After the joint venture deal, US users are deleting TikTok en masse. Charts, viral hits and artists’ careers could be at stake. Possible consequences at a glance.
There has been a clear trend in the past few days: Significantly more people in the USA are deleting their TikTok accounts shortly after the video platform transferred its US operations to a newly founded joint venture. Data from market analyzes show that app uninstallations there have temporarily increased by around 130 to 150 percent compared to previous months. The reason for this appears to be the completion of a years-long deal to restructure TikTok’s US unit, in which Chinese parent company ByteDance gave up much of its control and now a consortium of US investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX, holds the majority.
The background to this development is political and regulatory pressure that has accompanied TikTok in the USA for several years: In 2024, Congress passed a law that required ByteDance to sell its US unit – otherwise there was a risk of a nationwide ban on the app. The joint venture deal that has now been concluded should protect TikTok from such a ban by placing US data, content moderation and parts of the algorithm under the direct control of American operators in the future.
But the change and new terms of use that accompany the deal are met with skepticism and rejection by many users. At the same time, users report technical problems and perceptions of censorship or limited reach, especially for politically sensitive content – which further drives the flight of many account holders. Although internal platform metrics sometimes show increasing daily usage numbers, the recent increase in deletions makes it clear that a significant part of the community is dissatisfied.
What does the TikTok decline mean for the music world?
TikTok has become one of the most important engines for music discovery and viral trends in recent years. According to the Music Impact Report from TikTok and Luminate, TikTok users are significantly more willing to discover and share new music than average social media users. Many chart successes today can be traced back to viral clips on TikTok – such as songs that later made it into the “Billboard Global 200” through trends. A significant decline in active users could dampen these mechanisms. If fewer people use the platform, new tracks potentially lose their chance of going viral – especially for independent or aspiring artists.
TikTok acts as a link between discovery and music streaming: Users who see songs on TikTok often switch to services like Spotify or Apple Music, where they bring measurable streams and income. The sudden waves of uninstalls could disrupt this chain and result in artists generating fewer streams if their songs are less shared and listened to.
Plus: A decline on the platform could lead to other services such as YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels increasingly acting as trend drivers – which could change charts in the long term.
And musicians and labels that are heavily dependent on TikTok reach may need to diversify their promotion strategies. In addition to classic streaming deals, direct fan relationships, cross-platform presence and live events are becoming increasingly important again to ensure reach and monetization.
While an outflow of TikTok users poses risks, it could also unlock opportunities: Acts could use alternative ways of distributing music and deepen their fan base on other channels or streaming platforms. At the same time, the question remains open as to how much other services will be able to take on the viral potential of music in the future.
Editorial recommendations
TikTok decline and music boom: This is how the platform is currently shaping the music world
Despite the current turbulence, the platform currently remains a central catalyst for viral music hits. Data from TikTok’s “Year in Music 2025” shows that the community continued to bring new talent and sounds global visibility. Artists like Alex Warren, Ravyn Lenae, sombr and Lola Young were highlighted by TikTok as “breakout artists” of 2025 – acts who were able to make real career leaps through viral clips, challenges and user engagement. Another example is Olivia Dean: The British singer became an international TikTok phenomenon in 2025 with her song “Man I Need”. Over 1.2 million TikToks used the track, earning the single significant streams and chart listings and making them one of the defining new pop acts.
Traditional stars also benefit from algorithmic distribution: classics like “Breakin’ Dishes” by Rihanna or “Let Down” by Radiohead were discovered by younger TikTok users and reached new listeners. Another example: According to TikTok’s annual statistics, Connie Francis’ 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby” became the top global song of 2025 after it was used by millions of users for various content formats – including a strong wave of nostalgia and celebrity videos that gave the song billions of views.
