On March 2nd, Courtney Myers authored a blog post titled Social Media and the Music Industry: The Good, The Bad, and The Viral. In her post, Myers discussed the integration of digitization in our everyday lives. After introducing digitization as the reasoning for a grand change in the music industry, she talks about her brother’s relevant career to the topic.

Myers explains that her brother managed a committee for an arts and entertainment council. The primary role of her brother’s job is to scour the internet for talent he can inquire about tour dates and potentially book for shows.

I chose to respond to this blog because I believe it’s important to discuss how new talent is emerging in the recording industry. Facebook was first social media platform people and business took to to begin implanting their name on the internet. Facebook includes a feature during the “sign-up” phase to allow you to create a profile page for an individual, a small business, and even for musicians/bands. Bygone are the days where A&R talent scouts would have to visit every coffee shop and bar in town to find a local crooner to invest in. Nowadays, finding unsigned voices is merely a click away. A record label doesn’t need to hold auditions or hire people to inspect local music scenes anymore.

YouTube created a platform where auditions are uploaded in the forms of covers or original songs by everyday people who want to share their vocal prowess. YouTube fame is never not going to be a needle in a haystack – but quality covers usually garner much deserved attention to these unheard singers. Viral fame begins small but can inevitably be the kick start to many musicians careers. Another site, Soundcloud, allowed for users to upload audio files in order to share their music. Hip-hop and rap artists looking to get discovered by labels flock to Soundcloud’s platform.

Alessia Cara

A notable artist for achieving her music dreams through YouTube is pop singer Alessia Cara. Cara began recording her singing and playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 13. The recordings she made she would later upload to YouTube. During her senior year in high school, Cara’s YouTube channel was showed to the founder of EP Entertainment via his daughter. In 2016, Cara began recording demos for EP’s recording studio Def Jam Records. Since her YouTube-sparked career, Cara has released a debut album that has gone platinum in the United States alongside winner her the Best New Artist Grammy Award in 2018.

Abel Tesfaye/The Weeknd

In 2010, a mysterious YouTuber under the pseudonym “The Weeknd” began uploading a few songs to the site. Tesfaye quickly gained a following for his original beats and soulful voice. In 2011, he began writing original mixtapes that would eventually be released all within the year. House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence brought about his fame alongside the aid of fellow artist Drake. In 2012 Tesfaye was finally signed to Republic Records. Since he was signed, Tesfaye has released three studio albums through Republic. Tesfaye’s second album, The Beauty Behind the Madness, went platinum thrice in the United States; his third album, Starboy, gaining double platinum status in the states. Tesfaye’s rise to fame has also brought about tabloids of his multiple celebrity on celebrity romances including Justin Bieber’s ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez, and a Victoria’s Secret Angel and supermodel, Bella Hadid.

This post was in response to: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/social-media-and-the-music-industry-the-good-the-bad-and-the.html