Sony Video 45s

Music for your eyes.

By the time MTV hit the airwaves in 1981, the VHS and Betamax formats were already widely available. This meant that anyone with access to recording technology and the channel could record the videos and rewatch them. Putting together a mixtape of my favorite music videos was one of my favorite pastimes during the first year we owned a VCR. Despite the low quality, it was an economical way for me to enjoy the video versions of my favorite music.

Other people were doing the same thing, and Sony saw it as an opportunity. What if, instead of people recording their favorite videos, they could buy standalone higher quality recordings that could not only function as a promotional tool for but also create a new revenue stream for artists and labels.

From that idea, the Sony Video 45 format was born.

What are Sony Video 45s?

The name was a nod to the 7-inch, 45 RPM record, commonly referred to as a single because it contained one song. The Video 45 was similar, usually containing 2-4 music videos recorded in high quality with stereo sound on VHS, Beta, and even LaserDisc. By releasing Video 45s in multiple formats, Sony ensured that a wide range of consumers could access their products, regardless of their preferred video format.

Clocking in between 10 and 20 minutes, the tapes were reasonably priced for early to mid-eighties video. When they were first released, Sony’s own Beta format would cost about $15.95, while their rival VHS format was $19.95.

Besides the higher quality audio and picture, why else would you buy a tape of music videos? In some cases, music videos were edited for things like violence or “adult themes.” Buying a tape allowed you to circumvent this censorship and see the original work the artist intended. You can see an example of this in a commercial selling Video 45s over the phone and talking about the uncut version of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film.” Their price for both formats through this vendor was $16.95 plus shipping and handling.

Sony Video LPs

After they kicked off their Video 45s, Sony turned their attention to a longer format, and the Sony Video LP was born. The tapes, which usually cost around $29.95, were an hour long and billed as “visual records.” These tapes were often a step up from non-Sony musical offerings in both quality and ambition. I wish Sony had been the one to release “The Making of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller.’” That videotape’s quality was too mediocre for such an important release.

One interesting aspect of the Video 45/EP/LP format was its role in the early adoption of music videos as a legitimate art form. Before MTV and Video 45s, music videos were typically seen as mere promotional tools rather than standalone artistic expressions.

The higher quality and curated nature of Sony’s offering elevated the medium, allowing artists to experiment with narrative storytelling, visual effects, and thematic elements in ways that were not possible with traditional promotional clips. This newfound artistic freedom led to iconic and innovative video. The success (while limited) of these videos on physical media underscored the growing importance of visual creativity in the music industry and paved the way for more ambitious projects in the years to come.

One of my favorite bands, Devo, released “We are All Devo,” which was maybe the most cohesive Video LP ever released. Devo, known for embracing and experimenting with mediums, created and edited existing materials between music videos to make a complete package. It was a glimpse of what the format should look like. Unfortunately, other musical acts didn’t follow suit, and most other releases were just collections of videos. Higher quality videos? Yes, but still just some videos.

Sony and MCA Music Video EPs

If you are a fan of older formats, you will probably notice that I haven’t only mentioned EPs in passing. Sony did release an EP format, which included up to six videos on a tape. Like the non-visual musical recording, it occupied a strange middle ground. However, it did inspire others to get into the game.

Other music labels didn’t want to be left behind and jumped on the video bandwagon. In early 1983, MCA announced their first “video music EP” release. On January 26th, Olivia Newton-John’s “Twist of Fate” would hit store shelves. Clocking in at 25 minutes, the EP featured four tracks from the film of the same name and two additional songs. In addition to videocassette formats, this release would also be available on CED and LaserDisc. If you haven’t listened to the title track from this film, you should.

Sony Video 45s Hit the Charts

MTV was the biggest player in town when it came to music videos. To gauge the popularity of a video, we had to rely on the station’s internal mechanisms to surface and tell us what the hot videos were. This meant that music videos didn’t always reflect how popular an artist was. Video 45s allowed new sales charts to be created. While the appeal of an artist was certainly amplified by MTV, this new format gave us a new data stream for measuring the appeal of an artist.

Here is a chart listing from April 1984. As you can see, the album, single, and Video 45 top-sellers were very different.

The Decline of the Video 45

By 1986, sales were already in decline. That year, Sony announced that they would start reducing the price of the Video 45, EP, and LP to $9.95, $14.95, and $19.95, respectively. Sony hoped that this price drop would encourage more stores to pick up the format. Sadly, it didn’t work, and by 1987, you could find most music video-based releases in the bargain bin. By 1988, they were gone.

While the format didn’t last long, it was an interesting attempt to add a new physical media format to the music world. Sony’s releases had high-quality picture and excellent audio. Was it enough to satisfy a true audiophile? Maybe not, but it received great reviews at the time for trying to present a better experience. The format would linger in collections and bargain bins, video stores, and personal collections, but it is now largely forgotten. A few people are out there, though, adding them to their personal collections and, in some cases, posting them online for people to enjoy. In a world where physical media is getting rarer, they are doing us all a favor.