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.
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
