Honestly, if you type little mermaid songs youtube into that search bar right now, you’re basically opening a digital floodgate. It’s a mess of official Vevo uploads, 10-hour loops of ambient ocean sounds, and those slightly unsettling AI-generated "kids' covers" that somehow get 40 million views. You just wanted to hear Jodi Benson hit that high note in "Part of Your World," but instead, you're five clicks deep into a fan theory about whether Ursula is actually King Triton’s sister (which, for the record, the Broadway musical confirms, even if the 1989 movie stays quiet about it).
YouTube is the largest archive of Disney musical history we have. It’s also a graveyard of copyright strikes and low-quality screen recordings from 2006.
Finding the "good stuff"—the high-bitrate audio, the rare demo tracks by Howard Ashman himself, or the 2023 live-action riffs—requires knowing exactly what the algorithm is trying to hide from you. People think they know these songs. They don't. Most folks haven't actually heard the deleted lyrics to "Poor Unfortunate Souls" that were deemed too "suggestive" for a G-rated flick in the late eighties.
The Sound of a Renaissance: Why We Keep Searching
The reason little mermaid songs youtube searches spike every single year isn't just nostalgia. It’s the songwriting craft. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman didn’t just write "carton tunes"; they wrote a Broadway score that happened to be animated. Ashman, who was tragically losing his battle with complications from AIDS during the production, put a level of yearning into Ariel’s lyrics that feels visceral. When you listen to "Part of Your World" on a decent pair of headphones, you aren't just hearing a mermaid talk about forks. You're hearing a masterclass in the "I Want" song, a theatrical trope that defines the protagonist’s entire arc.
The Jodi Benson Factor
Jodi Benson’s performance is the gold standard. Period. On YouTube, you can find the original recording booth footage. It’s incredible. She’s standing there, hair in a scrunchie, literally acting out the swimming motions to get the breath control right. If you’re looking for the 1989 soundtrack, stick to the DisneyMusicVEVO channel. It’s the only place where the audio isn't compressed into a tinny nightmare.
Most people don't realize that "Part of Your World" was almost cut from the movie. Jeffrey Katzenberg thought it was boring. Can you imagine? A kid dropped their popcorn during a test screening, and Katzenberg figured the song lost the audience's attention. Thankfully, the animators fought for it. Now, it’s the most-streamed track from the era.
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The 2023 Live-Action Shift
Then came Halle Bailey. When the first teasers for the 2023 remake dropped, little mermaid songs youtube trends went vertical. The vocal arrangements changed. If you go back and listen to the 2023 version of "Under the Sea," it’s faster. Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in to work with Menken, adding new tracks like "Wild Uncharted Waters" and "For the First Time."
- Wild Uncharted Waters: Jonah Hauer-King actually gives Prince Eric a personality. Finally.
- The Scuttlebutt: This one is polarizing. It’s very "Hamilton." You either love the rapid-fire rap or you want to mute your TV.
- For the First Time: This captures the sensory overload of Ariel hitting land. It’s arguably the best new addition to the canon.
There’s a fascinating "side-by-side" culture on YouTube where creators sync the 1989 and 2023 versions. Watching them simultaneously reveals a lot about how Disney’s visual language has evolved from hand-drawn cells to photo-realistic CGI that sometimes looks a bit too dark.
Why the Audio Quality Varies
Ever notice how some videos sound loud and crisp while others sound like they were recorded underwater? Not in a cool mermaid way, but in a "my speakers are broken" way. YouTube’s compression algorithm hates high frequencies. When a fan uploads a "pitched" version to avoid copyright bots, it ruins the orchestral swell. Always look for the "Official Audio" or "Topic" tags. Those are delivered directly by the label (Walt Disney Records) and maintain the 24-bit depth you actually want for a big musical number.
Rare Finds and the Howard Ashman Demos
If you want to go down a real rabbit hole, search for the "Howard Ashman Little Mermaid Demos." These are the holy grail. Ashman sang the parts of Ariel, Sebastian, and Ursula to show the actors how he envisioned the timing. Hearing his raspy, soulful voice singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is haunting. He’s much meaner than Pat Carroll was. He plays Ursula like a cynical, jaded drag queen—which makes sense, considering the character's design was inspired by the legendary Divine.
There’s also the "Workprint" versions. These are videos where the animation isn't finished yet. You see the rough pencil sketches moving to the final audio. It’s a raw look at how much work goes into a three-minute song.
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The Weird World of "Cover" Culture
YouTube isn't just for the movies. It’s for the covers. You’ve got:
- Metal Covers: Leo Moracchioli does a version of "Under the Sea" that is surprisingly heavy.
- Lo-fi Beats: Perfect for studying, though hearing a chill-hop version of "Kiss the Girl" feels a little surreal.
- Broadway Performances: Don't sleep on Sierra Boggess. She originated the role on Broadway. Her "Part of Your World" involves her "swimming" on wires, and her lung capacity is honestly superhuman.
The comments sections on these videos are basically support groups for musical theater nerds. You’ll find people arguing about the "Flounder" redesign for hours. It’s a community. It’s weird, but it’s passionate.
Navigating the Copyright Maze
Disney is protective. Like, "dragon guarding a hoard of gold" protective. This is why many little mermaid songs youtube videos disappear overnight. If you find a rare behind-the-scenes clip or a deleted song like "Silence is Golden" (Ursula’s original song before it was replaced by "Poor Unfortunate Souls"), download it or save it to a private playlist immediately.
"Silence is Golden" is a masterpiece of villainy, but it’s much slower and more melodic. It didn't have the "oomph" they needed for the middle of the movie. Finding the storyboard version of this song on YouTube is a treat because it shows a completely different side of the Sea Witch.
How to Optimize Your Listening Experience
To get the most out of your YouTube deep dive, you have to stop using the basic search. Use filters. Filter by "Upload Date" if you’re looking for new live covers, or "Duration" (over 20 minutes) if you want the full soundtrack experience.
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Also, check out the "Disney Music Vevo" playlists specifically. They often include the lyrics on screen, which is great for karaoke nights or just making sure you aren't mishearing the lyrics to "Les Poissons" (which is mostly just French-sounding gibberish and chef noises anyway).
The legacy of these songs is basically untouchable. Whether it’s the calypso beat of Sebastian’s numbers or the operatic weight of the finale, these tracks are designed to stick in your brain. They're built on the "Leitmotif" system—where specific musical phrases represent specific characters. When you hear that four-note flute trill, you know Ariel is near. That’s why we keep searching for them. It’s a musical shorthand for our childhoods.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Little Mermaid Playlist
If you’re trying to build the perfect digital library of these tracks, don't just click the first result.
- Seek out the "Legacy Collection": Search specifically for "The Little Mermaid Legacy Collection." These videos feature remastered audio and include demos that weren't on the original 1989 diamond edition.
- Watch the "Alan Menken Medleys": There are several videos of Menken sitting at a piano playing a medley of his hits. Hearing him play the "Little Mermaid" themes is the purest version of these songs you can find.
- Check the 12-inch Remixes: In the late 80s, Disney released extended dance mixes of "Under the Sea." They are gloriously dated and feature heavy synth-pop beats. They’re a fun "deep cut" for fans.
- Use the "Chapters" Feature: Most long-form YouTube videos of the soundtrack now have chapters. Use them to skip the dialogue and get straight to the "Kiss the Girl" percussion break.
- Verify the Source: If the channel name is a string of random numbers and letters, the audio quality is probably terrible. Stick to verified musical channels or dedicated Disney historians like "Disney Dan" or "Sideways" for context on how the music was composed.
The music isn't just background noise; it's a technical feat of mid-century musical theater storytelling. Treat your ears to the high-quality uploads and ignore the grainy re-uploads from 15 years ago.