TikTok has announced a new “Music on Stage” performance event, which will serve as the finale to its musician discovery competition, which has been taking place in the app over the past few weeks.
Back in July, TikTok announced the launch of its Music on Stage competition, inviting musicians of all types to enter their tracks by posting a video of them performing their music, and using the hashtag #MusicOnStage.
For clarity, TikTok also launched its “Next Up: Live Music” singing competition in the U.S. at around the same time, which is an American Idol-style singing competition conducted via TikTok Live streams.
The two events are similar, but separate, with Music on Stage instead focused on recording artists more broadly, as opposed to only singers.
As per TikTok:
“Music On Stage is TikTok LIVE’s first official global competition for music creators, giving artists from 23 regions the chance to perform live, connect with new fans, and take their careers to the next level. The competition is designed to help creators who meet TikTok LIVE's music quality standards to grow their audiences, earn rewards through LIVE, and access career-changing opportunities, in collaboration with TikTok’s music distribution platform, SoundOn.”
Music on Stage is now heading into the finals, and with that, TikTok has announced a live event to showcase this year’s winners.
TikTok says that the regional finals for Music on Stage will be held between August 29th to 31st, with the winners of then set to advance to the Global Finals LIVE hosted from Seoul (on September 19th for APAC), and London (September 27th for EMEA & AMS).
And there are some valuable rewards on offer for the winning entrants:
“Global winners will receive song production, publishing, and promotional support from SoundOn, plus the opportunity to perform at TikTok LIVE Fest in 2026. Last year’s TikTok LIVE Fest was headlined by pop powerhouse Zara Larsson and hosted by global superstar Jason Derulo, bringing together top creators, emerging artists, and music fans from every corner of the world.”
That could be a major exposure opportunity for aspiring musicians, and with TikTok also playing a key role in modern music discovery, even making the finalists list could be a big boost to those selected.
TikTok has been doubling down on its role as a music connector, by adding in new tools to strengthen its ties to the music industry, and make it a bigger consideration for all bands.
Because popular musicians bring in big audiences, and TikTok’s been able to leverage this to further expand its influence.
Music on Stage is more focused on regions outside the U.S., with Americans getting “Next Up: Live Music,” which gives TikTok a broader scope of music engagement across regions.
And that seems like a smart move, enabling more local artists to build their audiences in the app, enhancing their connection to the platform.
And maybe, the next big star will emerge from TikTok’s music competitions.
