TikTok‘s partnership with iHeartMedia is coming into focus. Working together, the two companies will establish a station called TikTok Radio and a TikTok Podcast Network that will include a mix of creator-led shows.
“TikTok Radio from iHeart,” as the station is officially named, will be available across digital and terrestrial airwaves. Listeners can tune in via the iHeartRadio app or one of 28 broadcast stations, including frequencies in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, and Miami.
Programming will include the usual Top 40 fare as well as some segments that will make the station feel more TikTok-y. Life hacks will be offered every hour, hosts will deliver “Hot Takes,” and an “On The Verge” segment will spotlight artists who are bubbling up on the For You Page.
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TikTok Radio will underscore the app’s status as a pop music tastemaker. Rather than running through Hot 100, the station will dedicate space to the songs that are hitting the top of TikTok’s own chart. Through that approach, TikTok Radio will synergize with other recent efforts that are elevating TikTok in the world of music streaming.
The TikTok Podcast Network will serve a similar function. It will hand the microphone to creators who wield influence within categories like music, fashion, and sports. The initial slate includes music executive Carter Gregory‘s Set List, fashion editor Caroline Vazzana‘s Caroline’s Closet, sports shows from Tim Martin and Clifford Taylor IV, and a glorified slumber party in the form of one-time Vine star Lele Pons‘ Suite 305.
Those podcasts are the first to emerge out of the alliance TikTok and iHeartMedia publicized last December. In order to capitalize on the podcast industry’s growing ad sales and viewership numbers, the two partners announced co-branded studio spaces in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Those facilities support the production of both audio and video podcasts.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch TikTok Radio and introduce our inaugural slate of hosts for the TikTok Podcast Network,” said TikTok Global Head of Media and Licensing Partnerships Dan Page in a statement. “At TikTok, empowering creators to turn their passions into lasting careers is core to everything we do, and this partnership unlocks powerful new opportunities for them to expand their voices across radio, podcasts and live moments, while connecting with fans in new ways.”
TikTok has experimented with radio before — it partnered with SiriusXM in 2021 — but its latest initiative represents a bold expansion of its audio programming efforts. According to a TikTok Newsroom post, more details about the upcoming podcasts will be shared “in the coming months.”
