TikTok has society in its clutches. We are all obsequious to the social media app that has the entirety of humanity in a chokehold. Even if humanity goes extinct, the mark that TikTok has left on our culture will not be erased. TikTok is not merely a contributor to the 21st Century cultural discourse, it is the bedrock on which it is built. We discover or hear about things on TikTok. It has blurred many boundaries where at times it is a source of entertainment, a place where we go for news or a marketing tool. If we want to do a little digging on the best restaurants around the area that you live or visit, we run over to TikTok with no second thought. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise to learn that TikTok has upended the music industry as well where it has become a can’t-without promotional tool for artists and record labels.
It is TikTok’s world
And no this is not a generalisation neither is it a sweeping claim. This claim’s accuracy can be proven if we analyse how the platform has the power to organically revive songs that have been outside of the mainstream for decades. If you see 2000s music trending again, chances are TikTok was why they surged up to the surface. Most of the songs on our playlists, we find via TikTok edits that are done impeccably. Apart from the fact that individuals can navigate themselves through the app, marketers can collaborate with influencers to boost the popularity of a song, leading to user-generated content and fan engagement. Some artists even arrange private listening sessions with TikTok influencers to help their new songs gain traction on the app. Or as most Kpop artists do, TikTok is used to create dance challenges for their new releases that result in making the song go viral. This is because its reach knows no bounds and will have everyone hooked.
TikTok has a dedicated global team that joins hands with artists and record labels, negotiating licensing agreements with rights holders and exploring innovative ways to generate recurring revenue from its cultural influence. The company is currently testing features like “Hot 50” and “Viral” song charts within the app. In July 2023, it also introduced its own music-streaming service, TikTok Music, in five countries.
In an interview with WBR, Ole Obermann; global head of music at TikTok, emphasises how the platform can recognise promising artists and elevate them to become the next sensation of international music. All of us can relate to instances where we have heard a small clip of the song and decided to go ahead and add it to our playlist. It is no secret that songs like ‘About Damn Time’ by Lizzo were carried towards its fame by TikTok. Irrespective of whether the artists are renowned or emerging talents, TikTok has the ability to help them make it big. TikTok asserts that its viral trends were responsible for 13 out of 14 songs reaching No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2022, marking a shift in the music industry where algorithms are driving the success of new artists.
Is TikTok too good to be true?
The hyper-fixation of promoting music via TikTok can be draining for most artists. Not only do they have to abide by the protocols of the platform but they also tinker with their songs so that they will fit TikTok’s mould. In the pre-TikTok era, a popular song had a structure that spelt out verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. With the advent of TikTok, there is a new format where songs are structured as chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus, followed by a repeat. This shift has placed additional demands on artists, as they must now also become full-time content creators alongside their music careers. Artists who are not inclined to produce frequent short videos find themselves with limited options.
There is no doubt that TikTok has offered independent artists a space to showcase their work without the need for a record label. However, artists who are bound by a label are often encouraged to create short videos to conform to the platform’s demands. Some artists fare well within that space but some like Halsey have expressed a reluctance to engage with the platform. Because it is tiring to cater to TikTok’s demands. This also means that the songs that will make it to the top do not happen as an outcome of natural selection, but rather as a result of handpicking them to make it to the top of the algorithm. Some dub this an unfair method. But TikTok is so pervasive that either you ride the bandwagon or fall off the ride.
Moreover, the fact the company continues to climb up the ladder and has the music industry on its palms does not sit right with the US state and federal lawmakers. The worry is that TikTok, which is owned by the China-based company ByteDance, could potentially serve as a propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party. Besides its contentious interactions with Washington, TikTok has also navigated a complex relationship with the entertainment industry. As it increasingly encroaches on the domain of record labels by providing services directly to artists, it has forged a ‘frenemies’ relationship with these labels. The company has struck direct deals with artists and sought to hire SoundOn employees for roles such as artist development, record production oversight, and global live show and merchandise strategy design. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that they find a middle ground between these dynamics and avoid friction with major record labels. Or else it may come to bite them in the back.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)