ABSTRACT
Popular music has long been the fulcrum of a symbiotic relationship between the fans and corporate media interests, using the artist as conduit. In fact, artists are often referred to as product in internal corporate communications. By creating public recognition of artists' faces and images beyond the music, music videos have enhanced the identification fans feel for certain artists. Videos are so integral to artist promotion that some critics argue they have become more important to the industry than the quality and innovation of music itself (Aufderheide, 1986). Through video, “the artist is also subtly selling a lifestyle, not just the music” (Chang, 2003, p. 18).
