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Samantha Olin
UNIV 111
Professor Johnson
Is YouTube Effecting the Careers of Musicians?
“The Internet is the most important single development in the history of human
communication since the invention of call waiting.”-Dave Barry
There isn’t a day where people don’t use technology at least once a day anymore. It’s
nearly impossible. The use of technology has exploded in so many ways the past several
years and has changed many things, whether it being positive or negative. One specific
use of technology that has become extremely popular is YouTube. More than YouTube
being a just source for entertainment, what have been the effects of YouTube on the
careers of musicians? YouTube has helped spread music, discover musicians, helped get
support from fans all around the world, and inspired other musicians to follow their
dreams in the music industry.
YouTube was created in 2005, and since then it has become the third most visited
website in the world. It has more positive effects to people than negative. It has
encouraged people to create new music, and be inspired to become more creative. Many
people have been able to express themselves in ways that they wouldn’t have been able to
previously if YouTube wasn’t created. The use of YouTube has challenged many people
to go above and beyond, and try to pursue their dreams. Many musicians have been
discovered through YouTube and have become known worldwide.
“The YouTube Effect: How YouTube Has Provided New Ways to Consume,
Create, and Share Music” written by Christopher Cayari is about how YouTube has
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brought up many new ways music is being spread and consumed in our generations. It’s a
case study to prove how YouTube has changed the ways a teenage musician, Wade
Johnston, has been able to create and spread his music. The article shows how Wade
Johnston started his YouTube channel, gained fans, and continued to expand his
popularity. “[YouTube] makes me try harder. It makes me want to write songs more. It
makes me want to be a better musician. I want this to be my ticket to the real deal. It
makes me want to try so hard” (W. Johnston, interview, May 11, 2009). It also goes in
depth how YouTube has taught other amateur musicians how to improve themselves by
being able to find sources and watching videos of other talented musicians. Each video
can be like a lesson, which is free.
Another article that compliments the claim of how YouTube has positive effects
is, “Music in the Digital Age: Musicians and Fans Around the World “Come Together”
on the Net” written by Abijit Sen. The article he wrote is mainly about how digital
technology has played a major role in the lives of musicians. It has given them the power
to be able to share music, and gain fans. YouTube has given all the power to the fans and
artists to decide in what path each musician goes in. If the fans really enjoy someone’s
YouTube channel, it will expand and become well known. Sen states a point, “Struggling
and unknown musicians find the Internet a great way of promoting themselves. This is a
revolutionary breakthrough for the musicians in terms of producing, promoting and
distributing their original music, bypassing the major record labels.” Without YouTube
and other video Internet blogs many musicians would not have been discovered. Anyone
can become a celebrity if they have talent and know how to earn the fans through
YouTube.
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Eitzen would disagree with YouTube being a good source of technology. As he
wrote in “The Atrophy of Social Life”, he believes technology has harmed people and
hasn’t positively contributed to their lives. His main belief is that technology is leading
people to a sad, lonely life. He thinks that modern technology is encouraging people to
isolate themselves more and more as the years go by. People used to spend their time
outside, socializing with neighbors and play with other kids in the neighborhood.
Families now will spend time in their giant homes, but each member of the family will
isolate themselves in their rooms preferring to use technology as opposed to interacting
and spending time with the family. Homes more recently built are becoming less inviting
to others and encouraging to just stay inside all day. He believes we need to recognize
what is occurring in our society and start to make some changes before things get too out
of hand.
“The YouTube Effect: How YouTube Has Provided New Ways to Consume,
Create, and Share Music” and “Music in the Digital Age: Musicians and Fans Around the
World “Come Together” on the Net” are both strong sources that go along with saying
technology is a positive thing, specifically on the topic of YouTube. It shows the reality
of upcoming musicians on the rise to becoming known. It gives the opportunity to
everyone from all around the world to express their talents. Before YouTube was created,
so many musicians wouldn’t have been given the chance to become known. There
wouldn’t have been a way for someone in the U.S to discover a musician in Australia. It
would have been nearly impossible without YouTube. YouTube encourages people to
interact with one another. In “The Atrophy of Social Life” Eitzen states that people are
isolating themselves due to technology but in reality more and more people are being
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discovered due to interacting with one another. If technology were a bad thing then there
wouldn’t be so many success stories. “The Atrophy of Social Life” is not a very useful
source because all Eitzen states is that people are isolating themselves due to technology,
but he doesn’t necessarily state what exactly they are doing with the technology they
have. So much can be created as introduced in “The YouTube Effect: How YouTube
Has Provided New Ways to Consume, Create, and Share Music” and “Music in the
Digital Age: Musicians and Fans Around the World Come Together on the Net.”
Musicians from all over the world are coming together to share their skills and talents.
In the end we have to look at the bigger picture of what technology has really
done for us. What YouTube has done to the careers of musicians. It has done nothing but
positive things because like stated in the sources; it has discovered and encouraged so
many people to share their talents. Sure like Eitzen said people are isolating themselves
but in reality they are doing the opposite because due to the use of technology they are
able to connect with the whole world. The use of sources are limited, being able to use
more sources we could really see what YouTube has done to the careers of musicians, in
the positive aspect. For example, being able to show specific musicians who have
become well known through YouTube could really help support my claim.
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Citation Page
Eitzen, D. Stanley. "The Atrophy of Social Life." Society 41.6 (2004): 12-16. Print.
Cayari, Christopher, and Christine M. Thompson. "The YouTube Effect: How YouTube
Has Provided New Ways to Consume, Create, and Share Music." Ed. Margaret
M. Latta. International Journal of Education & the Arts 6th ser. 12 (n.d.): n. pag.
Web. 4 Dec. 2013. <http://www.ijea.org/v12n6/v12n6.pdf>
Sen, Abhijit. "Music in the Digital Age: Musicians and Fans Around the World “Come
Together” on the Net." Global Media Journal 16th ser. 9 (2010): n. pag. Web. 4
Dec. 2013.
<http://lass.purduecal.edu/cca/gmj/PDF_archive/amer_edition/spring2010/GMJSP10-article1-sen.pdf>.