YouTube Goes Underground for Music Talent

By Geoff Duncan Published September 20, 2006

Think you have what it takes to be a rock star? Think you have what it takes to make a splash on YouTube? Then you’ll want to know about The YouTube Underground, a new talen contenst being held by YouTube and sponsored by Cingular Wireless.

Here’s the idea: unsigned bands and musicians can submit their original videos from October 2 to October 18, 2006. The YouTube user community will vote to select the finalist, and Chop Shop Music Supervision founder Alexandra Patsavas will select the winners for best song, best music video, best live performance, and best creative work. (Chop Shop does music supervisor work for hit dramas like The O.C.,Rescue Me,Grey’s Anatomy,Without a Trace, etc.).

Recommended Videos

What do winners receive, besides the idolation of the scintillating YouTube community? A roundtrip ticket to New York City for the top four bands (including a live spot on ABC’s Good Morning America), new music gear from Gibson and Epiphone, use of the Gibson Guitar tour bus while in NYC, a photo shoot for a “top” music publication, and—of course!—your video pimped to the YouTube community. There are also shots at placement through Chop Shop, a ringtone deal with Cingular, and maybe a live gig in NYC…but they aren’t exactly promising.

“We strive to find unique ways to help our community be recognized and this promotion is the first of many such online events. Becoming a part of The YouTube Underground will help the independent musicians that broadcast to the YouTube community rise up and be discovered as some of the greatest music talents today,” said Julie Supan, senior director of marketing at YouTube, in a release. “We are excited to partner with Chop Shop Music Supervision, Cingular Wireless, Gibson Guitar and ABC’s Good Morning America to reward the four winning bands. Through video they have a new opportunity to connect in an intimate and personal way with their fans to build and grow their audiences virally on YouTube.”

Each video entry has to contain a complete song, and all contestants have to be U.S. residents. Hurry up now, the deadline is just weeks away.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Branded Content

Tesla Powerwall is the best solar, home backup, and EV charging companion

Tesla Powerwall 3 installed on outside of home

Solar power, and having solar panels on your home, is a fantastic way to conserve energy and cut down on power bills, especially if you live somewhere sunny like Florida or California. There's just one glaring issue. When the grid goes down you still lose power because of how it's connected. Your solar panels cannot generate enough energy or keep it stored to keep your power on. So, essentially, your power setup doesn't offer much benefit there, unless you get a home power backup system. More specifically, something like a Tesla Powerwall is a compact home battery that stores energy generated from the grid. That energy is then used as a backup when traditional grid power is unavailable.

To make it even more clear, with a Tesla Powerwall, the power stays on even during a major blackout or outage. It's whole-home backup, too, which means you can power your lights, appliances, electronics, you name it. If you've ever had to throw away an entire refrigerator's worth of spoiled food because of a multi-day outage -- like I have -- you'll certainly appreciate the option to keep your appliances running. But that's not all it can do. The Tesla Powerwall is an excellent companion for Tesla EV owners, creating an entire smart ecosystem of power. Let's explore.

Smart Home

Air fryer or cordless vacuum, you choose: Two deep Black Friday discounts worth shopping

Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum in use with pet nearby

Going down probably as two of the most random, unique contenders for smart home and Black Friday deals in a mashup together, we have the COSORI TurboBlaze Air Fryer and LEVOIT LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum. One will cook your food fast and crispy the other will clean your home fast and effectively. Why not, right? You could even throw some food into the air fryer and get to cleaning while it heats up with the vacuum. Okay, maybe it really is an excellent combo. Nevertheless, these Black Friday discounts will have you a little more excited than normal, let's take a closer look.

COSORI TurboBlaze Air Fryer -- now $88, was $120 26% off

Smart Home

Best home security camera deals: Ring, Arlo, Blink and more on sale

These are the best security camera deals available right now

Prime Day 2022 security camera deals graphic.

If you're the sort of person who worries about the physical safety of their home or live in a rough area, then having home security cameras can help give you much more peace of mind. The great thing is that in the past decade or so, security cameras have come a long way, and nowadays, you can get things like wireless security cameras that let you access them remotely from wherever you are through an application. Of course, that does mean that there is a huge selection out there, which is why we've collected some of our favorite security camera deals below, although if you're in the Amazon ecosystem, it might be worth checking out these Ring camera deals.
Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Security Camera -- $27 $50 45% off

While this is ostensibly made for your garage, there's no reason the Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage can't work for other uses as well, especially if you don't need the highest quality of recording. It has an HD camera, which isn't a ton, but it does have an impressive 130-degree field of view. The MyQ also connects through dual-band Wi-Fi for a better connection, and it even has two-way communication, which is impressive for something at this price bracket.