Assignment 1 Online Music Videos - Justin Pabustan

The ever growing nature of the music industry continues to do so limitlessly throughout the contexts, developing not only in genre and style but also through its delivery and distribution. The music industry itself continues to live on through convergence with the film industry and through digital means allowing it to firmly establish itself within society. Through these means of digital convergence previously produced singles and albums continue to survive, representing a moment in time in which fits a particular context and style in music. A monumental development of online media and digital convergence can be considered accountable for it has enabled access and delivery to individuals who seek nostalgia in past music videos of the past or mainstream music. Real world examples which have been utilized to take form to these online media delivery and distribution systems, old and new, are YouTube and Vevo. These have revolutionized the methods of access through their basic means and mass archive potential.

The viral and revolutionary phenomenon that is YouTube (Hilderbrand 2007) represents a digital convergence with the music and film industry and the rapid developments of the internet, taking form as an online and wireless means of distribution and delivery.  YouTube, although has other uses relating to user-generated videos, has done significantly well for the revival of older music and distribution of newer music, acting as a formal and organized archive of media texts  (Hilderbrand 2007)  providing access to music video media that were not available only a few years ago (Trip 2012). This has been supported by the convergence with establishments such as the Internet and Google with the expansions of high speed connections and growing computer memory capacities developing into a revolutionary viable outlet for music-film media online, as well as the access and availability to them on a massive scale. (Hilderbrand 2007)  This convergence supports and is a leading means into creating all content will be digital, interactive and shared within this archive which allows this media library for nostalgic and scholarly uses as cultural memory is then developed as it allows users to seek out the media texts that have shaped them and which also represents their time and context that they have grown and not allowing it to be forgotten in the histories (Hilderbrand 2007). It is significant in this way as it serves as a sort of link to the past for the older generation and the new which could help develop both industries with a comparative standpoint of the past, present and future. Its utilization with its layouts has helped this experience further as the user has control of their video experience due to simple things such as the search bar and recommended videos panels allow this to continue giving them control of their time surfing.

Comparing Call Me Maybe 

YouTube

Vevo

Comparing the two videos, the delivery of YouTube seems to face limitations in quality, indicating that it isnt the original video, as it was badly recorded and water marked receiving dislikes and negative comments relating to its quality.While the Vevo version is Perfect Quality, not distorted and sounds as it should.

A main benefit of having digital media compared to analogue copies of music videos is the benefit of quality. YouTube is often user-generated allowing individuals at home to utilize and upload the content to this archive, but would often be abysmal quality which would ruin the experience due to the nature of analogue recording or quality limitations at that time e.g. VCR, telesync or camcorded . This in turn the copyright claims of the music industry would be involved which could take down the videos as there is no authorization of their content. This then creates issues with utilizing YouTube’s ability to archive as they are forced to take down these videos and are therefore prevented as it was user based limiting high quality accessibility to other means of media such as Pay TV, proving to be ineffective in this media delivery of music videos.

Vevo has also been used as an archive for music videos as unlike YouTube, it specializes with online music videos. It has made digital convergence through YouTube establishing itself as a meta within it as it as well as an entirely separate service giving access to perfect quality videos of the past and present for the enjoyment of viewing for those who seek it. These two outlets have converged together to establish a means in a better and easier experience as YouTube users alone did not have the authority of the music industries content, but an expansion from the music industry into online music videos have proven beneficial for them and the viewers, as it allows distribution and access to their content in a way that is not limited to just YouTube limitations of copyright infringement. As we can understand the importance of convergence with outlets like Vevo which had been originally rooted with YouTube, a sense of déjà vu can often take hold,(Bassett, Hartmann, O’Riordan 2008) but through similar experiences incorporated within their regime, they have developed and understood the positive aspects of YouTube and have utilized that and have made it a different and new experience through a major focus on music videos creating different systems of navigation, searches and recommended videos, while still maintaining its role supporting online music videos. The digitals copies are the originals and have not been recorded in an analogue nature which assures the experience to be much better for the viewer at home.  It has also rivaled pay TV dominance over music videos as it is much more accessible as well as gives the user much more choice over their music experience due to the vast nature of the Vevo library and the lack of limitations of set broadcasts that pay tv such as Channel V and Music Max has (Shepherd 2012), which questions the need for music television when other services offers a better alternative of digital convergence.

Music videos hold on society is within their industry, the ways of distribution and adaptability to new means of delivery. As technology advances, such as the internet and computer hardware and software, the need for digital convergence is crucial in order to improve the experience of its users and allow them easy access to their desired resources. An establishment of online music videos have arisen which has taken better methods distribution and delivery which has helped it stay relevant. Youtube and Vevo are prime examples of digital convergence as their roles as archives preserve the music videos of the present and past in a convenient and accessible manner.  

Reference List

Bassett C, Hartmann M, O’ Riordan K (2008) ‘After convergence: what connects?’ The Fibreculture Journal; Issue 13 2008.

Hilderbrand, L (2007), ‘Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Coverage’, Film Quarterly Vol 61, pp 48-57

Shepherd, B (2012), ‘Vevo gives music videos a new advertiser-ready home.’ Encore; May2012, Vol. 32 Issue 5, pp10-10, 1/2p

Tripp, S (2012), ‘From TVTV to YouTube: A Genealogy of Participatory Practices in Video.’ Journal of Film & Video; Spring/Summer2012, Vol. 64 Issue ½, pp5-16, 12p