Genre

A genre is obviously one of the most important elements involved in the making of music. It is the way in which the various kinds and styles of music are characterised, with artists developing their own particular genre style. 

This categorisation of music into genres is done on the basis of several distinguishable factors, including the style of music, and the generic conventions and expectations that it follows. Some of the most mainstream genres include pop, hip-hop/rap, country and rock. All the music in these genres will have certain factors that distinguish them clearly from the others, for example, rock will have a clear use of electric guitars, drums, bass and the music overall is loud and distinct.

The genre of the music largely determines the music video's style. Rock music videos are more performance-based. Hip-hop and rap music videos will also have certain stylistic elements that make them stand out and define them as a genre, even without the music - casual street-style clothing, such as hoodies, sweatshirts, loose jeans, along with chains and large rings.

There is a wide array of genres now and most music hardly ever conforms to just one particular genre, but will incorporate elements of several genres. For instance, pop-rock, indie-pop, psychedelic pop are genres that are often found together in music. 

The genre not only helps characterise music videos but also has an impact on the audience. They find a sense of familiarity with certain genres of music, and thus certain artists in those genres. However, even though some fans of a certain genre appreciate the consistency of an artist's music, many develop greater expectations and expect the artist to evolve outside their signature genre.