How do I access music videos?
Music videos are a key part of music culture for both artists and audiences. They provide a visual representation of a song, combining imagery, storytelling, and emotions with music. Music videos help artists connect deeper with fans and convey their branding and message for a song or album. They also drive popularity, awareness, and streams for songs and artists (The Importance of Music Videos, 2023).
For audiences, music videos add an extra dimension of entertainment and understanding to the music experience. They allow fans to see an interpretation of the lyrics, themes, and moods of a song while enhancing the listening enjoyment. Music videos help people feel more connected to the music, memory, and messaging behind each song (Why are music videos important?, 2019).
YouTube
YouTube is the most popular platform for streaming music videos. As the largest video sharing site, YouTube allows you to freely stream music videos on demand without an account. However, by creating a free YouTube account, you gain additional features such as liking or disliking videos, commenting, creating playlists of your favorite music videos, and more.
With over 2 billion monthly logged-in users, YouTube offers an unmatched catalog of official music videos from artists, record labels, and multi-channel networks. Whether you enjoy top 40 pop music or niche genres, you can find music videos for every taste on YouTube.
YouTube also allows you to search for your favorite songs or artists and create customized playlists to stream back-to-back music videos. As an official distribution platform for the music industry, YouTube provides high quality, official releases of the newest and most popular music videos for free streaming.
VEVO
VEVO (Official website: https://www.hq.vevo.com/) is the official music video channel on YouTube for many major record labels and artists. VEVO uploads new music videos when they are released, as well as classic older videos 
. Through partnerships with labels, VEVO brings high quality music videos to fans globally so they can discover and connect with the artists and music they love.
The company was launched in 2009 to showcase the latest official music video content on YouTube in an organized way 
. VEVO has now become the go-to hub on YouTube for music video content, with over 700 billion views across their channel as of 2022.
Overall, VEVO makes it easy for music fans to access new and old music videos from top artists all in one place on YouTube.
Music Video Streaming Services
There are many dedicated music video streaming services offering access to official music videos from major record labels and artists. The most popular music video streaming service is Vevo, which features over 400,000 music videos across genres and exclusive content from artists like Rihanna, Adele, and Ed Sheeran (source).
Other dedicated music video streaming platforms include TIDAL, which offers 75,000+ music videos as part of its paid subscription model, and MTV Hits, which plays music videos 24/7 through your cable provider or live TV streaming services. These services offer a vast catalog of music videos and curated playlists that fans can access with a paid subscription.
Popular general streaming services like YouTube Music, Spotify and Apple Music also offer access to music videos integrated into their broader catalog of songs and albums. For example, YouTube Music provides both official music videos uploaded by artists and labels alongside fan-generated content from YouTube (source). So music fans have options to access music videos as part of their existing streaming subscriptions.
Music Video Playlists
Popular music streaming services today like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music provide curated music video playlists in addition to audio playlists. For example, Spotify has trending music video playlists around categories such as “Remember Music Videos?” that feature classic hits. YouTube Music and Apple Music also offer “New Release” music video playlists that showcase recently premiered videos spanning different genres.
You can find a wide variety of mood and genre-based video playlists on these services as well. On Spotify, check out Hot Country Videos or Mood Booster for upbeat pop videos. On YouTube Music explore Hotlist or Vevo’s thematic playlists. The key is that most major music streaming platforms now offer both expertly curated and algorithmic music video playlists based on listening trends and new releases.
Music TV Channels
Music television channels have long been a popular source for playing music videos. Major networks like MTV, BET, and CMT are dedicated to airing music videos from a wide variety of genres including pop, rock, hip-hop, and country.
These channels are available through most cable TV providers as well as on major streaming platforms like Hulu Live, YouTube TV, and Sling TV. So whether watching via a traditional cable subscription or a streaming service, music fans can easily access channels playing their favorite music video content 24/7.
Networks like MTV also produce related content like music news, documentaries, and reality shows centered around pop artists and culture. So music TV offers more than just videos – it’s a hub embracing all aspects of the music world.
Artist Websites/Apps
Many artists host their music videos for free on their own official websites. This lets fans easily find a curated collection of an artist’s videography in one place. For example, major artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have sections dedicated to music videos on their websites.
Artists also frequently release mobile apps, which provide on-demand streaming access to all their music videos, interviews, live performances, and other content. Apps serve as a direct pipeline between artists and fans. For instance pop star Ariana Grande’s app offers exclusive video content to subscribers.
So explore your favorite musicians’ official sites and apps to discover official music videos published straight from the source.
Social Media
Music videos are incredibly popular to share on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. According to Musically.com, 73 million Americans listen to music on social video platforms in a 3 month period. People enjoy browsing hashtags and accounts dedicated to certain music genres or moods to discover new music videos that match their interests.
On sites like TikTok and Instagram Reels, songs often go viral from music videos shared in popular dances, trends, or meme formats. You can frequently discover new music just by browsing the app’s main feed. YouTube also makes it easy to find similar music videos in its recommendations once you start watching music videos from certain artists or genres.
Following your favorite musicians’ official social media accounts is also a great way to get notified of new music video releases. Overall, social media has become one of the most popular ways for internet users to find and watch music videos.
Purchase Downloads
One way to access music videos is to purchase digital downloads that you can own and keep. Major services like iTunes and Amazon Music allow you to buy downloads of individual music videos or entire albums containing videos.
The benefit of purchasing downloads is that you get to permanently own a digital copy to keep, instead of merely having access to stream it. This allows you to watch the video anytime without relying on an internet connection. According to the RIAA, revenues from downloaded music, including music videos, totaled $495 million in 2022.
So if you want to collect and own your favorite music videos to replay anytime, downloading them through paid services is an option to consider.
Conclusion
There are a variety of options available for accessing and viewing music videos in today’s digital world. From video streaming platforms like YouTube and VEVO to music streaming services offering video playlists, you have plenty of ways to watch your favorite music videos.
Some of the top options highlighted here include:
- YouTube – As the world’s largest video platform, YouTube offers an expansive music video catalog you can access for free.
- Music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music – These services offer customized music video playlists and libraries to subscribers.
- VEVO – This popular platform owned by major record labels focuses solely on high-quality music videos.
- Music TV channels and stations for viewing videos.
- Social media platforms where many artists exclusively debut new videos.
With the rise of video streaming and on-demand access, finding and watching your favorite music videos is easier than ever. YouTube and music streaming services lead the way in providing instant, unlimited access to massive catalogs of official music videos.