logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
27m 41s

Looking for a Man, Finding a Record Deal

Wbur
About this episode
In April, a TikTok creator mused, "Did I just write the song of the summer?" Girl on Couch's "Looking for a man in finance" song spawned hundreds of remixes, and won her a record deal. While it might seem remarkable that a five-second TikTok sound can command the attention of pop music kingmakers, the industry has been capitalizing on internet memes for decades. Endless Thread takes a crash course in internet meme pop music history. Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter . Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. The hosts are Amory Sivertson, Ben Brock Johnson, and Grace Tatter.
Up next
Jul 17
How to Dim the Sun, from Marketplace's How We Survive
The climate crisis is escalating. We have to decarbonize our economy, but we’re moving too slowly. So, what’s the backup plan? This season of How We Survive is about engineering nature: large-scale interventions that could be our last hope. We’ll explore technology that could alt ... Show More
37m 48s
Jul 10
Socials for Sale
Most of us know the internet isn't a particularly private place. Yet there's a certain feeling of anonymity that comes with sharing online — our words and stories mixed in with millions of others. It's easy to think no one is watching. But your data isn't just vulnerable to pryin ... Show More
31m 28s
Jul 3
Encore: Adrián and the Whale
This episode was originally published on March 21, 2025. There are moments that define each of our lives. Some we can predict: graduations, marriages, births, deaths. Others? Not so much. And in the year 2025, when the stars aligned just so, you may have found that moment explode ... Show More
24m 31s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Music and business: Breaking in
The music industry is worth billions of dollars and creates thousands of jobs across the world, but how do you become part of such a lucrative but exclusive industry? The global head of music operations at Tik Tok tells us how the app has become a game-changer in the industry. Ke ... Show More
18m 45s
May 2024
Boom Bling: TikTok's sonic guerrilla marketing
TikTok’s sonic logo is one of the fastest growing sonic logos in history. Today, that little sound is being heard millions of times a day on apps like Instagram, Reddit and Youtube… but creating it wasn’t easy. To make it, the creative team went through thousands of iterations, e ... Show More
23m 4s
Jul 2023
TikTok Is Changing Music, One Song at a Time
TikTok has turned the traditional music industry on its head. Users on the platform are dictating hits before they reach the charts and revolutionizing the way artists are discovered. But what happens to the creative process when "going viral” takes center stage? This week, Audie ... Show More
34m 2s
May 2021
Is TikTok Ruining the Music Industry?
TikTok has become the modern Radio, this week, we talk about it's impact on the music industry as a whole. Thanks to Slip Stream for sponsoring this episode, Head over to http://www.slip.stream and enter your email in to access 1000+ free tracks. Subscribe to get access to the bi ... Show More
29m 12s
Mar 2021
TikTok and the Pop Music Rough Draft
The wildly popular platform has reshaped pop during the coronavirus pandemic, and changed how record labels grapple with unpredictable virality. Guest: Caryn Ganz. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite p ... Show More
50m 7s
Oct 2025
TikTok’s Trojan Horse Strategy
When TikTok videos started to go viral on Instagram and Reddit, TikTok turned to professional sound designers to protect their content.More and more companies are paying to develop a “sonic identity” – a series of sounds, songs, and micro-jingles to help maintain a unified brand. ... Show More
25m 3s
Oct 2022
The Young Women Who Make TikTok Weep
Songwriters who have found success on the app via emotional catharsis have expanded its range, and piqued the music industry’s interest. Guest: Stereogum's Rachel Brodsky. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your fa ... Show More
49m 12s
Nov 2020
Inside the Reinvention of the Music Business
From TikTok to Fortnite to Twitch and beyond, we discuss how the music business is radically transforming in 2020. Amy X. Wang, Samantha Hissong, and Ethan Millman join host Brian Hiatt for a look at the innovators on Rolling Stone’s Future 25 list. Learn more about your ad choic ... Show More
33m 24s