Data shows TikTok is a more powerful music discovery platform than Spotify

After looking at the latest stats from TikTok, it’s not a streatch to say that TikTok may be a more powerful driver of music discovery than Spotify.

TikTok has an estimated 800 million monthly active users compared to Spotify’s 356 million active users worldwide.

75% of those TikTok users – an estimated 600 million – say that they discover new artists through TikTok, according to a new MRC Data study released by the short video platform.

63% of all TikTok users say they heard new music that they’ve never heard before on the platform.

Even generously assuming that 100% of Spotify users discover new artists and music on the streamer, that would make TikTok 168% more powerful for artist and music discovery than the world’s most powerful streaming service.

More TikTok artist and music discovery stats

• The TikTok community is motivated to interact with the music featured in videos onTikTok, with 67% of TikTokers more likely to seek out a song they heard on TikTok on a music streaming platform.
• Community members often have their own “Heard it on TikTok” moment during their day to day lives. 72% of TikTokers agree that they associate certain songs with TikTok.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and an online professor for the Berklee College Of Music.