For the last few years, TikTok has had a massive impact on the music industry. With more than a billion active monthly users worldwide, the social media platform has played a central role in the evolution of pop culture, particularly when it comes to music.
Whether it’s short snippets of audio which punctuate a viral trend or a new superstar being discovered in real time, in the era of music streaming, TikTok has a huge influence over almost every aspect of the industry.
A recent report from TikTok and Luminate found that 84% of songs which appeared on the Billboard Global 200 in 2024 went viral on the app before they charted, and that engagement with music on TikTok strongly correlated with streaming volumes elsewhere.
The lightning fast pace at which TikTok operates means that – unlike almost any other platform – the app has the ability to propel rising stars into mainstream popularity, renew interest in older music, and turn previously unknown artists into “the next big thing” on an entirely new scale.
It was because of TikTok that Scottish musician Nathan Evans was discovered after posting videos of himself singing sea shanties. Inverness-born singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-Macleod signed a record deal after her track Complex went viral on the app.
With some of these artists touring Scotland in 2025, here are 16 artists who became popular on TikTok.
9. Nathan Evans
Just one of several Scottish musicians to receive fame as a result of TikTok, former postman Nathan Evans first went viral online posting videos of himself singing viral sea shanties. Evans released two versions of Wellerman, with the remix climbing to number one in the UK charts and earning him a Brit nomination. He is currently touring with the Saint Phnx band, with Scottish gigs in 2025 including Trnsmt. | AFP via Getty Images
10. Noah Kahan
In 2020 Noah Kahan rose to prominence online when he started posting viral TikTok videos with the first verse of his hit single Stick Season. The song was released alongside his 2022 album of the same name and, while it was moderately successful at the time, it wouldn’t go on to become a viral sensation until 2024. Olivia Rodrigo covered the song for BBC Radio 1, leading to it becoming internationally successful and the UK’s biggest song in 2024. | Getty Images for American Expres
11. PinkPantheress
From the age of 17 English singer, songwriter and producer PinkPantheress had been posting her music on Soundcloud, but it wasn’t until she uploaded a video using one of her songs to her personal account that she began to receive attention. Her song Pain and Just For Me both went viral on the platform, with her music also becoming commercially successful. | Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima
12. Lola Young
Now best recognised for her ultra-popular hit song Messy, Lola Young has been around the UK music scene for a number of years. Having attended the Brit School, Young’s cover of Together in Electric Dreams was featured in the 2021 John Lewis Christmas advert and the star herself has been active on TikTok for a number of years, particularly when promoting songs such as Don’t Hate Me, which saw her take to playgrounds with her microphone. | Getty Images for Coachella