Some aspiring artists use many social media platforms to grow a following and, hopefully, land a record deal with a prestigious company. Among the many platforms, YouTube is one that has the power to bring the status from a regular content creator to a global popstar. Here are some of the talented artists who were discovered on YouTube:
Justin Bieber
Perhaps the most successful YouTube star of all time, Justin Drew Bieber, started by uploading covers on the video-centric platform. He also included videos of himself in singing competitions. Marketing executive Scooter Braum accidentally clicked on one video where Bieber sang "So Sick" by Ne-yo and was very impressed. Braum tracked Bieber and contacted the youngster's mother, Malette. At first, the mother was reluctant because she preferred a Christian record label, and Braum was Jewish. However, Christian elders convinced Malette to trust Braum, and Bieber was working with Usher not soon after. Now, Justin Bieber replaces Drake in music videos for fun.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Peter Raul Mendes gained a large following after uploading song covers on Vine and YouTube. His most famous cover was Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me." That video earned him 10,000 likes in a single day. This blew up the number of his followers on various social media platforms. Mendes rose to the top three as musicians with most followers. Not soon after, manager Andrew Gertler brought Mendes into Island Records to release debut single "Life of the Party" from the Shawn Mendes EP.
Charlie Puth
Starting with skit videos and song covers, Charles Otto Puth Jr. created his YouTube channel Charlies Vlogs. He joined Perez Hilton's Can You Sing? online singing competition by uploading a cover performance of Adele's "Someone Like You" with Emily Luther. Talk show host Ellen Degeneres was impressed by the cover that she signed in both Puth and Luther to her record label eveleneleven. Both artists also performed "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum on the show.
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran has been independently recording music since 2004. He also did a lot of gigs in small venues and has opened for folk-alternative duo Nizlopi. Sheeran started releasing EP's and did some collaborations. He noticed that he was able to reach more people through YouTube. The "Shape of You" singer-songwriter uploaded videos of himself performing his songs on his backyard. Not long after, his fan base grew to the point that newspaper The Independent and famous pianist Elton John praised his music. Now, Ed Sheeran is welcoming first baby as he spends a well-earned break for the success in his musical career.
The Weeknd
Most fans agree that The Weeknd is known for being mysterious. In the music videos he uploaded on YouTube, only static images can be seen while his account name is xoxxxoooxo. Despite the mystery or perhaps because of it, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye earned tons of followers. This proves that music lovers can appreciate a musician's talent, even if they do not see the face or know the name of the said artist. The Weeknd eventually got Republic Records to work with his record label called XO. Because of that, he was able to release plenty of mixtapes and studio albums.
