• by Chris Wilson , October 3, 2005

When music television first began broadcasting music videos for mass consumption, it changed the music industry as we knew it. People got the chance to see visual portrayals of music through videos that told a story or otherwise illustrated the themes of that particular artist and song. Record companies and bands placed importance on the artistic delivery of their video. Budgets were allocated for this valuable medium, as marketers knew that it could increase interest in an artist. Musicians like Guns N' Roses and R. Kelly took special pride in the art of telling a story through their videos. It could be argued that artists like Britney Spears found more success based on their image in videos than they would have found based on talent alone. Video might have killed the radio star, but it made the marketer.

We now find ourselves at a new turning point in the way we look at marketing music on a visual level. Reality shows and other programs have taken the place of music videos on MTV and VH1. There is still an audience that wants to see music videos, but television isn't matching the demand with supply. As music television has focused less on playing music videos, the Internet has become the best way to promote artists through video.

After initially losing sales due to Internet musical piracy, the music industry is reinventing the way it markets its products to online consumers. With the growth of online music consumption domestically and worldwide, the Internet is often the first place consumers will explore new music. A quality video available online can open users' eyes, ears, and minds to new artists or albums.

Record companies are realizing the same thing that movie studios tapped into early in the life of broadband; online video ad units are very effective tools. Their target audience is actively engaged with the Internet, which plays a role in this group's consumption habits. An engaging video or song can quickly be passed along through the "IM to a Friend" feature on some of these ad units. This gives the ad unit exponentially more reach. And direct response options give the viewer the chance to make a purchase through the ad unit. Otherwise, viewers might click over to their iTunes and make the purchase that way. Either way, online videos can help drive the sale for an audience used to instant gratification.

A recent Klipmart research report showed that 40% of the most replayed ads were music advertisements, which gave users the option to watch music videos and play tracks from the album. Most of these ads were more than four minutes in video length, which makes the fact that they were replayed even more significant because of how much time the users were spending with the spot.

The value and demand for music videos remains strong, and the Internet is now the ideal scene for such artistry. As more marketers realize the effectiveness of this advertising medium, the rejuvenation of imaginative videos made specifically for Internet audiences won't be far behind.