History of Music videos and institutions

In order to fulfill our brief and create a successful music promo video we will have to research the historical aspects of music videos along with the institutions that have promoted them to get a better idea of how the music industry works. We decide to research music genres, institutions and the history of music videos.

Music Genres

• Blues
• Soul
• Reggae
• Classical
• Folk and Country
• Jazz
• Pop
• Rock/Indie
• RnB/Hip-Hop
• Dance

Music Instutions

Sony

Sony music entertainment is is 100% owned by sony corporation of America and is part of the largest music and entertainment companies in the world. With a variety of loocal artist and international superstars, comprising a vast catalogue of some of the most important recordings in music history.

In 2006 they organised thier music company in th uk into; "RCA" "Columbia label groups" andin 2007 "epic" thses companies realase music from other famous music labels. Sonys current artists include; Leaona Lewis, kings of leon, Justin timberlake and many more.

Universal Music Group

The worlds leading music company consists of 2 businesses; recorded music and music publishing. The company discovers, develops, markets and distributes in 77 different cuntries representing 98% of the music market. UMG also sell and distribute music videos and DVD products and licences recording encouraging distribution of music online and over cable and satalite networks. UMG publishing is the worlds leading publishing business owning and aquiring the rights to compositions and licences them for use in recordings.

UMG international manages business in countries outside N. America, their strength and legacy flows form a diverse range of record labels and is home to artists all over the world; N.A Akon, Black eyed peas and fall out boy. Europe; Girls Aloud, Duffy and kaiser chiefs. Latina; Enrique Iglesias.

UMG includes leading broadway catalogues under the Decca broadway label including titles like wicked and Mamma Mia. They also own the worlds largest Jazz recording company and entered the classical artist production with universal music managagment and productions (UMCMP). The last 100 years artist that have preveiled are; Judy Garland, The Jackson five and Rod Stewart.

UMG music publishing has 47 offices in 41 countries and is the industries largest global music publishing making it a global conglomerate. Elaps is a division of UMG is responsible for internet explotation and new technology including; downloads, subscriptions, webcasting, interactie radio and pay per play. Enhancing opertunities for music distribution through new technologies while protecting the valuse of recorded music. Bravado is now under UMG leading to global sales, distribution, marketing and strength artists under Bravado include; Beyonce and Tina Turner.

Umg distribution is market share leading of 4 leading divisions;

• UMD - handles distribution
• fontana - independent sales, marketing and distribution arm
• Vivendi entertainment - theatrical and home entertainment distribution
• UMGD - digitally manages and distributes through digital assets including mobile.

When creating out questionaire we will take all factors of research into consideration so that our product follows what we have found in order to be successful.

Music videos

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a piece of complete music/song and are primarily used as a marketing device, to promote the sale of music recordings. They use a wide range of styles including animation, live asction, documentaries, non - narrative and abstract and some blend styles.
Music videos are a crucial part of the music industry. Artists are given the chance to impress the public not just with vocal talent but looks and moves. MTV gave power and importance to the music video. They started broadcasting in 1981 symbolising the start of music videos ruling over the music industry, with the first eer video being; "video killed the radio star" by The Buggles.
Todays videosare as important as the song leading to an artists success. Music videos are now assessed on visial qualities and female sex - appeal in music videos is used exsessivly as it is popular to the public. The music video is just a work of commerce to see a product; a song.
Channels that promot music videos include; MTV, Kerrang, scuzz and channel U.

There is a long history when looking at music videos and we have condensed it down from research we have gathered.
Vitaphone shorts (1926-30) were produced by warner bros and features many bands, vocalists and dancers. These were the first true musical video series known as 'shorts', they were six minutes long combining deco animations, backgrounds and a performance, they were thought to be the earliest form of music videos. Another example were one song films called 'promotional clips' popular in taverns before WWII.
Musical films are important for the music video as many have imitated classic hollywood musicals from the 1930's-1950's e.g. Madonnas 'material girls' and ' diamonds are a girls best friend'.
In the UK The kinks made the first real 'plot' promo clips for their single 'Dead end street' a miniture comic movie. The Moody Blues also had a video set in a paris enviroment for their song 'Nights in white satin'. The pop seen was soon thriving and Austraila and New Zeland soon picked up on trends and by 1967 bands created early music videos for their songs. After 1969 artists and bands performed on live TV shows making them more visually attractive. Some were featured in documentaries e.g. 'The beatles - Let it be'. Also by this time promotional clips of performers were made on a regular basis. Top of the pops began to play music videos in late 1970's and good videos increased sales as viewers hoped to see the video again the following week this happened with 'Bohemian rhapsody'.

In America rock group 'Devo' created self-produced music videos and their cassettes were the first true long-form video productions and Video Concert Hall was the first nationwide video music programming on American television and predated MTV for 3 years. New Zealand band 'Split Endz' joined Blondie in 1980 as one of the first bands in the world to produce a complete set of promo clips for every song on their album.

Acts owed their success to the skill and construction put into the seductive appeal to their videos. Two key innovations in the development of the modern music video were relatively inexpensive and easy to use recording and editing equipment. Video cameras meant that artists could produce and promote videos quickly and cheaply. In 1980 directors explored and expanded form and style of the genre with sophisticated effects and an added storyline or plot as the videos promote the artist.

In 1983 the most successful and influential video was released - the nearly 14 minute long 'Thriller' by the late Michael Jackson. The cost for production was $500,000, this symbolised African American artists played on MTV. In 1986 channel 4 launched 'The Chart Show' which consisted entirely of music videos- no presenters and videos were linked by state of the art computer graphics,  another example of the development of music videos. It moved to ITV in 1989.

In 1992 directors were listed on MTV with the artist and song credits, as the directors all bought a unique vision and style to the videos. MTV then launched channels around the world promoting local market artists . IRC- based groups were the earliest purveyors of music videos on the internet, recording and digitalizing them. iFilm hosted short videos including music videos in 1997 and Napster enabled file sharing of music videos in 1991 and 2001. In 2003 'Youtube' made online video viewing faster and easier and 'Myspace' video function was launched in 2007. Websites had an effect on the viewing of music videos and artists began to see success as their videos were seen mostly or entirely online. An artist example is 'Soulja Boy'.
After merging with google, Youtube told the RIAA they would pay royalties with an agreement with major record labels. This was complicated as some welcomed the development, as uploading music videos is advertising for artists- other labels see the video as a product its self.
The internet has become the primary growth income market for record companies produced music videos. Apple itunes store provide free music videos watched via itunes and now sells music videos for apple ipods. the concept and medium of a music video is a form of artistic expression and some have been censored if deemed offensive, censorship laws differ in different countries. The record labels provide and distribute edited videos and censored and uncensored versions for an artist. Music videos have been banned if deemed too offensive to be broadcast. However some artists use censorship as a publicity tool- in the 1980s 'Top of the Pops' were censorious in its approach to video content. So artists made videos they knew would be censored, using the public controversy to promote their release e.g. Duran Duran 'Girls on film'.