Music video audiences

When creating a music video, the artist and production company must think about who they are putting it out to. They must take into consideration what age group they are and if it is appropriate for them to watch. Most videos don't have a filter, but if they are published on YouTube and is for viewers over the age of 18, it wont be able to be viewed unless the viewer has an account. Therefore meaning that if an artist wanted to publish a video for 14-21 year old's,they would need to make it appropriate enough for the younger ages, and not just thinking about the older ages. They also need to take into consideration as to how they make the artist look to the audience, as if it was a pop artist that is loved by younger children, they would need to present them in a positive light as they may look up to the artist.

Some genres have a specific type of target audience, as it will be popular and most listened to by a specific audience type. Such as pop, this genre is typically listened to a younger age group and can go up to the age of 26. Meaning artists must be careful when creating a music video, as ages can go as low as 10. For example, Little Mix are a very popular girl group, looked up to by quite young children. Therefore meaning they make sure their videos are appropriate to view by these ages. An example of their music video would be Black Magic, this is appropriate as it has a narrative of being magical and casting spells. For a younger audience, this would be exciting and enjoyable to watch as it includes them making magic happen, and could link to the idea of the tooth fairy. However, in their recent video 'Touch' they included elements that weren't so appropriate for this younger audience. As it involved them dancing closely to topless men, meaning younger audiences shouldn't be watching this.

Audience theories

Hypodermic needle theory- when the information from a text passes into the mass consciousness of the audience unmediated. Also it is manipulated by the creators of media texts, for example, behaviour. This theory is mostly negative as it could be when violence is used within a video, as the audience accepts the intended message.

Uses and gratifications theory- when the audience watch a film satisfy specific needs to seek entertainment. This could be things such as personal relationships, personal identity or just for information.

This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video, as I will need to be aware of what goes into the music video and if it is appropriate. I will need to make sure I am targeting it at the right age and they enjoy watching it, and not wanting to watch anymore.