Why Music Videos are Vital for the Music Industry

Apr 17

Since being introduced in the 1980s with the advent of MTV and similar platforms, music videos have become vital to the industry as a whole. Where musicians used to focus on radio, they now concentrate on full-service production for videos instead.

Trends & Evolution in Music Video Production

Music video production has trended upward since the 1980s. Since then, it’s gone through multiple trends and a few ups and downs. It’s evolved to the point where they’re an integral part of a musician’s output, spending increasingly more on their videos.

It's easy to see why a music video can be so important to a song’s success. It’s worth exploring why that’s the case and how it came to be.

6 Reasons Why Music Videos Matter in the Music Industry

Enhancing Artist Identity & Branding

Branding is a vital part of a musician’s career, and their visual identity is a major part of this. Without music videos, an artist can limit how they brand themselves. Through these videos, their branding strategy gets more effective.

Connecting with Fans

Fans connect with musicians in multiple ways, with the songs being the most obvious way this is done. Videos can enhance this, as fans feel as though they’re getting to know the musicians even more. It’s another way of improving the fan/musician relationship improving a musician’s career.

Expanding Reach & Exposure

Without videos, musicians are limiting themselves to radio and streaming platforms. These can be fine by themselves, but it limits the exposure and reach the musicians can get. With a video, more platforms open up, such as music channels and online video-sharing platforms.

Creativity & Innovation

Everyone knows creating a song takes a lot of creativity and innovation. The same can be said for creating a music video. It can even be seen as a craft in itself, and musicians can excel at this. With full-service production, this gets easier.

Revenue Generation

Music videos can be used to generate more revenue for musicians. Being licensed on music channels is the most profitable way this happens, but it’s not the only one. YouTube and similar platforms let users monetize their content, including their music videos, adding another revenue channel.

Elevating the Music Listening Experience

While music used to be a purely auditory experience, visuals can always elevate this experience. It gives listeners more to appreciate, letting them get the full experience. They appreciate not only the music but also the effort that has been put into the video.

Music Video Case Studies & Success Stories

Countless music videos have been released over the past few decades, but some of these have been more successful than others. Any musician trying to break through to the mainstream would do well to replicate them, including:

Formation by Beyonce
Humble by Kendrick Lamar
Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai
Just by Radiohead

These videos have all seen a lot of success.

Work With a Full-Service Production Company for Your Next Music Video

Music videos have been vital for musicians for decades, with artists putting more and more effort into them. The streaming age hasn’t changed that, and full-service production for each music video continues to be a large part of this.

Ghost Atomic pictures can help bring your vision to life. We are a skilled full-service production company with experience working on successful music video production.

Kathryn Arends