TikTok has had a huge impact on the music industry in the past few years. Songs will go viral overnight from a 15-second snippet, turning unknown artists into mainstream superstars, reviving old hits and pushing songs to the top of the charts.
TikTok has transformed the way hits are made. Instead of traditional radio or meticulously planned marketing, a meme or dancing challenge can now push a song to tons of streams.
Take Zara Larsson’s song “Symphony.” It was turned into a dolphin meme, which helped it gain a lot of traction. Larsson ran with this and grabbed the opportunity, using this meme to construct and develop an entire rebrand.
Now she’s more popular than ever and selling out venues with her “Midnight Sun Tour,” releasing her from the grips of the “Khia Asylum,” a figurative “holding cell” for those who were mainstream but slowly became a flop.
But, it’s not all positive. On TikTok, viewers may favor snippets over the actual full song. Tracks will go viral for one 15- second hook, leaving the rest of the song forgotten.
This leads musicians to feel pressured to tailor their music to TikTok out of fear that their songs may flop—leaving us to wonder if the industry is moving toward short-term virality rather than long-term artistry.
TikTok has also leveled the playing field. Independent, unsigned artists can now get a lot of exposure without a record deal. A clever video promoting their song can get them millions of followers, streams and even contracts.
TikTok has become a launchpad for careers. Recently, this has been the case for Bella Kay and her songs “iloveitiloveitiloveit” and “Steady.” These two songs have blown up and are all over the For You Page.
Kay is now going on her own tour and opening for Maisie Peters at select shows.
The industry is changing. The traditional release using the radio, album drops and music videos is changing. Labels use TikTok to scout trends and artists who go viral. Marketing for album drops has become faster, data-driven and more influenced by social media culture than ever.
Looking at Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming album rollout, she’s relying on TikTok to build anticipation for her album’s release. For a week straight, she had multiple walls painted around the world in a different shade of purple until they turned pink with the addition of her new logo. While we are still waiting for her official announcement, TikTok is already buzzing with predictions and theories of what her album will be.
Even established artists are using TikTok for marketing.
Another major shift is how quickly the viewers’ feedback can shape a song’s success. Likes, comments and shares hold a lot of the power when it comes to making a song viral. Artists and labels can see what resonates with their listeners and tweak what they’ll do next based on the feedback.
TikTok is reshaping the music industry in ways that are still unfolding. It gives fans more influence, catapults artists to the top and changes the process by which a song becomes a “hit.” There are positives and negatives to this and opinions vary depending on who you ask.
TikTok isn’t going anywhere. Artists will need to learn how to use it or risk being left in the dust.