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Social Media

Music's impact on social engagement

Exploring how music shapes online interactions and TikTok usage

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Adobe Express

01/08/2025

Summary

Music has become central to engagement on TikTok, driving likes, shares, and comments across a range of videos. This study explores how different music genres, artists, and sounds impact engagement on the platform, as well as how various music fans interact with content. By analyzing thousands of TikTok videos and surveying U.S. music fans, the findings reveal how creators can use music to connect with audiences and even boost product interest.

Key takeaways

  • Nearly one in three music fans (29%) said they're more likely to buy a product if it's featured alongside a song they like.
  • Travel, fashion, and beauty TikToks use music the most in their videos.
  • L.Dre, Doja Cat, and Taylor Swift are the most used artists in TikToks.
  • TikToks using indie music get the highest number of likes and comments.
  • Rock, country, and indie fans are the most likely to shop on TikTok Shop.
  • Hip-hop/rap fans are the most likely to use TikTok to find new music.
  • Music fans who use TikTok daily spend an average of 84 minutes a day on the app, amounting to 21 days a year.
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Top TikTok genres for viral success

The right music can make a TikTok video truly memorable, boosting its chances of going viral. These are the genres, artists, and music types that drive the most engagement on the platform.

Insight into the most popular music genres featured in TikTok posts

Travel, fashion, and beauty videos leaned heavily on music, using it more than any other categories to captivate TikTok viewers and set the tone. Among artists, L.Dre, Doja Cat, and Taylor Swift were the go-to choices, appearing in the most videos across different genres.

Indie music, however, stood out for engagement: TikToks featuring indie tracks received the most likes and comments. Interestingly, only about 2% of TikToks included music officially uploaded by artists, which means that most creators are mixing in other types of sounds to make their content unique.

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Shopping on social media

Music on TikTok doesn't just entertain — it can also inspire people to shop. Here's how music shapes buying decisions and which fans are the most active shoppers on the platform.

how music influences fans on TikTok

For 42% of music fans, the song in a TikTok video directly influences how they feel about the product being shown. Popular songs on TikTok can also affect purchasing behaviors: Nearly one in three music fans (29%) said they're more likely to buy a product if it's featured alongside a song they like.

Rock, country, and indie fans are especially likely to shop on TikTok Shop, showing higher engagement with products than other fan groups. Overall, music fans spend an average of $44 each month on TikTok-inspired buys. By genre, hip-hop and rap fans spend the most ($61), followed by country listeners ($59) and those who love R&B and soul ($57).

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How fans find new tracks online

TikTok has become a go-to place for discovering new music, especially among fans who spend significant time on the app. This section explores how much time fans devote to TikTok daily and which genres are most likely to drive music discovery.

insights about music fans using TikTok

On average, fans who use TikTok daily spend around 84 minutes a day on the platform—adding up to 21 days each year. Here's a breakdown of daily screen time by genre:

  • Hip-hop/rap: 86 minutes
  • Pop: 85 minutes
  • Country: 83 minutes
  • Rock: 82 minutes
  • Indie: 76 minutes

Hip-hop/rap fans were also the most likely to use TikTok specifically to find new music, with 59% saying they regularly discover songs they enjoy. R&B/soul fans followed at 52%, with country and pop fans at 38% each. Rock and indie fans also reported regularly finding new music through social media videos on TikTok at 32% and 26%, respectively

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Use music to boost engagement

Music is a powerful driver of engagement on TikTok, from sparking likes and comments to influencing shopping habits. This study shows that choosing the right genres and artists can deepen connections with audiences, making music an essential tool for TikTok creators looking to boost their impact on the platform.

Methodology

To analyze TikTok performance across different sound types, we scraped data from 65,174 TikToks from 16 niches. We also surveyed 1,010 music fans in the U.S. about their social media preferences and habits. Respondents identified as fans of rock (21%), pop (20%), hip-hop/rap (13%), indie (9%), country (7%), EDM (6%), R&B/soul (5%), metal (5%), jazz (2%), gospel (2%), and classical (2%), with 8% preferring genres not listed in this study.

Fair use statement

If this article resonates with your audience, feel free to share it for noncommercial use. We just ask that you link back here to credit the research.

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