In the past, it was the music label that produced the music and put it out there into the world. The music label found the artists and signed them and kept exclusive contracts with them, helping to promote tours and doing all of the PR work for the band or artist. This was how things used to be, but the music industry is changing in a big way thanks to YouTube.

Since YouTube has been around, it has launched the music career of countless artists- Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Tori Kelly and many more. They all were discovered on YouTube, and most of the big names have gone on to sign with a record label and make music the traditional way, but the rules have definitely changed.

Now, anyone who has a camera and a wiliness to sing in front of that camera has the potential to become a major music sensation. They can do all of their promoting on YouTube and other social media channels and bypass the record label entirely, if they want to. Many YouTube sensations have actually gone on tour for themselves without the help of a record label, changing up the entire dynamic of how the music industry is SUPPOSED to work.

To the record labels, this can seem like the music industry is being destroyed. To hungry artists who have not had success going the record label route, it can be a godsend to be able to market themselves and make a name for themselves when everyone else tells them “no.” YouTube simply gives more artists a chance to shine and prove themselves.

Of course, YouTube can work in the favor of the record labels. If the artist makes a name for themselves YouTube, then gets signed by the record label, then the artist has already done the hard work for the label. They have done the promotion and perhaps saved the label a lot of money on marketing. In that way, the label can benefit, but there is always the risk that the artist will flee back to YouTube if they are not happy with what the label is offering them.

YouTube is also changing the game in regards to how music is consumed. The labels used to release music when they wanted and how they wanted, but now every video finds its way onto YouTube. That means the record labels have to learn how to play nice with the media giant if they want to catch the largest market share and get their video out there to the most people. They have to play by YouTube’s rules, which can sometimes be harmful for the labels or the artist and can stifle some of the competition and freedom thanks to restrictive standards.
In some ways, YouTube is negatively affecting the music industry, and in other ways it is helping, but there is no doubt that it is making a huge impact.