Single-edged or double-edged sword?: an empirical study on the impact of TikTok short-form videos on music performance

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of short-form video platforms, such as TikTok, is transforming the music industry by redefining how audiences discover and engage with music. While traditional social media studies suggest that user-generated content (UGC) can act as free samples that potentially cannibalize music consumption, the specific effects of short-form videos remain underexplored. This study investigates the nuanced relationship between UGC on short-form video platforms and music performance metrics, including streaming numbers and audience reach. Our analysis uncovers an inverted U-shaped relationship between the volume of short-form videos and music performance. Although an initial increase in video activity amplifies visibility and engagement, excessive exposure may lead to diminishing returns, likely due to over-saturation and the free-sampling effect. Furthermore, employing a state-of-the-art deep learning model, ViViT (Video Vision Transformer), to classify TikTok videos, dancing videos exhibit a similar inverted U-shaped pattern, underscoring the importance of content type in shaping outcomes. The study also examines moderating factors, such as artist characteristics and the role of #challenges, to offer actionable insights for strategically leveraging short-form video content.