Types of Music Videos

There are 3 types of music videos: narrative, concept based and performance based.
     Narrative videos contain mostly footage/images in an attempt to tell a story through moving images. These videos may feature actors to help demonstrate the intent. The story told normally links to the lyrics of the song. The music video for Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away' is a good example. The video tells the story of a couple and what happens throughout the course of their relationship.

    A concept based music video is based around a single concept or idea. This tends to be unusual or feature a particular editing/filming technique. 'Californication' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is an example of this type of video which centres around the concept of a video game.

    In a performance based music video, the artist performs the song through the majority/all of the video. An example of this is James Bay 'Hold Back the River' in which Bay stands simply with his guitar and performs his song. This is very effective in allowing the audience to see that he is a musician and that he wants his music to be what speaks for him.

   A music video will often combine elements from each of these styles of music video. An example is 5 Seconds of Summer 'Good Girls' which features the band performing but also contains a narrative/concept.