Local music video quality improves

By Rosalia David

RECENTLY, I was scrolling down on YouTube and stumbled upon local music videos produced in 2010 and I started comparing them to the newfangled videos released in 2019. 
It’s quite impressive to know that our local music industry has grown tremendously over the years and musicians are evidently investing a lot of money on their art compared to the past. 
Some pay up to N$25 000 for the production of their music videos as production companies continue to inflate their prices due to the type of equipment used, while a few still refuse to pay more than a N$1 000 on visuals but rather settle for low quality videos that are hardly even played on local broadcasting channels. 
Of course not everyone can afford a high budget music video but I have to applaud those that are trying their best despite being underpaid by event organisers or the lack of revenue. 
However, to those who don’t see any reason why ‘artists invest so much money in their visuals’ it’s important to note that sometimes, a good music video can actually make a song a hit and take you to places while a bad video can suck the life out of a song. 
In fact, I can essentially point out a few songs that were hits before and tumbled after their official music videos were released. 
I believe, a video should be able to connect an artist with the viewer/s. I mean, even if everything is now digital, who doesn’t want to have more than just the track? I think the track is supposed to be the burger and the music video should be considered as the full meal with fries and Coke. 
Although the music industry still has a long way to go before it can fully compete on an international market, I should say, the quality of our music videos has certainly improved. Big ups to those few musicians whose videos have reached a wider range and are aired on global platforms. 
In some ways music videos have become even more important than the artwork due to the way we now consume music. In the past, we used to buy physical albums mainly due to appealing cover designs, but now we consume on a plethora of platforms. Can you remember the artwork of the last track you heard? I can’t. But I can remember the video.