Since its debut in 2019, TikTok has influenced Generation Z’s personality, lifestyle and taste through trends. TikTok’s biggest sphere of influence is music taste, algorithms connect people the same way radio used to — although meant to give personalized recommendations, they force users to be exposed to the same songs regardless of their taste. This exposure gives millions of users a topic to relate to while also maintaining a sense of uniqueness.
Some musicians choose to incorporate TikTok into their marketing tactics and many creatives depend on TikTok to reach new audiences. Artists who have been in the music industry for longer, including Ed Sheeran, Conan Gray and Justin Bieber were made famous by YouTube. A lot of the artists who are new and successful today, including Chappell Roan, Benson Boone and Olivia Rodrigo, were launched into fame by TikTok; however, these artists only represent a fraction of artists on TikTok. There are many small artists on TikTok that lack a loyal following, such as Morgan Pratt, who produces and releases music as dumbest.fella.alive.
“I was initially drawn to [TikTok] because the algorithm seemed to favor discovery, but the more I learn it seems to be more focused on keeping people on the app, making it very difficult to promote music,” Pratt said.
In recent years, small artists and labels began to resort to TikTok to market their music, but it is a tactic that is barely helpful at best. TikTok is a platform that prioritizes its own profit over that of creators. The restrictions on monetization have only gotten more strict since the Creator Fund was introduced. The TikTok Creator Fund allows users to gain revenue off of their videos, but the profit is based on a video’s performance. After a user signs up for the Creator Fund, TikTok decreases exposure to their page. Every artist has their own experience, but frustration is a reaction felt by most at least once. For many, TikToks are a large source of income, a passion project or required by their label. Record labels and their requirements for artists have become more closely knit with TikTok success as well. A “TikTok hit” is exactly what labels want to achieve, so much so that labels begin to push artists to change their sound so their music performs better on TikTok or restrict artists from releasing the music they want to.
“Every musician has the pressure to ‘blow up’ on TikTok, which I think limits creativity. I think that authenticity and creativity thrive when there are no expectations involved,” musician Ethan McNeal said.
While TikTok is flawed as a marketing tool, it is important not to abandon TikTok completely. Musical success on TikTok is not impossible and there are many successful artists active on TikTok right now, including Geese, Omar Apollo and Charli XCX. A place to interact with fans and receive direct feedback from them is priceless to an artist. Users are on TikTok sharing music, commenting and making connections every day.
“A lot of eyes are on TikTok and I think it can be a pretty awesome tool to grow a community, not just a place to run up streaming numbers,” McNeal said.
TikTok’s main flaw is its unpredictable algorithm. The TikTok algorithm favors comfort over expansion so small artists are overshadowed by creators whose videos already perform well. Users can manipulate their algorithms by getting the feed to expand: the best music is discovered from unfamiliar places. TikTok’s algorithm works off of seconds viewed, so scrolling past familiar content out of the comfort zone tells the algorithm to broaden. There are several creators on TikTok who have diverse recommendations like Margeaux Labat, Harrison Waugh and countless others.
Music taste has gained a type of competition through TikTok as well. Music has become too performative and the sake of discovery is one of the least popular reasons people are finding new music. Other methods of finding new music include subscribing to your favorite music label’s mailing list and checking out their new releases, reading music publications and blogs, downloading streaming platforms such as Nina Protocol or Bandcamp, exploring and buying physical media like vinyls, going to live shows, or listening to Discover Weekly. Additionally, following small artists and music critics on social media can be a useful way to discover new songs or artists. Once fans prioritize curiosity and choose to expand their music taste, there is more joy and humanity to music.
