Social Media as a Career Launchpad: Who the Internet Opened a Path to Music
From YouTube covers to TikTok hits — how digital platforms became a launchpad into the music industry.
Internet platforms opened a direct path into music for young artists, since YouTube already let people post their own covers without label involvement back in 2007. Justin Bieber, for instance, uploaded amateur performance videos, and his manager, Scooter Braun, saw the platform's potential for global promotion.
Short video formats also became a tool for a fast start, since the platform Vine already let people share six-second covers and gain followers back in 2013. At 15, Shawn Mendes posted a short song clip and got thousands of likes overnight, later topping iTunes 37 minutes after the release of his debut EP, The Shawn Mendes EP.
More on artists who launched their careers through social media, in this DeTalks article.
How Social Media Is Shaping the Music Industry
Social media has become the main launchpad for music careers in the digital age, since platforms like TikTok give artists direct access to a global audience. A report from Luminate showed that 84% of songs on the Billboard Global 200 chart first gained popularity on TikTok. Users of that platform are 74% more likely to discover and share new music compared to other social networks.
The most recent Grammy Awards ceremony also showed social media's impact on the music industry, since eight of its nominees gained popularity through TikTok as well. Artist Olivia Dean, for instance, won the Best New Artist award, while her track 'Man I Need' appeared in over 1.7 million videos.
Social media also changed the mechanics of music promotion without the involvement of traditional labels, as artists began building audiences independently through Instagram and TikTok. Spotify confirmed the power of the digital space: in the fourth quarter of 2025, the service reached 751 million monthly active users, and its number of premium subscribers grew to 290 million.
Ukrainian Artists Who Got Their Start on Social Media
Jerry Heil
Jerry Heil began her career recording piano covers on YouTube in 2012. Yana posted multi-part vocal covers, choosing songs by Ukrainian artists. Reposts from performers and the videos spreading online gradually grew her follower count and built her recognition.
Okean Elzy frontman Sviatoslav Vakarchuk also played a role in the artist's rise. After Yana posted a cover of the song 'Ya Tak Khochu do Tebe,' Sviatoslav reposted it on X, where thousands of users saw it.
The artist remembers that day as a major boost to her career. Later on, an agreement came together for her to perform a song together with Okean Elzy, which the singer immediately agreed to.
The breakthrough came through a partnership with the label Vidlik Records, founded by Yevhen Filatov and Nata Zhyzhchenko. The team helped Yana record her debut mini-album, De Mii Dim ('Where My Home Is'), and in 2019, the song 'Okhrana, Otmiena' cemented her success.
YAKTAK
Ukrainian singer YAKTAK used social media as the primary distribution channel for his own music at the start of his career. After appearing on the show The Voice Kids, the artist focused on digital platforms and began developing original material.
YAKTAK actively released new tracks in 2022, after starting his solo career. His song 'Narechena' ('Bride') racked up millions of streams and made Ukrainian charts thanks to social media spread. Social media let him keep direct contact with fans through comments and livestreams. YAKTAK summed up his own experience.
"Just two years ago, I wrote my own songs and nobody knew about them, and today millions sing them. Believe in yourself, and everything will work out — the main thing is not to stop, and to keep moving forward."
PARFENIUK
PARFENIUK began actively building his career through TikTok after releasing the track 'Provela Ekskursiiu' ('Gave a Tour'). The artist posted the track online, and on the third day after release, it topped the Apple Music charts. TikTok users created over 200,000 videos using that sound. Meanwhile, 'Provela Ekskursiiu' racked up 14 million streams on YouTube and 3.5 million on Spotify.
PARFENIUK used TikTok as his main tool for announcing new releases, posting a snippet of the single 'Vidryvaiuchys' ('Breaking Loose') days before its premiere. The platform's audience actively shared the snippet, and the track went viral before its official release.
The music video for 'Vrubai' ('Turn It Up') also once topped the Top 100 Music Videos – Ukraine chart. The video rackedup over three million views within three weeks of release. The dance move from the video's finale was recreated by social media users, amplifying the viral effect.
Foreign Artists Who Got Their Start Online
PinkPantheress
PinkPantheress began her career in 2021 by posting short song fragments on TikTok. The singer made tracks in her bedroom and uploaded them under the alias 'Vbw' on SoundCloud and TikTok. The songs racked up millions of views, with users using the artist's sounds for their own videos. PinkPantheress explained her strategy for working with the platform.
"Once I figured out the algorithm, I thought: 'Well, this can probably promote music the same way.'"
PinkPantheress earned millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music after going viral on TikTok. The tracks 'Pain,' 'Passion,' and 'Break It Off' spread widely on Instagram and X. The label Parlophone Records signed a contract with the artist following her online success.
For a long time, PinkPantheress didn't show her face and stayed anonymous online. The artist's popularity grew without traditional concert tours in her early stage.
Benson Boone
Benson Boone also began his music career through TikTok, where he regularly posted singing videos in 2021. Producers of the show American Idol noticed those videos and invited the artist to audition. His time on the show gave the singer an audience and his first television recognition. After leaving the show, the artist continued growing his social media presence and focused on his own music.
Benson Boone used TikTok to promote his original songs, building a following of millions on the platform. Social media helped the singer communicate directly with followers and show his personal life without separating his stage persona from his private one.
Those very online platforms caught the attention of Dan Reynolds, who signed the performer to the label Night Street Records in partnership with Warner Records. Boone's debut single, 'Ghost Town,' racked up tens of millions of views on YouTube.
The success of the song 'Beautiful Things' cemented the results of his digital-first start: the music video for that track racked up over 370 million views on YouTube. Social media, in short, became the foundation that opened Benson's path from short videos to world tours and a Grammy nomination.