How TikTok is Influencing the Music Industry

TikTok’s meteoric rise in recent years has changed a lot about modern life. With its unique format centered around short-form videos, user-generated challenges, and viral trends, TikTok has become a platform that shapes popular culture, particularly when it comes to music. This post will explore the profound impact that TikTok is having on the music industry.

Virality on TikTok

One main way that TikTok impacts the music industry is the viral nature of content. Content that gets popular on TikTok can spread like wildfire worldwide, with over 1 billion monthly active users. In particular, songs used in dance challenges and lip-sync videos have become hugely popular around the world. In addition to new and modern artists, many older bands and artists have also found renewed popularity, such as Metallica. A few notable examples of songs that have become popular include:

• If We Ever Broke Up - Mae Stephens

• Houdini - Due Lipa

• Get Him Back! - Olivia Rodrigo

• City Boys - Burna Boy

Discovery Platform

Another way that TikTok is changing the music industry is by making it much easier for emerging acts to get noticed. Historically, musicians would have to get noticed and approved by industry gatekeepers, but TikTok removes the middleman by giving an enormous global stage for aspiring musicians. There have been a number of inspiring success stories of artists who have found success via TikTok, including:

• Lil Nas X

• Doja Cat

• Jack Harlow

• Olivia Rodrigo

Musicians like this give inspiration to young, aspiring musicians to create and share their own music with the world, which is fantastic to see. The exposure that TikTok provides often allows emerging artists to go out and perform live, but they must have public liability insurance in place for financial protection. This protects against liability for damages following an injury to a third party or property damage while performing. 

Impact on the Charts

TikTok’s influence on the music industry can be noticed in the charts with many songs going viral on this platform going on to dominate the charts. Obviously, this is something that will not go unnoticed by record labels and marketers. This has seen many look to take advantage of TikTok by creating partnerships with influencers and starting sponsored challenges to increase visibility and attract sales. However, this does raise concerns over authenticity on TikTok, with some concerned that music industry insiders are manipulating trends online for their own gain. 

As you can see, TikTok is having a profound impact on the music industry in 2024. It is exciting to see how many artists and bands can massively increase their exposure and even launch careers entirely off the reach that TikTok provides, but there are also some concerns about industry professionals now trying to influence and manipulate the power and reach of TikTok for their financial benefits, so it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.