Who cares about gospel music videos these days? I don’t mean that flippantly, I actually want an internet “show of hands” if you care.
I don’t think I do. Not much, at least. But then, I don’t care much for music videos in general anymore…
It was one thing when Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video came out… a music video MEANT something. And for a decade or so to follow, people were creative and imaginative, making visual experiences out of something that was, at one time, purely auditory. For a time, we loved to watch music videos over and over again, to see cool shots, maybe even learn choreography. But now, seen it once, you’ve seen it enough.
These days, people treat music videos like another checklist item on the record label “to do” list. Even music television stations like MTV, VH1 and BET show more original programming than music videos. And if they do show a music video, you tend to only get a snippet of it, not the full thing. And that’s in mainstream music.
Glance over at the smaller niche genres, like gospel, and I really have to scratch my head at artists and labels who are so quick to make (and PAY FOR) a music video.
I think many gospel artists think that a music video means you’ve “made” it. But where, in the current state of our industry, do you think you’re making it to? It doesn’t necessarily translate to a wider audience or an increase in sales. And to the artist who says “I’m not doing it for those reasons… I just want someone to be blessed by the video footage,” I say “QUIT IT.” It’s a tool and it’s okay to view it as such. And given that it is one, it might do us well to assess whether it’s a wise tool in which to invest.
And once you have it, to whom are you showing it? The reality is that, for most gospel fans, the only time we CAN see a gospel music video on television is on Sunday mornings, between 10am and 12 noon. And guess where most gospel fans will be during that time? Church. So, artists and labels spend time and money to create a product that can generally only be experienced at a time when their core audience can’t actually experience it! Not wise.
And for those of you who’d say “but, what about getting it featured on gmc.com or posting it to YouTube?” Maybe. But I’m someone who sits in front of a computer all day. In fact, I make my living that way. And I’m not watching a music video. I might do it once, but I definitely won’t do it a second time.
I’m not writing this to gripe. Really I’m not. I honestly am serious and quite curious– who cares about gospel music videos these days???
Kirk Franklin will be appearing on The Mo’Nique Show 
