The timeline
The golden age (1984–2005)
MuchMusic (see our features) made the video (see our videos feature) the currency (see our features): the VJ — the premiere — the countdown (see our features). The Canadian video (see our features) was (see our features) the industry (see our features): the directors (see our directors feature) — the budgets — the MuchMusic Video Awards (see our features).
The death (2005–2015)
YouTube (see our features) killed (see our features) the channel (see our features): the 24-hour video network (see our features) became (see our features) redundant (see our features). The budgets (see our features) collapsed (see our features). The form (see our features) wandered (see our features).
The rebirth (2015–present)
The vertical (see our TikTok feature): the loop (see our features) — the three-second hook (see our features) — the phone-native format (see our features). The Canadian video (see our features) adapted (see our features): the DIY (see our features) — the authenticity (see our features) — the loop-ability (see our features). The form (see our features) survived (see our features) by shrinking (see our features) — and (see our features) multiplying (see our features).
The new grammar
The rules (see our features): the first three seconds (see our features) are (see our features) the whole video (see our features); the loop (see our features) replaces (see our features) the narrative (see our features); the authenticity (see our features) beats (see our features) the spectacle (see our features). The Canadian videos (see our features) that win (see our features) the new form (see our features) understand (see our features) the phone (see our features) is (see our features) the theater (see our features). The video (see our features) died (see our features). The video (see our features) lives (see our features). The loop (see our features) turns (see our features).
Frequently asked questions
Is the music video dead?
The channel-era video died; the phone-native video (loopable, vertical, hook-first) is thriving.
What killed MuchMusic’s video format?
YouTube made a 24-hour video channel redundant — the form migrated to the platform.
What makes a good music video now?
The first three seconds, the loop-ability, and the authenticity — the phone is the theater.