How does social media influence success in the entertainment industry?

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‘Making it’ in the entertainment industry used to mean hoping a guy in a suit liked your demo tape, or knowing someone who knew a casting director. But now, old gatekeepers to

success, like agents and producers, have been pushed aside to make room for something

with even more power - algorithms. Social media and strong online fanbases have

completely changed the pathway to fame and handed power back to audiences.

The TikTok star to Best New Artist pipeline could not be more obvious after the 2026

Grammy nominations were announced. Addison Rae and Alex Warren, both members of the

2020 TikTok Hype House that took over feeds during lockdown, transformed their online

fame into tangible music careers after already amassing millions of loyal followers. Alex

Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ now has well over 1 billion Spotify streams after gaining traction on

TikTok, proving that the line between ‘content creator’ and ‘mainstream pop star’ has

officially dissolved.

TikTok and its ability to push trends are a major factor in deciding how well a song performs, specifically in the form of dances, recently boosting songs such as ‘Apple’ by Charli XCX, or even just lyric snippets, such as in Olivia Dean’s ‘I’ve Seen it’ or Gigi Perez’s ‘Sailor Song’, which topped the UK charts.

More and more artists are turning to apps like TikTok in the hopes of jumpstarting their

careers. While radio listener numbers are dipping, the number of active monthly TikTok users is approximately 1.5 billion and is now considered one of the most effective forms of

advertisement. Due to the cost-free nature of posting a 15 second music clip or

live streaming from your bedroom, it’s no surprise that upcoming artists are favouring social media, where thousands more people can be reached, over traditional forms of music

promotion, such as radio play and in-person performances.

Fan-girl culture has become popularised on social media, with users ‘claiming’ songs and

creating promotional content for artists themselves in the form of lyric videos and fan edits, in order to be considered an ‘OG fan’. We see this with musicians like Alessi Rose, who gained a loyal following after creating songs synonymous with the ‘messy girlhood’ aesthetic, and showcasing them on TikTok live. She has gone on to support both Dua Lipa and Tate McRae, making her Wembley Stadium debut on June 20th 2025 - just two years after releasing her first single.

Social media has evolved from a simple promotional tool into the primary engine of the

entertainment industry, turning passive listeners into active participants who build careers

from the ground up. Going into 2026, artists no longer have to wait to be discovered; they

can define success in their own terms.

Edited by Gabriella Whiston