TikTok’s Add to Music App saved more than 6 billion tracks to premium streaming services in the 12 months to April 2026, according to TikTok. 84% of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 went viral on TikTok first, per the Luminate report that TikTok commissioned. Together, those two TikTok music statistics show discovery on the app turning into streams and chart runs.
TikTok users in the US spend 46% more money on music each month than the average US music listener. The reach is uneven, though. The top 10% of songs account for 96% of TikTok creations and 76% of Spotify streams in one academic dataset. The sections below follow a song from a viral clip to a saved track, a chart entry and a paycheck, and they show where that path breaks for the long tail of artists.
Key Takeaways
- 84% of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 went viral on TikTok first, while only 4% had no viral moment.
- Add to Music App saved more than 6 billion tracks to streaming services in the 12 months to April 2026.
- US TikTok users spend 62% more on artist merchandise than the average US music listener.
- Popular songs removed from TikTok during the 2024 UMG blackout gained 2 to 3% in daily Spotify and YouTube streams.
- TikTok’s Global Song of the Summer 2026, first released as a single in 2011, soundtracked over 42 million videos.
- 56% of independent artists in Ditto Music’s survey pointed to TikTok when asked which platforms had actually helped them, against 16% for Spotify.
- 37% of US adults said they use TikTok in Pew Research Center’s 2026 survey, up from 21% in 2021.
Editor’s Choice
- Billboard #1s of 2025 with a TikTok viral moment first: 8 out of 10.
- Video views for TikTok’s Global Song of the Summer 2026: over 55 billion.
- Creations for ‘Die On This Hill’, the most-saved track of the 12 months to April 2026: over 6 million.
- Share of daily TikTok videos that feature music, out of more than 34 million: 85%.
- Streaming revenue Universal Music Group lost under its old TikTok deal, per research reported by Harvard Business School: an estimated $788 million.
- US adults who said they use TikTok daily in 2025: 24%.
TikTok Music Statistics: Billboard Global 200 Impact
- 84% of songs that entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 went viral on TikTok before charting.
- Luminate analyzed 547 songs that were new to the chart in 2024 or absent for at least a full year.
- The study window ran from week 1 to week 39 of 2024 and excluded songs that appeared on the chart in 2023.
- In 2025, 8 out of the 10 Billboard #1s had a TikTok viral moment first, according to TikTok.
| Billboard Global 200 entries, 2024 | Share of songs |
|---|---|
| Went viral on TikTok before charting | 84% |
| Went viral at the same time or after charting | 12% |
| No TikTok viral moment | 4% |
Source: Luminate 2024 Music Impact Report (commissioned by TikTok), weeks 1-39 of 2024
The 84% figure describes timing, not cause: a song can trend on TikTok and chart for the same underlying reason, such as a release campaign or a tour.
About This Data
Figures come from 14 sources: 8 TikTok Newsroom releases, 1 Luminate research report commissioned by TikTok, 2 academic studies, 2 Pew Research Center survey reports and 1 artist survey from a music distributor. Sources were published between February 2025 and October 2026. Only company releases, research reports and surveys that state their own figures were used. Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions.
TikTok Add to Music App Statistics
- Add to Music App saved more than 6 billion tracks over the 12-month period from April 2025 to April 2026, per TikTok’s Add to Music App announcement.
- The feature had generated more than one billion track saves since its 2024 rollout when TikTok and Luminate reported in February 2025.
- By December 2025, TikTok said the feature had been used to save over 3 billion tracks.
- ‘Die On This Hill’ by SIENNA SPIRO was the most-saved track worldwide in the 12 months to April 2026, with over 6 million creations and 16 billion video views.
- The song then generated more than 385 million streams on Spotify and charted at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- ‘Raindance’ by Dave (ft. Tems) placed second and has generated over 475 million streams on Spotify.
View the data
The milestones are not one running total: the April 2026 figure counts a 12-month window, while the earlier two count from the 2024 launch. The five most-saved tracks of that window mix new releases with older catalog, and those saves feed the wider Spotify user data once a song leaves the app.
| Rank | Track | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Die On This Hill | SIENNA SPIRO |
| 2 | Raindance | Dave (ft. Tems) |
| 3 | SWIM | BTS |
| 4 | The Fate of Ophelia | Taylor Swift |
| 5 | I Thought I Saw Your Face Today | She & Him |
Source: TikTok Newsroom, Add to Music App most-saved tracks, April 2025 to April 2026
Recent Developments
- October 19, 2026: Pew Research Center’s 2026 survey of 5,511 US adults, conducted January 30 to June 18, 2026, puts TikTok use at 37%.
- Summer 2026: Kyla and DJ Paleface’s ‘Do You Mind’ topped TikTok’s UK Songs of the Summer with more than 543 million UK video views.
- Summer 2026: TikTok named Katy Perry’s ‘The One That Got Away’ its Global Song of the Summer, with over 42 million videos.
- Summer 2026: Mac Miller’s ‘Cinderella’ (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) was TikTok’s Canada #1 Song of the Summer 2026.
- August 2026: TikTok LIVE brought back Music on Stage with creators from more than 20 regions, with auditions starting August 15.
How US TikTok Users Discover Music
- US TikTok users are 74% more likely to discover and share new music on social and short-form video platforms than the average user of these platforms.
- Four in 10 US TikTok users listen to a new album in its release week, a rate 27% higher than the average US music listener.
- 50% of US TikTok users enjoy videos about music artists, 47% higher than the average US social and short-form video user.
- Almost two-thirds of US music listeners on TikTok pay for at least one music streaming service.
- The US survey behind these figures polled 4,016 internet-using consumers aged 13 and above from August 12 to August 30, 2024.
| Behavior | US TikTok users vs comparison group | Comparison group |
|---|---|---|
| Discover and share new music on social and short-form video platforms | 74% more likely | Average user of these platforms |
| Use a paid music streaming service (US music listeners on TikTok) | 68% more likely | US general population |
| Time spent streaming music audio | 48% more | Average US music listener |
| Listen to a new album on release week | 27% higher rate | Average US music listener |
| Enjoy videos about music artists | 47% higher | Average US social and short-form video user |
Source: Luminate 2024 Music Impact Report, US Music 360 survey, August 2024
Each index uses its own comparison group, so the rows should be read one at a time, never ranked against each other. The same audience skews young, which fits the Gen Z social media data on where younger listeners spend their feeds.
How Much TikTok Users Spend on Music
- US TikTok users spend 46% more money on music each month than the average US music listener.
- Spending on artist merchandise runs 62% higher than the average US music listener’s.
- Almost one-third of US TikTok users bought music in physical formats such as CDs or vinyl in the past year.
View the data
By the numbers: Luminate’s 2024 survey found US TikTok users spend 46% more on music each month, 52% more on live events and 62% more on artist merchandise than the average US music listener. The widest gaps sit in merchandise and live events rather than in monthly music spending.
TikTok Music Super Fans
- 27% of all US TikTok users are music super fans, against 15% of the US general population.
- US music super fans on TikTok spend 19% more money on music than the average US music super fan.
- Luminate counts a super fan as someone who engages with music artists in at least five unique ways.
The super fan share among US TikTok users is close to double the general population’s, and the surveys behind it were fielded inside the US only.
Streaming Growth Linked to TikTok Virality
- TikTok-correlated artists averaged 11% week-over-week streaming growth, compared with 3% for other artists. Between the first and last 12 weeks of the 2024 study, the median TikTok-correlated artist’s streaming volume grew 62%, against 2% for the median artist.
- TikTok total views were significantly related to streaming volumes for 96% of artists analyzed.
- An artist can expect an average 11% increase in on-demand streams over the three days after a peak in TikTok views.
- TikTok-correlated artists made up 19% of the 677 sampled artists.
View the data
The growth gap applies to a minority of artists, which is the same head-heavy pattern the academic data on viral songs shows later on.
TikTok Artist Breakout Case Studies
- Korn saw a 14% monthly increase in on-demand streams a week after a February spike in TikTok views.
- Alphaville’s daily streaming average rose 151% after spikes in TikTok saves and shares.
- Chappell Roan went from the 68th most-streamed female pop artist in the US in February 2024 to third by September.
| Artist | TikTok-linked result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Korn | 14% monthly increase in on-demand streams a week after a TikTok spike | February to March |
| Alphaville, “Forever Young” | Daily streaming average up 151%; nine weeks on the Global 200, peaking at 105 | Summer 2024 |
| Chappell Roan | From 68th to third most-streamed female pop artist in the US | February to September 2024 |
| Sabrina Carpenter | Over 16 million TikTok video creations across three singles | 2024 |
Source: Luminate 2024 Music Impact Report case studies, 2024
TikTok’s Top Songs and Artists of 2025
- ‘Pretty Little Baby’ by Connie Francis was used over 28.4 million times on TikTok, leading to over 68.6 billion views.
- Doechii’s ‘Anxiety’ generated 10.4 million creations and 51.6 billion video views.
- ‘Golden’, co-written by EJAE, drove 9.8 million creations and 23.6 billion views on TikTok.
- sombr’s ‘back to friends’, the most-saved track of 2025, was used in over 7.7 million creations.
- KATSEYE, TikTok’s Global Artist of the Year, drew over 30 billion views and 12 million creations using their music in 2025.
View the data
‘Anxiety’ turned about 10 million creations into more than 50 billion views, while ‘Gnarly’ drew fewer creations than ‘Gabriela’ yet more views, so creation counts alone understate reach. ‘Pretty Little Baby’ (over 28.4 million creations) and ‘back to friends’ (over 7.7 million) are left out of the chart because TikTok gives only a minimum for each.
TikTok Songs of the Summer 2026
- Katy Perry’s ‘The One That Got Away’ soundtracked over 42 million videos with over 55 billion video views, according to TikTok’s Songs of the Summer release.
- The track has spent the last 21 weeks on the Billboard Global 200 and now has over 1.8 billion streams on Spotify.
- In the UK, ‘Do You Mind’ generated more than 543 million video views from 644,000 creations over the summer.
- UK TikTok posts using #UKGarage rose 42% between February and July 2026, while #HouseMusic rose 53%.
- Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ drove a 6,800% surge in TikTok searches for the song since the start of the World Cup and generated 336,000 creations.
| Market | Song of the Summer 2026 | TikTok result |
|---|---|---|
| Global | Katy Perry, “The One That Got Away” | Over 42 million videos, over 55 billion views |
| US | Katy Perry, “The One That Got Away” | US Song of the Summer; Mac Miller’s “Cinderella” was #2 on the US list |
| UK | Kyla and DJ Paleface, “Do You Mind” | More than 543 million UK views from 644,000 creations |
| Canada | Mac Miller, “Cinderella” featuring Ty Dolla $ign | #1 on the Canada list |
Source: TikTok Newsroom, Songs of the Summer 2026 releases
What is the #1 song on TikTok right now?
Katy Perry’s ‘The One That Got Away’ is TikTok’s #1 Global Song of the Summer 2026, used in over 42 million videos. TikTok ranks its Songs of the Summer as the most popular tracks by engagement across the Summer 2026 measurement period, so the list reflects the season rather than a single day.
Catalog Songs Revived on TikTok
- Over 50 catalog songs entered the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 after going viral on TikTok.
- Nine out of 10 TikTok users say they enjoy listening to music from past decades.
- ‘Pretty Little Baby’, first released in 1962, spent five weeks on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
- Alphaville’s ‘Forever Young’ charted on the Global 200 for nine weeks in summer 2024, peaking at No. 105.
- Lenny Kravitz’s 1991 hit ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over’ took the #3 spot on TikTok’s US Songs of the Summer list.
View the data
Older songs took TikTok’s 2025 Track of the Year and the 2026 Global Song of the Summer, so back catalog competes for attention alongside new releases.
What the UMG Blackout Showed About TikTok
- Universal Music Group’s music went silent on TikTok on Feb. 1, 2024, until a new licensing deal on May 1.
- More than 34 million videos are posted on TikTok daily, and 85% of them feature music.
- Removed popular songs saw a 2 to 3% increase in daily streams on Spotify and YouTube during the dispute.
- Songs not previously on TikTok from artists with partial catalog presence lost 1 to 3% of streams on other platforms.
- Universal Music Group and TikTok announced a new multi-year licensing agreement on May 22, 2026.
| Finding | Figure |
|---|---|
| Videos posted on TikTok daily | More than 34 million |
| Share of those videos featuring music | 85% |
| Daily streams of removed popular UMG songs on Spotify and YouTube | 2 to 3% increase |
| Streams of UMG songs never on TikTok, partial-catalog artists | 1 to 3% decrease |
| Estimated UMG streaming revenue lost under the old deal | $788 million |
| Per-listen payment to UMG, Spotify and YouTube | About $0.003 and $0.001 |
Source: Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, March 2025
Key finding: Research reported by Harvard Business School found Universal Music Group was losing an estimated $788 million in streaming revenue under its earlier TikTok licensing agreement. Spotify and YouTube paid UMG about $0.003 and $0.001 per listen, while TikTok paid per video use.
How is TikTok affecting the music industry?
During the UMG blackout, removed popular songs gained 2 to 3% in daily streams elsewhere, while some songs never on TikTok lost 1 to 3%. TikTok both takes listening from streaming services and sends new listeners to them. Luminate’s report still concluded that TikTok is a key driver of music discovery, monetization and chart success.
How Concentrated TikTok Music Virality Is
- The top 10% of songs account for 96% of TikTok creations and 76% of Spotify streams in the study’s data.
- Removing TikTok access lowered Spotify demand for UMG titles, with losses concentrated among viral songs.
- The researchers found little economically meaningful change for the long tail of songs.
- Data from the 2025 US TikTok outage gave corroborating evidence that disruptions to TikTok access reduce monetized streaming.
Why it matters: The arXiv study finds the top 10% of songs hold 96% of TikTok creations and 76% of Spotify streams, so losses from cutting TikTok access fall mainly on viral songs. Averages across all songs hide that skew, which helps explain why earlier studies of the blackout disagreed.
Independent Artists and TikTok
- 56% of independent artists pointed to TikTok when asked which platforms had actually helped them, ahead of Spotify at 16%.
- Social media marketing was the single biggest driver of artist growth overall, at 43%.
- Live performance was the primary promotion method for 26% of artists.
- Ditto Music’s survey gathered responses from over 2,000 artists and music professionals.
View the data
The survey reflects Ditto’s own artist community, a distributor’s customers rather than all musicians, and the Instagram gap mirrors the wider TikTok vs Instagram data on short-form reach.
TikTok LIVE Music on Stage Statistics
- The inaugural Music on Stage campaign in 2025 generated more than 8.2 billion impressions.
- Angelyque Solorio’s debut EP through SoundOn passed 450,000 streams after her Music on Stage success, and her Spotify monthly listeners grew tenfold.
- The 2026 program brings together music creators from more than 20 regions.
| Music on Stage metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Impressions, 2025 campaign | More than 8.2 billion |
| Posts using #MusicOnStage, 2025 | Over 230,000 |
| Global Finals viewers, 2025 | More than 1.4 million |
| Regions in the 2026 program | More than 20 |
Source: TikTok Newsroom, Music on Stage announcement, August 2026
TikTok’s Reach Among US Adults
- 37% of US adults said they ever use TikTok in Pew Research Center’s 2026 survey, the same share as in 2025.
- That is up from 21% in 2021.
- About a quarter, 24%, said they are daily TikTok users in 2025.
- Roughly half of 18- to 29-year-olds go on TikTok at least once a day, against 5% of adults ages 65 and older.
View the data
Which generation uses TikTok the most?
Younger adults are far more likely than older adults to use TikTok daily: roughly half of 18- to 29-year-olds go on TikTok at least once a day, against 5% of adults 65 and older.
Conclusion
TikTok’s Add to Music App saved more than 6 billion tracks in the 12 months to April 2026, and 84% of 2024’s new Billboard Global 200 entries went viral on TikTok first. The research also shows the effect is concentrated: a small group of viral songs carries most of the creations and most of the streaming gains, while the long tail sees little change.
The next tests are TikTok’s year-end music list and any new Luminate impact report, which will show whether catalog revivals and the Add to Music App keep growing at this pace. Readers tracking the wider market can set these figures beside the music streaming statistics for subscriptions and revenue.
