Codes and Conventions of a Music Video

Music videos follow far fewer tropes to one another than other media products, largely due to the differences between the songs and artists they promote. However, there are several clear distinctions that the majority will feature, largely defined by genre in terms of their conventionality:

• THE ARTIST The vast majority of music videos feature the artist in question in one form or another, whether it be performing said song or involved in a synergistic narrative.


• STYLIZATION Largely defined by genre, stylization supports music videos by drawing together the theme of the song with what's portrayed on screen. Rock music videos tend to be dimmer and less choreographed than pop videos for example, which generally feature the artist more prominently and are overall brighter in terms of aesthetic.


• NARRATIVE Regardless of if the narrative is less prominent and might be better defined as a theme or tone, many music videos, as does much music, portray a short, sharp plot, and an almost anecdotal message.

Music videos are most prominently created for pop artists, being by nature the most popular genre, and thus often with most backing from record labels due to the prediction of sales, the music video itself a form of advertisement for the actual product - the song, not the other way around. Numerous television channels are devoted entirely to the broadcasting of music videos, often in the form of chart shows reflecting recent sales via download or the purchase of compact-discs.