Electronic music became more popular than indie for the first time on TikTok last year, new data has revealed.
According to The Guardian, videos tagged with #ElectronicMusic garnered a collective 13 billion views on the platform in 2024, representing a 45% rise from the previous year.
It means that electronic music is now experiencing a faster rise than other genres including indie, rap, and hip hop on TikTok.
Officials behind the app claim that the popularity of electronic artists such as Disclosure and Joel Corry have been a major reason behind the surge, while techno and house have become some of the most prominent sub-genres within this.
It noted that music from the genre is being increasingly used as sounds on a range of different types of videos, including sport, fashion, fitness, and travel.
TikTok’s head of partnerships in the UK and Ireland, Toyin Mustapha, said: “TikTok users tend to tag the genres of music, especially genres like electronic music. It shows the community they are trying to build and are part of, and electronic music is very much a community-led thing.”
In the UK specifically, videos with the #ElectronicMusic tag grew by 50% over the course of 2024, with views on these posts subsequently also up by 22%.
In light of this, Mustapha continued: “Dance music has become more accessible and big in the commercial sphere. We are seeing the breaking down of boundaries for artists, and TikTok is part of that. It’s not just reflected in festival bookings, you can see it in the official charts as well.”
Prominent forces within the UK electronic music scene, including the likes of DJs Hannah Laing and Billy Gillies, have also launched their mainstream careers from the foundations of building a following on the platform.
