Yea Ott, I think it all depends on what you're performing in those videos! LOL
In all seriousness, I have seen a lot of you tube videos of folks playing guitar and singing, either their own songs or covers. And yes, some of them DO have thousands of "hits". But I sure hope they are not putting those out there to be "discovered". Because, "hits" does not necessarily equate to "followers". And what kind of followers are they? They sit in their living rooms/bedrooms in their jammies with a beer in their hand and watch these videos for FREE. Having thousands of those kinds of followers does NOT equate to getting even one person to come out and watch you live. Even for free! Or at least no cover charge.
There is still, even in this new electronic age, only one way to ever "make it" in the entertainment industry. You have to GET OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM, and have face to face contact with other people. Being an entertainer is no different, technically, than being a CEO of a company. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. For entertainers, that means starting with small local venues and getting to the point where people actually want to come out and see you. Then, that works into small tours and building a larger following. Then, if the stars line up with the moon and earth, and an entertainment executive hears about you, maybe he/she will come out. Then, and only then, you MAY have a shot at it.
MAB, if I may, I would like to use Frankie Ballard as an example. I have watched several early you tube videos of him in his bedroom playing guitar and singing. He was really good! BUT, I'm willing to bet those videos never got him anywhere. Well, maybe if he used those to show to local venues to try and get a gig? But beyond that, it was NOT those you tube videos that made him successful. It was YEARS of HARD work!! Doing gigs even when he was not really up to it. And doing that consistently and constantly, until he finally got some attention from the right people who decided to take a chance with him.
phil g.