities alongside ghetto themes. The most popular characteristic is rapping about the struggle in living life with a lack of money. This attracts the target audience as they tend to be able to relate to the artist's music as they may be going through the same issues.
Target Audience: Males, ages between 16-25, from a black ethnic background usually, however, white artists such as "Eminem" have become increasingly popular in this genre.

One example of this is "Lose Yourself" by Eminem:



Rock
Key Conventions: Instruments usually shown and usually a band is performing. Mostly black clothing to follow the conventions and also, throughout the song it is purely performance with not much narrative.
Target Audience: Males, ages between 16-25, from a white ethnic background.

One example is "We Will Rock You" by Queen:



RnB
Key Conventions: The promotion of the lavish lifestyle through gold chains/jewellery, cars, and girls. However, RnB tends to usually be around the theme of love, lust and passion which usually apply to females. The main focus is a love story with a narrative rather than concept based performances. The music video tends to fulfil the lyrics through visuals.
Target Audience: Females, 12-25, all ethnic backgrounds.

One example is "What's My Name" by Rihanna:



Jazz
Key Conventions: Focused on the older generation where there are iconography like cigars and drinking. The music video would most likely be concept or performance with no narrative.
Target Audience: Males/Females, 30+, from a white ethnic background.

Pop
Key Conventions: Focused on the younger generation where the real aim to show the artist having a good time e.g. party scenes, fun activities, performance based, cliche love scenes. This shows the audience the lifestyle they should be living with the setting usually being somewhere fun.
Target Audience: 10-25, Females/Males, from all ethnic background.

One example is "Best Song Ever" by One Direction:




Grid for the genres:

Importance of genres for the audience:
It is extremely important for there to be genres because the audience need an understanding between the different types of music so they can pick and choose which genres they prefer to listen to. If there were no genres the audience would be confused on what is expected from each artist.

Overall, there are many genres which help the music industry know exactly which categories they are in, in order to entertain the audience. In my own music video, I will think carefully about which genre I want my music video in, so I can ensure I meet all the conventions accurately. I will most probably go for the genre of Hip-Hop/Rap as this seems the most appealing as it wont be too mainstream or too niche.

Research: Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory consisted of 8 key elements to conventional music videos.

1) Genre characteristics:

All music videos often reflect their genre through the use of specific characteristics which makes them conventional. For example, if the genre is pop, the characteristics that would occur in the music video are mainstream and cliche elements. It would mostly be performance based including attractive people to an upbeat tempo. An example of a pop music video is Taylor Swift's song, 'Shake it off' which can be applied to Goodwin's theory well. This is because the video is extremely performance based which compliments the upbeat song and portrays a "cheesy" aspect to the genre.

Moreover, if the genre is Hip-hop, the characteristics usually consist of the artist originating from a black background with promiscuous women surrounding the scene. The setting is mostly glamorised with iconography such as gold chains, cars and money in order to promote the lavish life they live. 50 Cent's song 'Candy Shop' fits Goodwin's theory as it glamorises the idea of the rich lifestyle. This video can also be seen as "ghetto" as he presents the stereotypical lifestyle of a "thug" which is conventional to the Hip-hop genre.

2) Relationship between lyrics and visuals: 

The relationship between the lyrics and visuals are either illustrative which explain the lyrics visually for the audience to understand the song, or amplifying, which exaggerates the lyrics and the visuals are completely opposite to the lyrics heard. For example, and illustrative music video would be Rihanna's song "Umbrella" which illustrates the lyrics clearly due to the iconography of the umbrella consistently shown throughout the video. Also, the lyrics mention "Now that it's raining more than ever" where rain begins to poor into the scene portraying the lyrics openly. However, an example of an amplifying video is Justin Bieber's "Where are you now" which does not portray the lyrics. This is because, the lyrics are talking about love as he states "Where are you now that I need you?" however, throughout the music video no narrative based on love occurs as it is just the star shown singing along with extremely fast edits around him.

3)Relationship between music and visuals:

The relationship between the music and the visuals show the connection to the actual music rather than the lyrics. This means if the music is up beat, then the visuals will most likely be fast movements with fast edits, however, if the music is at a much slower tempo then the visuals are likely to be more calming images. For example, the song "Five More Hours" by Chris Brown is an extremely upbeat song where there are wild party scenes to match the lively music. By matching the visuals to the music it will keep the audience entertained as the song's purpose is to maintain the happy and fun atmosphere. However, in the song "Smartphones" by Trey Songz, the visuals also match the music due to the slow motion used in some parts emphasising the slow tempo of the music. This also helps to keep the audience engaged as the visuals describe the music.




4) Star image motifs: 
A star image motif is when the music video includes many close-up shots of the artist which is demanded by the record labels in order to make them more popular and identifiable. Most music videos portray star image motifs because there is a demand for the audience to be able to see their favourite artists perform the songs they release. For example, in the song "All hands on deck" by Tinashe the whole music video is based on the star image motif. This is because, Tinashe performs the whole song and the camera is focused on her at all times showing her dancing throughout the music video. This gives an opportunity for the audience to watch the artist in the music video without being distracted by other elements.



5) Notion of looking:
The notion of looking suggests that the music video is particularly focused on voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This means that the video emphasises on the women being seen as a sexual object. This section of Goodwin's theory has become increasingly popular in recent years as more artists are selling themselves with this type of image. For example, Robin Thicke's song called "Blurred Lines" focus' on the females being sex objects and the men watching the women's body parts. This portrays an image of notion of looking in order to keep the audience engaged in the music by selling the idea of sexual interactions.



6)Intertextual Reference:
Intertextual references include links to other films, TV programmes or other music videos. This is usually done to gain more publicity as it is attracting other audiences through the referencing. For example, Big Sean's song "Play no games" has an intertextual reference to the TV show "Martin" which was aired in the 90s. This attracts the previous audience that used to watch the show which helps make the artist's video much more popular.



7)Performance, Narrative or Concept based:
A music video can be performance based which means that the video consists of a lot of focus on the artist actually performing the song. This could be through dancing or just lip syncing the song. For example, the song "Single Ladies" by Beyonce is purely based on performance due to the consistency of her dancing and lip syncing throughout the entire video. This is done to give the artist an opportunity to really perform their own songs for their loyal audiences who will enjoy them.
Moreover, a music video can be narrative based which means that the video consists of a story that is being told, usually for the audience to understand the lyrics. For example, the song "Last Time" by Trey Songz, portrays the story of the artist cheating on his girlfriend which match the lyrics accurately showing that the music video is based on a narrative. This is done to usually relate to the lyrics and also show stories that tend to happen in real life so people can relate to them.
Furthermore, a music video can be concept based which means that the video consists of a variety of scenes which do not quite make sense however is put together to still create a music video. For example, the song "Only" by Nicki Minaj is concept based due to the fact that the lyrics have no relation to the visuals which suggest why the video is seen as a concept.




8) Technical Elements: 
The technical elements to every music video are

• Cinematography
• Editing
• Mise en Scene
• Sound

These elements help create the foundation and basis of every music video because without these, the video would not be able to progress into the other sections of Goodwin's theory. Cinematography decides on what camera sizes, angles and movement fit each scene accurately which needs to be picked well in order to fit the video. Also, editing decides on which types of edits will fit. For example, if the song is fast there will be fast pace editing and fast motion in order to emphasise the song's lyrics and music. Mise en Scene are the different elements such as iconography and settings. This can determine just how popular the video gets because the settings need to be relevant to the song and also the right iconography needs to be used. Lastly, the sound is the actual song which the music video is being made for.



One example we did as a class was Will Smith's song "Miami" where we had to apply the 8 theories to the music video.



























We also then applied Goodwin's theory to another music video of our own choice in pairs. We chose the song "First Position" by Kehlani. This is because most of Goodwin's theory does accurately fit the video.

  Positive Comments:

• Theory is easy to apply to all videos
• Allows you to breakdown the content of video
• Allows you to analyse lots of media ideas (representation, micro elements, genre etc)

Negative Comments:

• Very reliant on mainstream music and pop
• The question whether Goodwin should even be credited for his theory or is it natural?

Overall, I will use Goodwin's theory in my own music video because from looking at a various amount of music video's, they fit the theory accurately. This suggests that I should follow in the same direction in order to get the same publicity and popularity.

Research: What is a music video?

What is a music video?
A music video is a short piece of visual image that accompanies the song. This short clip tends to reflect the lyrics of the song in order to give a narrative and entertain the audience.

Purpose of the music video?

• To gain more publicity
• Entertain audience
• Promote the artist's new album
• Gain a profit
• Portray narrative for the song

Classic conventions:

• See the artist singing the song, being the 'star' of the video. For example in this music video, Rita Ora and Chris Brown are both performing the song, lip syncing and dancing to it, portraying the 'star' image. 
  

• Often a narrative, suggesting there is a story behind the song which is being portrayed.

• Background dancing, for example, in Chris Brown's music video for 'Yeah' there are background dancers in order to enhance the performance.
  
  

• Glamorised, e.g. if the song is from a 'hip hop' genre there may be iconography such as chains and cars to glamorise the idea of being famous and rich like 50 Cent does in the 'Candy Shop' music video.

• Special effects

Synergy:
When artist's release a music video it is often only one strand of their multi media campaign of their promotion. This is because the single's they are releasing are usually to promote the up coming album, using the music video to gain popularity. The music industry as a whole has a relationship with a number of different other medias and for different purposes for e.g. radio, tv, print media, film and the internet. For example, Chris Brown uses these different types of synergy in order to gain publicity.

Chris Brown on The Breakfast Club on the radio: 



Chris Brown on a TV interview:


Chris Brown on the cover of Prestige magazine:

Chris Brown starring in the film 'This Christmas': 


Chris Brown's social media, e.g. Twitter:

Audience impact:

The audience is impacted majorly by music videos as it:

• Influences opinions of the artist which could be positive or negative which may mean the audience will see the artist in a different perception.
• Creates an emotional connection between the audience and artist, they are able to understand the ideologies and opinions of the artist creating a connection.
• May change the interpretation of the song once the music video been released, suggesting that the audience may not understand why the artist has chose to interpret the song in a certain way. Every person has different interpretations which may cause controversy. 
• May also develop and understanding for the audience.

A music video...

Often contains a number of different elements:

• Performance: This means the music video is based on performance, where the artist is lip syncing the song or dancing to it. This could also mean having back ground dancers in the music video. For example, in the music video "Where have you been" by Rihanna, there are background dancers throughout performing the song. 
  

• Narrative: This means the music video is based on a narrative where there is a storyline shown throughout. For example, in the video "Smartphones" by Trey Songz, a narrative is shown of him cheating on his girlfriend which matches the lyrics of the song.
  

• Thematic: This means that the music video has common themes depending on the genre of song. For example, a Rap song would have images of streets and gangs mostly, whilst a pop song would tend to have dance routines. For example, Justin Bieber's song "Sorry" is in the Pop genre where the whole song is just performance as this is the common theme in most Pop songs.
  

• Symbolic: This means that the music video uses a lot of symbols to build up meaning. For example, a graveyard can suggest a death approaching. For example, in "Find your love" by Drake there is a death and the iconography of the gun suggests this. 
  

Technology advancements:

Current threats...

• People listen to music on the go on their phones and iPods using organisations such as iTunes and Spotify with no need to watch the music video.
• Impact between the artist and audience if artists start to charge to watch music videos on websites such as 'Tidal'. This may push the audience to refuse to watch any paid videos.
• Censorship is becoming much harder.
• Covers or remixes of songs which the audience may prefer giving less publicity to the original artist. 

Positives of music videos...

• Doesn't always cost much to make music videos.
• Technology has become better which will ensure music videos are created better.
• Loyal fans will still watch their favourite artist's music video regardless.

Overall, music videos are still majorly popular at the moment, however, some threats may be able to take over in the future. This means that the music video industry is not as popular as it once was. I believe that the audience is becoming less interested in music video's as the younger generation listen to music on the go rather than watching the video constantly. Personally, I will focus on a narrative based music video as this will be the easiest way to portray the lyrics as I want to build the relationship between the lyrics and visuals.