Over the last century, the music industry has changed dramatically, along with every other industry, in the wake of the technology explosion. With the invention of the microphone, recording equipment, radio, music television, CD players and mp3 players, the entire realm of music has changed.

Musicians can now reach widespread audiences, as opposed to a time when the only way to experience an artist was to see a live performance. Social media, with platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, has opened up a door of opportunities that artists didn’t have a decade ago.

Technology has also replaced the outlets of the past, like MTV’s TRL and music video shows, and has become the leading factor in deciding who’s famous or not.

Recent polls and studies about certain celebrities’ Twitter accounts are aligned with how much fame they have.

Canadian native Justin Bieber was discovered we was 13 years old by a record label producer through his videos on YouTube when and since then has become one of the most notorious pop stars in the industry. He is currently one of the wealthiest artists in the industry, and also the most followed person on Twitter.

According to France 21, Twitter Counter, a tracker and analyzer for Twitter, Bieber will be the most followed person in the world, even competing against President Obama for the title.

Today accessing your social media accounts is a daily routine integrated into our lives. It is the way that people communicate, update and discover news about each other. For celebrities this platform provides an intimate connection with their fans and if they foster relationships on social media, their fan base will grow.

Social media go hand and hand with fame, and it seems that nowadays without a Twitter or Facebook account, an artist can’t sufficiently compete in the industry.