20 MAJOR artists who found fame through social media
Where would they be without social media?
Whilst artists such as Little Mix, One Direction and Olly Murs first found fame on TV talent shows, some of the world's biggest music artists were actually discovered on social media, including the likes of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and even good old MySpace!
It's certainly not an easy job making it big in the music industry! With millions of hopefuls trying to get their break on a daily basis, it's only the lucky few who actually go on to become household names and sell millions of records around the world, so this lot have certainly done well! 🙌
Check out which artists were discovered on social media:
Justin Bieber
A young Justin Bieber had been uploading covers of songs when a talent manager discovered him through YouTube in 2008. Since then he has become a super successful artist around the world with hits like 'Baby', 'Never Say Never' and, of course, who could forget the summer hit of 2017 'Despacito'. More recently, we've enjoyed hits like 'Yukon' and 'Daisies'.
As well as an amazing musical career. Bieber has a number of clothing ranges and he even landed his own docu-series with YouTube.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is known for his hits, 'Can't Feel My Face' and 'Starboy', and 'Blinding Lights, however before that he made his name on YouTube using the name The Weeknd.
After releasing a nine-track mixtape in 2011, Abel landed his first ever record deal, signing with Republic Records in 2012.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes started to gain popularity on the social media app Vine by posting song covers. After getting attention online he got his first record deal and his success has continued from there.
Shawn has since had hits such as 'Treat You Better' and 'There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back', and even had some huge hits with his former girlfriend, singer Camila Cabello!
Calvin Harris
He might be one of the highest-paid DJs around the world, but it wasn't always that way. Calvin Harris was discovered after he posted his solo recordings on MySpace. His recordings were discovered by Mark Gillespie, a talent booker for the dance-festival firm Global Gathering. Mark gave Calvin his first signing.
Calvin has now gone on have hits such as 'Summer', 'Feels', and 'Acceptable In The 80s', and of course, he's worked with major artists such as Dua Lipa, Rihanna and Katy Perry.
Halsey
Before teaming up with The Chainsmokers for their hit 'Closer', Halsey had success on social media. The singer started out by posting videos to Tumblr and YouTube. Now she has had hits including 'Him & I' with G-Eazy.
5 Seconds Of Summer
Australian group 5 Seconds of Summer were YouTube celebrities, before seeing success in the charts. The group posted videos of themselves covering songs and later toured with One Direction. 5 Seconds of Summer have now have six albums and four top 10 singles in the UK including 'She Looks So Perfect'.
Dave
Before becoming a household name in the music scene, rapper Dave actually started by releasing music on different musical platforms including YouTube! The singer then got his big break when he performed on SB.TV in 2015.
Of course, since then, Dave has taken the world by storm, releasing hits like 'Location', 'Streatham', and 'No Words'.
Troye Sivan
Australian singer Troye Sivan rose to fame as a YouTube personality, he later had teamed up with DJ Martin Garrix on his song 'There for You' and enjoyed a top 5 EP in 2015 called 'Wild'.
Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth saw initial success from his videos on YouTube. Charlie's YouTube channel had comedy videos and acoustic covers. Since being discovered Charlie has gone on to have three albums and a string of top 10 hits including 'Marvin Gaye' featuring Meghan Trainor, 'Attention' and 'Summer Feelings' with Lennon Stella.
Carly Rae Jepsen
Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepson competed on various TV talent shows, before she reached mainstream success after the release of her song 'Call Me Maybe'. The song was catapulted to the Number 1 spot when Justin Bieber tweeted about it, as well as uploading a video to YouTube of himself and Selena Gomez miming the lyrics as the song played.
Justin's manager, Scooter Braun, soon signed Carly to a record deal, with the singer later releasing huge bops like 'I Really Like You', 'Run Away With Me' and 'Cut to the Feeling'.
KSI
Rapper KSI, now known for huge hits like 'Don't Play' and 'Holiday', actually started out on YouTube, with his accounts dating back to 2008! The rapper became popular on the streaming platform for a slightly different reason, however, uploading gaming–commentary videos from 2014!
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion built up a following by posting her freestyle raps on social media. She became hugely popular with her fanbase and quickly racked up plays on Soundcloud and YouTube which led to her signing a record deal in 2018.
Saweetie
Rapper Saweetie got discovered by posting her rap videos on Instagram, where she now has over 12 million followers. In 2016 she rapped over the beat for 'My Neck, My Back (Lick It)' by Khia, and the song went viral. This rap was then turned into her iconic song 'Icy Girl'.
Mimi Webb
It's no secret that the icon that is Mimi Webb owes the skyrocketing of her career to popular social media app TikTok. As well as sharing videos of her songs, the singer also became known for sharing her friends and family's reactions to hearing her tracks for the first time - with the clips going viral on the app. On top of this, her track 'Before I Go' featured on popular creator Charli D'Amelio's video, leaving fans wanting more. Mimi quickly shot to superstardom, with huge tracks like '24/5'. 'House On Fire' and 'Ghost of You'.
Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder rose to fame after posting covers on TikTok during the Covid pandemic, gaining the attention of major artists and going on to sign a record deal. Sam then famously represented the UK in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in second place with 422 points as he became the highest scoring UK Eurovision entrant. His songs 'Space Man' and 'You're Christmas To Me' went to a very respectable Number 2 in the UK chart.
Caity Baser
Caity Baser began posting videos to her TikTok page during lockdown, with her track 'Average Student' gaining popularity on the app in 2020. In 2023, Caity teamed up with Mae Muller and Stefflon Don on Sigala's track 'Feels This Good', as well as featuring on Joel Corry's 'Dance Around It'.
Cat Burns
Cat Burns gained popularity on TikTok with her track 'Go', which went on to reach Number 2 on the UK Chart. She was nominated for three awards at the 2023 BRIT Awards, where she also performed. Cat became a household name in 2025 after appearing on the first celebrity edition of The Traitors alongside winner Alan Carr.
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X rose to fame when his TikTok hit 'Old Town Road' went viral. You'll likely know the version recorded with country legend Billy Ray Cyrus after the singer caught wind of the banger online. The song went on to smash records, becoming the most certified single in history!
Alex Warren
You'll likely know Alex Warren from his huge hits 'Ordinary' and 'Carry You Home', but did you know he first rose to fame as a founding member of TikTok group The Hype House. The group created viral videos, before Alex left to start his own podcast, later climbing the charts with his song 'Before You Leave Me' in 2024.
Benson Boone
If you haven't heard Benson Boone's smash hit 'Beautiful Things' then where exactly have you been for the last few years? The song rose to fame in 2024 after Benson garnered a following on TikTok. Sure, his time on American Idol gave him quite a leg up, but his overnight success with Number 1 single 'Beautiful Things' can be attributed to its success on social media!
You can hear hits from these amazing artists on Northsound 1.
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