Advertised as a national security threat by Congress, TikTok is a short-form video creator app originally expected to be banned on Jan. 19, just one day before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but was shortly reinstated after 14 hours of being shut down. The app grew from niche video sharing with small audiences to infiltrating global affairs with trends and free information in an instant, changing the way users consume social media and information in general. TikTok became the most downloaded app worldwide in 2022 after rising to popularity in 2017.ย
Users, artists and other content creators have taken to social media to express their opinions on the looming ban of TikTok in the United States. Users are expecting to find alternatives to an app that has provided a creative outlet to interact with music and efficient exposure to potentially jumpstart their careers easier than ever before. TikTok created unprecedented shockwaves that bled into the music industry, technology, commerce and censorship, as well as youth and culture in America. Each of these markets were drastically changed after the introduction of TikTok, especially regarding the music industry; which will struggle greatly if the U.S. is to see a ban of the app.ย
The TikTok ban was first introduced by Trump in 2020, then carried through by the Biden administration into 2024. The fate of the app is back to Trump now that he has been inaugurated.
In the United States, TikTok users are twice as likely to discover and share new music than music listeners not registered to the app. They also spend noticeably more money on streaming platforms as a result of finding new music on TikTok. Musicians are then able to gain more exposure online and generate value for themselves and other streaming platforms. Both the creator and the consumer use TikTok as a liaison to find content; banning TikTok would ultimately create a once-removed barrier for artists to gain exposure quickly, when otherwise it would have taken longer or simply would not have happened at all.ย
A study conducted by Luminate found that global users engagement with music on the TikTok platform directly correlates with volume of usage on streaming platforms. “In the U.S., 62% of TikTok users pay for a music streaming service, compared to 43% of consumers overall,” as stated by TikTok. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube Music and more have all begun to rely on TikTok to supply streams through variations of subscription types. Without the intersection of videos, views and new music posted on TikTok, streaming platforms will lose their demand and their clientele.
TikTok has also been a major proponent to its “creator fund,” which allows creators and artists earn money per view. Not only are creators able to make money off of their videos, artists and music labels receive royalties per video that is made with their song. The app pays record labels roughly 3 cents per video, which is then dispersed between the label and their artists.
In 2022, TikTok paid nearly $110 million to Universal Music Group (UMG), the largest record label in the United States. If TikTok is permanently banned, labels such as UMG would need to factor in at least a $110 million loss each year; the ban would provoke a loss of income for not only creators, but artists and labels simply because of loss of revenue.
Because of TikTok’s major influence on music and social media, those in or adjacent to the music industry have various opinions of it’s prominence.
The appeal to success on TikTok is almost undeniable, as the app makes marketing and promotion of music convenient for major artists as well as smaller artists starting out. Because of this, the phenomenon of making specific “TikTok music” has emerged. Though not an official term, it is a commonly known phenomenon where artists will write songs specifically to find success over TikTok. Record labels encourage their artists to write for the app’s algorithm. In her song “NISSAN ALTIMA,” rapper Doechii states, “Wristwatch, drip drop, labels want the TikToks / Now I’m makin’ TikTok music, what the fuck?”, which summarizes the general attitude towards catering to TikTok music in the music industry.
โUnpopular opinion: the TikTok ban will actually help the music industry and we will hear an improvement in song quality,โ said user @shay.mizz, a music producer on the microblogging app Threads.ย
It is hard to defend artists’ integrity when the phenomenon of TikTok music is a concern, however far too many artists across various genres and levels of fame have devoted themselves to the craft of writing and composing their music, with or without relying on the exposure of TikTok. The song “Say So,” released in 2020, by Doja Cat, is an example of a song that went viral on TikTok and boosted her popularity on and off the app. Though that was five years ago, Doja Cat continues to make music dedicated to personal expression, garnering 49.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
In addition to artists with millions of monthly listeners, smaller artists have also taken advantage of the popularity TikTok can provide. However, their focus is their craft, not low-quality music for the off chance to blow up on the app. Nashville-based artist KNOX found a large following on TikTok in the summer of 2022. However, he had been featured on American Idol nearly three years prior, choosing to work hard for his success rather than “verse phishing” or relying solely on TikTok. He has since been signed to Atlantic Records as a successful singer-songwriter, touring alongside groups such as The Band Camino and Bilmuri.
It is up to the individual artists and their intentions to make quality work, regardless of TikTok. It is easy for viewers to distinguish between authentic, genuine songwriting and songs purposefully put on their “For You” page by the app’s algorithm because of hashtags and buzzwords. TikTok has allowed overnight fame to become a reality for individuals who are truly passionate about their craft. A ban of the app would eliminate the equal playing field TikTok provides for established artists, and those who could organically gain exposure.
Users were welcomed back to the app just 14 hours after it was shut down on Jan. 18. In preparation for Trump’s inauguration, terms were agreed upon to allow the app to return online in the United States. Trump stated he would consider giving the Chinese-owned app 90 days to sell to an American owned company, or risk being banned permanently.
As users decide the next social media platform they will migrate to if the TikTok ban does occur, they have begun to reminisce on the early days of the app. Many are reflecting on trends, filters and viral moments, while some are moving to other short-form video apps, such as Xiaohongshu (translated to RedNote).
Unrest surrounding the ban has raised concerns over how it will affect the United States as a whole. There is continuous discussion on whether or not the ban is an infringement upon free speech, or if the app will really even get banned anyway. Regardless, the ban will leave lasting effects on the music industry, pulling artists and musicians back out of the spotlight as well as cutting profits for streaming services, recording labels and their artists.
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