Andrew Goodwin identified the key features of music videos:
- There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals where the visuals either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics
- There is a relationship between the music and visuals where the visuals either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics
- Music videos use lots of close ups of the artist
- Voyeurism is frequently referred to in music videos, encouraging the notion of looking, particularly at the female body
- There is often intertextual references in music videos to films, other music videos etc.
- Music videos display the genre characteristics of the music, for example a performance in a rock video, dance routine in a pop video.