The Internet Killed the Video Star?

Media consumption has dissolved into a filtration system of small bits and 140 characters. Our ears now are trained in new ways of consuming music: short, quick, and to the point. In the past, the shortest form of visual media in the music industry was the music video but now our ability to retain information does not extend past what flashes on our screen. Already a dying art form, the music video has been dually affected by the Internet’s shortened attention span. We have entered into the age of music video trailers.

Music video trailers are short snippets of enticing audio treatments that have the sole purpose of catching the audience's attention before the release date. Trailers generally last anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes, essentially capturing a snapshot of the song. These snapshots create an air of anticipation and urgency to see the finished product. At times, music video trailers are viewed just as much as the finished product and can often predict the approximate size of the audience.

With the birth of YouTube just over six years ago, the Internet became the new frontier for music video consumption completely eliminating television. Audiences with shorter attention spans now find it difficult to consume visual media at the same capacity as before. Thus, the music video trailer creates a hook that keeps them interested. Once the audience is hooked, their interest and anticipation extends days, weeks, or even months, depending on the final release date. This heightened sense of anticipation is an antidote to a weakened attention span.

Unfortunately, this new element carries consequences. This phenomenon creates a cycle that eradicates the need for the final product. When it is acceptable to consume shorter versions of the final art product, the Internet encourages the audience's inability to sit through the extended version of the video, no matter what the actual length. What used to be a beloved art form of experiencing audio in graphic curation (does she mean “creation”) is now boiled down to a sleight of hand that tricks music fans into believing songs should be captured in mere seconds.

Remembering the song lyrics “video killed the radio star”, one can't help but notice that the Internet is now killing the video stars.