TikTok has become the leading platform for music discovery and to push creative boundaries in the industry. Yet, many artists and industry professionals overlook it, dismissing it as trivial. Showing the power of music on TikTok to an audience when they're not in the platform is a tough task. To give them a taste, we did something they couldn't miss, by bringing the platform off the platform. In 2023, TikTok launched its first-ever, in-real-life music experience. In The Mix became a product demo in the form of a brand experience, and the most successful one from the brand to date.

To continue strengthening our impact on the music industry as our platform matures, we aim to have presence at major cultural moments and music tentpole events to help drive association and own the narrative around music as a cultural export. However, TikTok wanted to take that a step even further. Beyond just association, we aimed to create our own cultural capital and ownable IP that can become synonymous with music.

In keeping with the magic and "surprise and delight" of the TikTok experience, we wanted to host this in an unexpected venue, in an unexpected location, and in a way that only TikTok could do.

TikTok is used daily by 170M people in the United States and has quickly become the world's most powerful platform for music discovery - driving music culture, music discovery, and charting songs. In 2023, 13 of the 18 songs to top the US's Billboard Hot 100 can be tied to viral trends on TikTok. Last year, TikTok also launched an official chart in partnership with Billboard - further cementing the inextricable link between TikTok trends and the charts. To core users, the music discovery and music marketing power of TikTok is undeniable. However, the general population, artists and music executives may not always draw the connection between the songs they hear topping the charts and their TikTok origin. Further, they may not always go to TikTok first as their key destination for music discovery, yet. This event aimed to squarely stake TikTok's claim on the music ecosystem and bring the experience of scrolling through TikTok and discovering music to life by throwing a once-in-a-lifetime concert in an unexpected way.

TikTok has grown rapidly as a platform and has had a hand in launching the success of many of today's hit songs and new artists. However, as a relatively new platform, that impact and the community and creativity driven experience of being on TikTok remains unknown to those who are not core users. With this project, we aimed to showcase what that experience is like for users and non-users alike in an unexpected way. This surprise-and-delight moment was meant to celebrate our existing community of TikTok users and the magic they create on-platform every day while shining a light publically on the power of music on TikTok for non-users and prospective users. Our desired outcome was an unforgettable moment for everyone who attended, livestreamed, watched, or heard/read about the event.

We implemented a 3-tiered approach for designing this music experience that was aimed at extensive outreach and engagement. Our primary audience included local TikTok users in the Arizona and Southwest region, alongside music industry and press guests, with a broader global audience targeted through a TikTok livestream. To expand our reach further, we partnered with Disney+ and Hulu to offer the show as an on-demand special globally. The lineup featured A-List celebrities recognized on TikTok, like Anitta and her viral hit "Envolver" to Charlie Puth and his live song creation videos. We also showcased emerging artists from our TikTok Elevate program, highlighting music that has trended on the platform. The event creatively integrated TikTok by featuring popular creators, trends, and interactive elements such as live musical duets, creator stunts, custom filters, and food trucks from viral TikTok personalities, enhancing the overall experience.

We collaborated with Emmy-winning director Hamish Hamilton to revolutionize a 360 stage concept tailored for smartphone viewing, creating a unique TikTok experience. Headliners crafted special sets with vertical screen choreography and exclusive TikTok moments, such as Charlie Puth's surprise duet and artist-specific entries embodying themes from Brazilian carnival to a boxing ring walkout. The event, over 6 hours long, seamlessly integrated performances, stunts, and interviews by popular TikTok creators, maintaining audience engagement throughout. Planning spanned 12 months, including venue scouting, talent securing, and a comprehensive promotional campaign, culminating in a significant event in Arizona, attracting thousands. This intricate production process showcased our commitment to innovative, mobile-first entertainment, reflecting the dynamic intersection of technology, music, and social media.

• Sold out with over 17,000 in-person attendees

• Most watched LIVE event on TikTok: 33.6 million unique viewers, doubling the previous record

• +700,000 new TikTok app downloads from the show

• Biggest positive press moment for TikTok in 2023: +4,000 press hits, 100% positive/neutral sentiment

• +50 million organic impressions on TikTok's owned social channels

• Headliners saw:

- Average increase of 54.7 million views on TikTok videos

- Average increase of 261,000 followers on TikTok

- Average increase in engagement of 3.3 million (Likes/Shares/Comments)

• Peso Pluma & Anitta's "Bellakeo" led to +1.3 million song creations; charted #54 on Billboard Hot 100

• Cardi B's "Bongos" and new trends for Niall Horan's and Charlie Puth's songs saw increased streams and engagement

• 1,800+ Managed Creators produced 170+ pieces of content, resulting in 25.8 million views