Structures of Music Videos

There are 4 different Structures of music video:

Performance: 

This is when the music is performed either through dance, playing of an instrument or singing. Their is no narrative in the video it is just performance. An example of this is



Their is only performance as it is just the girls and Beyonce dancing to the music with nothing else. This style is most used by rock artists and dance artists

 Narrative: 

This is when the video shows a story usually the story has some connection to the song either through the lyrics or the message of the song. Their is no performance in the video just a storyline. An example of this is 'Sleepwalker' by Parkway Drive

Their is a narrative being shown here in relation to the music, it is a point of view shot of a man representing the sleepwalker.

Abstract: 

This is when the video and music have no relation to each other and no performance is done in the video to mimic the music. An is example of this is 'Vermillion Pt. 2' by Slipknot.


The Video is very abstract to the song, their is no change of scene or appearance of the band. Their is no significant objects or people apart from the girl.

Hybrid:

 This is when the music video uses two or more qualities of the other types of music video. It can incorporate elements of all three Abstract, Performance and Narrative. An example of this is 'Wormholes' by Volumes

This is a

combination of abstract performance and narrative as some of the shots have nothing to do with the music or story.This is a typical structure of a music video and all artists use this type of hybrid.