Since it’s establishment in 2005, Youtube has opened its curtains as a stage for uncharted (literally) talent. A staple in media of the new millennium, the discovery of Youtube’s acts mirrors the days of Motown when local talent shows, auditions and demos were almost the only method of sharing your gift with record execs. Now A&R’s can pull a chair up to their Macs, guzzle iced espressos and use the search button to find their label’s next big star. Much to the cyber singers’ dismay, it usually doesn’t happen like that. It’s normally because of a spontaneous tip leading them to the channels of Youtube’s talented tenth.

Yes, I said tenth. It’s my estimated percentage of subjects who take their gifts seriously and subsequently offer charming vocals, musical creativity and entrancing personality to an unforgiving and oft-cruel industry. Having said that, I’ve come across a few artists that embody that artistic saavy and have earned their cyber stripes as “Youtube’s Best”.

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The most popular act to stem from the popular website is undoubtedly…Justin Bieber. The teenage pop phenom can melt a crowd of tween girls (and dudes) with the flip of his bang and a flash of his smile. Bieber was discovered by R&B chanteur, Usher, and with his exceptional voice, instrumental prowess and captivating personality, he won over the hearts of America.

While Bieber managed to cue tears from screaming Jessicas and Ambers, two Youtube female artists were penning tear-jerking love songs, and developing connections with viewers as they belted them out to the world in a four to five minute timeframe. Those two artists are Priscilla Renea and Dondria, both of whom are now signed to major record deals. The two successfully racked up over a million views on their channels because of their witty personalities and powerhouse vocals. We recently posted on Renea’s industry strides, penning “California King Bed” for Rihanna, while Dondria is prepping a follow-up album to last year’s Dondria vs. Phatfffat, which spawned a top 20 hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with lead single, “You’re The One“.

Speaking of The One, remember the feeling Mariah Carey gave us when she came out of the gate? The gut feeling that despite the struggles of an artist, her music would transcend beyond her time. Youtube’s Joelle James has that same effect on viewers as she opens up her mouth to lace an almost-perfect, warm, and soulful voice upon willing ears. Your goosebumps and dropped jaws are enough to prove that the songstress pulls you into her fan club with ease. Her gift seemingly fell upon the ears of Chris Brown, who signed James to his Chris Brown Entertainment label recently. Since the ink dried, she appears on Brown’s latest mixtape, Boy In Detention. We’re hopeful for a refreshing sound from the gorgeous Cali-native. She writes on Facebook that she’s in the studio and stamps it with an official #CBE.

Jessie J recently braced American audiences with her English soul as she sat, injured leg in tow, and treated the 2011 MTV VMAs to an in-house concert of notable covers-much like she did from her L.A. home via Youtube before hitting it big. The scatting, rapping, thick-voiced, artist scored millions of views on her channel because of her poignant and power-packed set of pipes, as she covered classics by Whitney Houston and beautifully-written tunes penned by herself. Her captivating delivery, matched with a lovable smile stimulated a buzz so large that it landed her a major record deal. The songbird has been successfully solidifying a presence in pop culture since her debut earlier this year.

In a world of Lady Gaga’s and Nicki Minaj, it’s almost the standard that an artist comes out of the bag with a bit of abnormality. Karmin, Youtube’s latest, greatest duo, must have taken notes. Nick and Amy’s quirky demeanor are inferior to the fact that the couple are highly-competent in instrumentation and composition…not to mention Karmin’s poppy, yet full and substantial voice on the group’s illustrious covers, along with her crafted rap flow secures the group’s likeability with world spectators. The Boston-based union caught the attention of the Roots’ ?uestlove and have reportedly signed a major record deal since performing on the 2011 BET Awards Red Carpet.

Brandon Hines is a gifted singer/songwriter, signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label, that has made quite the buzz on the web with his charming voice and emotional delivery. A quick observer might deem the Detroit-born bellower no more than an R&B Forgettable…one who can sustain decent vocals, but lacks anything interesting. However, a listener and observer of his music and approach will easily notice that this guy isn’t one to forget; with his passionate and soulful technique Hines attempts to put Soul back on the radar as a signified genre. His acoustic rendition of “Save Me“, is a demonstation of the passion in his artistry-serenading a circle of friends under the night sky. There’s no questioning as to why Dupri desired the soul resurgence on his roster.

While the aforementioned artists have all managed to sign their names on dotted lines to share their gifts with us, there are pages and pages of untapped talent that exists within Youtube’s search results. We suggest you take notes on their methods of gaining recognition and maybe one day you’ll find yourself reminiscing on your Youtube days as you warm your voice for your premiere concert before the very people who propelled you on the stage.

Here’s a list of Honorable Mentions, Youtube cover artists to keep an eye out for…

• Durrand Bernarr- a soul-stirring bellower who whistles like Minnie Ripperton, belts like Luther Vandross and delivers smoothly like Erykah Badu.
• VanJess- a sibling duo that fuses modern-day R&B with pop, offering beat-boxing, belting, piano savvy, and harmonies reminiscent of En Vogue.
• ShaSha Jones- a singer/songwriter of many elements, who rakes in thousands of views within a few hours of uploading. With the voice of a hummingbird and the skill of a seasoned veteran, Jones disappoints only when you’ve noticed she’s still yet to be signed.
• Loren Allred- Equally talented, Loren is an associate of Joelle James’ and jolts vocal know-how through listeners’ speakers within a few seconds of singing. Allred, a Berklee student, embodies a fearless poise and it’s subsequently apparent in her music. Much like James, Allred has managed to reach the execs. office, signing with Ne-Yo’s Compound Entertainment label last year.

Tell us what you think…