Vine is now more than just a six-second entertainment mouthpiece; the app has directly led to the signing of Folk-pop band Us.
Although band members Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado initially promoted their music on Youtube, the band searched for another platform to make their presence better known. Success came in the form of a posting six-second videos of their cover songs.
"We'd had a Vine account, but we never really too active on it," Carissa Rae Alvarado said in an interview with Billboard Magazine. "We tried to post funny Vines, but we're not comedians, so it didn't go over too well. But the six-second cover thing seemed to really take off and people seemed to like it."
Artists on the app are not paid directly, but exposure can lead to other paying opportunities, as Us soon discovered. The band's cover of The Neighborhood's "Sweater Weather" brought the attention of followers and led to an eventual appearance on Good Morning America. The band was signed to Republic Records last week, according to Billboard Magazine.
According to Republic Record VP of A&R Ben Adelson, the band could be the first of many musicians to find fame on app.
"It just seemed like another way for a band to figure out how to promote themselves," Adelson said, according to Billboard Magazine.
Although Us may be the first musical group to reach a recording label through Vine, other artists have also found success through the app. Comedian KC James achieved a TV show as a result of his work through Vine. Jessi Smiles also gained popularity through six-seconds skits on relationships and pop culture.
