The music industry

Music video history Music video in the digital age Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis) MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances. In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films) Music video in the digital age In 2005 the launch of Youtube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self- promotion is more common. The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies. Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth:

Problems with piracy Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and (most recently) Youtube Music. New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access.