Music has become synonymous with the social media experience. It drives trends, fuels engagement, and adds personality to short-form video content, which makes up the bulk of today’s feeds. Whether you are scrolling TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, chances are the video you are watching is paired with a song. In fact, 85% of videos on TikTok, 84% of videos on YouTube, 58% on Instagram, and 49% on Facebook contain at least 10 seconds of music.

The creator marketing industry is set to hit $500 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. The sheer amount of money flowing into the space reflects the impact creators are having on businesses today and their growing influence on purchase decisions across every demographic.

Instagram announced a new school experience for US college students. After verifying their student email through UNiDAYS, students can add a school banner to their profile and access a directory of confirmed classmates, organized by graduation year.

TikTok launched Campus Verification, a new feature that brings back memories of early Facebook days when you needed a college email to sign up.

TikTok launched a new way for creators to make money through TikTok Go. The invite-only program allows eligible creators to earn commission-based rewards for promoting hotels, restaurants, local experiences, and other services.

TikTok is expanding its Out of Phone Program, its out-of-home advertising solution.

TikTok is testing a feature that automatically notifies parents when their teen uploads public content, including videos, Stories, or Posts.

TikTok now supports YouTube Music with its Add to Music app feature, joining Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music as save options. The feature has generated over a billion track saves since 2024, and adding YouTube Music's 125 million subscribers could significantly expand its reach.

TikTok is beta testing Songwriter Features, a set of tools designed specifically for songwriters.

TikTok reports 120% year-over-year growth in TikTok Shop sales in the U.S. According to the platform, 83% of shoppers have discovered a new product, and 70% have found a new brand through TikTok Shop.