YouTube started out as a way for a guy to upload videos of his cat. Now it is used for any kind of video you can imagine. From learn how to pick a lock or build a chair to learning how to code and music videos. You can find just about anything on YouTube, it has become the video google platform. K-Pop music companies use it to upload their artist(s) music videos so that they may have a global outreach. It is one of the reasons K-Pop has become so accessible. Fans flock to YouTube when teaser videos are released and when the music video is released, they re-watch it countless times to help increase the view count. The higher number of views, means the more notice their artist will attract. The fans have also taken to YouTube to upload Korean variety TV shows when their artist is likely to appear on the show and put subtitles to it so that fans from a different country can enjoy see them in a different light. Videos from popular shows like Weekly Idol and Happy together end up translated and put on YouTube. Mostly under different names as they are more likely to be taken down if the official name is used. Having these videos allow fans to have access to their idols 24/7. The fans especially look for FANCAMs (fan camera) that are taken during a concert. That way they can feel as if they were there too. Even if they know the songs, the videos help them see the remixes, and social interaction that happens during a concert that is not likely to happen because the artist may never visit their country/state(or province)/city. Fans have even flocked to YouTube to upload lyrics videos of the artist(s) songs that include the Korean, Romanization (Korean written in English instead of Korean characters) and English versions so that it can help their fellow fans follow along and learn the song. The music videos that are released online also have a fan chant that accompanies the song. Fans who are part of the fan cafe (a place where Korean fans gather and get information about their artist) have access to the chant and will usually upload a video to spread the word. This helps the all the fans learn the chant so that when they see the artist live they can chant along with the song. YouTube has made the connection between artist and fan more personal.
Oct 302016