YouTube view counts made undiscovered talent visible and signed to labels

Evidence

As YouTube became central to pop culture, it also became a clear pathway for unknown talent to ascend into global fame. In 2007, twelve-year-old Justin Bieber uploaded a video of himself singing Ne-Yo’s R&B ballad “So Sick” from his home in Stratford, Ontario. Encouraged by positive feedback, he posted more performances, eventually catching the attention of Scooter Braun, an ambitious young talent scout in Atlanta. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 290