A new stage for music: YouTube and the amateur musician

The video-sharing website “YouTube” is a new televisual medium that is fundamentally different from commercial broadcast television. Because it can be used by ordinary individuals to transmit video to multiple points, it has facilitated a burgeoning culture of amateur broadcasters. Of the many forms of expression facilitated by this new medium, the musical performance has been among the more popular. This thesis explores how this emerging culture of amateur musicians perceives itself and its role in the greater scheme of mass media and self-expression. Ultimately, the research demonstrates that amateur musicians perceive YouTube as a venue for personally fulfilling and socially uplifting cultural interaction.