YouTube chose the SXSW Music Conference to announce a new expansion in their YouTube Partner Program (YPP) for independent musicians.  It is called Musicians Wanted. A March 16 blog entry describes the program, how to apply and gives links to artists' channels who have joined the program.

The program is open to artists in any genre in the U.S.  According to the Partner Program FAQ, "In evaluating applications, we look at various factors including but not limited to the popularity of the user's videos, number of subscribers, the user's involvement with the YouTube community, and the user's track record of compliance with the YouTube terms of service." Revenue results from either a share of advertising associated with your videos or video rentals.