How streaming, VEVO and TikTok changed the way we experience music.
This month on Roominate with Emily Rose Nulty, I explore how music culture has shifted over the past decade in my latest article The Algorithm Took the Aux, reflecting on the VEVO era, chart culture, and shared listening experiences in 2016 compared to today’s streaming and algorithm-driven platforms.
Drawing on Nielsen data, Irish chart trends, and cultural observation, the article examines how streaming, social media, and platforms like TikTok have transformed music discovery and audience engagement with music videos and artists.
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It’s hard to believe that 2016 was ten years ago. It feels strangely recent, but also like a lifetime ago. Music and the media were shifting rapidly, and the way we experienced them was about to change in a major way.
Streaming became huge in 2016 with 256 billion “on-demand audio streams” and on-demand video streams hitting 431 billion, according to a Nielsen report. The rise in streaming services offset the decline in sales across physical and digital formats. In 2016, Drake’s ‘ Views’ dominated across album sales, track-equivalent albums, and streaming equivalents.
Alongside streaming, music videos remained central to pop culture. Platforms such as VEVO, established in 2009, helped define the era by turning official video releases into cultural moments.
VEVO was more than a logo attached to music videos. It changed the industry. It brought music videos onto the internet instead of relying on television broadcasts. Through YouTube, VEVO reached global audiences, giving artists far greater exposure than before.
VEVO also changed how music was consumed. It allowed listeners to discover different genres, cultures, and artists in a more connected way. For artists and labels, VEVO became a major revenue stream through advertising and online engagement, turning music videos into digital events rather than just promotional tools.
In 2016, media and music consumption was in the early stages of what it has now become. Instagram was a major platform at the time, from the rise of influencers to online fandom culture. TikTok is arguably the 2026 equivalent in terms of influence, scale, and cultural impact.
At the time, charts were still incredibly important. They influenced radio and media and often shaped who became the next major artist. While charts still matter today, the experience has changed. In 2016, there was a stronger sense of shared listening, most people heard the same hits at the same time. Songs like 7 Years by Lukas Graham and Work by Rihanna were widely recognised across audiences.
In recent years, music has become more individualised due to streaming platforms and algorithm-driven recommendations. Systems like personalised playlists and AI features such as Spotify’s DJ have changed how we discover music. With TikTok, trends now form around short-form audio, and songs can quickly move from online clips into the charts.
TikTok today feels like what Instagram was in 2016. The excitement around new releases, comment sections, and shared reactions has shifted into a different kind of online engagement.
The age of music videos never fully disappeared, but at times they felt less central or less culturally shared. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in music video culture. Artists such as Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, and PinkPantheress have brought back more immersive visual storytelling, alongside strong fan-driven engagement.
With how social media is now, it’s interesting to see how music videos are consumed and repurposed. The fan experience is bigger than ever, with content being created by fans for fans, creating shared moments in a more fragmented media landscape.
2016 represents a turning point in how music was experienced. Since then, music has become more individualised, shaped increasingly by algorithms and personalised listening.
Yet despite that shift, moments of collective culture still continue to emerge, and perhaps that is why they feel more meaningful than ever.
Written by EmilyRose Nulty
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