By Loraa White, Founder, Music Video Marketplace
The recent consensus is that short form content is king – but recent statistics have shown that 22% of music consumption is via video streaming and 93% of the most watched videos on YouTube are music videos.
People appreciate both a personal connection with their favourite artists and a visual representation of the music they listen to, and this projects more passion and energy into their work. Spotify has taken note of this which is why it has implemented music videos into its streaming catalogues.
Recent artists such as Eminem (Houdini) and Sabrina Carpenter (Espresso) have seen their music blow up with listeners and recurring fans, due to the complexity and eccentric nature of the music videos that accompany them. They wanted to release the full form content of the final product, rather than just show off short form clips and assume that the audience will follow up.
Long form content is a commitment; short form content is a distraction – and artists have realised this. Fans are looking for more rather than less of their favourite artists, so why limit your work to a phone screen or 60 seconds?
A recent poll has shown that fans prefer artistry over vanity and this translates into music video-related content, so the focus on artistic driven long form content will pay off immensely. Short form content has a 24-hour lifespan. With the nature of swiping apps like TikTok and Reels your content is very unlikely to be remembered, whereas legacy content will stand the test of time.
Do you remember the last TikTok you watched? Exactly.
65% of Gen Z respondents describe themselves as “creators”, so vice versa they will have an intelligent assessment of the work and projects you release, and the effort and artistry that goes into it. Standing in front of a camera and doing a little dance isn’t relevant anymore.
Keeping people engaged for a long time isn’t easy. But as long as songs are two to three minutes long, visual content will always be needed. This is never going to change, and the general structure of songwriting dictates this.
Spotify VP Charlie Hellman recently commented: “So many times in my experience, music videos play a key role in hooking you, taking you from being a listener to leaning in and becoming a fan.” If the VP of one of the most loved audio streaming platforms is still concerned about the visuals accompanying said catalogue then it must still be a driving force for music artists to adhere to.
My final point is that long form content is legacy content, meaning it will be the content that people will remember your artistry by. Some major examples include Single Ladies (Beyonce) and Thriller (Michael Jackson) – these videos created iconic dances in themselves and have remained notorious. Music videos are not dead. On the contrary, they will be the legacy you will be remembered for as an artist.