How TikTok is shaking up the music industry and what it means for students with big dreams
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TikTok is changing the way musicians are becoming famous by turning small artists into global sensations overnight– sometimes increasing an artist’s following by millions. How has a social media app turned into such a strong driving factor for artists’ careers? How is the music industry being impacted? What does that mean for your students? Let’s find out:
How is TikTok changing the music industry?
Hundreds of artists are rising to fame thanks to their songs going viral on TikTok with the help of other more famous people on the platform. In fact, in 2021, over 175 songs that trended on TikTok ended up on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s no secret that TikTok helps artists launch their careers.
Rising artist Benee’s song “Supalonely” went viral after Zoi Lerma posted a choreographed dance to the song, and now the song appears in about 5.7 million videos. Since Zoi’s original post, Bennee has gone from a small artist to an international sensation.
Benee is not alone in her rise to fame on TikTok. There are tons of household names that got their start on TikTok, such as Dove Cameron, Lil Nas X, and Loren Gray. Each of these superstars now have millions of followers on TikTok. With over 1 billion users and a platform created for sharing content, it’s no surprise that these artists and their catchy songs soared to stardom.
The impact of TikTok on music is happening all over the world. A Palestinian-Lebanese rapper from the United States named anees recently posted a video of his self-written song “Sun and Moon.” When famous Filipino artist John Roa got ahold of the song and duetted it, the song quickly reached number one on Billboard in the Philippines, highlighting the global impact of TikTok on the music industry. As of today, anees has 2.7 million followers on TikTok, and Benee is headlining tours in New Zealand!
TikTok as a music streaming service
The music industry is taking notice of TikTok’s instrumental role in artists’ rise to fame. Record labels and artists from all over the world are trying to tap into the “goldmine” that TikTok possesses, but it’s easier said than done. It is believed that TikTok is currently trying to find new ways to profit off of streaming artists’ songs. This would mean large profits for TikTok are coming. TikTok has not released formal plans of how they plan to profit off music shared on their platform. However, it appears that they may be trying to trademark “TikTok Music” and create something similar to streaming services like Spotify.
TSI’s Take
We love seeing success stories from social media. And using TikTok as a platform to pursue your passions is a great example of using your mic for good. By empowering and equipping students to use social media positively, we can help them reach their goals in ways that were not possible even a few years ago.
TikTok has grown to be a great multi-purpose social media platform for users of all ages. So, when you wake up in the morning and find yourself lost in scrolling, remember all that you can do on TikTok to support musicians, connect with others, and even grow a platform of your own!
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.