CONVERGENT MEDIA ESSAY
By: Ben Coote
Digital Convergence is becoming a prominent part of society due the ever increasing advances in technology, leading to many believing that some previously existing forms of media becoming are becoming if not already extinct. This, however, is not the case with all forms of pre-existing media as proven by the example of the humble music video.
The ever increasing technological drift away from traditional forms of media such as the T.V, radio and newsprint to other forms of media has lead to a number of media outlets changing the formats of their media. The numbers of radio and newspaper users has been falling since the prominence of digital convergence due to the fact that the infomation and media that the two offer is now becoming available online and through other sources.
The music video, an example of a product that was provided by the television and the television alone is, however, something that many thought would've dissapeared into the history books given that their must have been a replacement waiting to take its place in the new technologically advanced world that we as a world are entering, much in the same way that 'video killed the radio star' (The Buggles, 1979), however, the music video is indeed, still alive and kicking however it is not because it is still resisting digital convergence and somehow still clinging onto life, but rather it is embracing it.
As as a result, the 'music video' is doing as good as it ever has if not better with increased revenue offered by product deals and advertising together with the fact that social media and video sharing websites now offer a much wider audience which is now able to help spread the music video even wider with the aide of social websites that enable the embedding and linking of videos, thus even further enhancing the maximum audience potential.
Product placement has become a gold mind for the music industry and has played a major part in the music video staying alive as it provides up to hundreds of thousands of the studio and artist for a product simply being placed into the video. In the music video of the song 'Let it Rain Over Me' by the hip-hop artist Pitbull in collaboration with latin-pop artist Marc Anthony, two products have a particularly prominent part. A BMW Z4 is constantly seen in a variety of shots with Pitbull being the driver and, unexplainably, a bottle of Voli vodka is seen simply lying in the middle of a desert providing endless entertainment for a scorpian.
Both products are glamorised, with the Z4 apparently Pitbull's choice of car and a beautiful lady staring into the distance with the vodka placed casually in the forground of the shot. Despite the corniness of the appearences of these products, they play a pivotall part in the survival of the music video and as videos are becoming more and more prominent on video websites such as youtube, the possible audience is enhanced and so are the amounts company's have to pay so as to promote their product, both massive wins for the music video.
As well as the incorporation of products, some music videos are released to coincide with the release of major motion pictures meaning that the music is both promoting the movie and being promoted by the movie, a situation that is beneficial for both the movie and music studios. The Single 'Elevation' by Irish rock group U2 in 2001, incorporates scenes and themes from the motion picture 'Lara Croft: Tomb Rader' (2001).
The release of the two in tandom with one another helped the single's release and the song itself went on to win the 2002 Grammy for 'Award for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals'. The movie's promotion did not help win the group win the Grammy however given that the film grossed over $250 million, it would've helped raise awareness of the song and sales and awareness. It is this kind of digital convergence with the cross promotion between to completely different forms of media that enables the music video to stay alive and well and maximise its revenue and audience.
Another way in which the music video has survived digital convergence is the way that it has embraced the video sharing website Youtube. This website has, in conjunction with social websites such as Twitter and Facebook, enabled music videos to go viral. This is when a video is seen by thousands if not millions in a short space of time due to the video being rapidly spread from one person to the next via the afformentioned social sites.
This product awareness by such a large audience was not previously possible as the only way it was possible to raise awareness of a music video was through advertising and promotion, all of which costs money. Know with no need to spend money on awareness, the music video generates even more money and has a larger possible audience to offer itself, helping with the revenue generated by product placement and advertising.
Thanks to digital convergence, the music is not dying, rather thanks to the extra and audience digital convergence has to offer, the music industry is still pumping out music videos like no tomorrow and given the money on offer from the creation of such videos, it is unlikely the music video will die anytime soon.
References:
- Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence, Berkshire pp 1-23
- Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media Routledge. pp 24-25
- Hilderbrand, L. (2007) Film Quarterly Vol. 61
- Jenkins, N. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. NY University Press.
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