Google Idol

There’s American Idol, which has risen to fame (or infamy?) in the recent years due to its popular appeal across a wide demographic. Whether you’re a teen, a music lover in your 20’s, or someone more mature who’d like fresh takes on familiar pop tunes, or maybe even someone in the music industry in search for your next big star, American Idol is definitely a show to watch. Now in its fifth season, Idol has produced singers who have moved on to mainstream singing careers and even stints in Hollywood.

But to the rest of us who may not necessarily be able to make it to Idol (competition is tough, we hear), here might be our chance at fame: Google Idol.

Google Idol isn’t actually affiliated with Google, but it’s a competition that essentially uses the Google Video service as its multimedia platform. The “contestants,” which consist of videos submitted to Google Idol, are judged by the public and are ranked according to popularity.

The contest consists of two categories: the Music Competition and the Webcam category. The competition is currently ongoing, and right now in the preliminary heats.

And then, of course, for those not really into Pop music, there are various other themes, such as Rock, Kids, Original, and even Gay.