The extraordinarily popular video-sharing website, YouTube, has opened up an entirely new venue for aspiring artists to get themselves heard to a worldwide audience. If you use the Internet, you have heard of YouTube and with the Internet available inside the home and office, as well as on mobile devices, it has become a hugely important marketing tool for the music industry and YouTube is likely the most important site in this regard.

YouTube was created in February of 2005 with its official launch being in November of the same year. Since then it has been the place to view, upload and share videos of almost anything imaginable. Clearly this is a huge benefit to music fans. If you want to hear a favourite or new song, you no longer have to wait to hear it or see the video because it will be on YouTube.

This concept extends to new musicians who are now able to shoot a music video in whatever budget they may have and immediately share it with the world. Recording companies keep close tabs on these videos and will compete for the next big hit. The most obvious of these is Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber. Now a household name, Bieber�s mother began posting videos of Justin for family and friends on YouTube and these videos were noticed by music industry people, with Bieber eventually signing with Raymond Braun Media Group. Notable female singers who followed similar paths include Esmee Denters, Terra Naomi, Charice Pempengco, Marie Digby, Lisa Lavie, Julia Nunes, Savannah Outen, and Mia Rose.

YouTube has also aided, if not created, sensations by sharing new talent that would normally only be seen in specific markets. An example of this would be Susan Boyle. Boyle performed �I Dreamed a Dream� on the British television program Britain�s Got Talent and the video was viewed millions of times on YouTube, propelling the Scottish singer to fame. Without YouTube acting as host for her moving performance it is unlikely many people outside of Britain would have seen enough of her to become so enamoured.

The prime-time reality television program America�s Got Talent used YouTube specifically for participants to gain entry to the show via their video auditions and ten year old classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho won that portion and went on to place second in the competition.

Spend some time browsing the different genres in YouTube�s music section and you will find everything from your favourite artist to bedroom webcam performances (think jumping on your bed singing with a record and playing air guitar!), and there will also be singers following their dream of becoming the next superstar, hoping that you can help send them there.