TikTok may currently stand on shaky ground in the United States, but a recent report from MRC Data/Nielsen Music highlights the immense influence that the in-demand platform has had on Generation Z and subsequently, the country’s multi-billion dollar music industry. The study notes that while 52% of Generation Z (ages 13-23) uses short video clip-driven sites like TikTok or Triller each month, it’s the fact that nearly half (48%) of this group consumes musical content on these platforms that ultimately fuels the massive waves of influence seen in the music industry.
Everybody remembers the success of Lil Nas X‘s “Old Town Road,” which sat atop Billboard’s Hot 100 for a record 19 weeks thanks in large part to the driving force of TikTok, but the platform has also flexed the muscles of acts like SAINt JHN, and Trevor Daniel, who’ve each had singles re-enter the charts thanks to TikTok’s prowess.
What’s interesting, however, is that the bulk of views are being driven not by the artists themselves, but rather by TikTok’s homegrown content creators. Global acts like BTS may be attracting millions of followers, but these counts still pale in comparison with those of the platform’s own young talent, which can frequently be found lip-syncing and dancing to music from the industry icons that they’re surpassing in followers.
The stateside future of TikTok is yet to be determined, but the void that it’d leave in the modern music industry remains clear as day. Get access to the full report here.
Via: MRC Data U.S. Music 360 Report
Featured image: Study Breaks Magazine
