YouTube spells success
2011/05/14
Share |
First Previous
Next Last
Ana Raffali is a YouTube success story who has done well in Juara Lagu.
Ana Raffali is a YouTube success story who has done well in Juara Lagu.
Yuna is based in New York.
Yuna is based in New York.
INSTEAD of becoming an overnight sensation, like those on reality television programmes, wannabe singers and artistes who post their videos on YouTube know that it can be a long, hard road.
But many are prepared to wait, with some having to do so for almost two years, before fame came knocking on their door.
But they are not complaining because when you are on YouTube, you can become famous worldwide.
Take, for example, singers Justin Bieber, Rebecca Black and also Cody Clack, who are huge success stories, thanks to YouTube.
Malaysia, too, has its success stories in artistes Zee Avi, Ana Raffali, Yunalis Zarai (or Yuna) and newcomer Nur Imelda Ahmad (or Melda).
For Melda, 20, who is pursuing a music and vocal course at Universiti Teknologi Mara, she had to wait 18 months to be known for her video clip.
"Luckily for me, I was patient and my videoclip, Putus by Alan Marzhas, was well received on YouTube.
"If you are looking to do well in this medium, be patient for success will usually come much later than sooner."
Besides Putus, Melda has also released Kimia.
She collaborated with composer Ajai on Aku Adalah Aku.
So how many hits does one need to become popular on YouTube?
Some 100,000 hits should be sufficient, said Melda.
However, Zee Avi, Ana and Yuna have millions of hits for their videos.
Melda said: "I am still new but they are all well established. I spoke to Yuna some years ago and she encouraged me.
"YouTube is a good medium if you want to break into the entertainment scene because if you are well received and have a large following, recording companies will sign you up," said Melda, who wants to become a vocal coach.
She said some of the biggest names on YouTube were Justine Bieber and acoustic singer and songwriter Marie Digby.
Songwriter Ana Raffali has been posting her videos on YouTube since 2006 and she received her big break in 2007 when composer Adit Alfian saw her work and contacted her.
"I have been posting my own songs for sometime, including Hujan Bunga Di Kuala Lumpur.
"When people contacted me about my videos, it turned out to be a pleasant turn of events because when I started out, there were few Malaysians on YouTube.
'Though I am one of the earlier ones to have posted my videos on YouTube, I am not the first. It amazes me to see that more women are going on YouTube to showcase their work and this is very encouraging," says Ana.
Ana, 25, consolidated her position in the music industry when her composition, Tolong Ingatkan Aku won the Juara Lagu annual music competition in January.
Her other songs, including Kalau Berpacaran, which she collaborated with singers Sohaimi Meor Hassan and Altimet, have also done well on the music charts and have received a lot of airplay on radio stations.
"YouTube is a good medium to showcase your videos, but it might not be the best.
"It definitely is a place to get started in your singing career and share you videos with the world.
"If you are good, your popularity will grow by leaps and bounds."
Singer and songwriter Yuna has her fans to thank for becoming a household name on YouTube.
"My fans are the ones who did me a big favour by posting my video on YouTube.
"But never once did I think or assume that I would become a household name like Zee Avi or Ana Raffali.
"Even on MySpace, I never revealed who I was to fans. Those who knew my songs knew that I was also performing at many gigs and non-black-tie events," says Yuna, who is based in New York.
Yuna, 24, is in the midst of a recording contracting with the Fader Label in the Big Apple.
In March, she released Decorate, which has five tracks.
She will release a full album at the end of this year.
"I signed with the Fader Label in New York because I want to break into the international market.
"YouTube has given me an international recognition and will open doors for those who want to make it big locally and overseas."
Yuna said that while YouTube was a good medium for international exposure, it was local gigs that allowed her to keep in touch with her Malaysian fans.
"They know my songs and my work. Some have followed me from one gig to another and this connects us on a personal level.
"We must be good on YouTube and performing in local gigs. You must have a following in both areas."
Read more: YouTube spells success http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/15ntyoutube1-2/Article#ixzz1MO7sam4d
No comments:
Post a Comment