• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

To boost engagement around emerging artists and the platform’s livestream feature, TikTok has partnered with iHeartRadio to launch “Next Up: Live Music,” a singing competition that began this week and will run through September. 

According to TikTok, contestants will move through various phases of the competition based on a combination of engagement from the TikTok community and scores from a panel of judges. 

TikTok users are encouraged to engage directly with the performances via TikTok Live.

“The artists who receive the highest number of likes, views, comments, shares, and overall support during their live performances, along with strong feedback from the judges, will advance to the next round,” TikTok explains. “Every view, interaction, and score counts.”

Similar to "American Idol" and the dozens of shows that came after, TikTok will broadcast auditions, semi-finals, and a finale, which will take place at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles on September 26. 

To be eligible for auditions, contestants must be fairly popular emerging artists, with a minimum of 50k followers on TikTok, consistent engagement, and the rights to at least one original song. In addition, no one can be signed to a major label. 

Since earning a reputation as a major force in music discovery across the globe, TikTok has recently begun partnering with more live music events, while attempting to spotlight and honor the rights of singer-songwriters on the platform.