Examining Platformization in Cultural Production: A Comparative Computational Analysis of Hit Songs on TikTok and Spotify

TL;DR

This study investigates how TikTok and Spotify influence each other and shape hit song popularity through platform-specific practices, using a two-year dataset to analyze differences and cross-platform effects in digital music production.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of platformization effects on hit songs across TikTok and Spotify, highlighting their distinct and interconnected roles in cultural production.

Findings

Significant differences in label, genre, and content features among hits on TikTok and Spotify.

Evidence that Spotify hit popularity may lead TikTok hit success.

Distinct platformization practices influence music reception and production.

Abstract

The (re)creation and distribution of cultural products such as music are increasingly shaped by digital platforms. This study explores how TikTok and Spotify, situated in different governance and user contexts, could influence digital music production and reception within each platform and between each other. Focusing on daily hit song charts as the embodiment of platformization, we collected and analyzed a two-year longitudinal dataset on TikTok and Spotify. We tested the relationships between elements of platformization and hit song popularity within each platform, and examined cross-platform influence flow. Results reveal significant differences in major label, genre, and content features among hit songs on TikTok and Spotify, which can be explained by their distinct platformization practices. We also found some evidence that hit song popularity on Spotify might precede that on TikTok. This study illustrates both the platform-specific mechanisms of TikTok and Spotify and their interconnectedness in the cultural production ecosystem.