Music Video
Visual content created to accompany and promote musical recordings.
Definition
Music videos are visual productions created to accompany songs, serving both artistic expression and promotional purposes. The format has evolved from MTV-era broadcast content to platform-optimized digital productions designed for YouTube, TikTok, and social media distribution.
Modern music video strategy considers multiple formats—full-length videos, visualizers, lyric videos, vertical clips, and behind-the-scenes content—each serving different platforms and promotional functions.
Why It Matters
Visual content significantly amplifies music's reach and engagement. YouTube remains music's second-largest platform, while short-form video drives discovery on TikTok and Instagram.
For developing artists, music videos provide shareable content that algorithms favor over audio-only posts, making them essential promotional assets.
Examples in Practice
A vertical music video reformatted for TikTok generated 10x more views than the horizontal YouTube version, driving significant streaming gains from the platform-optimized approach.
The artist's creative music video concept attracted media coverage that audio alone wouldn't have earned, expanding reach beyond their existing audience.
A simple but effective visualizer cost 5% of a full production budget while delivering 80% of the promotional value, enabling multiple visual releases instead of one expensive production.