From YouTube to Superstardom: 7 Artists Who Launched Their Careers Online

Social media has made some amazing things possible, some of which would have been unimaginable at any other time in history. Platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok have let regular people take the spotlight. For musicians, social media has been a way of sharing their art with a broad audience — even if they haven’t been “officially” discovered. Some of the biggest stars in the modern music industry have used social media to find their big break. These superstars might be world-famous, but they started by sharing their talents on the same social media platforms that billions of others use.

1. Doja Cat

Rapper Doja Cat had a unique start to her career. After dropping out of high school, she spent her time teaching herself how to mix music using GarageBand and uploading it to SoundCloud. Her SoundCloud track “So High,” released in 2012, was the song that attracted the attention of record producers. 

However, her mainstream popularity didn’t grow until 2018, when she released a humorous music video on YouTube, “Mooo!” The video garnered over five million views in its first week and made Doja Cat an internet meme. Her resulting second album, Hot Pink, was a massive hit, spawning the Top 10 hit “Say So” and earning multiple Grammy Award nominations. 

2. Justin Bieber

Pop superstar Justin Bieber was one of the earliest singers to gain recognition on social media. He came to the attention of record producer Scooter Braun thanks to his YouTube videos, uploaded in 2007 when Bieber was just 13 years old. The videos were at-home performances of Bieber singing in his living room and clips from a hometown singing competition; they included him performing covers of songs by Alicia Keys and Chris Brown. 

YouTube was in its infancy then, but Braun saw its potential as a launch pad for pop stars. Although his fellow record producers thought it ridiculous, Braun proved them right. Bieber was an immediate hit with singles such as “One Less Lonely Girl” and “One Time.” He has since become one of the most successful pop stars of the century. 

3. Alessia Cara

Following in the footsteps of her idol Justin Bieber (only two years her elder), Alessia Cara began uploading videos to YouTube at 13. She steadily grew an online fanbase by covering songs by artists such as Amy Winehouse and Beyonce, often accompanying herself on guitar. 

Cara continued to market through social media until she finally signed a record deal with EP Entertainment at 18. Her 2016 single “Scars To Your Beautiful” climbed to No. 8 on the charts; it was followed two years later by her cover of “How Far I’ll Go” on the soundtrack of the Moana film. Cara made history in 2018 when she became the first Canadian to win the Grammy for Best New Artist.

4. Lil Nas X

The story of rapper and singer Lil Nas X is entirely entwined with social media — the “Old Town Road” singer owes his career to a viral TikTok trend. Throughout his teen years, he built a solid social media presence on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and Facebook. But it wasn’t until the rise of TikTok that he rocketed to superstardom. Nas released his song “Old Town Road,” a country rap track recorded in his closet; it quickly went viral as part of the “TikTok Yeehaw challenge,” wherein users would perform a stereotypical “cowboy” dance against the soundtrack. 

Amazingly, Nas produced a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 before signing a record deal. After the success of “Old Town Road,” he had further hits such as “Panini,” “Rodeo,” “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” and “Industry Baby.” Nas has won two Grammy Awards. 

5. Shawn Mendes

Pop crooner Shawn Mendes has become a regular chart-topper, but he owes his fame to social media in more ways than one. As a teen, Mendes taught himself to play guitar by watching YouTube tutorials. Later, he began uploading performances on YouTube and Vine, usually covers of Justin Bieber songs. After covering Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me,” Mendes’ fan base exploded, making him the third-most-popular artist on Vine at just 15. 

After signing his first record deal, Mendes made history by becoming the youngest artist to debut in the Top 25 on the Billboard charts. He has won three American Music Awards and received three Grammy Award nominations for songs such as “Señorita” and “In My Blood.” 

6. The Weeknd

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, the musician who would become known as The Weeknd, used social media in a unique way — to spread his artistry and build a fan base while also remaining anonymous. His songs “The Morning,” “What You Need,” and “Loft Music” were uploaded in 2010 and eventually attracted the attention of rapper Drake, who featured them on his blog. This was the attention that Tesfaye needed to propel his music to mainstream attention.

Tesfaye founded the record label XO with several music executives a year later. Eventually, he even collaborated with Drake, the rapper who had first put him in the spotlight. Tesfaye has won four Grammy Awards for his work as The Weeknd. 

7. Halsey

Born Ashley Frangipane, the musician known as Halsey started her music career on various social media platforms. At 18, she shared original songs and covers on YouTube, Tumblr, and Kik. Tumblr was her biggest online platform, and she first gained significant attention in 2013 after parodying “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift. She eventually moved to sharing songs on SoundCloud, where her original track “Ghost” caught the attention of record producers. 

She had considerable success throughout the early years of her career and exploded into the spotlight in 2016 when she collaborated with The Chainsmokers on “Closer.” She received a Grammy nomination for the track.

Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage