Music video codes & conventions

1. MUSIC VIDEO CODES & CONVENTIONS
A2 Media Studies
Andjela Roganovic

2. The ultimate purpose of a music video is to promote the
artist and their new song while entertaining the audience.
Music videos help artists in two big ways: exposure and
revenue.
Typically music videos are produced and released in the
early stage of a song’s release cycle, intended to drive
exposure through additional channels for fans to consume
whether they’re shown on TV, streamed or played in a public
area. For some artists who have videos with viral appeal,
they can be a huge driver for music sales and help to build
the story to radio. Meanwhile, when brands enter the
picture and strategically place products in music videos, it
can produce a new revenue stream for the artist while also
building exposure for the brand.

3. The codes and conventions of music
videos are the different techniques used to
construct meaning in them.
These techniques can be divided into two
types; technical and symbolic.
Technical codes are all the ways in which
equipment is used to tell the story in a
media text. Technical – how meaning is
conveyed using technical equipment:
• the way camera angles are used
• different types of shots and movements
• diegetic vs. non-diegetic sound
• the pace and style of editing
• the genre
Symbolic codes show what is beneath the
surface of what we see:
• facial expressions
• gestures
• poses
• mis en scene

4. The conventions of a music video vary
depending on genre of music. However,
the general conventions include:
• The Style
• The Camera
• The Editing Techniques
• The Sound (non diegetic and diegetic)
• Mis en Scene – props, lighting,
costume, hair and makeup,
location/setting, and colours.
• Notions of looking - stereotyping

5. The conventions of a music video vary
depending on genre of music. However,
the general conventions include:
• The Style
• The Camera
• The Editing Techniques
• The Sound (non diegetic and diegetic)
• Mis en Scene – props, lighting,
costume, hair and makeup,
location/setting, and colours.
• Notions of looking - stereotyping

6. Performance Music Video
This music video is probably the oldest and most commonly used music
video. In performance music videos, you'll typically see the band, well,
performing - meaning it's a recording of them playing on their instruments.
A performance-based music video can include dancing, lip-syncing, and
band members playing their various instruments. It can even be a
recording of them playing live in some cases.
A good example of this is ‘FooFighters – My Hero’.

7. Narrative Music Video
A narrative-based music video is a music video where the artist(s) are
trying to tell some sort of story.
It is essentially a short film based on the song. Narrative music videos
typically include a structure of a beginning, middle, and end.
There are also usually no lip-syncing or musical performances in the video.
The band creates a narrative around the lyrics relating to the song's
themes.
There are exceptions, depending on which type of narrative music video it
is. There are three different narrative techniques used in music videos:
Illustration, Amplification, and Disjuncture.
A good example of this is ‘Kendrick Lamar - These Walls’.

8. Concept Music Videos
Concept music videos are videos without a storyline and typically have no relevance to
the lyrics themselves. The concept music video is usually based on the artist's vision. It
can be seen as a way to expand their creative vision with the song.
The concept music video typically includes a performance or a narrative, so the audience
doesn't get all lost. But while there might be a smaller narrative in the video, there is
typically no structure to the video.
What makes these types of videos so attractive is their uniqueness which can sear into
the audience's brain. When talking about concept music videos, we typically talk about
two types: Thematic videos and symbolic videos.
• Thematic videos are based on a theme. The music video uses a theme based on the
genre or the song's meaning. This could be the setting of the music video or a
specific color.
• Symbolic videos are made up of different frames that build meaning with each other.
It typically features a lot of fast shots and well-utilized lighting.
A good example of this is ‘Coldplay - Paradise’.

9. Lyrics Music Videos
Lyric videos started out as windows movie maker videos, with a blue background and the
lyrics listed on the screen. But slowly, the industry adopted it and started making official
lyric videos with matching fonts and colors.
They have transformed from a modern karaoke-type video to become more creative and
innovative.
The lyric music videos typically include a font that matches either the theme or the
genre of the song and the background color and font color that goes along with it.
In some cases, the words can be animated to give more meaning to the music. Outside
of that, there's usually a lot of movement in the lyric video, so it's not just static text
shown on the screen.
A good example of this is ‘Adele - Skyfall’.

10. Animated Music Videos
Animated music videos mean everything from a simple 2D animation to stop motion or
CGI. Animation music videos typically follow the same structure as other music video
types.
In some ways, you can see the animated music video as a hybrid.
A good example of this is ‘Kanye West - Heartless’.

11. Music videos are a visual medium that can communicate
thoughts, ideas, and emotions with images. The music
video is an opportunity for the artist to convey their
message in the most effective way possible because it
gives them creative freedom to use visuals instead of just
relying on lyrics.