Since I’m working within the pop genre, I’ll be researching two different production companies that produce pop music videos.
1. Taylor Swift - Bejeweled (2022)
Production company : Republic Records
Brief description : Republic Records is a major American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). The label is based in New York City, and was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman. It was an independent label back in 1995, but was later acquired by UMG in 2000.
Other contents they produce :
- Thank U, Next - Ariana Grande
- Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
- Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
- Say So - Doja Cat
About Republic Records
Republic Records is one of the largest and most influential record labels in the music industry. It was first founded in 1995 by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman. Initially, it was an independent label, but it quickly gained recognition and was then acquired by Universal Music Group in 2000. It has also been recognized by Billboard as the industry's number 1 label over the last 10 years. With nearly three decades of operation, Republic Records has built a strong reputation of artist development and cultural impact that develops with changes in the music industry. They are also known to have an impressive artist lineup across various genres such as pop, hip-hop, r&b, and rock. Some remarkable artists from this company includes Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and The Weeknd. The market presence of Republic Records is also impressive, as it consistently ranks at the top in terms of streaming numbers, albums sales, and chart performance.
The typical audience of Republic Records consists teenagers and young adults, as this age group is often seeks music that resonates with their personal identity. Younger audiences that this company targets tend to be drawn to universal themes similar to their personal experiences, which many artists from this company provides. Artists from this company, such as Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo, strongly resonates with these audiences due to their themes of self empowerment and relationships. Meanwhile, artists such as Taylor Swift and The Weeknd appeal to young adults as they address more complex themes such as love, personal growth, and societal issues. To market their contents, Republic Records engages this demographic effectively by using social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, as a lot of younger audiences spends their time there. Therefore, by creating engaging contents such as behind-the-scenes footage and interactive challenges, they're able to connect with the audiences effectively. Moreover, they use platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, along with collaborations and curated playlist, to reach young adults. Furthermore, they also use targeted advertising on other social media platforms to ensure that new releases align with their audiences' interests. Republic Records doesn't limit itself to target a specific gender, as they manage a diverse artist lineup across various genres, all in which attract different demographics. This approach helps them to appeal to a broader audience.
Republic Records' most successful product is 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran. The music video was uploaded to YouTube in January 2017, reaching approximately 6.3 billion views on YouTube (as of October 2024). This song has topped the charts in numerous countries and set a record-breaking 33 weeks in Billboard Hot 100's top 10, becoming one of the most-streamed songs of all time. In the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, this song has won for the 'Best Solo Performance', and ranked as the tenth most successful song of all time by Billboard in 2021. This significantly contributed to the success of Republic Records and presence in the global music industry.
website links :
2. Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (2024)
Production company : Freenjoy
Brief explanation : Freenjoy is an internationally renowned creative direction and production company founded by Grammy's award winning producer, Nathan Scherrer.
Other contents they produce :
- Taste - Sabrina Carpenter
- Positions - Ariana Grande
- Liar - Camila Cabello
- Aeroplane - Petite Meller
About Freejoy
Freenjoy is an internationally renowned creative direction and production company, founded by Grammy Award-winning producer Nathan Scherrer. This influential production company was made in 2014 and is based in Los Angeles. Over the years of operation, Freenjoy mostly focuses on pop genre, building a strong reputation for producing visually captivating content. Through Freenjoy, Nathan Scherrer has produced music videos for a range of well-known, major artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Arian Grande, Harry Styles, Beyonce, among many others. While this company may not be as large as other production companies, Freenjoy has established a specialty by focusing on creating high-quality and creative music video. This company's ability to work with major artists has significantly contributed to its growth and impact within the music industry. Additionally, since Freenjoy works with a relatively small team, it allows them to quickly adapt to trends and shifts in the music world. This enables them to consistently produce innovative and engaging contents for their audiences.
Freenjoy is an internationally renowned creative direction and production company, founded by Grammy Award-winning producer Nathan Scherrer. This influential production company was made in 2014 and is based in Los Angeles. Over the years of operation, Freenjoy mostly focuses on pop genre, building a strong reputation for producing visually captivating content. Through Freenjoy, Nathan Scherrer has produced music videos for a range of well-known, major artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Arian Grande, Harry Styles, Beyonce, among many others. While this company may not be as large as other production companies, Freenjoy has established a specialty by focusing on creating high-quality and creative music video. This company's ability to work with major artists has significantly contributed to its growth and impact within the music industry. Additionally, since Freenjoy works with a relatively small team, it allows them to quickly adapt to trends and shifts in the music world. This enables them to consistently produce innovative and engaging contents for their audiences.
Moreover, since Freenjoy have been active for a decade, this company has effectively utilize social media to showcase their works as they grow alongside the evolution of music consumption. This contributes to their reputation. The company's ability to consistently embraced new technologies and creative techniques, while evolving with changing trends, allows them to resonate strongly with contemporary audiences. Freenjoy's focus on creating visually captivating music videos allows them to fulfill audience desires for entertainment and a sense of escapism.
Freenjoy mainly targets youngers audiences such as teenagers and young adults, typically aged around 17-35. They attract them by making music that often resonates with their personal experiences, such as themes that reflects love, heartbreak, and social issues. Since the emotional depth and authenticity of the music video this age group's psychological health, they aim to create songs that can evoke feelings of empowerment and connection to encourage audiences to engage with their music on a deeper level. As this demographic often consumes music through steaming sites such as Spotify and Apple Music, and social media, Freenjoy uses these platforms to promote and distribute their content effectively. Moreover, since they enjoys interactive content, Freenjoy uses social media to create two-way interaction between the artist and audiences, such as uploading behind-the-scenes videos, doing live Q&A sessions, and making fan challenges to foster a sense of community and belonging. This approach aligns with the Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications Theory as it satisfies audiences' need for connection, interaction, and entertainment. Furthermore, Freenjoy audience is predominantly English-speaking and based in the Us, as they primarily work with American artists and produces content in English. This naturally influence the company's target demographic, as it's more accessible and relatable to this group. However, some of Freenjoy's music videos, incorporate gory contents (for example, the use of blood splatters in some scenes of Sabrina Carpenter's 'Feather' music video). Therefore, this approach strategically influence their target audience, steering younger audiences away while reinforcing their appeal to a more mature audience.
One of Freenjoy's most successful product is 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus. The music video was uploaded to YouTube on January 2023 and has reached approximate 885 million views (as of October 2024). This song broke numerous records, includes earning over 7.7 million plays in its first 24 hours globally on Spotify. According to Luminate, 'Flowers' earned 1.16 billion streams worldwide by 31st of March, 2023. It was also the most-streamed song on Spotify and Deezer, and the second most-streamed song on Apple Music globally that year. Furthermore, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that this song was the best-selling global single of 2023, earning equivalent of 2.70 billion subscription streams globally. This becomes Miley Cyrus' first appearance on an IFPI's annual global Top 10 charts, which solidifies 'Flowers' as a major success for both Freenjoy and Miley Cyrus.
website links :
Reflection : Although at first, I didn't expect this research to offer much benefit to our project, but it’s proven to be highly valuable. It’s deepened my understanding of how pop music videos are developed, marketed, and personalized to appeal to specific audiences. By researching about these companies, I was able to identify effective conventions, visual styles, and promotional strategies that are effective within the pop genre, which are essential insights to create a music video that not only aligns with genre expectations but also resonates with our target audiences. Additionally, this research has been beneficial my group, as it offers guide for constructing a music video with genre-specific appeal. It also helps us incorporate elements that fulfill our audiences' need for identity, connection, and entertainment, aligning with Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratification Theory.
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