Artists & Fans Weigh In On Tiktok's Effect On The Music Industry

Source: KiddNation / Kidd Nation

Is TikTok going to be the death of the music industry? Music artists are coming forward to talk about how their record labels are forcing them into creating TikTok content. Fans are sharing how the pressure of making viral content is slowly destroying the music industry. 

The Artist Take

Artists are speaking up about their disdain for crafting viral videos for the sake of selling records. Several artists, including Halsey, FKA Twigs, and Ed Sheeran, have reluctantly posted on TikTok only because their labels forced them into doing so. Some videos showcase the artists and their annoyance with being told to post. While others share how they are asked to wait until the label’s marketing team comes up with a clever way to make a song trend before releasing new music.

It is unfortunate times we live in where fans dictate what should be released. Artists have less control over what they create, and it seems like labels are less concerned about the quality of music and more concerned about the social metrics.

Some artists, like Adele, refuse to change to fit into the TikTok marketing model. The “Easy On Me” singer sat down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, opening up about the pressure to write music for the audience on TikTok.

Who’s to Blame?

The question becomes: Who’s really at fault? Is it the label pressure or TikTok’s algorithm to blame?

Fans argue that the popular social media platform has caused a major shift in the way we consume music and media at large. Some fans are comparing label’s demand for TikTok hits are no different than their history of requests for radio hits. There are several factors at play here, and we may be too far gone to make the necessary changes.

Here’s what artists and fans are saying about TikTok’s effects on the music industry: