As Carol Vernallis mentioned in her study “Unruly Media: YouTube, Music Video, and the New Digital Cinema”. What exactly is a music video these days? The old definition doesn’t seem to measure up to today’s music videos. In the 1980s and 1990s, music videos were songs set to memorable images, paid by record labels to promote the song or artist, and played on cable television. Now, however, with YouTube’s rich clips, DIY aesthetic, and musical snippets of new digital films, the lines have blurred. Upon conducting a comparative analysis, the music businesses discovered that the cost associated with MTV is considerably higher when compared to other video platforms. Consequently, they made the decision to shift their focus from MTV to platforms such as YouTube and other similar video-sharing sites. Not only does the cost vary, but it also correlates with the rapid advancement of information technology. The various genres of music have a homogenous nature initially, but thereafter undergo a process of diversification. Currently, there exists an extensive array of video styles that can be identified, with the potential for an unlimited number of variations.

 The PowerPoint presentation also references the musical group MASSIVE ATTACK and their song “SPLITTING THE ATOM.” The video lacks precise substance and primarily focuses on transitioning between different parts. There are many different examples, like “splitting the atom” and “money for Nothing”, so I won’t list them all here. These different forms and styles of music videos prove that the boundaries of music videos are becoming increasingly blurred, and more and more videos are developing towards digital.

 In this context, I aim to utilize a Chinese music video namely “Lit” by Lay Zhang, as an illustrative case. The music video exhibits a cinematic quality throughout, using the distinctive artistic elements of Chinese ink painting. The utilization of black and red hues within the composition contributes to an enhanced sense of gravity and solemnity. Moreover, the inclusion of a dragon special effect, characterized by distinctly Chinese colors, serves to further enrich the overall aesthetic of the picture. This is the power of digital.

In addition, I would like to present an alternative perspective. The evolution of music videos is currently undergoing a transition, with a notable movement from traditional outlets like MTV to online video platforms such as YouTube. The dominant medium of communication in contemporary society is the short video format. The advent of media technology has facilitated a shift in individuals’ patterns of consumption when it comes to media content. The advent of the Internet has effectively transcended the constraints of temporal and spatial boundaries, thereby enabling individuals to consume video content at their own convenience. The inherent brevity of short films further facilitates their consumption during individuals’ leisure periods. As a result, conventional music videos are condensed to a duration of 5 to 20 seconds, encompassing all the pivotal moments, thus facilitating faster transmission.Take China’s TikTok as an example. Among the many ways to play short videos, users can use other people’s music to post videos. These usually 3-4 minutes of music are edited by the platform into 5-20 seconds for TikTok users. These music are combined with different screen content to produce different products and effects. This is yet another proof that the sense of boundaries in music videos is disappearing. If someone else used the same music to accompany the music, could you say it was also a music video?

these are samples in TikTok about how to use other’s music to upload videos, and how many people have used them.

I would like to add one final point. Music videos may be going further than we realize. After I watched the full opening keynote from OpenAI DevDay — OpenAI’s first developer conference. The power of AI has begun to penetrate our lives, and out of curiosity, I looked up examples of using AI to create music videos. The result is incredible to me. The official music video “Lost” released by Linkin Park in 2023 was produced using AI. The whole video has a sharp animation style, just like reading a comic. The editing and transformation are very smooth, which is different from other music videos. Out of curiosity, I found a YouTuber, Sharp Startup analyzed this video and used the limited time to make a video with a similar style. He uses existing AI tools to produce music, lyrics, images, transitions, camera movements, and other professional behaviors. And he just needs to choose his preference. I think it’s not just the boundaries of music videos that are gradually blurring, but all the boundaries of society as a whole are slowly disappearing. This brings me fear and surprise. In the future, I will pay more attention to and study the impact of AI and short video mode platforms on the development of music videos.

from Yuxiao Miao