For some, this leads to the assumption that a YouTuber who makes music isn't a “real” artist. Because of this, many musicians have been restricted by their start on YouTube, not being taken as seriously as other artists and constantly being boxed back into their beginnings as a YouTuber.
Orla Gartland said in a 2021 interview with NME, that: “The stigma that YouTubers aren’t real musicians is definitely becoming a dated concept", and five years later, this can finally be seen in the music industry.
James Marriott, who began his career on YouTube, recently announced a 2027 world tour, which includes a show at OVO Arena Wembley. Alongside this, he reached number one in the charts with album ‘Don't Tell The Dog’, and sold out the O2 Academy Brixton for his one-night-only headline show in September. His success has definitely gone far beyond that YouTube box, which may have previously restricted him.
James Marriott has remained active within the YouTube space, continuing to make videos. While these aren't usually on his own channel, he regularly features in videos with other YouTubers such as WillNE. However, this definitely hasn't hindered his music ambitions, and if anything, it allows fans to know him beyond his music, presenting the person behind the artist. He hasn't necessarily moved on from YouTube; he just isn't defined by it.
Troye Sivan is another musician who has moved away from any possible restrictions created by his YouTube past. While there are many who watched him and are a fan due to this, his fanbase has grown beyond it, allowing him to build a separate identity as an artist.
What once risked acting as a restriction – the label of being a YouTuber – is now something that artists appear increasingly able to move beyond, repositioning themselves within the wider music industry and pop culture.
There is also a major strength to starting a music career though YouTube. The connection with an audience, that would otherwise have to be built through social media and live promotion, is already there. As artists begin to separate their musical identities from their YouTuber careers, they can bring an established following with them.
This is a testament to the audiences they have built and to YouTube's ability to create a strong sense of familiarity between creators and viewers.
At a time when connection with an audience has become so vital for artists' growth, being labelled a ‘YouTube musician’ may no longer carry the same limitations as it once did. For artists such as James Marriott and Troye Sivan, it's given them a strong audience connection, with the barrier that these artists had to overcome diminishing over time.
Maria Bensusan
Image: ‘Warning Signs’ Official Album Cover