From Stage to Feed: how TikTok is rewriting the rules of music
Once upon a time, radio, festivals, and big stages decided the hits of the moment. However, today, music is born and grows elsewhere: in the TikTok feed. The platform has become Gen Z’s new search engine and a trend accelerator, able to turn a viral sound into a global success within days. Behind this phenomenon, there’s more than just a fad: there’s a new way of living, sharing, and making music.
From stage to feed: TikTok as the new Hit factory
TikTok is now the showcase that turns a simple sound into a worldwide viral hit. A striking Data: *84% of the songs featured in the 2024’s Billboard Global 200 first went viral on TikTok.
From trend to streaming (in 72 hours)
Gen Z uses the platform as a true search engine: for information, tips, products, restaurants, and places to visit. In between scrolls, the same sound keeps appearing in a loop, creating an almost inevitable effect: users click on the track immediately, and within a few days it can turn into a viral hit, boosting streams by 11%*.
The real drivers of success
TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t just follow trends: it anticipates them. It fosters engagement, builds communities, and even brings old classics back to life thanks to users’ creative twists.
Just think about Forever Young by Alphaville, increasingly popular in the Feed to celebrate carefree, light-hearted moments that make us feel “eternally young,” or Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins, trending in vacation-related content.
The lesson to learn for brands and musicians
TikTok is not just a social platform: it’s a cultural language. Anyone who wants to communicate—whether brands or artists—needs to know its rules:
-Don’t just follow trends, adapt them to your message.
-Use loops and short formats to capture attention.
-Tell shareable stories, where the brand or track becomes the main character.
-Involve the community through challenges, remixes, and interactions.
How to adapt to the current scenario
Music has changed. And not just music: brands too must tune in to this new rhythm, where authenticity, immediacy, and community engagement are the key instruments to connect with the audience.
Today, the Feed is the new stage