First, it was Baby Shark. Now, it’s Castaways. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re missing out on the wonderful world of TikTok music. While it’s fun to lip-sync and dance, TikTok has a greater impact by allowing smaller artists to make a name for themselves. 

Sure, a lot of mediocre songs by mediocre artists have blown up through TikTok, but it’s become just as popular as YouTube at helping artists grow their fanbase and go viral. Think of all the celebrities who had their careers started via YouTube: Justin Bieber, Lana Del Ray, Ed Sheeran, just to name a few. 

Without the help of a form of video social media, they would have remained in relative obscurity. Likewise, artists are rising out of TikTok as well like Conan Gray, Tate McRae, Zachary Knowles, and Trevor Daniel by sharing their music with the help of  TikTok’s 15-second videos. 

In addition, TikTok’s influence has helped many artists beyond just starting their careers. Doja Cat’s “Say So” was a viral hit on TikTok in 2020, and she was nominated for 3 Grammys and performed at the award show this year. Olivia Rodrigo also has had her fair share of TikTok support; her debut single, “drivers license” was an automatic TikTok hit, while the first song that she wrote that got released, “All I Want”, set the stage in 2019 for the musical market share she has now. 

While you could argue that all those artists have better written or more musical songs and that songs only need to be catchy to go viral, without the social media support that TikTok gives, some of our current favorite artists wouldn’t be getting the recognition they deserve. 

It’s impossible to quantify the scope that TikTok has had on musicians and their ability to go viral because it’s happened to so many songs. Every day there’s a new trending sound and a new chance for a smaller artist to blow up. From smaller indie artists to current Grammy winners, TikTok helps musicians grow their reach, one lip-syncing video at a time.