A DVD with unreleased Beatles footage is expected to be popular

When the Brit Awards were handed out at last month's ceremony, one normally firm fixture was missing - the award for best music video.

But the Music Week Awards - run by the UK trade magazine - have introduced a new category to recognise the fastest-growing product in the music industry, the music DVD.

Music videos, which accompany singles and fill the schedule of music TV channels, serve a different purpose from music DVDs, which are bought by fans and packed with videos and added extras.

But the scrapping of one award and creation of another signals a shift in where the balance of excitement and creativity now lies.

New music videos have struggled to maintain the excitement of the 1980s

"The video creative process is perhaps waning," a spokesman for the Brit Awards told BBC News Online to explain the decision to get rid of the video prize.

"They are still a very important tool in our industry, but I don't think we all rush to see the new Avril Lavigne video like we used to to see the new Peter Gabriel video," he said.

More than 20 years after MTV was launched, there is a feeling that everything that can be done has been done.

In contrast, music DVD is a relatively new format where the boundaries are still being explored and sales are surging.

Like film DVDs, music releases come packed with extra features, which can include archive performances, backstage footage, artist interviews as well as normal videos or concerts.

This is the year when music DVDs are getting the industry excited Ajax Scott Music Week

Of the nominees for the Music Week award, The Jam's disc included footage of the band on a Swedish pop show, there were home movie clips on Pulp's release and Kylie Minogue offered a backstage documentary.

"This is the year when music DVDs are getting the industry excited," Music Week's editor-in-chief Ajax Scott said.

They offer fans much more than CDs or VHS videos can, he said.

"There's a huge amount of creativity going on in the whole world of video, but DVD enables you to have a whole different experience.

"It's about enjoying music in a different way."

And as more households buy DVD players, more fans are expected to adopt music DVDs as a new way of experiencing their favourite artists.

Ray of hope

About three million music DVDs were sold in the UK in 2002 - but that is forecast to jump to seven million this year.

A new Beatles DVD including unreleased footage of Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr jamming is expected to take the popularity of the format to a new level.

Recorded in 1994, it was the only time the trio played together after The Beatles split. Interest has already been high ahead of its 31 March release despite its �60 price tag.

The DVD format is one of the few rays of hope for the music industry amid a global slump, with UK CD sales down 4% in 2002 and record companies facing a tough year.