The group attracted the attention of 60 Minutes and BBC Newsnight, and both of them ran interview specials that talked about the video. To promote his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West released a 35-minute short film entitled “Runaway” that included music from multiple songs on his album.īut after that video premiered his popularity skyrocketed, and he and his collective emerged into the limelight. This new attention to artistry is due in part to the efforts of a few visionary musicians, Kanye West and Lady Gaga being two of the most important.

The artistry of the music videos has also been reaching new heights, to couple the increased viewership on YouTube, Vevo, and Vimeo. A song’s visuals can help a song have more of an emotional impact on the listener it can create more salient memories, which can help keep their product on the forefront of consumers’ minds. If an artist releases two singles, then two videos for those singles, and then an album, they can get five posts on a music blog or music news platform for the price of one. The release of a music video also offers a great excuse for extra publicity. Videos often come out before the albums, and thereby offer a great way for listeners to get a sense of the music and total aesthetic that an artist has attempted to capture on their upcoming release. Music videos are an effectual, stimulating, and convenient way for people to share music in the digital sphere. Vevo’s CEO says that a billion dollar revenue is not out of the question in the near future. The labels and artists get a cut of that money every time their video is viewed. Vevo-a music video platform backed by several major music labels-collected a total $150 million in ad sales on their YouTube channel and website in 2010. It’d be an interesting figure to see, they may make more today off ad revenues. I could not find figures on how much artists make through the sharing of their videos 10 years ago versus how much they make today. The music video did find a fitting home in YouTube, and now that YouTube has become the most popular platform for youth to consume music, it is more vital for artists to produce quality videos. Video killed the radio star, and The Real World and The Jersey Shore killed the video.

MTV cited the fact that more music video consumption was taking place online and that their other shows were more popular than their video programming. In spring 2009, MTV removed its last music program hosted by a VJ. When MTV started to phase out their music programming in favor of reality television shows over ten years ago, I remember many critics saying that the music video would soon be a doomed and obscure art form. They will continue to grow in importance as our culture becomes more and more digital-centric. Though MTV and its subsidiary stations have phased out nearly all of their music programming, the music video’s importance to artists and to music has only grown. However, their focus-the music video-is an important art form and is worthy of celebrating. The VMAs exploit teen frivolity by praising marketability over artistry they praise popularity rather than musical achievement. But on the bright side, there will be more music in those three hours than there will be in an entire week’s worth of MTV’s programming. The MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner, possibly the most insensible and meaningless awards show aired on television.

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