TikTok’s Unparalleled Potential: How the Platform Is Revolutionizing the Latin Music Landscape

Five years after its introduction in China, TikTok took the world by storm during the past decade, achieving three billion downloads globally in 2021. The platform has also captivated the hearts of Latin Americans, registering around 136.1 million users in 2022 alone, with the number only projected to grow by 2027, reaching 173.3 million. In fact, according to Statista, Brazil and Mexico accounted for the biggest markets of the revolutionary platform in 2022, with a total number of 124.1 million users. About 70% of web users in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil utilize the platform, which has become one of their favorite social media.

TikTok has acted as a great source of entertainment for users, keeping them highly engaged due to its short and interesting clips. Its potential has been massive for creators, artists and businesses, enabling organic growth through its features. However, since competition can be tough on the platform, some even buy tiktok likes to help them thrive on the platform.  

Some industries have massively benefitted from TikTok’s great power, and the music landscape is one of them. The rise of Mexican music is undeniable, and TikTok has played a significant role in making it a reality. The platform is a hub for discovering new music, with many of the songs trending on TikTok making it to the Billboard Hot 100 charts. To be more precise, 67% of the app users look for a song on a music service after first hearing it on TikTok.

Uncovering the popularity of Latin Music: How did it all start?

Although Latin Music’s origins can be traced back to the 16th century, streaming platforms available today have undoubtedly been a game-changer for artists. Between 1940-1950, Americans turned to Latin music as a way to escape World War II’s crisis – they found refuge in it when hope was not to be found. But the cultural impact went beyond the war, with Perez Padro succeeding in dominating the American charts after releasing a cha-cha version of Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White. In the 1970s, the Spanish balladeer Julio Iglesias made a name for himself in both the Latin American music landscape and the US Latin music industry, and his popularity continued up to the 1980s.

In the mid-1990s, renowned artists like Enrique Iglesias, Jennnifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin achieved global fame, marking new beginnings for the Latin music industry, whose popularity increased even further between 2000-2010. Genres like Urbano, Reggaeton, Latin trap and Contemporary Bachata took over the streaming charts, and in 2017, Despacito became one of the best-performing Latin songs, ranking No.1 in 2021 as the most-viewed YouTube video.

As of today, Latin music is loved by fans all over the world, and its popularity is only getting stronger, enabling artists to generate significant revenues. Technology has created new opportunities for Latin American artists, fostering collaborations with other famous artists, which strengthened their visibility and helped them reach broader audiences. An example of such an exceptional collaboration is SG, which achieved 45.3 million global streams, bringing together Ozuna, Megan Thee Stallion, DJ Snake and Lalisa Manobal, who created a cross-cultural song that quickly became a hit.

There’s no doubt that the popularity of Latin music is tied to social media, which is a powerful medium for artists who can leverage platforms to showcase their music and build loyal fan communities.

Mexican music is emerging as a top trend on TikTok

When it comes to the top TikTok trends in Latin music, Mexican music is the winner. Over the past year, the popularity of Mexican music has grown in leaps and bounds, achieving over 83 billion views on TikTok globally (and a third of them come from US users of the platform). In fact, Mexican music has experienced a 322% surge in popularity, surpassing other genres like rock and indie, electronic music, and hip-hop and rap. The numbers are indeed staggering, proving once again that TikTok is a goldmine for artists.

Many Mexican artists have gained recognition due to TikTok, including Natanael Cano, Grupo Frontera and Yng Lvcas, but Peso Pluma is the one standing out the most. The artist’s song Ella Baila Sola  went viral on TikTok, quickly turning Pluma into an exciting breakthrough artist. The track became a real success, making it to the top of the most popular charts, including Billboard Global 200, Hot Latin Songs, the all-genre Hot 100, and Streaming Songs. In the US alone, it generated more than 500 million official streams – a massive number highlighting the appeal of Pluma’s song.  

TikTok has been a catalyst in the success of Peso Pluma, enabling the artist to gain more than 30 billion views in only 12 months. In April, four of his tracks were trending at the top on the platform among Latin songs. Pluma, along with other famous Mexican superstars are not only sharing good music with people, but also their cultural heritage. They have preserved the essence of who they are, inviting fans to discover the beauty and uniqueness of Latin American music.

What to expect from the Latin music landscape in the future?

As influencers upload educational videos on TikTok about the Latin music genre, its appeal is only broadening and helping it reach new heights. Right now, Spanish songs are one of the most consumed, after English ones. Fans are hooked on the catchy music of Latin Americans, having it on repeat.

New artists will likely emerge in the Latin music landscape, and TikTok’s power remains clear in promoting diversity in the industry. Due to the platform’s global reach, artists can now have their songs heard globally, highlighting how TikTok opened up a new world of possibilities for musicians (and any creator or business who wants to gain more recognition, for that matter). Record labels and artists are taking advantage of the app to the fullest to reach their dreams, showing that there are no limits to how far music can reach and bring people from all around the world together.

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