Five members of Pentatonix smiling in a professional group photo outdoors

Pentatonix

2011viral videoactive

Published September 21, 2026

Pentatonix is an American a cappella group that rose to fame after winning NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011, subsequently building a massive YouTube following through viral covers of popular songs. Their Daft Punk medley became one of the most-viewed a cappella videos of all time and won a Grammy Award, establishing them as internet pioneers who leveraged social video to achieve mainstream musical success.

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Overview

The quintet became known for elaborate a cappella arrangements of popular songs, with all instrumentation recreated through voice, beatboxing, and vocal percussion. Their signature format features Kevin Olusola's cello-beatboxing hybrid technique and tight harmonies from the other members, producing covers that sound remarkably close to the original tracks despite using no instruments3.

Pentatonix videos typically feature the five members performing together in a single frame, often with minimal staging that emphasizes their vocal abilities. The group pioneered medley-style covers that stitch together multiple songs from an artist's catalog or musical era, a format that became their trademark1. These "Evolution of" and "Tribute to" compilations proved particularly shareable, appealing both to fans of the original music and viewers impressed by the technical vocal skill.

Their content strategy of releasing polished cover videos at regular intervals built an engaged subscriber base that enabled them to survive being dropped by their original label and ultimately sign with RCA Records in 20142.

Origin & Background

Platform
NBC The Sing-Off / YouTube (viral spread)
Key People
Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Avi Kaplan
Date
2011

The group originated as a high school trio of Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, and Mitch Grassi in Arlington, Texas. Their 2010 cover of Lady Gaga's "Telephone" went viral on YouTube, accumulating over 1.4 million views2. To meet the five-member requirement for NBC's a cappella competition The Sing-Off, Hoying recruited bassist Avi Kaplan and beatboxer Kevin Olusola just one day before auditions3.

The newly formed group auditioned for The Sing-Off's third season, which premiered September 19, 2011. Despite having just met, they progressed through elimination rounds and were announced winners on November 28, 2011, claiming a $200,000 prize and a recording contract with Sony Music4. The group's YouTube channel launched September 10, 2011, with their first upload appearing January 10, 20123.

How It Spread

After winning The Sing-Off, Pentatonix faced an unexpected setback when their label dropped them before releasing an album. Rather than seeking another traditional deal, the group committed to building an audience through YouTube2. They uploaded their first video, a cover of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger," on January 10, 2012, which gained over 4.6 million views3.

Their April 2013 video "Evolution of Music," spanning compositions from 11th century monk chants to 2010s pop hits, marked their breakthrough moment and garnered over 39 million views3. The November 4, 2013 Daft Punk medley became their most viral work, reaching 100 million views within a year and eventually surpassing 300 million views5. This video won Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella at the 57th Grammy Awards in February 20156.

Their Christmas content proved equally successful, with "The Little Drummer Boy" released November 25, 2013 reaching over 32 million views and charting at #13 on the Billboard Hot 1003. By May 2014, the YouTube strategy had paid off with a major-label deal at RCA Records. As of 2024, the PTXofficial channel has accumulated over 20 million subscribers and 6.8 billion total views7.

Timeline

2010

High school trio uploads Lady Gaga "Telephone" cover that goes viral

2012-01-10

First YouTube video (Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger" cover) uploaded to PTXofficial channel

2015-02-08

Wins first Grammy Award for Daft Punk arrangement

2017

Original member Avi Kaplan departs, Matt Sallee joins as replacement

2023

Receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Frequently Asked Questions