The Beat Goes Online
A few years ago, getting your music heard meant chasing studio time, printing demo CDs, or hoping a local radio station might play your track. Today, that reality feels almost distant. With just a laptop and a TikTok account, an unknown bedroom producer can upload a 20-second clip and wake up viral. The internet didn’t just democratize access to music creation, it redefined what it means to make it in the industry.
For many underground artists, social media isn’t just a tool, it’s the stage, the audience, and the marketing team, all in one. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have turned into real-time testing grounds, where the line between genuine expression and algorithm-friendly content gets blurrier every day. It’s no longer enough to make good music; it has to be scroll-stopping, hook-first, and optimized for trends you can’t always predict.
In this article, we dive into how digital tools and social media platforms are reshaping not only the way we listen to music, but the way it’s built from the ground up. Through data and stories from emerging artists, we explore how musicians are adapting, sometimes thriving, sometimes struggling, in an environment where virality can make or break a career, and where the algorithm can feel like both a gatekeeper and a muse.
Music in the Age of TikTok
In just a few years, TikTok has become one of the most powerful forces shaping the music industry. Songs now rise to fame through 15-second clips, dance challenges, and viral audio trends.
According to DataReportal, in 2024, TikTok had 8.51 million adult users in Romania, representing 55.4% of the country’s online adult population. Additionally, a report by Statista revealed that TikTok generated over 27 million dollars in revenue in Romania in 2024, reflecting strong engagement from both the audience and content creators.
For emerging artists, especially those in the underground scene, TikTok offers a shortcut to visibility that was once unimaginable. A catchy hook, a relatable lyric, or a well-timed trend can push a track into the spotlight overnight.
This shift is explored in a TEDx Talk by Padmini Simhan, titled How TikTok is revolutionizing the music industry. In her presentation, she examines how the platform’s culture and algorithm have redefined not only how music spreads, but also how it is created in the first place:
Adrian Giurgescu is not just a producer, he’s a witness to how digital platforms have reshaped the music-making process from the inside. He’s seen firsthand how artists now tailor their songs to TikTok, not the radio. Hooks must hit faster, intros must be shorter and entire genres bend under the weight of algorithmic pressure.
”The pressure to succeed and the pressure to be influenced by algorithms have an extremely negative impact on the entire creative process because they greatly limit the artistic capacity of producers. You’re very constrained and controlled, because if something isn’t digestible for platforms, then labels automatically consider it wrong. Those songs won’t be used, so basically you’re working for nothing and end up feeling demoralized, artistically influenced in a negative way to make music you wouldn’t necessarily want to create.”
-Adrian Giurgescu, Music producer & sound engineer
Romania’s Streaming Paradox
Although digital platforms are growing rapidly across Europe, Romania remains behind when it comes to using music streaming services. According to Eurostat, only 37% of Romanian internet users listened to or downloaded music online. In contrast, the European Union average was 61%, placing Romania among the lowest in Europe.
This is surprising when we consider how active Romanian users are on social media, especially on TikTok, which had over 8.5 million adult users in 2024. People in Romania help songs go viral, but often don’t follow up by streaming those songs on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music.
In short, Romania faces a paradox: a strong online presence without a strong streaming culture. Artists become known, but not necessarily successful.
This interactive dashboard offers a visual analysis of audio listening rates across European countries between 2016 and 2024. Users can explore how audio consumption trends evolved over time, filter the data by year, and compare countries based on their listening behaviors. The dashboard is designed to support insights into cultural preferences and media consumption across Europe.
Shifting Sounds
Music constantly evolves, adapting to the cultural and technological context of each generation. From vinyl records to streaming platforms, the genres we embrace reflect not only personal tastes, but also broader societal trends. Some styles like Pop, Rock, or Jazz have stood the test of time, while others such as EDM, Rap, or Lo-fi emerged more recently, shaped by digital tools and new listening habits.
To illustrate this transformation, the video belowThe Evolution of Music Genres offers a dynamic overview of how music has changed over the decades. It begins with early genres like Jazz and Blues, traces the explosion of Rock in the mid-20th century, and highlights the global rise of Pop as a flexible, dominant force. The video also shows how newer genres have been born from technological shifts, with digital production and platforms like YouTube or TikTok enabling entirely new sounds and scenes to flourish.
By watching this progression, we can better understand how musical trends are not random, but deeply connected to the tools, voices, and values of their time. Music reflects the world around it, constantly in motion, yet always rooted in human expression.
Voices from the Underground
Beyond the trends and visualizations, the real story of music’s transformation is told by the artists themselves. In this section, we highlight three voices from Romania’s underground scene. Before diving into their stories, it’s helpful to understand how audiences today discover new music. The chart below illustrates the percentage of consumers who find out about new artists or songs through different channels—highlighting a clear generational divide. Gen Z relies heavily on social media and user-generated videos, while older generations like Boomers and Matures continue to favor traditional platforms like radio.
Through their experiences, we see the tension between opportunity and pressure, authenticity and visibility, instinct and algorithm. Whether behind the decks of a local party, uploading original songs to social media, or producing in the studio with industry expectations, these artists show us how personal and professional choices shape music today.
Saying Yes to the Moment: Irina and the Power of Opportunity
Not every musical path begins in a studio. For Irina, it started in a place most wouldn’t expect. She didn’t study music, she wasn’t trained, but when someone gave her the chance to play music at work, she said yes. That impulsive moment reshaped her future. Her story highlights a crucial reality in the underground scene: success often depends not just on skill, but on seizing the right opportunity, even without preparation.
While Irina isn’t yet promoting her sets on TikTok, she sees digital presence as a necessary next step in order to grow beyond her local audience. For now, her fanbase builds slowly and organically, one party at a time.
”I didn’t choose this passion, it found me. I’ve always loved music and knew I was passionate about it, but I hadn’t found a place that truly matched my musical taste especially not in small-town clubs in Romania, not even in Cluj. So when I got the offer to DJ at my old HORECA job, with zero background in the field, I made the best impulsive decision and said ‘yes, I’m in.’ Thanks Flying Circus for the opportunity! That’s how I gave new meaning to my passion for music.”
-Irina Vlad, DJ
Creating for the Algorithm or for Yourself?
In the age of viral sounds and trending challenges, young artists face an internal conflict: Should they create what they love or what performs well online? Maria Mititean is a rising pop artist who uses digital platforms to reach new listeners, but she’s honest about the emotional toll of trying to fit into predefined online molds.
”Online exposure has both a positive and a negative impact. On the one hand, we have access to platforms where we can promote our music and reach a much wider audience than before. But on the other hand, it creates a false image of what it means to be an artist. There’s this imposed template that dictates how you should look, act, and speak and I don’t think that reflects reality. Sometimes, you’re tempted to make compromises with your style just to go viral. You end up choosing a sound that’s more likely to trend, not necessarily one that truly represents you.”
-Maria Mititean, Emerging Pop Artist
Final Track: Beyond the Algorithm
In the age where a scroll decides your reach and a hook decides your future, making music isn’t just about creating, it’s about navigating. This project started with data, but what we found goes beyond numbers. Between graphs and genres, we uncovered tension: between freedom and formula, art and analytics, instinct and interface.
And yet, through all this noise, some voices still cut through, raw, imperfect, and deeply human. From a DJ who said yes without a plan, to artists who wrestle with the weight of going viral, we see a different kind of success story. One that’s not measured in streams or likes, but in the courage to stay honest in a system that rewards predictability.
The beat might live beneath the algorithm, but it still belongs to the people making it one impulsive decision, one late-night upload, one unfiltered song at a time.
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