Music Industry Research

Who are the main television companies that show music videos?

MTV

MTV is, arguably, the most well known television companies that broadcasts music videos. Created by the Viacom Music and Entertainment group, it first aired in 1981. The channel's niche was that it exhibited music videos 24 hours a day. While MTV is still of prominence, it now also produces and broadcasts its own television shows. It does, however, have spin-off channels (including MTV Hits) that have stayed with the channel's original promise. Through the decades, MTV has actively promoted the careers of influential artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Nirvana. 

As the influence of television evolved, so did MTV. It has since expanded into a group of genre-specific subsidiaries, while the original channel has shifted to showing reality programmes target at a younger audience, such as Catfish and Geordie Shore. Channels such as MTV Rocks, however, still remain true to the channel's initial niche. Here, they broadcast music videos, award shows, artist interviews and live performances.

VH1

Another popular television channel known for showing music videos is VH1. It was also a part of the Viacom Music and Entertainment group, created in order to try and build on the success of MTV. They began by airing 'History of Music Videos', where they would show a large proportion of their music video library. To avoid competition between audiences, VH1 aimed their content at a slightly older audience by focussing on the softer side of the pop music spectrum.

Similarly to MTV, VH1 also has additional genre-specific channels, including VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul. This continued to appeal to their older audience and thus did not detract from MTV's success.

CSC Media Group

CSC Media Group are a UK-based satellite television channel provider. Some of the UK's most popular and accessible music video channels (including Scuzz, Starz TV, The Vault and Chart Show TV) belong to this group. These channels cover a range of music genres and thus cater to a much larger audience. They are also available on Freeview, unlike MTV, which also allows a greater audience to access their channels. However, it also means that the group lacks production budget and instead make money through encouraging audiences to text in their requests.

Where can you find music videos?

The most popular platforms for music videos are YouTube and Vevo, although they can now be found virtually anywhere. These two platforms are the platforms artists use to premiere their music videos, making them reputable sources. However, the influence of social media has meant that anybody can share and embed videos on a multitude of platforms - from Twitter and Facebook, to blogs and websites. 

What is the purpose of music videos?

Generally, music videos were meant to promote the artist and the sale of music recordings. They are used to promote a single, which, in turn, promotes an album and finally the artist. It is a viable marketing technique and also means labels do not always have to spend a lot of money in doing so. As music videos have become a widely recognised media platform, the reasons for producing them have shifted slightly. For example, music videos are now also being used to promote films - such as Halsey's video for her song Castle. However, generating money for the record company and gaining recognition for the artist remains the main reason for producing music videos. 

My music video 

My music video would be likely to be distributed through both music television and Internet platforms such as YouTube and Vevo. These are the most popular sites for artists to premier their music videos, as well as reputable and easily accessible. I will be uploading my video to YouTube as this is the biggest video sharing platform on the Internet. If it was a real world media product, the artist would likely release the video on both YouTube and Vevo. My music video would appear on television channels like those previously mentioned, including MTV Music and Chart Show TV. Having researched these channels, I know the style of music played on them and, most importantly, their target audiences. I believe the style and audience of my chosen song suits these platforms well and thus would be successful.