Introduction to the Conventions of Popular Music Videos

In today’s modern age, it’s all about image. The look of something has to be right for it to sell, whether this is furniture, clothes or album covers, the look of the product is intrinsic to its selling value; and music videos are no different. The way in which we consume media has changed greatly over the last few years, from the introduction of portable media in the formats of cassette and CD, too MP3 digital downloads, the latter of which is the preferred medium for sale in today’s impulsive fast food society.

However, music cannot be bought before it is heard, and the main way of hearing new music nowadays is by both the extensive choice of music channels on television and the visual heaven that is YouTube. As a species that thrives on visual stimulation, we are attracted to songs that have videos that appeal to us and conform to the conventions of the genre we are interested in. The conventions as stated above change depending on the genre of music; of which the list is widespread to the point of endlessness.

Throughout this blog I will look at several videos, and how they tie into conventions for the specific genre that they represent, and the effects these conventions have on the audience.