Digital Media Convergence- Online Music Video

In today’s society, online music video’s have the ability to be seen by an immense population, with some of the most viewed reaching over half a billion. Justin Bieber ‘Baby’- viewed 700 Million times.

                                                                        (Above) Justin Bieber- 'Baby' music video.

By exploring the progression of music videos, from TV to the now extremely popular online platform, in particular youtube, allows for a noteworthy analysis of the ways in which digital media convergence has shaped modern patterns and usage of media. Through the merging of the music video medium with the advancement in online streaming and sharing, a new culture surrounding music videos has surfaced.  

The original emergence of music videos occurred during the 1970’s on TV shows such as ‘Countdown’, an Australian broadcasted TV series which was dedicated entirely to screening music videos. Countdown and other similar shows subsequently lead to the popularization of artists who became widely known for not only their music but also their adjoining videos, as well as assisting the promotion of developing artists. Madonna is an example of an act that thrived off the music video genre, with her videos such as ‘Holiday’ becoming iconic and immensely assisting the launch of her career. 

 

(Above) Image of Madonna from her music video 'Holiday'

The launch of MTV during the 1980’s saw the music video genre become increasingly popular and into mainstream culture. It saw the further rise of ‘audio-visual screen performers’ (Dr. Liz Giuffre) including Michael Jackson.

(Below) Michael Jackson- 'Thriller'  

Following the launch of his video ‘Thriller’, his dance moves became widely known and connected with his music, illustrating the implications of music videos as apposed to music on its own. The popularity of Music video TV however, soon subsided to the rise of online digital media. Svoen, B (2007) describes the increasing prevalence of internet and computer media and the minimizing effect this has on the amount of time spent watching TV. This subsequently encouraged the convergence of music video and the internet, which has in turn given rise to the ‘revolutionary’ (Hilderbrand, 2007:48) website Youtube.   

The introduction of Youtube and it’s successive growth lead to a shift in the TV music video culture connected to channels such as MTV. Youtube as a result of the low resolution needed to stream a video, encouraged the development of less expensive and extravagant production of music videos.

                                                 (Above) OK Go- 'Here It Goes Again' 

The effects of the decrease in money invested in production of music video’s and the transition from TV to online is evident when examining MTV. In current times, MTV no longer dedicates screening to music videos, but instead majority of the channel is funded by and committed to displaying TV shows, for example the hit TV show Jersey Shore. 

(Below) Cast from Jersey Shore

 This is an overt demonstration of the effect that media convergence can have on ‘older’ media providers, which must adjust and revolutionize to accommodate the changing audiences, in order to stay relevant.

The convergence of media forms and the growth of ‘new’ media has been described by Dwyer (2010:6) as ‘increasing the versatility of human action’. This in turn stresses the objective of converging digital media to provide a more convenient and improved way of supplying media to consumers, and in the specific case of Youtube this is evident. The online nature of Youtube provides consumers with the opportunity to access music videos from any medium with internet. The development of iphones and other smart phones which have the ability to connect to ‘3G networks and in turn stream online content’ (Orgad, Shani 2009) has lead to an additional convergence of media, further expanding the accessibility of online music videos. Individuals can now access youtube videos ‘on the go’, at ‘anytime’ (Orgad, Shani 2009), this has driven the viewing culture of music videos to become increasingly more individualized, as apposed to the previous nature of music videos on TV which would encourage communal viewing.

                                                       (Above) Youtube on iPhone

Music Video online specifically Youtube, has lead to a further convergence of media forms; online music video’s and social networking. Youtube’s design encompasses the ability for users of the site to provide their own feedback of the music videos through the form of comments, likes and dislikes and subscriptions. As Hilderbrand (2007:54) suggests, ‘It’s not about the video. It’s about creating a community around the video’. This interactive nature of youtube has created a culture of communication and opinions surrounding modern music video sharing. The popularity of a particular video can be to an extent, measured by the number of views cumulated and subsequently recorded alongside the video. The spreading of music videos is also assisted through the social media aspect of youtube, allowing the phenomenon of ‘viral’ (Hilderbrand 2007) videos to emerge.  This shines light on the culture changing nature of digital media convergence.

                                                    (Above) Facebook, Youtube and Twitter icons

It has been widely questioned to whether the internet, and online music video has lead to the collapse of ‘music video stars’ (Dr. Liz Giuffre), such as those who owe their career launches to the original music video TV platforms such as Countdown and MTV. By analyzing the success of Youtube and the pioneering culture surrounding it, one can emphasize an alternative view, that the development of Youtube has in fact heightened the ‘music video star’. Through the online nature of music videos, people are able to easily spread them via social media sites, for example Twitter and Facebook. Youtube also provides music artists with the opportunity to have their own Youtube channel, where they can upload and share music videos in a collective manner, allowing intrigued individuals to explore the entire collection of an artists music. In saying this, the idea that online music video has allowed for an increased success of artists, can be advocated. 

In conclusion, it is clear that digital media convergence, explicitly Music Video Online, has lead to an evolution in the way society produces and consumes media. This progression of previous media merging with modern media has allowed for subsequent cultural changes surrounding Music Video’s as well as opening doors to forever expanding possibilities associated with the convergence of digital media.

References

1. Dwyer, T. (2010) ‘Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp 1-23

2. Hilderbrand, L. (2007) 'Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge', Film Quarterly, Vol 61, pp 48-57

3. Orgad, Shani (2009) 'Mobile TV : Old and new in the construction of an emergent technology' Convergence, vol 15 no 2 pp 197 - 214

4. Svoen, B. (2007) ‘Consumers, participants, and creators: young people’s diverse use of television and new media’, ACM Compu. Entertaint. Vol. 5, No. 2, Article 5

Images

1. Image of Madonna from her music video 'Holiday', accessed on 31/08/12

2. Image of Facebook, Twitter and Youtube icons, accessed on 31/08/12

3. Image of Cast from Jersey Shore, accessed on 31/08/12

4. Image of Youtube on iPhone, accessed on 31/08.12

Videos

1. Justin Bieber, 2010, 'Baby', accessed on 31/08/12, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4

2. Michael Jackson, 1982, 'Thriller', accessed on 31/08/12, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V90AmXnguw

3. OK go, 2009, 'Here It Goes Again', accessed on 31/08/12, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

Lectures

1. Dr. Liz Giuffre, '(Online) Music Video'

Digital Media Convergence - Advertising and New Media

The phenomenon of digital media convergence influences the changes in the media industries including Advertising and New Media.  Dwyer (2010, pp: 2) defines Digital Media Convergence as “the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication, industries and cultures.” As a result of the transition and merge of the old and new technology, there is a complex and multi-layered confrontation of change in the old and new technology. This will be explored throughout the different aspects of digital media convergence including the Co-evolution of Old and New media.

An implication of digital media convergence is the Co-evolution of Old and New media, as Finnemann (2006) refers. Digital media convergence refers that the new media entails a sweep of various digital communication technologies in variables of mobile, multimedia and or network. Khamis (2012) state that the impact of this is that it ‘shakes’ dominant practices that have been well known, recognized and practiced by the people. This affects both consumers and distributors of advertising and new media for decades before the emergence of digital media convergence. The question of this implication is “will old media practices become obsolete or will they remain in place in parallel to or with the new digital world?” This is the root of the Co-evolution of Old and New media. ‘Fig1.1 Co-evolution of Old and New Media’ below captures an overview of this Co-evolution.

Fig1.1 Co-evolution of Old and New Media

On one hand, some people are reluctant to change to adapt to new media technology as they are already stable, experienced and have developed soft knowledge with traditional media technology. Moreover, there is an underlying fear of the inability to adapt to change will lead to their unemployment. For instance, as researched by Kiehl (2009), almost 16,000 jobs were lost at U.S. newspapers in 2008 as a result of advertisers and readers migrating online. Though some readers and advertisers are reluctant to change, in the fear of inability to adapt and become unemployed, change is needed as it implies old media practices becoming obsolete. Nevertheless, some people are reluctant to change simply because they don’t like the nature of change in general. An example includes journalists who are inextricably connected to advertisers. In the journal paper “The world-wide spread of journalism convergence” collated by Quin and Quinn-Allan (2005), it was quoted by Horrocks (2002), an editor-in-chief of the Manchester Evening News that “Journalists, by their nature, don’t like change. We have to convince them that we have to serve the customer to retain our jobs” (Horrocks, 2002). Therefore, as audience migrate to the online platform of advertising and new media, namely the Internet, there is a need for the distributors to migrate to adapt to the change of digital media convergence and to make money. Horrocks (2005) asserted that convergence was about survival. This inclines that the change into new media technology is an obligation to survive in the changes of digital media convergence in reference to advertising and new media.

On the other hand, in spite of the implications of old media becoming obsolete, old media forms are not necessarily becoming superseded. They are being incorporated into new forms or surviving as a niche market (Dwyer, 2010).  This is also supported by Jenkins (2006) as he claimed that ‘old media may never die.’ Jenkins explained that what become obsolete are the delivery technologies or forms like the floppy disk, cassette tapes and analogue Television but the media develops and opens up new media including the Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage device,  Blue-ray discs, and Digital Television. In reference to advertising and new media, the delivery form of Yellow Pages is becoming obsolete as users migrate to the new delivery technology of online services. This was supported by Gates (2007) statement that:

“The traditional Yellow Pages are doomed as voice-activated Internet searches combined with on-screen interfaces on smart mobile devices get better and proliferate” (Gates, 2007)

An example of a new delivery technology of online services that incorporates the old advertisement and media of Yellow Pages includes the product of Talk Fusion (2007-2012). This product of Talk Fusion offers marketing opportunity like the original functionality of Yellow Pages but with advanced procedures. It enables businesses direct selling and network marketing beyond the text and space limitations of the Yellow Pages. Businesses are able to advertise through videos, images and custom templates. An overview of this product can be seen in ‘Fig1.2 – Talk Fusion Youtube Clip’  below:

'Fig 1.2: Talk Fusion Youtube Clip'

Talk Fusion 2007, Talk Fusion, Sydney, online video, accessed 31 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-SGzDizL2k>

In reference to Dwyer’s (2010) statement of old media surviving as a market niche, an example of this includes print journalism. It was observed by Trosclair (2009), that a niche of consumers still feel more comfortable reading a physical newspaper or magazine than staring at a computer screen. This may be because of its non-volatile nature and as Mackenzie (2008) highlights that “There is no pure experience of wirelessness” when reading newspaper or magazine online. This niche of consumers as Trosclair (2009) expands, may perhaps be less tech-oriented and reluctant to change than the younger population born and introduced into the new digital media.

Therefore, there are discussable aspects of the of old media becoming obsolete as new media emerges.  However, it is evidential that old media remains vital to the emergence of new digital media in convergence as Jenkins quotes:

“Old media are not being displaced. Rather, their functions and status are being shifted by the introduction of new technologies” (Jenkins, 2006, pp: 14)

Thus, the underlying significance of digital media convergence in relation to advertising and new media is the process of change surrounding the Co-evolution of Old and New Media.

The phenomenon of digital media convergence influences the changes in the media industries including Advertising and New Media. As established by Pool (1983) in writing about convergence:

“Convergence does not mean ultimate stability of unity. It operates a constant force for unification but always in dynamic tension with change” (Pool, 1983)

Convergence does not mean the complete stability of unification of the old and new media, the consumer and the advertiser. It drives a constant force for unification of the old and new media, but always in dynamic and shifting tension with change. The significance of convergence is the process of change and its impact in the different aspects of Co-evolution of Old and New Media.

References:

[1]    Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berksire, pp 1-23

[2]    Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture, New York, New York University Press, pp 1-24.

[3]    Khamis, S, (2012) Week 4 Lecture - Advertising & New Media, Sydney, Macquarie University

[4]    Quinn S., Quinn-Allan D. (2005) The world-wide spread of journalism convergence –
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4xsFl0nHmC8J:live-wirez.gu.edu.au/jea.papers/Quinn.rtf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au>

[5]    Romano, B., J. 2007, Gates sees accelerated decline of traditional media's ad model, The Seattle Times Company, viewed 30 August, 2012,
<http://www.webtrafficpartners.com/yellow-pages-decline.html>

[6]    Sheehan, Kim and Morrison, Deborah (2009) Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world in  First Monday vol 14 no 3 -<http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121>

[7]    Talk Fusion, 2012, viewed 30 August, 2012, <http://1258425.talkfusion.com/product/>

[8]    Talk Fusion 2007, Talk Fusion, Sydney, online video, accessed 31 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-SGzDizL2k>

[9]    Trosclair, C. 2009, Niche Advertising in Traditional Media, Advertising Suite 101, May 24, viewed 30 August, 2012,
<http://suite101.com/article/niche-advertising-in-traditional-media-a120013>

Digital Media Convergence in new media and advertising.

 

Digital Media Convergence in new media and advertising

Technology has advanced incredibly in recent decades. The invention of the IBM Simon in 1993 (the world’s first mobile phone with a touchscreen interface) and the Apple iPhone (with the introduction of 3G technology) evidence this prompt advancement of technology. These new technologies have evolved through means of ‘selection’ by the consumer, suggesting that technologic advancements are the product of modern Darwinism. New communication advancements allow the global population to remain connected to the media and the internet throughout the world. The combination of these has led to more services being available across multiple platforms, giving way to the ‘media convergence’. In this discussion, I will highlight how advertising and new media shape 'Digital Media Convergence', using trends found as examples.

Consumers want a mixture of services.

 Technology has no boundaries, and neither does media. User generated content is now reaching global audiences, by using new media delivery channels. Skype, for example, has been an application that uses the concept of voice over IP (VoIP) in order to send a message from one user to another. This application is now able to provide other services, and is available over a wide range of media platforms. Skype is an example of how media is converging. Jenkins (2006) describes, ‘Media Convergence’ is the flow of content of several media industries across multiple media platforms, aiming to satisfy the needs of entertainment of the consumer. This is interpreted as the increasing availability of services across modern communication devices as a way of satisfying media consumers. New media therefore can be defined as being a method of communication by means of ‘user generated content’ and the internet as a channel of collaboration. Using the mobile phone as an example, photographs or video taken are user generated content.

Users have the need to create more content.

 The abundance of content creates a variety of entertainment options available for consumers, showing just one way in which the new media affects media convergence. The new media presented by media industries is regulated by social and political norms, as well as the consensual high standards of modern consumers. This behavior shown among technology users relates to Levy’s idea of ‘Collective Intelligence’(1999), in which the consumer’s feedback has more bargaining power due to the intention of media industries to seduce the consumer. The media is then shaped by the consumer, in order to satisfy the needs and expectations of these users. As a result, consumers are selective to the new media content which they are exposed to. An example of this can be seen in the “JK Wedding Dance” video in YouTube. The amount of viewers (now over 770 million) is quite significant compared to other content. Reasons for the success of this video in YouTube over traditional media delivery channels are collective intelligence and the availability of youtube across platforms. This is evidence of how a worldwide audience shapes the popularity of new media.

At the same time, the new media creates a lot of controversy. User generated content presents legitimate issues such as piracy, lack of credibility, and lack of censorship.  The inability to prove if user-created content is legitimate impacts media convergence. Such is the case of ‘Wikipedia’, where any registered individual is free to change the content within the webpage. This compromises the validity of scholar opinions, impacting on media convergence in relation to the way with which new media is regulated. Addiction to social networking sites and online content are evidence of lack of regulation of the media. The availability of services across platforms impede students and employees' productivity, which changes the use of services across platforms. This is crucial as constant exposure to media changes the perception of the audience, altering patterns of consumer behaviour.

Exposure of media content across multiple platforms is not all doom and gloom. Media convergence has created the opportunity for new media delivery channels to increase the sampling population for marketing experiments. Multiplatform advertisements target a global population, enabling advertising companies to better seduce potential businesses. As Bezjian-Avery, Calder, and Acobucci (1998, pp. 1) identified, ‘Interactive marketing’ is a process that is used in order to discover the ‘needs and wants’ of customers . Their findings suggest that actively interacting with buyers is an attractive strategy which satisfies consumers. The Panda commercials are an example of this. The advertising campaign was successfull because of its cross-cultural appeal to the public, as its message was seen as funny and memorable across a globally targeted audience. Thus, the distribuition of appealing media advertisements through media delivery channels are evidence of effective advertising by using media convergence.

On the contrary, advertising exposure can have a detrimental impact upon the experience of the user.  A ‘Media Clutter’ has been developed by media consumers as a way of blocking uninteresting propaganda. Ingram (2010) suggests, online advertising creates more clutter as users are bombarded by uninteresting marketing campaigns, which causing buyers to loose interest quickly. In addition, advertising in online multiplatforms is slowly reducing the variety of branded content within the media delivery channels. Media convergence allows media industries to collect sampling data in order to create a benchmark and identify market niches. Nevertheless, some brands like Nike use Invading tactics such as the analysis of customer data to find trends in consumer behavior. This creates the assumption that all consumers behave the same way as the sampling population, and impacts media convergence as media content becomes homogenized. Evidence of this can be seen in search engines today, as online advertising ranks the combination of words in relation to current trends, depriving users of content. 

Users are frustrated by media clutter.

Technology is now a necessity

We can identify that media convergence is all around us. It is the translation from stationary media to a mobile one, primarily seen in mobile applications. Technological advancements and modern consumer behavior has changed the way advertising companies sell and promote their products. The rise of new media delivery options have given way to new and exciting opportunities, where shoppers are exposed to a variety of online content, and seduced by advertising strategies of media industries. Media content is distributed through modern delivery channels limited by the evolution of technology. Thus, media convergence through consumer behavior has shaped the diverse range of technological products accessible, making them the technologic army knives of our generation.

Digital Media Convergence - MUSIC VIDEOS!

THOMAS SVICH - 42889774 - Music Video Convergence

Digital media convergence is neither a good nor a bad thing. While it can be the death of old media forms – it gives new life to technological innovations and can open doors that were never open before. Music video’s are perhaps one of the best examples of this phenomenon that is digital media convergence. The Music video has existed for as long as technology could accommodate it from as early as 1894 when two musicians projected still images during their performances through the 1960s when Pink Floyd and The Beatles would make feature length films scored to their own music to the present day of MTV and YouTube music videos.  As said by the Academic Hildebrand “television computer convergence has been a long expected prospect” (Hilderbrand 2007, p.48)

Back to the past however, the first music video as we could define one was actually the first ‘talkie’ move – The Jazz Singer (1927) had a synchronized soundtrack using the latest recording technology and featured four songs by the singer Al Jolson.

It was not until the 1960s that massive revolutions of music videos were created. Big Bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix Experience would create music clips or entire feature length films with only their music as the sound track. Perhaps the most famous “all music” feature length film was Pink Floyd’s the wall, which unlike the Beatles feature length films, had only the music of pink Floyd and no dialogue and followed the story of the album rather than having a separate plot for the movie. Below is The best example I can think of, of feature length music videos: Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. A full 2 hour movie with only Pink Floyds music as the soundtrack.

This style of production sparked a complete revolution in which musical production was also being coincided with video production and in many cases videos or were music were made for the other. Eventually recording shows and producing music videos was the norm for big bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s era of music video.

Out of this era of rapidly increasing production of music television came the desire to bring to the public in new mediums – the beginning of convergence of music video. What may have originally only been shown at the pictures or on a public screen became available on the home television set with Australians leading the way with the revolutionary show ‘Countdown’.

The music television format that was countdown was a genre defining breath of fresh air to music video. The design was to get young Australian music groups performing live on the air and getting noticed by the public. This not only acted as a great launching platform for young artists who may have been overlooked (notoriously AC/DC) but also drew world attention to the popularity of the format.

In America, this style of “music television” culminated in 1981 with the creation of MTV – the home of the music video as a modern YouTube user would know exploded into the popular music industry with professional music companies hosting plethora’s of amazing video’s like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Live Aid Concerts and Grease’s Summer Lovin’. MTV inspired industry created music videos that had high production values and used contemporary filming and visual techniques and effects.

However MTV rode high for 20 years as the home of music video with only upstarts like RAGE in Australia being an equivalent due to it playing any music video that was sent in to them – rather than just the top40 hits. But in the early 21^st century, a few college boys with web design potential created something that today unequivocally dominates the music video scene – YouTube.

YouTube as many scholar have said killed music television – particularly MTV which in recent days is more about reality TV shows like Jackass, The Osbournes and Jersey Shore and not about Music videos. In fact MTV’s regression from music has become so strong that they dropped “music television” slogan from their logo.

YouTube however is one of the greatest cultural phenomenons of the modern age. Originally just a video sharing website designed in a garage, it was later sold to Google for several million dollars and from then Google invested millions in server sizes, content production and support and advertising to create a home for videos on the internet that also could generate revenue without disadvantaging the producers of the content.

This caused an instant and massive shift “from Industry Made music videos to Hand Made music videos” (Sibilla, 2010: 227) That caused hundreds of independent artists of both music and film to make music video clips from the simplest forms to the most complex. An example posted below is one of Cole Roland’s cover of Skrillex’s song  ‘Bangarang’, that is filmed on high definition camera and recorded using high level boom mics, but is all done in his bedroom at home. This video sky rocketed with millions of views in a few short months.

“Culturally broadcasters are getting used to the idea that we’re moving from a world of one-way relationship with our audiences to a two-way relationship” (Orgad, Shani 2009)

The rather fast moving evolution and history has allowed “amateur content to be discovered along the way” (Hilderbrand 2007, 50) and has prompted a welcome shift from high budget and produced music video clips that were reserved for only the richest most successful bands to something that any man with a camera, a computer and good internet connection can create and enjoy.

However the total convergence of digital into the Internet has well and truly spelled a death sentence for music television (Appleby, E 2011) by making individual music videos openly available at all times and not having to be played at random on a television program, nor bad videos endured while waiting for the one you want to watch. The convergence of digital media particularly computer and television is an economic and artistic powerhouse - “television computer convergence has been a long expected prospect” (Hilderbrand 2007, p.48)

The digital convergence of music video that culminated in the internets now dominant position in the world of music videos and YouTube’s blank cheque approach to the creators of content and allowing any content whether it had high production value or was shot on the camera equivalent of a potato.

                                                                        REFERENCES

Appleby, E (2011) MTV: Why did MTV stop playing music videos regularly? Quora. 26th March. Available at: http://www.quora.com/MTV/Why-did-MTV-stop-playing-music-videos-regularly

Hilderbrand, L. (2007) 'Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright

Converge', Film Quarterly, Vol 61, pp 48-57

http://con.sagepub.com/content/16/2/185.refs.html

Orgad, Shani (2009) 'Mobile TV : Old and new in the construction of an emergent technology' Convergence, vol 15 no 2 pp 197 - 214 http://con.sagepub.com.simsrad.net.ocs.mq.edu.au/content/15/2/197.full.pdf+html

http://www.slideshare.net/StaceyReibelt/copyright-and-illegal-downloading-cult3020 (accessed August, 2012)