# @billboard on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=v1rP3cpilkM
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/64451241-billboard-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6e3fbae1d9.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-25T13:00:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Billboard (@billboard) — https://gondola.cc/billboard

## Caption

How do songs go viral in today’s music landscape? And why has making it as an artist never been more strategic? Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, co-founders of Chaotic Good, joined Billboard On The Record for a live episode at SXSW to break it all down. Speaking from their experience building one of the leading viral marketing agencies in music, they explain how TikTok trends, niche audiences and volume-driven campaigns shape which songs take off. Coren and Spelman share how they simulate trends, optimize placements and use data to help artists reach the right listeners while freeing them to focus on their art. From algorithm insights to creative strategy, they reveal what it really takes to turn a song into a hit and navigate the fast-changing world of music discovery.

Love what you hear? Follow Billboard On The Record on Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube @billboard so you never miss an episode.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions. 

Host: 

Kristin Robinson

Executive Producers: 

Diona DaCosta

Jade Watson

Produced By: 

Kayla Forman

Mateo Vergara

Edited By:

Rachel Derbyshire

0:00 – Intro: How songs really go viral & the business of engineering virality 
0:42 – Welcome to the live SXSW taping — meet Chaotic Good 
1:19 – The history of TikTok marketing: from Charli D'Amelio to trend simulation 
2:44 – What is "trend simulation" and how does it actually work? 
4:10 – Top-down vs. bottom-up: the shift from macro-influencers to volume campaigns 
4:44 – Wait... how many phones do you have? Inside Chaotic Good's operation 
6:34 – Can you tell when the TikTok algorithm changes? 
7:33 – TikTok under new ownership — what does it mean for marketers? 
8:35 – Genre-specific campaigns: country trucks, rap video games & "pastel talk" 
10:05 – Why Chaotic Good was founded: managers solving their own problems 
11:47 – Does TikTok virality actually translate to Spotify streams? 
13:00 – Case study: Kevin Atwater + Yellowjackets = 40,000 TikTok creates 
13:23 – Case study: Childish Gambino's "Letter Home" — how they cracked it 
15:40 – The "quote on screen" format explained — why it works 
16:20 – "Everything on the internet is fake" — controlling the narrative at scale 
17:50 – How they flood comments after a big SNL or Tiny Desk moment 
19:03 – Tour announce day: why a static Instagram flyer is a missed opportunity 
20:53 – Is this manipulation? The ethics of engineered virality 
21:10 – How this actually frees artists from desperate self-promotion 
22:01 – Is AI being used in these campaigns? The honest answer 
23:19 – AI dancing babies and where AI does fit in 
23:59 – "What Would You Queue?" closing game 
24:49 – Outro

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About: Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand, with an unmatched authority among artists, fans and the industry. Billboard powers the ultimate global music destination and magazine, featuring unrivaled reporting on music news, issues and trends, the industry’s definitive charts, encompassing the most complete and well respected database of charts across all music genres, and elite conferences and events which regularly convene the industry and consumers around important conversations. 

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#ZaraLarsson #TikTok #CharlieDamelio #ChildishGambino ##BillboardOntheRecord 

The Secrets to Song Virality on TikTok w/ Digital Marketing Agency Chaotic Good |  On The Record

Billboard
https://youtube.com/billboard

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## Tags

billboardontherecord, childishgambino, charliedamelio, zaralarsson, tiktok

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