TikTok’s new singing contest is ‘American Idol’ for the viral generation

Still haven’t made it to the American Idol stage? Now you can audition for a new singing competition—without ever leaving home.

In partnership with iHeartRadio, TikTok announced its Next Up: Live Music singing competition on July 28, with auditions already taking place within the app.

Aspiring stars can submit auditions now through August 11 by uploading an original song with the hashtag #nextuplivemusic—which already has more than 1,000 posts at the time of writing.

The top 50 creators will advance to the semifinals, where they’ll perform via livestream. Scores will be determined by likes, views, comments, and shares, as well as feedback from a panel of judges.

“Fans can follow rising artists in real time, engage directly with their performances, and help shape their path to the spotlight,” TikTok explained in a press release. The final 12 performers will then take the stage live at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank, California, on September 28.

The competition is open to contestants in the U.S. who are 18 and older and have at least 50,000 TikTok followers with real engagement (i.e., not bot activity). They also must own the rights to at least one original song and cannot be signed to a major record label.

For those who meet the criteria and feel ready to take a shot, TikTok adds, “This isn’t just a contest, it’s a launchpad.” The platform has already helped launch the careers of numerous music artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Pink Pantheress.

​​“TikTok has long been a launchpad for musical talent, helping undiscovered artists break through and reach global audiences,” TikTok executive Shen Gao said in the press release, adding that the Next Up competition “is building on that legacy by turning discovery into a shared, real-time experience.”