How TikTok and Spotify’s Algorithms Shape the Music We Hear

The algorithms powering TikTok and Spotify aren’t neutral arbiters of taste. A fresh study from the University of California, Davis, reveals how the distinct business models of these platforms actively shape not only the songs people listen to, but also the music artists create. The research, published February 27, 2026, in the journal Information, Communication & Society, underscores how hit song charts reflect both user preferences and platform-curated selections.

TikTok vs. Spotify: Different Platforms, Different Hits

TikTok, with approximately 1.6 billion monthly active users, thrives on user-generated short-form videos, often featuring snippets of songs used in remixes and dance challenges. Spotify, boasting around 675 million monthly active users, focuses on the distribution of full-length albums. These fundamental differences lead to divergent patterns in musical popularity.

Researchers analyzed Top 100 hit song charts from both platforms between 2020 and 2022. They found that TikTok’s popularity was largely driven by dance-oriented genres that lend themselves to user engagement and viral challenges. Spotify, favored songs about relationships, while songs addressing political themes were less common. Spotify’s charts also featured a higher proportion of songs from major record labels and genres like pop, hip-hop, and trap, with fewer tracks from R&B/soul and dance music.

The Scale of Hits and Chart Turnover

During the two-year study period, TikTok’s Top 100 charts included 321 unique songs, compared to 1,707 on Spotify. Only 68 songs appeared on both platforms’ charts, and those that did tended to cycle through Spotify’s daily Top 100 more rapidly than on TikTok.

Algorithms and the Creation of Demand

Both TikTok and Spotify differ from traditional media like radio and MTV. User data – clicks, subscriptions, and engagement – feeds into each platform’s algorithms, influencing the music artists create to meet perceived demand. This creates a feedback loop where platform algorithms not only reflect user preferences but also actively shape them.

“Hit song charts represent both user feedback and selections curated by the platforms’ algorithms that also influence users’ choices,” explained Cuihua (Cindy) Shen, a UC Davis professor of communication and the study’s corresponding author. “By publishing hit song charts, platforms are declaring what songs are visible and dominant.”

Distribution vs. Re-interpretation

The study highlights the distinct roles of each platform. Spotify functions primarily as a distribution channel, providing detailed song metadata, including lyrics. TikTok, conversely, serves as a space for creative re-interpretation, where songs are often used as background elements in user-generated video content.

“Our study suggests that Spotify acts as a primary distribution channel while TikTok serves as a space for creative re-interpretation,” Shen stated.