Assessment One - Lara Balken

Music Video in the Digital Age:
Music Video Online and Digital Media Convergence

Lara Balken, Student No. 42859123

The concept of digital media convergence is often heralded as a progressive step towards the future of media production and distribution; instigating social and cultural change, and breaking down the barriers between different forms of media (Dwyer, 2010). Convergent media has brought together various media formats which were previously incompatible, affecting numerous related industries – many of which have struggled to adapt to the drastically changing media environment. The music industry, in particular, has felt the effects of these shifting technologies, becoming inhibited by the pressure of attempting to effectively market a product which has become freely accessible to consumers. However, whilst the entirety of the music industry has undoubtedly been compromised by convergent media, it could be said that music video in its traditional form has been altered the most.

From the inception of the “talkie”, the realms of the audio and the visual mediums have been inextricably connected. Media convergence has instigated social and cultural change, shifting the cultural paradigm, and the convergence of the audio and the visual has been irrevocably changed (Phelan, 1993). Music video has been an integral element of music distribution for decades – however, many, like former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, believe that the “music video is a dead medium” due to the growing popularity of the internet and various other multimedia platforms. On an international scale, music video is often viewed as unnecessary and has been overshadowed by convergent digital media forms, but it is still important to the local music scene in Australia, supported by programs such as the ABC’s Rage. Nonetheless, while the popularity of music video television has declined in most countries, with channels such as MTV now more focussed on reality television than music, as Sibilla (2008) noted, the form hasn’t disappeared – it has simply moved online.

In December 2009, an online music video hosting service, Vevo, was formed with the motives of promoting to a more discerning consumer, and successfully moving the music industry into a convergent media platform. Three major record labels – Universal, Sony, and EMI – signed onto the project, which was set to become the most significant step taken by industry professionals with an eye to the importance of new media in the modern age. By grouping together the music videos of artists backed by various record labels, industry giants were able to successfully navigate through convergent digital media and re-connect with their consumer base, using methods previously only popular amongst independent artists and small record companies.

For many years, aspiring artists with decidedly limited funds have been utilising the internet as a way to distribute their music, releasing online music videos in addition to audio tracks. In this sense, digital media convergence has had a positive effect on the music industry, allowing little-known artists to promote themselves and generate a fan base without the cost of producing and airing a high-quality music video internationally (Keazor, 2006). Instead, low fi music videos like Northlane’s locally-shot ‘Dispossession’, and the simple storyline of Envy on the Coast’s video for ‘Mirrors’, have become popular forms, allowing listeners to develop a connection to the music and the band members through the personal, down-to-earth quality of the videos (Sibilla, 2008). Independent artists are also benefiting from this shift in consumer desires, with artists such as Bella Hemming gaining acclaim by publishing self-made music videos to their personal YouTube channels. Through transferring from televised to online music videos, production values have also shifted, stripping down the theatrics and creating simple videos which allow artists to connect with their audiences on a deeper level.

Northlane - Dispossession

In accordance with the artists’ relatively newfound connection with convergent media, multi-faceted music companies with a personal focus, such as We Are Unified (UNFD), have arisen. Such companies are the convergence point of multiple aspects of the music industry – including production, promotion, and management – which make use of shifting cultural paradigms by employing the concept of a musical community, now a dominant take on the music industry. These companies often have YouTube channels which both host and release the online music videos for the artists they represent, following in the stead of small record companies such as Photo Finish Records, who have long been utilising the internet as a way to broadcast their artists’ music. Many artists also have YouTube channels of their own, like alternative rock band, Brand New. They have created a place for fans to upload their own videos of live shows, thus indulging the consumer culture which Jenkins (2006) believes is formed through digital media convergence.

Previously, the online music video was simply the means to an end – a way for artists with minimal funds to distribute their work on a multimedia platform – however, much as convergent media is shaped equally by the consumer as the producer (Sibilla, 2008), it has recently been evolving into an increasingly open form. Many current artists, rather than viewing a society steeped in convergent digital media as a detrimental force, have chosen instead to embrace the participatory culture which is forming around the media industry. Music video online has become an important element of the contemporary music experience – which is increasingly apparent to artists, who are expanding the format to the point wherein fans can be personally involved in the process of its creation. In 2011, Welsh post-hardcore band, The Blackout, used the internet to invite their fans to upload footage of themselves to be used in an upcoming music video. On their page it recommends that the video be shot on a mobile device, thus combining various forms of convergent digital media – namely, mobile devices and the internet – to create a video which is a clear example of artists embracing Jenkins’ (2006) concept of a participatory culture, and using music video online to their advantage. At a similar time, American pop-punk band Blink-182 compiled an unofficial second video for their new single, ‘Up All Night’, which included fans in an entirely different way. Compiled from fan-made YouTube videos which had used the band’s music without their permission, the video was dubbed “The Blink-182 Film Festival You Didn’t Know You Entered” – an ironic look at copyright infringement in the era of convergent digital media.

Digital media convergence was once viewed as having the potential to be extremely detrimental to the music industry, causing particular damage to the music video. However, it can now be said that while the introduction of new media has undoubtedly affected the industry and the music video format, this has not had the negative impact that was expected, remaining a prominent part of youth and popular culture. The new concept of music video online was created through a participatory culture, in accordance with the shifting cultural paradigms forming through digital media convergence (Jenkins, 2006), allowing artists more control over their music, and an additional platform on which to connect with their audience.

References:

Text

Burgess, J & Green, J, 2009, Youtube: Online Video and Participatory Culture, Polity Press

Dwyer, T, 2010, Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire

Hilderbrand, L, 2007, ‘YouTube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge’, Film Quarterly, Vol. 61

Jegl, C & Wetzel, K, ‘Future Thrills the Video Star – The Future of Music Video’, in Keazor, H & Wübbena, T (ed.), Rewind, Play, Fast Forward: The Past, Present and Future of The Music Video, Transaction Publishers, London

Jenkins, H, 2006, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, NY University Press

Keazor, H & Wübbena, T, 2010, Rewind, Play, Fast Forward: The Past, Present and Future of The Music Video, Transaction Publishers, London

Phelan, P, 1993, Unmarked: The Politics of Performance, Routledge, London

Sibilla, G, 2008, ‘It’s the End of Music Videos as We Know Them, But We Feel Fine: The Death and Resurrection of Music Videos in the YouTube Age’, in Keazor, H & Wübbena, T (ed.), Rewind, Play, Fast Forward: The Past, Present and Future of The Music Video, Transaction Publishers, London

Web

Associated Press, 2008, R.E.M. Premieres New Video at New York Show, Billboard Press, http://www.billboard.com/news/r-e-m-premieres-new-video-at-new-york-show-1003819312.story#/

Frucci, A, 2010, Record Labels: Change or Die, Gizmodo, http://gizmodo.com/5481545/record-labels-change-or-die

Photo Finish Records, 2012, Envy On the Coast, http://my.photofinishrecords.com/

PureVolume, 2011, Brand New Creates Official YouTube Channel, http://www.purevolume.com/

Stelter, B, 2009, Music Industry Companies Opening Video Site, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/

The Blackout, 2011, Be Involved With the Video For ‘You’re Not Alone’, Fan Direct, http://www.theblackout.net/

The Rolling Stone, 2011, Blink-182 Steal Fan Footage for ‘Up All Night’, http://www.rollingstone.com
We Are Unified, 2011, UNFD, http://weareunified.com/

Video

Dispossession, 2012, online video, Northlane & Elder, C, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sIPdH7vLmgQ

Up All Night, 2011, online video, Blink-182 & AT&T, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eabtzkY_jNs