As I am sure you know or at least have been told, social media has truly transformed many segments of life and music is no exception. It is responsible for creating stars left and right, for bridging the gap between artists and their public, for changing the way we consume or distribute music and so much more.

In the olden days, before the rise of social networks, musicians would work to get signed by a music label, which would then do all its best to sell their ‘brand’ to the world, give the public a taste of the goods with small-concerts, some interviews etc. Contrary to all predictions (and thank god for that), now the process has changed and the power is back in the hands of the musicians. Artists can use channels such as YouTube to upload their music and create their image, fanbase and music career all by themselves. This allows them to have greater freedom in sharing their music. Or, should they wish to, social media stars can use their vast following as a way to get the attention of labels.

Labels have also had to change their approach. Now they are buried deep in social media, looking for the next big thing, scanning through comments and engagement to determine what kind of reaction an artist gets from the public and what can be expected from them on a larger scale.

Social media has brought musicians and audiences closer together, allowing for real-time interaction, good distribution of information about gigs and events, as well as making it possible for fans to be direct contributors to an artist’s success through the help of crowdfunding.

Here is a quick look into some of the most famous examples of how social media creates stars and also a list of some musicians’ profiles you might want to follow on social media.

Stars who made it because of social media

Have you heard of this young Canadian singer, who has somehow managed to make half the world love him and the other half despise him? He goes by the name of Justin Bieber and is perhaps the most famous artist, discovered on YouTube. His covers of various popular songs, caught the eye of talent scout Scooter Braun who subsequently introduced the young boy to Usher Raymond. Justin signed with the label and ta-daaa – he is now one of the world’s biggest stars.

Lana Del Ray’s fame is also the product of her YouTube presence. She herself has been creating music since the tender age of 18 but became world-known after her viral music video to the song “Video Games”. Her subsequent album “Born to Die” was the fifth best selling album for 2012.

Two other YouTubers-gone-crazy-famous are Soulja Boy and Carly Rae Jepsen, whose career got a super-stardom-boost after Justin Bieber tweeted to the world about her single “Call me maybe”. Soulja Boy relied on the viral sensation that his song “Crank that (Soulja Boy)” turned into.

Musicians doing this social media thing right

Here are some artists you could learn a thing or two from:

Beyonce
Instagram: @beyonce
Twitter: @Beyonce

Let’s start with an obvious one. Beyonce has perfected the art of social media, teasing with her flawless overall presence, sporadic pictures of her famous husband and tiny daughter, inspiring self-portraits and anything else that hints towards her obvious world domination.

Miley Cyrus
Instagram: @mileycyrus
Twitter: @MileyCyrus

Yes, Miley Cyrus, because, I swear to you, her Instagram is insanity on a stick. You can expect to see a lot of animal weirdness, photoshop experiments, yoga contortions and the occasional self promotion post.

Father John Misty
Instagram: @fatherjohnmisty
Twitter: @fatherjohnmisty

The singer-songwriter, famous for tunes such as “Bored in the USA”, “I love you, Honeybear” and “Never been a woman” has an Instagram you would not want to miss. It’s filled with stock photos that go with philosophical musing about life and its intricate peculiarities, as well as various experiments and debates. It is truly a masterpiece among social media profiles.

Drake
Instagram: @champagnepapi
Twitter: @Drake

Follow Drake on social media to learn how to perfect the art of marketing online. His accounts are filled with hints and teasers of his upcoming collaborations, events, music and anything in between.

Ryan Adams
Instagram: @misterryanadams
Twitter: @TheRyanAdams

I personally am always interested to find out what musicians get inspired by. Check out Ryan Adams’ social media profiles for a look into where he finds his musical muse.

Chance the Rapper
Instagram: @chancetherapper
Twitter: @chancetherapper

Chance the Rapper provides a great example of how to interact with fans and share more of your personal history with them.

Alice Glass
Instagram: @_alice_glass
Twitter: @Aliceglass

For a dose of humor and honesty wrapped in 140 characters or less follow Alice Glass’ Twitter account and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. She shares memories of dramatic/amusing childhood situations, as well as her own tweaks to famous lyrics.

Erykah Badu
Twitter: @fatbellybella
Instagram: @erykahbadu

Erykah Badu fills her social media profiles with content that leaves us with a sense of wisdom and a zen-look on life. Childhood photos, emotional responses to fans, spicy words for the haters, glimpses of her fashion line – all pieces of the puzzle that is her life.

So there you have it, some of the best and certainly most popular social media channels of famous musicians. Get inspired or just flat-out “borrow” some of their marketing and promotional tricks. Are there any musicians you love to follow on social media because of the awesome content they post? Share them with us in the comment section below. Don’t forget to check out Drooble for some additional music social media inspiration.