Top songs and music trends on TikTok in 2021 are revealed. Music plays an important role on TikTok, and today, the platform has shared a new listing of the top tracks and artists on the platform throughout the year, including regional insights, genre trends, most popular artists by category, and more.
As explained by TikTok:
“After turning heads in 2020, TikTok continued its tremendous growth to be a dominant force in music and the music industry in 2021. Approximately 430 songssurpassed 1 billion video views as TikTok sounds in 2021 – a threefold increase over 2020. The staggering view counts on TikTok do not exist in a vacuum, but directly translate to commercial success for trending songs and artists. Over 175 songs that trended on TikTok in 2021 charted on the Billboard Hot 100, twice as many as last year.”
Indeed, TikTok is so influential that numerous artists and publishers are creating TikTok tracks, with some even changing the names of their songs to better align with in-app usage. According to a recent study by MRC Data, 75% of TikTok users in the US use the app to discover new artists, while 63% say they hear music that they’ve never heard before for the first time via TikTok clips.
Top songs and music trends on TikTok (2021)
TikTok shares a listing of the most popular tracks in the app, both in the US and globally:
These artists have emerged from TikTok, showcasing the diverse nature of the creator ecosystem of the app, which offers both exposure and promotional opportunities. Some artists even connect back to the TikTok community, sharing links to their pages in the TikTok community.
Top genres on Tiktok in 2021
If you’re a fan of the hit music video app TikTok, this list of the top ten music genres can help you find the perfect song for your next party.
Top artists on Tiktok in 2021
As well as the top artists by catalog creations:
Comeback songs on Tiktok in 2021
TikTok will also highlight classic songs that have made a comeback through its app.
Probably the most famous example of this would be Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’. It was first released in 1977 and re-entered the Billboard charts last year thanks to a viral TikTok clip. That resurgence proves how much power TikTok has for the music industry and it’s little surprise to see publishers putting more focus on the platform.
A map of the most popular music on TikTok
TikTok has also published a map of the most popular music videos in the United States, Europe, and Asia. This map is a fun way to explore different music genres.
The report shows a number of key insights and highlights, which could be useful to those looking to understand how they can better align their app strategy with the latest trends.
You can check out TikTok’s full 2021 music report here.
TikTok and the music sector
While TikTok has a share in the creation of the most popular music, it also influences the most popular music applications. Spotify decided to change its interface after the success of TikTok.
Spotify’s new Discover feature was spotted by product designer Chris Messina in the testing beta version of the mobile app. The Discover icon can be found near the bottom of the screen in the toolbar, and it takes up the entire screen. Despite this, Messina only features three of his Discover videos in his preview. All of them appear to be excerpts from official music videos.
