Photo Courtesy of Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
TikTok has gained immense popularity since its creation in 2014, now growing to become one of the largest social media platforms in the world. As of September 2021, TikTok declared that it had reached over one billion active users globally, making it a promotional behemoth for both celebrities and celebrity hopefuls. Whether we like it or not, the steadily growing app has permanently changed the music industry, what’s trending and the future of songs in general.
A key function of TikTok is its “For You” page, a feature made for scrolling in which the content is continuously curated for the user. According to TikTok, each user’s recommendations are based on factors fitting into three categories: user interactions, video information, and device and account settings. Attributes such as liking, commenting, sharing, the sound used, hashtags, language preference and type of device are weighted for each user to determine their feed and the videos they will see.
The For You page’s algorithm presents a unique chance that is unavailable in other social media apps. Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, you do not have to already be a celebrity to garner millions of likes or views. Nearly anyone can find almost instant fame on TikTok by getting on the For You page, just by choosing a popular sound or using the right hashtag.
Virality is easier now than ever, especially for musical artists. TikTok has also become the go-to app for music discovery. According to TikTok, 75% of users say they discover new artists through the app, and 63% say they hear new music they have not heard before TikTok, making it an invaluable tool for established musicians and hopefuls alike. Musicians can now be discovered from a mere 15-second soundbite. This has led to TikTok users seeking them out on alternate platforms, giving trending artists listeners they would not have accumulated otherwise.
While a potentially amazing opportunity for up-and-comers, it also encourages artists, both new and established, to forgo the traditional song structure. Rather than the classic intro, verse, pre-chorus and bridge format, many artists are creating much shorter songs with basic beats and bland, vague lyrics. In an interview conducted by Billboard Pro, Vincent Morgan, VP of A&R at Peermusic corroborates this, saying that producers are now going through songs and making them shorter. Since these short, dull, catchy hints of songs are now what trend, as it continues, music will just continue to devolve.
Even older music is unable to escape TikTok, as the app has become so influential in the world of music that it can revive songs that have not been popular for decades and put them right back on the charts. Consider “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush. After being used on the soundtrack for season four of “Stranger Things,” the audio began to trend on TikTok. Because of the song’s newfound TikTok popularity, in June 2022, “Running Up That Hill” made its way to the No. 4 spot on Billboards Hot 100, and rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart. In the song’s original release in 1985, the song didn’t even make top 10, peaking at the No. 30 spot.
TikTok has become a critical component of music sharing. For current artists looking for a new hit and new artists looking to make it big, the way to do it is by making a video on the app and having your song trend as an audio. While overall it is easier to be discovered, TikTok’s effects on music are increasingly negative. Originality in popular music is hard to come by now, and TikTok’s popularity is the reason why. The more power TikTok gains over the industry, the more music is just going to keep getting worse. But due to the nature of the app, artists – both new and old – are going to utilize the For You page as their main means of advertising, making TikTok even bigger.
