Bianca Gandin media convergence essay

Discuss the phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to Music Video Online. 

The phenomenon of digital media convergence stretches across many platforms, consisting of many facets and differing theories on its prevalence. Convergence in itself is the coming together of things that once were not connected (Meikle, 2012). In the area of digital media a prominent aspect of convergence can be seen through the development of music video online.  Music video has historically been vital in the success of popular music and its artists (Banks, 1997). With the invention of the Internet and such platforms as Youtube, a merging of what was once only accessed through television now can be accessed across multiple platforms (Cordeiro, 2010). In addition a new form of user created materials has arisen and influenced such artists to create low budget music videos for online consumption, such as the Ok Go treadmill video for the song ‘Here It Goes Again’ (emimusic, 2009), which received millions of hits. Such technological and cultural convergence (Dwyer, 2010) is vital to digital media as it transforms music video form a mere song with pictures to a cross market promoter of iconic vision, that can define a time and influence change in how society views culture.

During the 1980’s music video became fundamental in the development of popular culture. In many respects this is due to the creation of MTV, which helped to renew interest in television and music (Banks, 1997), generating music video to become the modern way to promote expression. Music video also aided the artists in forming a cultural image that established and reinforced their public identity (Banks, 1997) Madonna creates her iconic characters using her video clips as a platform for recreation at various periods from the 1980’s to the present. She has been seen through her music videos as a Vogue model, a blasphemous catholic girl, a cowgirl and many more (Banks, 1997), her success is largely connected to the introduction of MTV (Markle, 2008). This convergence of two mediums, song and image (Cordeiro, 2010), sparked a new combination that has stayed culturally prevalent for over 30 years. Music video in essence has stayed the same in the respect of building a cultural image and aiding the success of artists (Banks, 1997). However in almost every other way this audiovisual convergence (Holt, 2011) has evolved and changed to fit the needs of a culture that demands more. Weather that be variety, accessibility or diversity of genre, music video has converged with many aspects of online digital media to produce content that defines the current time in culture.

Online music video content can be attributed in many ways to the introduction of search platforms such as Youtube that initiated a new basis for access (Hinderbrand, 2007). The convergence of the Internet and music video created a new avenue for content to be displayed and in doing so it influenced a racial shift in the way music video was made (Cordeiro, 2010). With the ability to produce user-generated material, the online digital media phenomenon converged the consumer and the producer, thus creating a new cultural dynamic of small budget low-resolution videos (Cordeiro, 2010). Artists became able to make their own music videos on a small budget and with this trend of low-resolution web video came Ok Go’s infamous treadmill video (emimusic, 2009). Released in 2006 the video features the band preforming a sequenced choreographed dance using a stage of four treadmills. The music video clip was released online before on MTV (Vargas, 2006) and captivated an immense viral audience. It wasn’t produced in a studio with costumes and expensive equipment; it was just the band, a camera and a brilliant idea. The video reached such heights that the band was invited to perform live at the 2006 VMA music awards  where they were seen to captivate the audience (Vargas, 2006). It is depicted through the Ok Go ‘Here It Goes Again’ (emimusic, 2009) music video clip that digital media can use the convergence of technology, a multitude of platforms to create a cultural milestone with the simplest of ideas. Furthermore due in some part to the success of Ok Go’s Here It Goes Again’ music video and the sensation of the YouTube generation’s necessity for instant access (Hinderbrand, 2007). Professional music video producers joined the ideas of this newly created style (Holt, 2011) and began creating music videos of the same inspiration creating a new way for society to view culture; an example of this is Barbra Streisand by Duck sauce (2010).

Music convergence has allowed more freedom for the markets of music video to create multiple ways to reach audiences (Holt, 2011). This technological convergence, a term defined by Dwyer (2010) in ‘Media Convergence’ is the increase of delivery types and platforms for which in this case music video can be accessed. Music has moved from one medium, the television to a multitude of mediums including but not limited to; computers, iPhones, game stations and hard drives (Holt, 2011). Such technological convergence has opened up the streams of accessibility re defined the cultural experience of the music video. It has converged one form of viewing to many forms, Ok Go’s Here It Goes Again’ (emimusic, 2009) can be viewed on one of the many television satiations devoted to playing only music videos, it can also be recorded from that station onto a digital box to be seen later, in addition that same video can be downloaded from the internet onto a computer, it can be streamed from YouTube on a computer, a phone, an iPad. There are multitudes of ways music videos can be attained due to technological convergence. This digital media phenomenon has ignited a somewhat cultural revolution that is technologically driven by the variety of newly developed devices (Beer, 2005).

The phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to music video online can be viewed from countless different ways, however the importance of music video in popular culture is a vital aspect to understand how society constructs culture. This made way for the convergence of technologies to re define the way music video was accessed (Holt, 2011). The convergence of Internet and music video aided prolifically by online systems such as YouTube welcomed a different form of material that brought together lower cost techniques in the producing of music video (Cordeiro, 2010). More so the technological convergence of mediums made access to music video online instantaneous and without effort (Hinderbrand, 2007). Thus creating a society that views its culture of music video online through many different devices. Some things however remain a cultural constant, Madonna Is still using music video, now online, in an attempt to define herself as a cultural icon, acceptance of this iconography is in the hands of society.

           

Reference List

emimusic. (2009, 2 26). OK Go - Here It Goes Again. Retrieved 8 29, 2012, from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA&list=PL0FB9262CF878A34A&index=10&feature=plpp_video

Vargas, J. A. (2006, 9 1). Waiting for OK Go: MTV Awards' Existential Moment. Retrieved 8 29, 2012, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090100012.html

Banks, J. (1997). Video in the Machine: The Incorporation of Music Video into the Recording Industry. Popular Music , 16 (3), 293-309.

Beer, B. S. (2005). Stylistic Morphing: Notes on the Digitisation of Contemporary Music Culture. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies , 11 (106), 106-121.

Cordeiro, P. (2010). Medium Cool: music videos from soundies to cellphones . Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television , 153-154.

Dwyer, T. (2010). Media Convergence . Berksire: McGraw Hill.

Hinderbrand, L. (2007). Youtube: where cultural memory and copyright converge. Film Quarterly , 61, 48 -57.

Holt, F. (2011). Is music becoming more visual? Online video content in the music industry. Visual Studies , 26 (1), 50 - 61.

Markle, J. L. (2008, 7 24). Justify My Ideology: Madonna and Traditional Values . Popular Music and Society , 75 - 84.

Meikle, G. a. (2012). Media Convergence: networked digital media in everyday life. United Kingdom : Palgrave Macmillan.