How Tiktok has Ushered in a New Wave of Music

Image Courtesy: Haulix

TikTok is a video-based social media app, and it is one that many didn’t think would catch on. It was initially named Musical.ly, where it primarily hosted videos of people theatrically lip-syncing to their favorite songs. However, since its rebranding to TikTok, we have seen various forms of content according to one’s ‘for you’ page. With that said, much of this content is pushed through the music and sounds that accompany it. 

Nowadays, a majority of the music that one hears on the app can also be heard on the radio. TikTok is the most used app amongst younger ages, so it comes as no surprise that the music industry and radio stations cater to that audience. Radio stations in the past have created gimmicks such as Top ’40s to gain more listeners but now look to social media to see what is trending. While the music industry used to push back from having their music played for free on platforms such as Napster, it takes a different approach when it comes to streaming and TikTok.

Image Courtesy: Strike FSU

The app plays snippets of the song, and in exchange, the music industry gets publicity and exposure, especially when done in conjunction with trends. TikTok has created cultural movements as well as seen with dances performed to certain songs. These dances work similarly to those challenge videos as they also spread very quickly because people want to try and recreate the dance. However, it does not stop there. Some dances gain popularity due to recognition from notable artists. One example would be Doja Cat; she blew up in recent years, especially with her hit song Say So, which came out last year before the pandemic hit. Say So amassed popularity on the app, and a dance was created very quickly. The dance became so popular that Doja Cat recreated it on stage at some of her shows. She even implemented it into her music video, cementing the iconic dance to the song. Had it not been for the dance and TikTok, the song might not have performed as well as it did. 

Image Courtesy: Tracklist

Along with changing the way we listen to music, TikTok has also changed how some artists are creating their music. The app has so much potential virality that it is appealing to new artists trying to get more exposure for their music. In the past, for an artist to gain recognition, it was typically through a record label that would provide many resources to them to achieve success. However, the internet has changed that process significantly. We have seen a rise in artists that make their music from their bedrooms and who do not have the economic power record labels hold. The internet has provided a free way to put out music and hopefully gain recognition. TikTok has allowed these artists a more organic way to gain a following, and it can prove to be better this way in many cases. 

The app proves to be fruitful in spreading content in terms of virality. The platform can also change the actual song itself since, before the new 3-minute feature that was recently implemented, only 60-second videos were allowed. There is a new artist that goes by the name PinkPantheress (her tag on TikTok), and she has released music that has proven to be successful for the app’s algorithm. Her songs have captured the attention of many people on the app, and she has gained overnight success where she has even secured a record deal. Many of the songs she released on the app can now be found on Spotify or Apple Music. However, one thing we can note is the length. As mentioned before, TikTok used to only allow 60-second clips. Because of this constraint, all the music that we have seen from PinkPantheress tends to be on the shorter side, with her debut album barely spanning 50 minutes. 

Image Courtesy: NME

TikTok is a game-changer for underground artists who are trying to make it in the music industry. If you play the algorithm correctly, you might be rewarded. 

Strike Out,

Writer: Isabella Botero 

Editor: Karina McCarthy

Graphic Designer: Luis Arriaga

Tallahassee