Suggested links

Blog: TikTok

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy, audio and social.

Disney+ partners with TikTok: Can streaming stay relevant in the short-form era?

Hanna Kahlert

12 Aug 2026

Business Strategy TikTok Social media

In a shift from its traditionally close-fisted stance to IP, Disney has announced a partnership program with TikTok that will bring creator-made, short-form content to Disney+. This comes on the heels of Disney+’s Verts feed in March 2026 and an agreement earlier in the year to license over 200 ch...

Cover image for Disney+ partners with TikTok: Can streaming stay relevant in the short-form era?

Niche is the new mainstream: Marketing in an AI-saturated social landscape

Hanna Kahlert

22 Jul 2026

TikTok Instagram Social media

Social feeds are saturated with content – both original and AI-powered. In this competitive attention landscape, brand activations and traditional advertising are struggling to cut through. Simply getting a brand name out in the market is no longer enough to build loyalty.

Cover image for Niche is the new mainstream: Marketing in an AI-saturated social landscape

The biggest album launches happen off streaming – here’s how it can win them back

Olivia Jones

15 Jul 2026

Marketing Strategy Spotify TikTok

Album marketing rollouts are moving to centre stage as a growing number of artists and labels incorporate interactive experiences into their digital album promotions. For example, with Olivia Rodrigo’s recent release you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love , TikTok launched an in-app experience ...

Cover image for The biggest album launches happen off streaming – here’s how it can win them back

Vertical TV is more than streaming’s TikTok moment

Ben Woods

10 Jun 2026

Product Strategy TikTok Streaming

Streaming TV services are entering a new phase of smartphone competition. For years, their strategic focus has been on content depth: exclusive shows, premium originals, and sports rights. Yet on mobile, the battle for engagement is increasingly shaped by experience as much as content.

Cover image for Vertical TV is more than streaming’s TikTok moment

AI is booming for social platforms – but so is regulation

Hanna Kahlert

12 Feb 2026

Social media Social Games

As 2025’s Q4 numbers hit the headlines, social platforms seem to be thriving. Google recently announced YouTube’s revenues, totalling $60 billion (per the BBC ) – surpassing Netflix’s $45 billion (a bigger difference than it seems, as YouTube doesn’t have to take bets commissioning multi-m...

Cover image for AI is booming for social platforms – but so is regulation

TikTok US is here: can Oracle run a social platform?

Hanna Kahlert

27 Jan 2026

Product Strategy TikTok Social media

The uncertain future of US TikTok has been pending for so long that updates have started to feel like ‘crying wolf’. But now, at last, a deal has been reached. Changes to the platform should be minor (although technical issues reported by CMU have raised alarm bells), but there could be a bigger...

Cover image for TikTok US is here: can Oracle run a social platform?

TikTok’s PineDrama points to social media’s anti-social trajectory

Hanna Kahlert

20 Jan 2026

Business Strategy TikTok Video

The surge of short-form drama apps has a new entry in the US and Brazil: TikTok. The social video app, which has overturned the digital entertainment economy over the past five years, has now launched a standalone app called PineDrama.

Cover image for TikTok’s PineDrama points to social media’s anti-social trajectory

The AI-social media dilemma: Can TikTok, Meta, and diVine curb low-quality content without hurting creators?

Ben Woods

3 Dec 2025

Business Strategy Facebook TikTok

Social platforms are grappling with a difficult balancing act. Generative AI can deliver a revolutionary engagement opportunity by turning even more consumers into creators. However, low-quality AI content also poses a threat to the user experience of social platforms.

Cover image for The AI-social media dilemma: Can TikTok, Meta, and diVine curb low-quality content without hurting creators?

Live isn’t dead, it just needs a WhatsApp group: why gatekeeping is due for a comeback

Hanna Kahlert

12 Jun 2025

Cultural trends TikTok Social media

The live scene is, allegedly, in an uphill battle. Festivals face cancellations, travel costs are rising, and grassroots venues are struggling. Success stories like the ‘Eras’ tour and the Oasis reunion boosted year-on-year stats within the industry, but is this a sign of long-term growth or mer...

Cover image for Live isn’t dead, it just needs a WhatsApp group: why gatekeeping is due for a comeback

“Just because a song is viral doesn’t mean it’s good” and that’s a real problem for artists

Laura Fisher

1 May 2025

Music Creators Artists

I saw this statement shared (ironically, virally) as a post on Instagram over the weekend. My initial thought – from the perspective of someone who has never paid much mind to chart placements – was: “ well , yeah .

Cover image for “Just because a song is viral doesn’t mean it’s good” and that’s a real problem for artists

IMS Business Report 2025

Mark Mulligan

23 Apr 2025

Spotify YouTube Facebook

Today I presented the 11th edition of the IMS Business Report at the ever-brilliant annual electronic music industry conference in Ibiza. And who doesn’t like a conference in Ibiza?! The full report is available via the IMS website.

Cover image for IMS Business Report 2025

What happens to entertainment in a gamified US economy?

Hanna Kahlert

15 Apr 2025

Cultural trends US News

Key takeaways from this blog: President Trump'sproposed tariffshave shaken the stock market, with trust in the US economy weakening Unpredictable policies, including the US TikTok ban, are making conditions difficult for businesses that operate across multiple countries With this uncertainty in the ...

Cover image for What happens to entertainment in a gamified US economy?

Online culture is fragmenting: Why White Lotus spoilers are not flooding the internet

Hanna Kahlert

9 Apr 2025

Cultural trends TikTok Streaming

Key takeaways from this blog: Audience fragmentation is growing, with platforms like TikTok losing influence and shows like White Lotus thriving in niche, offline conversations Oversaturation of content is making it hard for entertainment to create shared cultural moments As MIDiA explores in our 'A...

Cover image for Online culture is fragmenting: Why White Lotus spoilers are not flooding the internet

If the internet dies, where does all the attention go?

Hanna Kahlert

2 Apr 2025

Cultural trends TikTok Instagram

Key takeaways from this blog: Social platforms dominate culture, but a vibe shift toward offline experiences is emerging as users crave more intentional, less addictive engagement (as explored in MIDiA's' Analogue revival ' report) TikTok’s recent disruption signals a loss of cultural centrality, ...

Cover image for If the internet dies, where does all the attention go?

Can the smart TV become a canvas for content creation?

Ben Woods

21 Feb 2025

Audience Insight YouTube Netflix

YouTube’s growing strength on smart TVs is a head scratching moment for the video industry. The social video platform recently revealed that US consumers watched 1 billion hours of YouTube content daily on their smart TVs in December 2024.

Cover image for Can the smart TV become a canvas for content creation?

The case for more digestable games: Over a third of console and PC gamers play LESS than 5 hours a week

Rhys Elliott

20 Feb 2025

YouTube Netflix TikTok

The attention economy is oversaturated. Games are not just competingwith other games but with TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, and well ... life. But the games industry – especially premium games on console and PC – has a unique twofold challenge: Supply : New AAA games can take five years or more to m...

Cover image for The case for more digestable games: Over a third of console and PC gamers play LESS than 5 hours a week

Craft versus character: the equation the music industry needs to fix

Mark Mulligan

18 Feb 2025

Fandom TikTok Streaming

I recently wrote about the unflattening of music :how creativity, craft, and fandom can – if done right – counter the growing commodification of music. Not surprisingly, I focused on the music side of the equation, but in doing so I missed the other big flattening challenge music faces.

Cover image for Craft versus character: the equation the music industry needs to fix

How PlayStation broke its hardware and active user records in Q4

Rhys Elliott

13 Feb 2025

Business Strategy Netflix TikTok

Sony released its financial results for calendar Q4 2024. Here are the high-level results: Sony generated revenues of $27.9 billion As always, its Game & Network Services (G&NS) Segment – PlayStation – was the biggest segment (38%) Sony Music accounted for 11% and Sony Pictures for 9% of...

Cover image for How PlayStation broke its hardware and active user records in Q4

The case for anti-scale

Tatiana Cirisano

30 Jan 2025

Business Strategy YouTube TikTok

Go big or go home. More is more. All or nothing. Move fast and break things. Such adages have been the foundations of Western entertainment business for decades, and understandably so, because these models have always relied on hits.

Cover image for The case for anti-scale

The unflattening of music

Mark Mulligan

30 Jan 2025

Cultural trends Spotify TikTok

[This post builds on two other recent MIDiA posts: Background music and What got you here ] At the half way point of the decade it is a good time to reflect on how the business of music is reshaping the culture of music – and where this is heading.

Cover image for The unflattening of music

© 2026 MIDiA Research Ltd. All Rights Reserved.