It’s a battle that could logically exist anywhere in the world. But if you want to hear a branded Soundcloud radio station vs. a rival TikTok channel, it’s happening in Australia.
Last August, Australian broadcaster SCA launched Soundcloud Radio, the result of a year-long relationship with the music portal.
On April 27, rival owner Australian Radio Network, the local licensee of iHeart Radio, announced the debut of a digital TikTok Trending channel. The new channel is billed as playing what’s “next in music for you.” SCA Soundcloud Radio is using the liner “what’s next in music is on Soundcloud Radio.” (New Zealand’s Mediaworks group launched a TikTok channel for its Top 40 station, the Edge a year ago, but has had to rebrand it since as Viral Hits.)
It’s been a while since a “TikTok record” record could be said to come from any one genre. iHeart’s Brett Nossiter tells Australia’s Radio Today that the station’s mix can include anything from the oldies revived by TikTok videos to a local TV news theme.
TikTok Trending is programmed in hosted blocs featuring local content creators, including local R&B artist Avneesha. There’s also a segment from “takeover” host Rita Ora, who is a new judge on the local version of the Voice.
We arrived at TikTok Trending during the final notes of a decade-old anime movie instrumental, “Red Moon” by Yoshihiro Ike, followed by Cardi B’s “Press,” then a bit about learning to eat Vegemite, leading into Men at Work’s “Down Under.” (Many of the older titles heard were Australian.) Later during Ora’s hour, there was “Fixer Upper” from the Frozen soundtrack and Britney Spears’ “Gimme More.”
Here’s iHeart Radio’s TikTok Trending in the early morning of April 28, hosted by Avneesha:
- Kylie Minogue, “Love at First Sight”—the last song of an hour tied to “takeover” host Rita Ora
- Conkarah f/Shaggy, “Banana”
- Logic, “1-800-273-8255”
- Ida Corr, “Let Me Think About It”
- 24kGoldn, “Mood”
- Bee Gees, “More Than A Woman”
- Russ Millions & Tian Wayne, “Body”
- Kid Cudi, “Day ‘N’ Night”
- Kid Laroi, “Without You”
- John Paul Young, “Love Is in the Air”
- Sean Kingston, “Beautiful Girl”
- Lil Pump, “Gucci Gang”
- Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”
When I first monitored Soundcloud Radio late last fall, it was heavy on Hip-Hop and EDM. When heard again on April 28, it was surprisingly heavy on uptempo indie pop.
- Sycco, “My Ways”
- Charmaine, “Double Dutch”
- Middle Kids, “Stacking Chairs”
- Foley, “So Personal”
- Lil Durk f/Lil Baby, “Finesse Out the Gang Way”
- Glades, “Limbo”
- Meduza f/Dermot Kennedy, “Paradise”
- Mykki Blanco, “Free Ride”
- Shaed, “Osaka”
- Joel Corry, RAYE & David Guetta, “Bed”
- Methyl Ethel, “Neon Cheap”
- Pa Salieu f/Mahalia, “Energy”
- Maeve, “Bleach”
Update (May 26): With this week’s announcement that a similar TikTok Radio channel was headed to SiriusXM, I went back and took another listen to the Australian channel. Since the last listen, the older Australian gold seems to be gone. I also head the liner “TikTok music for your ears, when your eyes are busy.” Here’s the station on May 26 at 11:45 p.m.
- Lil Nas X, “Sun Goes Down”
- Lana Del Rey, “Mariner’s Apartment Complex”
- Years & Years w/Kylie Minogue, “Starstruck”
- Tion Wayne & Russ Millions, “Body”
- Internet Money, “Lemonade”
- Alice Merton, “No Roots”
- BTS, “Butter”
- Aurora, “Runaway”
- Doja Cat, “Boss Bitch”
- Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
- Erica Banks, “Buss It”
