TikTok's role in making and breaking music careers: a data-driven perspective

The algorithm's influence on music discovery

TikTok's algorithm prioritises content based on user engagement metrics such as likes, shares and watch time. This format means songs can gain very rapid exposure when they play over trending videos or challenges. The platform's design allows for a song to reach millions organically, completely evading the traditional promotional channels. This shift has led to a new standard where virality can thrust a track to mainstream success almost immediately.​

Lola Young's rise through TikTok

British singer-songwriter Lola Young is a great example of how TikTok can be leveraged to elevate the career of an emerging artist. Her 2024 single Messy resonated with TikTok users, leading to fast-spreading, global use in user-generated content. The song's candid exploration of personal struggles and imperfections struck a chord with audiences. Understandably. This organic traction translated into chart success, with Messy going to the top of the UK Singles Chart and earning Platinum certification. Young's strategic engagement with the platform, including the use of TikTok's SoundOn distribution service, meant she could monitor performance metrics and properly maximise her promotional efforts.​

Addison Rae's transition from influencer to pop artist

Addison Rae is a great example of someone who fully understood and took advantage of TikTok’s full capacity from the beginning. In 2020, Addison Rae was one of the big names on everyone’s FYP as she led dance trends and challenges on popular sounds, quickly rising to online fame. Rae leveraged her massive following to pursue a career in music. Her debut single Obsessed received mixed reviews, but subsequent releases like Diet Pepsi and Aquamarine achieved commercial success and put her into icon territory, even appearing on Charli XCX’s Brat album. Rae's ability to analyse engagement data and adapt her musical style accordingly demonstrates the importance of data-driven decision-making in sustaining a music career initiated on social media.​

Analytics as a tool for strategy

TikTok gives artists access to comprehensive analytics, offering insights into audience demographics, engagement rates and content performance. Artists or their teams can then use those metrics to make informed, data-backed decisions for content creation and marketing campaigns. For instance, understanding which demographics are engaging with a song can inform targeted advertising and collabs. This data-centric approach is crucial for artists aiming to maintain relevance in a fickle industry subject to rapid change.​

The volatility of TikTok-driven success

While TikTok offers unparalleled opportunities for exposure, the nature of it means that trends can be fleeting. Artists who gain traction have to contend with the challenge of maintaining engagement beyond one song. This means continuous content creation and adaptability, which can be taxing for someone already working on music full time. The reliance on TikTok's algorithm also causes unpredictability, as changes to the platform's functioning can significantly impact content visibility.​

SoundOn

A lot of artists in the know are now using TikTok's SoundOn platform, which allows artists to distribute their music directly to the app, retaining full rights and getting a decent share of royalties. SoundOn provides artists with access to detailed analytics, so that they can track performance and refine their strategies. By facilitating direct engagement with audiences and offering financial transparency, SoundOn serves a shift towards more artist autonomy in the music industry, something which has been a bone of contention for years.

As TikTok reshapes the music industry, artists like Lola Young and Addison Rae are proving that success isn’t just about talent or timing, it’s about data literacy. The platform’s algorithm thrives on engagement metrics, and those who know how to read and respond to these insights are setting themselves apart in the industry.

From identifying your most responsive audience to refining the timing of a song release or marketing campaign, data-led decision-making is revolutionising the trajectory of music careers. Artists now rely on real-time analytics to predict trends and make strategic choices, skills that mirror the fundamentals taught in our Data Analytics courses at Learning People.

It doesn’t matter if you want to work in entertainment, tech, finance, marketing or business, understanding how to interpret and act on data is absolutely imperative. TikTok’s role in the music industry isn’t just a cultural shift, it’s a case study in the power of data. With a solid foundation in data analytics, you can be part of these transformations.

We’re here to remind you that you don’t have to go into a ‘boring’ industry with a data background. If you're inspired by the idea of combining creativity with strategy, explore our Data Analytics courses and learn how to harness the power of data whether you're behind the scenes or centre stage.

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