Did the
Internet kill the Video Music Star?
The onset of digital media convergence has
raised a few ideas of thought on new digital media. One of these is that
digital media will replace or make redundant, older forms of media, such as
film, radio and in my particular case study, music videos. However by
discussing the phenomenon of digital media convergence I look to uncover some
of the real implications of digital convergence and its impact on music videos.
To begin this discussion I will talk about
what digital convergence is and then give examples as to how it has affected
music videos.
Digital Media Convergence
Digital media convergence is the
overlapping and blending of how information is delivered and where. However,
digital media convergence is not only limited to the change in distribution
methods. From a content perspective, all digital content is digitized into
products of millions of formatted ones and zeros, making the physical content
all the same. Where the audience once were only able to read the news buy
buying a physical copy of the paper, that had been printed via a printing press
the night before, they can now read it on an Iphone or Ipad on their way to
work. Digital media convergence has given the ability of consumers to obtain
multiple services on a single platform or device or obtain any given service on
multiple platforms or devices. (Dwyer 2010)
Dwyer (2010) suggest that higher bandwidth
Internet will only see it more and more common for people to access their
favorite TV shows or Internet sites no matter where they are. In the same way,
where once the people had to tune into their cable TV prescription to watch
broadcast selected music videos on MTV, channel V and other music stations,
they can now watch them on streaming sites, such as YouTube, in the context of
their own demand. This raises the important question. Did the phenomenon of
digital media convergence kill the music video star?
Who Killed the Video Star?
Whilst digital media convergence in theory
may not have killed the music video star, its main side effect of giving power
to the user, has changed the role played.
Before digital media convergence, music
videos were mainly used as advertisements for music or the artist. Music videos
used to be profitable and effective because when the consumer watched a music television
broadcast station, such as MTV, the nature of the station forced the viewer to
watch whatever music videos they put on the video playlist. What this created
was an unsolicited sales pitch of all kinds of music, genres and artists. Much
like a stream of television ads, specific for music. (LAvideoFilmmaker 2012)
Due to the change in nature of viewing
music videos, there is no longer the ability to make real money from music
videos. This is as post digital media convergence music videos are often made
by artists as vanity projects, in hope that they go viral. The reason it has
less advertising power for the artist and possibly their music labels, is
because if you put a music video on YouTube, it is more than likely that the
audience were looking for that specific artist. As less music videos are found
by accident, it is unlikely that the video will generate net growth of the fan
base.
So has digital media convergence killed the
video star completely?
Whilst there is less appeal in making
music videos for advertising purposes, the artistic value of the music video
for entertainment purposes may still exist.
An example is the music video by Gotye that
went viral, receiving 2 million hits on Youtube, in the initial stages of the
video being uploaded. This was after his song had gone number one in the US.
Therefore, almost in reverse, the publicity of the song generated interest for the music video,
the artists in it and also for the filmmaker Natasha Pincus. (ABC 2012)
Somebody That I Used To Know Video |
Future for the Music Video Star
By looking at how the convergence of
digital media has affected the mass media market, we can see that music videos
still have a place in it.
Twenty years ago, most people thought that
digitalisation would lead to a mass consolidation and merger of all media
infrastructures into one vertically integrated monopoly. Hence creating a
one-stop shop for all mediums of communication. Whilst device wise this may be
happening, content wise the exact opposite can be said. Cheap, abundant
processing power is promoting disintegration and specialization along the
communications value chain. (Mueller 1999)
Successful firms are moving away from
end-to-end, vertical integration to focus on specialized, horizontal segments
of the market. This results in abut a completely new media system that
accommodates to the specificity of individual consumer needs. (Mueller 1999)
MTV Website |
This has paved the way for integrated music
video viewing, on sites and blogs, specific to music. For example, the MTV
website hosts many music videos as well as music news and other artist
information, providing the audience with an online music channel experience
that is user friendly and user controlled. This is also a unique way for music
that is not yet on the radar of certain audiences, to by discovered and
marketed.
In conclusion, it is evident that the
phenomena of digital media convergence has not necessarily killed the music
star, however changed the role played in the distribution of music. Due to the
power of control shifting to the user, music videos are more an artistic or
entertaining extension of an artist’s music rather than a marketing tool for
their music.
Reference
List
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Mueller, M 1999, Digital
Convergence and its Consequences, The
Public Vol.6, http://javnost-thepublic.org/article/pdf/1999/3/2/
viewed 31 August 2012
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Dwyer, T 2010, Media Convergence, Mcgraw Hill,
Berkshire, pp: 1-23
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ABC; Radio National 2012, Gotye's Music Video Goes Viral, Australia,
viewed 31 August 2012, http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/gotye27s-music-video-goes-viral/3968410
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LAvideoFilmmaker 2012, Why Music Videos are Dead, LA, viewed 31
August 2012 http://www.lavideofilmmaker.com/business/why-music-videos-are-dead.html