GCT - How Audiences Consume a Music Video

Audiences consume music videos in two different ways. These two different ways can be identified as ‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ consumption, but for analysing consumption of music videos, active and passive are referred to as ‘Focus’ and ‘Ambient’ viewing.

During focus viewing a consumer will actively choose to switch to and watch a music channel. Focus consumers are attentive watchers of the music channels and therefore form a deeper relationship with the videos and channel. Because they attentively watch the music channels, focus consumers are usually much more critical of the channels advertising and therefore more suited to adverts which are subtly integrated into the channel and feel more like a music video than an advert. If the adverts were not subtly integrated a ‘focus’ consumer would be likely to lose interest and flick between channels. Therefore ‘focus’ consumers demand more innovative, cleaver and original content to satisfy their needs and keep them consuming the channel.

Ambient consumers on the other hand consume the music videos on a secondary level in the background, they consume the channel primarily in audio form but would glance at the screen to consume the visual every so often. Ambient consumers usually consume the music channels during communal situations, for example, when they and their friends are getting ready to go on a night out. Because the ambient consumers are not so focused on the channel this gives ambient consuming a greater mass appeal than focus consumers which you would find to be more fanatical about music channels. Because ambient consumers are not watching attentively they surf the channels less which means the adverts no longer have to be cleaver and inspiring. In fact, the adverts are more successful by adopting a repetitive characteristic and repeating themselves over and over again. This type of advert is sub-consciously consumed by ambient viewers.

From analysing the way in which consumers consume music videos, and identifying the two types of consumption: active and passive, I can now take that information away to use in the planning for my own music video. I will firstly identify the type of audience which would be watching my music video. This audience is most likely to be ‘focused’ consumers. Once I know for definite the types of consumer my audience will be I can then tailor make the music video to their needs. For example, if my audience are focused consumers I would spend extra time making sure that my video was original, innovative and cleaver to ensure I capture and maintain the consumer’s attention.