TikTok, once an unlikely powerhouse in the music world, has fundamentally reshaped the way we discover, listen to, and interact with music. The platform’s swift rise to cultural dominance has created opportunities for both undiscovered artists and established stars to see their music reach global audiences in unprecedented ways. Now, with a potential ban set to take effect on the 19th of January, the industry faces a future without the app’s seismic influence, especially for small, independent artists who have benefitted the most from TikTok’s viral ecosystem. What does the world of music discovery look like without TikTok, and what might we lose in the process?
TikTok has democratized the path to stardom for countless independent and unsigned artists, offering them a global stage where viral moments could skyrocket unknown talent to the forefront. Artists like PinkPantheress and Chappell Roan are prime examples of how TikTok has given them a platform to showcase their music, turning previously obscure songs into global anthems.
PinkPantheress, for instance, released her track “Boy’s a liar” in 2022, and within weeks, the song was trending on TikTok. The app’s algorithm, designed to favor user-generated content and short, catchy snippets, turned her melancholic blend of bedroom pop into a viral sensation. What once could have been a niche release, found its audience through TikTok’s distinct, genre-agnostic method of curating music to listeners’ tastes. This exposure led to massive commercial success, including charting on Billboard and signing with major labels like Parlophone.
Building on this democratization of music discovery, Chappell Roan’s rise similarly testifies to TikTok’s power. With her stunning vocals and unique pop-country fusion, she found a fan base largely due to TikTok’s penchant for promoting unique, genre-blending sounds. Her song “Good Luck, Babe!”, a deeply personal, emotionally charged ballad, caught fire on TikTok, leading to her massive growth as an artist. Chappell Roan’s story showcases TikTok’s potential to launch artists from obscurity to mainstream attention with relatively little traditional radio play or high-budget marketing strategies. These viral success stories, however, are not limited to fresh, emerging voices. TikTok’s ability to cater to niche genres and hyper-localized communities has created a system where so many artists who might otherwise remain in obscurity are able to find traction without needing a major label’s financial backing. The platform’s algorithmic structure, paired with the viral nature of trends, allowed even those with a small but passionate fanbase to see their songs explode into a global cultural moment.
While much of the conversation around TikTok’s musical influence centers on independent artists, the app has also provided a huge boon to established acts and veteran musicians, many of whom were long past their commercial peak but found themselves enjoying a sudden resurgence in streams and recognition thanks to viral TikTok trends. Take Miguel, for example. His 2010 hit “Sure Thing” saw a revival in popularity after being used in TikTok videos, both romantic and comedic, which breathed new life into the song a full decade after its initial release. Though the track had already seen success, its second wave on TikTok generated millions of new streams and introduced the song to an entirely new generation of listeners, many of whom had never even heard of the artist before.
Another iconic example is Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free”, a disco classic from the ’70s that saw a resurgence in TikTok videos due to its anthemic, joyous vibe. The song’s second life on TikTok was especially important for older, veteran artists who had spent years in the industry but may not have been part of the current musical conversation. TikTok’s ability to place classic songs in the spotlight without the need for radio play or traditional promotional campaigns is a testament to the app’s unique power. For these established artists, TikTok doesn’t just function as a tool to promote new music but as a vehicle to introduce older tracks to a younger, more digitally engaged generation. The viral nature of TikTok means that even older, relatively unknown songs can resurface, creating new opportunities for revenue through streaming platforms, touring, and merchandise.
And yet despite TikTok’s revolutionary impact, its sudden removal — if the proposed ban takes place on January 19th — would leave an undeniable void in the music industry. Independent artists, in particular, stand to lose the most from a potential ban. Without TikTok, many emerging voices will lose a key platform for their music to be discovered by global audiences. The app’s unique ability to bring songs into the spotlight via viral challenges, memes, and trends is something that other platforms, such as Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, have yet to replicate at scale. While these platforms do allow for music promotion, none seem to offer the same organic viral potential TikTok’s algorithm was able to generate.
It’s concerning to consider that the loss of TikTok could lead to a return to a more traditional, gatekept model of music discovery, one where independent artists are forced to rely on radio play, label backing, and expensive marketing campaigns to gain visibility. For small artists who built their careers using TikTok’s free, algorithm-driven exposure, the sudden loss of access to such a wide-reaching platform could set them back years. Without TikTok, smaller artists may struggle to cut through the noise in a music landscape dominated by larger labels and big-budget campaigns.
Following Universal Music Group’s previous litigation over music rights and residuals, which saw some tension between the platform and major labels, the industry was already wary of TikTok’s growing power. However, TikTok was ultimately able to strike deals with many record companies and publishers, ensuring that music rights were properly compensated. In the face of a ban, the larger labels are likely to explore new ways of controlling music distribution, possibly shifting more power into the hands of streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music — platforms that, while important, haven’t had the same kind of virality-driven discovery mechanisms as TikTok.
Independent artists will likely face the brunt of the impact. Without a platform that offers the same democratized access to virality, many of these artists whose careers were boosted by TikTok will need to explore other social media avenues or look for alternative ways to market their music. Streaming services may have to step up their game, but it remains to be seen whether they can replicate the kind of serendipitous, viral music moments that TikTok effortlessly generated. If the ban proceeds, the industry will likely undergo significant changes, and while other platforms may try to fill the void, it’s hard to imagine a more effective tool for viral music promotion than TikTok.
For now, the future of music discovery hangs in the balance, and the industry will likely have to reckon with the profound impact of TikTok’s absence — especially for the independent artists who have flourished in its wake.
