What is the Function of a Music Video?

The main function of a music video is to promote the single that it is for, and also the album it comes from, as well as the artist it is by. Music videos are crucial marketing tools that help sell the artist and their music/merchandise.

To be successful in doing this, a music video has to:

- Be memorable so that people don't forget about it and remember to buy/download the song

- Give the viewer a better understanding of the song than what they get from the audio alone so that they can engage with it (this can be achieved through amplification)

- Entertain the viewer so that they actually want to watch it and possibly buy/download it, or even go and see the artist perform live so that they can be entertained in real life (this can be achieved through performance scenes)

A music video that I feel does  this well is  In Pursuing Design by VersaEmerge:

It is very memorable due to the dark, suicidal themes. This makes it stick in your mind; maybe not for the right reasons, but it is quite shocking so it does make an impact on you.

It provides the viewer with a deeper understanding of the song. From listening to the audio alone, you may not immediately realise that it's about suicide from the lyrics. However, the video makes it pretty clear.

It has a performance basetrack which is entertaining because the viewer may find watching them play instruments quite interesting. This could also make the viewer want to buy a ticket to watch them live because they might want what is on the screen to be replicated in front of them.