Utaite (歌い手) is a Japanese term for amateur singers who post covers on the Internet, especially on sites like Niconico and YouTube.
Although utaite can refer to any amateur cover singer on the Internet, the term is closely associated with the Vocaloid scene, and there is much overlap between these cultures; they are said to have grown alongside each other.
Also, many Vocaloid producers choose to make the instrumental versions of their songs readily available on sites such as Piapro, allowing and directly encouraging utaite to use them for covers.
[10] Because of this, the word was adopted by amateur cover singers on the Internet to distinguish themselves from kashu, with the meaning that they weren't on the same scale or skill level as a professional.
[1] This usage stuck, and the term utaite is now widely understood in Japanese to specifically refer to this subculture of online cover singers, typically of Vocaloid songs.