TikTok got into the broadcast-radio business in 2021 via a partnership with SiriusXM. It saw the US satellite-radio service launch a TikTok Radio station, with prominent TikTok influencers as DJs.
Now, a change of partner. In November, TikTok announced a new deal with iHeartMedia in the US that would involve the launch of a podcast network as well as TikTok Radio moving to iHeartRadio.
The SiriusXM station duly shut down that month, and the revamped version launches today from SXSW – within the iHeartRadio app as well as on 28 broadcast stations across the US.
The regular hosts appear to be drawn from iHeartMedia’s roster of experienced radio DJs, but there will be plenty of TikTokers dropping in as guests.
The station’s features will include a weekly TikTok charts countdown; hourly “trending life hacks”; hot takes on lifestyle and culture; and segments highlighting each week’s new releases and breaking artists.
The TikTok Podcast Network is also making a splash at SXSW this week with the announcement of its first shows, including ‘The Set List with Carter Gregory’ – a music-focused podcast promising “intimate conversations with top artists and creatives”.
