“Wait, you actually listen to full albums?”
Tiktok is killing the music industry. Yup, I said it.
It has never been easier to blow up overnight. A sped-up version sprinkled with a bit of luck and bam, an artist is propelled to fame. Over the past decade, TikTok has completely reinvented the way we consume music. How many times have you heard a viral snippet, searched for the full song, and felt disappointed? Or realized you only know the hook and mumble through the rest?
Singles and soundbites reign supreme while the album, the once-sacred storytelling format, is struggling to survive. So are we just evolving with the times or are we losing something important in the process?
Hooking em In
At this point, TikTok music is practically its own genre. Unlike YouTube, where people actively search up music videos, or SoundCloud, which thrives on niche communities and underground artists, TikTok’s algorithm serves up sounds based on what’s already popular, creating a feedback loop that amplifies certain styles.
And what does well? Stuff that is catchy and repeatable. Artists aren’t just making music, but crafting viral moments in their heads, and orchestrating stories second. A track doesn’t need to be great from start to finish—it just needs a 15-second moment that fits an aesthetic, a dance challenge, or even a meme. The result? Songs are being written with the hook in mind first, sometimes even before the rest of the song exists.
Labels know this. That’s why we’re constantly seeing “leaked” snippets, sped-up versions, and artists teasing unfinished tracks to test what might go viral. Success is no longer measured by album sales but by how many TikTok videos use the sound. We have been rewired to consume music in this hyper-focused, fragmented way.
Unsigned & Unstoppable
But before we come for Tiktok with pitchforks, we must admit; the platform is democratizing music. Gone are the days when artists had to secure a record deal to be heard. Now, anybody with a beat and a bit of luck can achieve fame. Take Lil Nas X: Old Town Road was rejected by Nashville before TikTok turned it into a chart-topping sensation, or Ice Spice, whose hit Munch gained momentum before she was even a household name. Even bedroom musicians can reach millions of people through the almighty actions of the FYP – I’m sure we’ve all heard ‘Seasons’ before!
Independent artists like PinkPantheress and JVKE have built entire careers off snippets, proving that music executives no longer gatekeep and hold all the power. Fans decide what blows up, destroying the traditional hierarchy of the industry.
Lost Tracks
With albums becoming more of an afterthought, are we sacrificing artistry for virality? Albums were once an experience, a journey, a cohesive body of work. Now, with attention spans shrinking to seconds, storytelling in music is struggling to keep up. Artists like RAYE and Kendrick Lamar still craft full-length masterpieces, but in a world dominated by 10-second clips, their work risks being drowned out. When was the last time you listened to an album all the way through instead of just cherry-picking the viral tracks you heard online?
Rewind or Skip?
Maybe this is just evolution. Music has always adapted to new technology. Radio made songs shorter, CDs let us skip tracks instantly, and streaming decreased the need to buy full albums. But with TikTok, craft is getting lost in the pursuit of instant engagement. In making it more accessible, perhaps it makes music disposable too.
The music industry is in its influencer era. Whether that’s a hit or miss, only time will tell. Maybe albums will make a resurgence, or maybe we’re heading for an industry of micro-hits. Either way, TikTok seems to be here to stay in the music game.
So the real question is: what do we, the listeners, actually want?