LET’S GET LOUD

Your weekly Echo is here and it’s higher energy than ever! Our trend and sound insights are from Hugo - Parasition’s AI music marketing platform.

GLOBAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK

LOCAL TIKTOK TREND (SOUND) OF THE WEEK
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Hugo spotlight

Meet Hugo, Parasition’s brand-new AI platform built to change how music marketing works from the ground up.

Wtf is Hugo?

• Hugo understands video like a human. He doesn’t just read metadata, captions, or hashtags—he analyzes the visuals and sounds of 100,000+ TikToks every day.

• Hugo spots cultural moments in real time. Whether it’s a viral dance, a sudden festival spike, or a meme bubbling up, Hugo connects it to the right track before the wave.

• Hugo matches music to trends instantly. He scans entire catalogs and pinpoints which songs fit the moment.

• Hugo recommends next steps. From who to target, to what creative to use, to when to launch—Hugo hands you an action plan in seconds.

In short: Hugo is like having a marketing strategist who never sleeps, constantly scanning culture and surfacing opportunities you’d otherwise miss.

👉 Get early access and sign up for the waitlist here: www.hugo.love

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOCIAL MEDIA:
A week full of micro updates across platforms

This week we haven’t seen any major single updates or happenings in the world of social media. Instead, we thought we would loop you in on some smaller, yet very important updates taking place.

— TikTok introduces a hashtag limit of 5 hashtags per post. This is meant to make content discovery more relevant.

— Instagram is rolling out Reposts of Reels and feed posts, as well as a friend map (like Snapchat’s) and a “Friends” tab in Reels (where you see what your friends have engaged with).

— LinkedIn introduces rolling post analytics, meaning you can see what your post is doing for you in real time.

DATA | THE WORLD OF MUSIC QUANTIFIED

Spotify’s weekly global top 5 songs

— #1. Golden | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 53.3 m weekly streams

— #2. back to friends | sombr // 38.3 m weekly streams

— #3. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 32.7 m weekly streams

— #4. Your Idol | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 31 m weekly streams

— #5. Soda Pop | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 29.2 m weekly streams (NEW)

Spotify’s weekly global top 10 artists

— #1. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #2. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #3. Drake // Pop

— #4. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B 

— #5. KPop Demon Hunters Cast // KPop

— #6. Justin Bieber // Pop

— #7. Fuerza Regida // Regional Mexican

— #8. Arijit Singh // Playback Singer

— #9. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop

— #10. Morgan Wallen // Country

TIKTOK VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
The beer summoners’ debut TikTok

Views: 43,000,000 | Likes: 6,600,000

The fact that this is a debut post is crazy. While the video is simple, it’s brilliantly executed by getting the key stuff right:

— #1. Brilliant trend execution. The guys nailed the trend where a beer just pops into their hand while they’re doing random shit. It feels effortless, funny, and instantly recognizable, which makes people want to watch through and then try it themselves.

— #2. Awesome lighting. Shot in an almost golden hour glow, the video pops visually and feels way more polished than what you’d expect from a casual clip. The warm tones make everything more inviting and scroll-stopping.

— #3. High pace where they cut to the chase, combined with perfect sound timing. No wasted seconds—just sharp edits and synced audio that keep the momentum rolling. It’s quick, punchy, and keeps attention locked in until the last frame.

— #4. High relatability. Even though the video looks great, it’s still just a group of random, inexperienced guys having fun. That “we could do this too” energy makes it extremely shareable, because it invites people to try it with their own friends.

MUSIC EVENT OF THE WEEK:
Coldplay Wembley Stadium, London

Coldplay’s run of Wembley Stadium shows, stretching from August 22 to September  8, are shaping up to be some of the most spectacular live music events of the year, spanning ten consecutive performances in London.

Expect Chris Martin and the whole band to unleash their biggest anthems virtually everyone knows, with nearly every one of the 90,000-strong crowd singing along at full volume. 

TIP OF THE WEEK
Top 5 things the TikTok algorithm cares about

Many assume TikTok promotes content just because it’s “good” for one reason or another. Quality matters, but that’s only part of the equation. What really drives reach are the signals the algorithm looks for. Nail those signals, and your odds of going viral climb fast. FYI: These are also true for Reels and Shorts.

How to hack the TikTok algorithm

— #1. Strong hook → high initial watch time. TikTok decides fast whether your content is worth spreading. If people swipe away early, you’re done. A strong hook, like text on screen, a bold action, or instant context, keeps viewers locked in.

— #2. High total watch time + replays. The algorithm loves when people watch your video all the way through, or even better, watch it twice. Short, tight edits with no dead space make it more likely viewers stick until the end.

— #3. Engagement signals. Comments, likes, shares, and saves tell TikTok your video isn’t just being watched—it’s being loved. Ask a question, drop a relatable line, or build in a shareable moment to spark these signals.

— #4. Sound + trend alignment. TikTok boosts videos that ride trends. Using trending sounds or formats gives the algorithm context: “this belongs in a bigger wave.” The trick is adding your own twist so it doesn’t feel like a copy. Want to get this part right? Check out Hugo…

— #5. Strong completion loop. Whether it’s text that pays off at the end, a visual reveal, or audio that feels unfinished until the last beat—giving people a reason to stay till the final frame is algorithm gold.

PARASITION: Campaign breakdown

ROUND-UP 

— Romance rules on TikTok. Slow, emotional songs like All Night (Beyoncé) show how calm sounds can drive massive romantic trends.

— Lyrics spark creativity. Drake’s 9 proves how a single lyric can power a whole trend (golf club flip).

— Trends are cyclical. Viral moments can resurface in new regions, so keep delayed adoption in mind.

— Content should always suit the basics the algorithm requires. Watch time, engagement, and trend alignment are things that are tough to live without.

— Great execution can make anyone a short-form star. The “beer summoners” debut shows how low-barrier trends can make your account explode.

We hope this week’s Echo was a nice read!

As your probably know, short-form content wins through trends. So, if you want to make your content viral, you should 100% check out Hugo - our music marketing AI.