- Who is the target audience and why?
- What type of music does the channel play and why?
- Identify 3-5 examples of artists that feature on a regular basis
- How is the channel used as a form of branding?
- How does the logo appeal to the target audience? (Consider the colours and connotations, size of fonts, style of logo)
MTV initially a mnemonic for music television was launched on the 1st August 1981. The channel’s broadcasts are primarily targeted at young adults and teenagers aged 13-25. The target audience being broad as opposed to niche means a large amount of people can be reached. This is achieved by a variety of MTV sub channels such as dance, rock, base, pop and hits which individually feature the specific genre. By providing different types of music that satisfy different types of people, the channel is able to gain the loyalty of many viewers with varied taste in regards to music choices. This is a prominent contribution to the channel’s worldwide success and its dominant status amongst all music channels. By aiming at different audiences through different genres, the channel appeals to most individuals. The artists commonly featured on the channel involve current artists such as Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Jessie J. The artists reflect the aim to attract a young audience who listen to such music. The MTV logo appeals to the target audience as it simple yet bold. Black and white emphasize the logo’s simplicity yet the boldness of the letter ‘M’ which stands for music reflects the channel’s status. The writing beneath the logo informs new viewers of what the channel features. The logo therefore appeals to a variety of people. The graffiti font used for the letters ‘Tv’ however illustrates the age group the channel is aimed at therefore giving the channel uniqueness.
VH1, a mnemonic for Video Hits 1 was launched on January 1, 1985 in hopes of targeting an audience aged 18 to 35. It is a subsidiary channel of MTV that initially aimed to provide a softer side of popular music. It also featured Top 40, contemporary, classic rock and smooth jazz. However after having suffered a 35% ratings decline over the past several years, the network began to target the pop culture market. The channel has progressed since its launch and now features modern artists such as Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran. However music from 80’s and 90’s is also sown in order for the channel to appeal to an older audience. An audience ranging from 18 to 35 means the channel is targeted at a broad audience and so it airs varied genres however pop remains as its most dominant genre. The logo for VH1 contrasts against the MTV logo due to the bright colours used. The bright colours are used to attract the attention of new audiences as well evoke curiosity as to what the channel provides. It appeals to the target audience as the colours connote 80’s fashion with 80’s being an era which the music channel is fond of. The cube suggests the channel is not one sided yet provides the audiences with a few genres.
The Box is a music channel launched in April 1992; a subsidiary label of channel 4, heat, kiss, kerrang and smash hits amongst a few others. The channel was brought over to the United Kingdom from Miami, originally named as the ‘Jukebox Network’. The channel’s slogan is ‘Fresh Music First’ which promotes the channel’s most popular feature of playing new music before its official release. It is recognised for a wide variety of music from all genres that mostly target a young audience of 14-21 years. The current programming consist of many hits and current tracks which are used to appeal to a young audience that want to be informed of the no.1 singles. The channel playing mainstream music means a range of artists are featured. This involves artists such as Plan B, Swedish House Mafia, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake etc. The logo is black and white which is potentially used to illustrate the mainstream music the channel airs. The colours being simple enables the logo to appeal to both genders as opposed to being biased towards a specific gender. The word ‘box’ is bold with each letter resembling a box. The writing below the logo informs individuals that are unaware of the brand of it being a channel.
Scuzz is a British music channel that was launched on 17 April 2003. The channel plays music of the rock genre such as pop-punk, current metal, heavy metal, hard rock and punk. It also features death core and death metal which no other music channel currently plays. It features artists such as Young guns, You me at six and Fall out boy which are current and therefore well suited to a younger audience. However the channel is only suited to viewers with a very distinct taste in music and so the channel has a niche audience that is likely to comprise of 25-35 year olds. The channel distinguishes itself from other channels by featuring live performances from bands which is beneficial to viewers who cannot attend these events in person. The Scuzz logo follows the codes and conventions of the rock genre. The colour being metallic is reflective of heavy metal the channel airs. The font is sharp and edgy which would appeal to the stereotype of the demographic. The logo is very distinguished from other music channels which demonstrates how different it is in terms of music and the distinct taste required. There is no information related to what the channel is about however the word ‘scuzz’ is defined as something disgusting, sordid, or disreputable.
Kiss was launched on the 26th June 1998 by Box television. It is most known for house and club music that appeals to teenage males and females. The logo of the music channel looks quirky and therefore appealing to a youthful audience. It reflects the name of the channel as the letter ‘K’ is stretched into an open mouth shape. The colour blue is quite calm which contrasts against the idea of the channel playing fast beat music. The font would most likely appeal to both males and females therefore the logo is not gender biased.MTV is broken down into different channels so that each genre of music is on a separate channel. This is beneficial to MTV’s broad audience. Depending on what type of genre the viewer is interested in, they can select the channel according to this. This means they do not have to listen to a channel that plays different genres but one that plays the one they want and so suits a specific taste in music. Due to having a variety of channels, they are able to attract a wider audience which significantly contributes to the channel’s success.
It is important for music channels to appeal to a target audience as otherwise, it would not attract many viewers. If the logo, music genre and the general appearance of the channel were random as opposed to selected according to the demographic, the channel would lack a unique selling point i.e. something to distinguish it from already existing channels. A channel that appeals to a target market means it has loyal viewers that are less likely to turn to substitute channels. It is important that the music channel is aware of who these loyal viewers are as in order for promotions and competitions to be effective, the way the channel operates must meet the expectations of the viewers i.e. winning a ticket to a Justin Bieber concert on MTV. This sustains existing viewers which is vital due to there being many other music channels the audience can switch to.
Why do you think there are a variety of music channels?
Every channel is different and so it is important that there are a variety of channels. One music channel would not be able to appeal to the whole population. Due to each channel playing dissimilar genres of music and being marketed differently, different audiences are targeted. One channel would be unable to do so as it would either be restricted to a limited amount of genres or would have to supply all genres which would mean less time would be appointed to individual genres which would most likely result in a restricted audience.
Analysing music channels has enabled me to see how every channel is created according to its target audience. It has informed me of the conventions seen in music channels and their purpose. I am aware of the importance of the viewers and how the channel is solely dependent on what they want from a music channel. The knowledge I have gained will allow me to create a music video that is suited to the requiremenents of a certain audience and therefore channel.
The points that you have included on the variety of music channels shows some understanding of the music industry. However, some of the points that you have included are too basic and further points on music artists, branding and playlists are essential.
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