Every Monday, we take a look at a significant marketing trend and how it relates to the music industry. Today, we look at the role TikTok is playing in music consumption and sharing. Originally sent out in our Weekly Stat email.

46 minutes

The average TikTok user in the US spends 46 minutes on the app per day.

Source: TikTok pitch deck (internal), see notes

Making Time

Just when it seemed teenagers and twenty-somethings couldn’t spend more time on social media than they already do, TikTok emerged as a serious competitor for extra attention.  

On the surface, the app idea is simple: film yourself dancing, lip-syncing, or doing a comedy sketch for up to 15 seconds and pair it with a song. But thanks to TikTok’s collaborative features and energized community, there is a never-ending stream of content to discover and binge-watch. The app surpassed Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in monthly App Store installs in 2018.    

One could say TikTok is radio for the young generation. Now, instead of listening to full tracks, it’s users—mostly Gen Z and young Millenials—swipe through 15-second video clips based around popular songs. Many older songs are getting a second life through the app too. 

Considered together with the popularity of Instagram Stories and that 60% of Stories get watched with sound on, it is clear that both TikTok and well-established social platforms are making short-form video essential to consuming and spreading music.