The Mycenaean

With the rise of social media platforms comes the discovery of many things, including fashion trends, music, and dances. TikTok and Instagram have become extraordinarily influential, allowing users to share content that can reach millions of people within seconds. This has become a vital tool for music because it can launch an artist to many different audiences. Gen Z, in particular, uses social media as a primary source of music discovery.  

The ability to add music to videos, publish short messages via Instagram Notes, and create viral dance challenges has turned platforms like Instagram and TikTok into amazing marketing tools for the music industry. 

Songs that once might have gone unnoticed are now getting millions of streams after being featured in a single trending video. As a result, many people have begun discovering music through these platforms, rather than searching for it themselves as they once did. 

“I think a lot of people find songs on social media because a lot of people have it and it’s very accessible to everyone,” said Nina Whittington, sophomore.  

The patterns of popularity can be observed in music streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. All of these apps have their respective versions of a “Top 100” or “Today’s Top Hits,” and regularly update them with the latest trending song. Some of the songs featured on these playlists have been made popular by TikTok and Instagram and skyrocketed on the charts, reaching awider audience than before the spike in exposure from social media.

“A lot of songs that I listen to are from TikTok and Instagram…or have been featured on the app. The album The Crux by Djo is one that I love but has been made famous by social media,” said Carmela Palermo, sophomore.

But what makes a song a “hit”? Songs can blow up overnight on these platforms, sometimes taking a few months or a few days from the release date of the song or album to gain popularity. There can be many factors to this, including the artist, melodies, music genre, and instrumental sequences. 

“I think a song could be considered popular because of how it can inspire people, and how people can relate to it,” said Matipa Njagu, junior. 

Artists and record labels have started to adapt to this trend, too. Up-and-coming artists will tease their song for a certain amount of time in hopes of it becoming the latest hit. The success of a song is now often determined by how good it sounds, but also by how easily it can go viral. This also opens the door for many artists who wouldn’t receive recognition if they didn’t use these tactics, raising awareness for more niche songs that traditional media wouldn’t typically represent.

Despite the excitement that finding music this way brings to the industry, many people will disagree with what is and isn’t popular based on their tastes.

“I think that ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar is a popular song,” said Whittington. Exposure to platforms like TikTok and Instagram opens doors for music discovery, but for some, they stick to music they already know and love. 

“I think that songs in the Indie and Hip-Hop category are popular,” said Njagu. 

Social media has undeniably changed the music scene and how people interact with it through the reinvention of popularity. Thus giving everyone a chance to take part in what becomes the next big thing. 

Music is no longer just something to listen to, but now it’s something to interact with, share, and dance to. Whether it be in a 15-second dance or a streaming hit, the future of music discovery has been completely changed because of the relationship it has with social media platforms.