SiriusXM reaches out to teens with launch of TikTok radio channel

Digital radio station SiriusXM, the parent company of Pandora and podcaster Stitcher, has announced a partnership with social video platform TikTok that will drive a number of new projects aimed at attracting teens.

How it will work

Projects include a TikTok channel on SiriusXM, a number of hosted TikTok playlists on Pandora, and re-airings of Pandora LIVE events on TikTok. Popular TikTok creators will compile, host and promote their own Pandora playlists, called TikTok Tastemakers, starting with TikTok influencer Bella Poarch who has some 70 million followers.

The details

• TikTok Radio will launch this summer and be broadcast through the SiriusXM app, browser and any connected devices. Sirius says it wants the experience of listening to be like swiping through TikTok’s “For You” page.
• Pandora users will also be able to tune in to popular and trending songs on TikTok by listening to TikTok Hits Playlist; re-airings of Pandora’s series of original events – Pandora LIVE – will also be available to TikTok fans.

Context

The link up seems like a win-win for both partners – TikTok receives even more promotion, and Sirius can air new content that appeals to a much younger audience – but this is fast becoming a crowded market. Spotify is now curating TikTok hits across playlists like Viral Hits, big on the internet, and Teen Beats, among others, as younger listeners increasingly look for TikTok songs on streaming music apps. Apple Music also introduced ten new playlists last year aimed at younger listeners, including its own version of Viral Hits, which includes the most popular tracks on TikTok along with other social media platforms.

Final thought 

Radio is having to open an additional front in order to stay relevant to, and find new, younger listeners.

Sourced from The Verge, TechCrunch