A
music video or
song video is a
short film integrating a
song and imagery, produced for
promotional or
artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a
marketing device intended to promote the sale of
music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie ins and merchandising could be used in toys are marketing campaigns for food and other products. Although the origins of music videos date back to
musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they came into prominence in the 1980s when
MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these works were described by various terms including "
illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip". Since the creation and increased popularity of
YouTube, mainstream artists now promote new music videos by releasing trailers of short promos on the site for their upcoming song and music video. Consequentially, YouTube has been converted into a social media platform for celebrities and artists to market themselves to their fans and audiences.