MTV is a television network that began broadcasting in August 1981 and quickly became the primary mechanism for distributing and promoting popular music. Its emergence fills the shortcomings of radio, provides a visual platform for music, and better plays the cultural and commercial impact of music. Since then, MTV has become the dominant format for popular music, and in the following years has diversified its music video offerings with channels such as MTV Music, MTV Base, MTV Hits, MTV Dance, MTV Rocks, and MTV Classic. These channels cater to different audiences and different types of music.

Gradually, MTV’s influence and promotion of music videos has extended beyond traditional cable distribution, and the proliferation of music videos on social media platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion has made music videos more flexible and widely distributed. This is also MTV’s most important step into social networking. YouTube, in particular, has become an important platform for music video sharing and promotion, with many videos becoming popular and reaching a wide audience through social media sharing and dissemination. Being able to share music videos on the Internet and social media platforms is more accessible and widely viewed than the previous one, which was only played through MTV videos. This shift in distribution has made social networks an important channel for music video promotion and distribution, enabling artists to reach and interact directly with a global audience, build a loyal fan base, and promote their music videos through posts, live streams, and behind-the-scenes content. Social networks also provide data and analytics that artists and labels can use to understand their audience, track engagement, and refine their promotional strategies.

In its later years, music videos have evolved from being associated only with major music labels to a more decentralized and complex audiovisual environment. It showcases different platforms for celebrity and commercialized femininity and challenges traditional and regressive approaches and representations. The article explores the multiple histories of music videos, music videos, celebrity performances, the close relationship between gender, and the recent transformation of music videos as an aesthetic form. Artists can convey more emotions and ideas through their works, and the audience will also think according to these, which is also a phenomenon of progress and development together.

Long Ke