The growth of music streaming services has changed the way individuals consume music and has never been more accessible, but is the digital age leaving music behind?

According to a recent report in 2023 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music account for 67.3% of the music industry’s revenue worldwide. Access to music has never been easier, but it’s worth asking whether it is helping creators or the record labels?

TikTok  has become a powerful tool that has popularized music and changed the way songs have gone viral. With over more than a billion active users, TikTok’s short video format has allowed users to put in samples of music in viral trends and edits with the song giving the needed atmosphere for the specific edit. Many record labels noticed TikTok’s influence and now pressure artists to promote their music online.

TikTok still continues to shape modern music consumerism and it has become a must for small, indie artists and record labels alike in marketing and music discovery, but this creates an unhealthy competition where being viral is more important than the quality of the music itself. This has led to a pressure on artists to consistently keep making content. Artists can appreciate this tool, but also resent it as it underscores the competition and makes being viral, not talent, a driving force in modern success.

TikTok has allowed independent artists to reach global audiences without the backing of major labels. But one question remains, is this new growth building a future for artists or is it simply feeding a craving demand for content?