Internet Video and American Idol
With HD movie cameras coming down in price and the ease to upload a video to the web, shouldn't the internet and social media trump American Idol in the near future? While it is difficult to predict what will happen in the future, it is certain that improvements in technology and the increasing popularity of posting online videos have changed the way musicians are discovered or become famous. American Idol has forever changed the traditional process of establishing a music career, and it is likely that online video posting and networking will continue to do so in the future.
High-definition cameras with built-in upload capabilities have made it incredibly easy to post video content online. These new HD cameras are small, portable and can deliver a very high-quality picture with appropriate lighting and the use of a tripod to eliminate unwanted movement while filming. Some of the newest cameras come equipped with editing software that is compatible for both a PC and a Mac and makes uploading video to YouTube or similar sites quite simple. Online videos that have gone viral have attracted millions of hits and have made household names out of previously unknown performers. Social networking sites like Facebook have made it possible for fans to follow the careers of their favorite artists and to contribute to their popularity by sharing links with friends on their own profile pages. A good example of this phenomenon was the meteoric rise of singing sensation Susan Boyle. Discovered as a singer on "Britain's Got Talent," the video of her performance of "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables has been viewed over 38 million times on YouTube, which is significantly higher than the original audience of the show. Boyle has since released her first album, which quickly became the worldwide best-selling album of the year in 2009.
The power of social networking sites and video sites cannot be underestimated. Even the judges of American Idol recognize that songs such as Larry Platt's "Pants on the Ground" (from Season 9) might become an internet sensation despite their relative lack of musical talent. Whether or not the internet replaces American Idol remains to be seen, but the fact is that Idol's ratings have been declining over the past several seasons. During Season 9 of Idol, the ratings of NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics were higher than those of Idol at the same time. This was remarkable since American Idol has dominated the ratings in its time slot since 2003. Twenty years ago it was impossible to imagine a TV show actually creating someone's music career. In twenty years, it may be impossible to imagine someone being a famous musician without also having a popular internet video.
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