As TikTok rises in popularity, so does its influence. Now the third-largest social network in the world, TikTok is playing a pivotal role in the social media landscape and has changed media consumption as a whole. The music industry has been transformed due to the fast-paced and attention-grabbing nature of TikTok. Trends have created new hit songs overnight with a noticeable effect on the music charts. The app has created a new gateway for small artists and has acted as a platform for the discovery of new music.
Creating Hits
The virality of TikTok trends relies on audio, whether they be dances, comedy bits, or fashion segments. Regardless of the type of content being produced, audio plays a major role in the final product. TikTok has created an easy system to find new sounds and reuse them when desired. Through hashtags, a memorable song can easily be found again. With the click of a button, you can reuse the audio on a video you are currently watching and create your own masterpiece. As more people hear a song, more people begin to use it, and the cycle continues leading to viral TikTok songs. These often-catchy tunes have made their way off the app and on to the leading music charts.
Changing the Charts
Songs become popular due to the recognition that trends provide. The more people listen to a song on TikTok, the more people want to listen to it off of the app. This creates popularity on streaming services, leading to downloads which are reflected in the charts. Many songs have skyrocketed on the charts following their popularity on TikTok. Billboard created a list of some of these hits, including “Say So” by Doja Cat and “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, which both sat at #1 after they circulated the app due to dance trends.
Discovering New Music
The quick nature of TikTok videos, from 15 seconds to three-minutes, leads to rapid consumption of content and concurrently the consumption of more music. Audio leads to the virality of many videos on TikTok. The dependence on audio has led to TikTok becoming a music discovery platform. The “For You” page algorithm tailors the content you are viewing to what you would like to view. If you have liked multiple videos with the same audio, you will likely continue to hear that song the more you go down your feed. Not only will that song grow on you, but similar content will be pushed to your page.
Small Artists
Like many other social media platforms, TikTok allows users to follow creators they enjoy. Many musicians have taken to the app for promotion, behind-the-scenes content and non music-related videos. At any moment, a TikTok video or audio can go viral, which can change the trajectory of a small artist’s career significantly. TikTok alone can create a hit artist overnight. Bella Poarch became a TikTok sensation due to her lip-syncing videos. After finding fame on the app, Poarch released her debut single, “Build a Bitch” which received 13.1 million U.S. streams in the first week it was released. Even without virality or fame, TikTok is providing small artists with a platform for recognition and the ability to form and interact with a community and fan base.