Cosmopolitan magazine is searching for musically talented women through an alliance with YouTube. Dubbed StarLaunch, it invites aspiring musicians to upload their video to YouTube to be voted on by industry vets and music fans. The winner will share the stage in a New York pop concert and get a cash prize.

Cosmo has landed key sponsors for the program -- Cover Girl, Pantene, and, for the first time, Nikon. "Technology people, who tend to advertise to men, are recognizing that women are an important target for them," says Donna Lagani, publishing director. Sponsors get pages in the magazine over the next several months; 365 million impressions on YouTube; and a marketing presence at the pop concert. - Read the whole story...