Page 48 - ION Indie Magazine MarchApril 2019

The song “Video Killed the Radio Star” (Buggles 1979 https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ) heralded a new era

of visually-driven music and their audiences. The arrival of the music video along with the public’s incessant

“need to see” caused anxiety for some popular mainstream artists due to their perceived less-than-
marketable appearances. I guess this is where the phrase “I’ve got a face for radio” came in.

Those of us of a “certain age” can recall when music videos were a new frontier brought to light by a visionary
television channel, MTV, which was launched in 1981 by Viacom. I remember being a young mom who was
up at unholy hours of the night rocking my colicky baby -- while rocking out to MTV’s perpetually-streaming,
mind-numbing videos. Today’s MTV has evolved and now embraces the public’s insatiable appetite for reality
TV. I guess you have to give the people what they want. But back in “da day” the mantra was… “I Want My
MTV!”

Modern-day music consumers have gotten more discerning. The introduction of the internet also brought
with it a form of instant gratification. Music, videos, concerts, movies, are all available on demand. In
February 2005, YouTube emerged and fast became the go-to forum for artists to house their music videos.
There was even the opportunity to monetize them – so I hear. However, YouTube has since tightened the
parameters for content creators to earn revenues, making it harder than ever to reap any monetary rewards.
As YouTube remains a free platform for uploading video content of all types, anyone can easily upload their
video…and justlikethat, they are IN. However, for the career-minded band or artist, that can mean that the
song that they spent untold hours to create and record…and they are now featuring in a video that they
spent significant money to produce…well, it may be positioned right alongside a delightful clip of someone’s
cat hocking up a furball. Nice. Yet, billions of videos are watched on YouTube each and every day. With all of
these eyeballs on the platform, YouTube has stepped up its advertising with onslaughts of roll ads assaulting
the viewer’s eyes, making for an annoying viewing experience. And for the independent artist, without a
means to drive their audience, the artist’s video is virtually lost in a sea of obscurity and smack dab in the
midst of not-so-stellar content (see aforementioned “furball” reference).

Everything changes. MTV has changed – some say, not for the better. Unless of course, you particularly enjoy

following along as precocious teens get knocked up or thrive on thirsty, romance-seekers who are cunningly
catfished. And much like the way music fans have changed how they acquire their music -- now choosing to

build their libraries through streaming services or digital outlets -- the face of the music industry itself has

morphed. For the current career-minded artist, major record deals are few and far between. In fact, making
money as an independent artist is equally elusive – with mere pennies being the payout for music that has

cost the enterprising artist a significant investment to create. Disheartening doesn’t begin to describe it.

Well buck up, indie-buckaroos…there’s a new music video television platform in town that is not only creating
a quality viewing experience featuring INDIES ONLY, but it’s also bringing independent artists the opportunity
for them to earn money. You remember “money” don’t you? It’s that stuff you get for providing a valuable
product or service. Well, IndieCast TV recognizes that artists’ music and their videos ARE a product – and that
they are worth a lot more than what they are given credit for – especially in this climate that greatly devalues
music. Thus, ICTV is offering to pay the top-viewed videos on their linear channel per view…from their very
first view. Say W-H-A-T?! Okay, I’m intrigued. So, I sat down with the founders of this innovative platform to
find out the skinny on this newcomer to the music video TV realm. And our convo went something like this…