Why Do Certain Songs and Bands Go Viral?
We talk about how TikTok and Spotify algorithms work, and whether we can ever discover music without marketing having its thumb on the scale.
April 23, 2026
54 min
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3,306 of 3,393
April 23, 2026
Why Do Certain Songs and Bands Go Viral?
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America the Jesuit Review Episodes Around April 23, 2026
Episode 3,306 of 3,393 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
Why Do Certain Songs and Bands Go Viral?
Summary
Some fans of the indie-rock band Geese have been feeling betrayed after learning that TikToks that looked like they were made by fans were actually created by a PR firm. But is this just what artists have to do to make it in our hyper-saturated music world? And when major record companies have long been accused of payola, is this even new? We talk about how TikTok and Spotify algorithms work, and whether we can ever discover music without marketing having its thumb on the scale.
Guests:
Glenn McDonald, former "data alchemist" at Spotify; founder, music microgenre catalog Every Noise at Once
Darren Hemmings, author, industry insider newsletter Network Notes; founder and managing director, UK marketing agency Motive Unknown
Bobby Davin, senior vice president of A&R and label partnerships, Stem Distribution
Hiroki Tanaka, former lead guitarist, Canadian experimental prog group Yamantaka // Sonic Titan; just released the solo album ISAN (遺産)
Olivia Jones, associate music analyst, MIDiA Research
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