Here at mvm, we’ve become somewhat of experts when it comes to TikTok and its impact on the music industry, with many deep-dives and discussions we’ve started over the years. From dissecting the influence of TikTok on the future of our industry, to looking into musicianship as a whole before diving into the case study of The Hayloft Story, we’ve seemingly covered every hole this mischievous social media craze digs up.

>>>> How TikTok Revitalised 2008’s Music: The Hayloft Story

>>>> How Influential is Tik Tok to the future of the music industry?

>>>> For the sake of Tik Tok: Are Musicians Losing their Craft?

But now we’re seeing things change altogether in 2023. We’re seeing one-hit-wonder artists hitting the jackpot with their song “trending” on the site. Before too long, all plans are halted for future releases. Instead, labels alike, are catering their next releases to the fashion and trends of TikTok: a sped up version. An almost instant giveaway that a song trended on TikTok comes with its dreaded double-act of a sped up version of the same song. We’re also seeing the shift in who cracks the whip in the progression of the industry. Why do sped up versions of the same songs exist? Due to the necessity of cramming so much into a 30-second bender video, has our attention spans affected how we take in music? Again, it’s a topic that cropped up a few years back. But, as TikTok becomes the new powerhouse in how new artists get scouted and which songs get trending, catching the audiences’ attention – albeit for a few seconds – is now more important than ever.

Now, TikTok are pulling the strings, holding all the cards and everything else. And artists are buckling under the pressure. Instead of paying the artists for their work, TikTok are taking the stance of “you should be glad that we’re using your music..” and “we’re spreading your music to greater numbers than you could’ve possibly managed on your own.” With it, comes TikTok refusing to pay up royalties, compensation to our artists. Simply put, fellow organisations out there who are looking out for the artists, are having none of it. Whether or not music provides an ample attitude to videos trending and hitting the streak of million of views, someone else’s work is still being used – and they need to be praised for it.

According to a recent poll in Forbes, there’s also some evidence that TikTok is influencing songwriters to start songs with choruses or other hooks so that they can grab attention within the first 15-20 seconds—that is, to change the structures of songs instead of merely shortening them, which has been the trend for decades. A pandering from artists to acclimatise to the rules of TikTok; a necessity to feed the beast – as much as they don’t want to.

Maintaining a constant presence on TikTok – or any other site for that matter – is a necessity to maintain a fan base in this sprawling industry of listeners who zone out in the first 40 seconds. Flashy content keeps the appeal – and the music – flowing. Even if we didn’t have TikTok, there’s plenty other sites that would simply take up the mantel. It’s only going to get larger, too. The more we rely on our tiny devices for entertainment, the more reliable music will have to be to our social media giants.