Music on socials can grab attention, shift moods, and even influence consumers’ buying decisions.
It has a unique ability to trigger emotions that naturally command our attention to watch the content. One well-placed track can make an otherwise forgettable video feel like something you need to watch.
By tapping directly into our emotional responses, music enhances storytelling, making messages not only more engaging but also more memorable. Catchy tunes and jingles leverage the brain’s strong connection between music and memory recall, helping content stick in the mind long after it’s experienced. This emotional resonance, combined with the cognitive impact of musical triggers, transforms simple content into powerful, lasting experiences that capture attention and remain top of mind.
Music and Social Media
Social media has as much influence over the music industry itself as it does on what content will go viral. TikTok has revolutionised how we discover new artists and songs, flipping the traditional music promotion model on its head. Data shows that for 96% of artists analysed, TikTok views strongly correlate with streaming success, and an incredible 84% of songs entering the Billboard Global 200 first went viral on TikTok. This power means smaller artists with limited budgets can suddenly reach huge audiences in a way they haven’t been able to before.
Even decades-old songs have found themselves resurfacing, such as Connie Francis’ song “Pretty Little Baby,” which was released over 63 years ago but now has over 15 million ‘creates’ on Tiktok this year, correlating with millions of streams on music platforms.
African Artists
In recent years the trend has also been afforded to African artists who have subsequently topped the charts.
A case in point was Nigerian singer Skales’ 2015 hit song “Shake Body” which trended ten years after its initial release, due to a TikTok video of Barcelona’s teenage football sensation, Lamine Yamal dancing to the tune.
Another example came in 2024, when the song “Gwo Gwo Ngwo” also became a hit on social media after Nigerian comedian, Brain Jotter filmed a hilarious video of himself dancing to it, again sharing it on TikTok. This old song by Mike Ejeagha was reintroduced to a new generation and became an instant hit.
These are just two examples of TikTok’s power in the circulation of African music. But there’s more. Afrobeats, which is said to have started in Nigeria and Ghana, is dominating TikTok in the region and beyond. Hashtag challenges and user-generated content enable these songs to travel across continents, exposing global audiences to Africa’s rich cultural heritage.
While Afrobeats has garnered massive support from fandoms all over the world, it is not the only genre topping the charts.
African gospel music on TikTok has become a stage where faith meets digital innovation, where the rhythm of gospel and soulful lyrics lend themselves to short, impactful videos.
Azawi of Uganda and Ghanaian stars like Black Sheriff have also seen their careers propelled by TikTok, proving that an artiste no longer needs major industry backing to achieve success.
It demonstrates that African music is not just a niche genre but in the digital age, is becoming an important component in modern music.
The Power of TikTok in Africa
Currently, TikTok is the second most popular platform in Africa after Facebook and the platform has over 37 million users in Egypt and 17 million in South Africa. Nigeria also ranks second among its most active users in Africa and 17th globally, with 23.84 million users.
TikTok’s algorithm has been key to its popularity. The platform’s ability to push content to users based on their interests rather than who they follow creates an environment where African music spreads around the planet.
Its algorithm thrives on discovery, giving even emerging artists a chance to go viral. A song snippet, sometimes just a few seconds long, can become the soundtrack for millions of videos, ultimately translating into streams, downloads, and mainstream success.
Music has always been one of the most powerful tools brands can use to stand out.
From sparking instant emotional connections to riding the wave of trending sounds, music-driven content with the right song choice consistently performs well.
And now, through social media platforms such as TikTok, emerging music artists in Africa are able to create the right track with the right content which will catapult their content straight to their desired listeners and into the spotlight.
GISELLE ELSOM IS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF @TRUFFLESOCIAL
