Brands prepping TikTok campaigns need to prioritize how they will utilize music. According to a new report released by the short-form video app on Tuesday, music creates a powerful association for consumers when marketers feature songs in their TikTok ads. 

About 68% of users say they remember the brand better; 58% feel a strong connection to the brand; 58% are more likely to talk about the ad; and 62% are more curious to learn more about the brand.

Music and sounds are especially key to the platform’s popularity with consumers and how brands use the platform to interact and entertain users. While artists like Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo have launched entire careers off their music on the app, brands have used custom songs or tapped into trending music on the platform to gain followers and see virality on the app. Chevrolet, for example, launched on TikTok in February by partnering with singer Breland, whose single “My Truck” had gained popularity on Instagram. Chevy then had “My Chevy Truck” created for TikTok and the post saw 76.2 million views and 686,000 likes.

TikTok commissioned independent research and analytics firms MRC Data and Flamingo to survey 1,479 TikTok users on two separate studies looking at brand usage of music and trends on the app.

TikTok has always pushed brands to incorporate music and sounds into their TikTok posts and ads and is pointing to new insights to get its marketing partners to try it out and lure new brands onboard. In a November 2020 survey, MRC Data found that 67% of TikTok users would prefer to see videos from brands that feature popular or trending songs, while 65% prefer brand content that features original songs.

In general, music on TikTok leaves a lasting impression with users with 72% of respondents saying they associate certain songs with TikTok; 67% say they are likely to seek out a song they’ve heard on TikTok on a music streaming platform; 75% say they discover new artists on the app; and 63% say they discover new music.

TikTok also commissioned Flamingo to see how trends like “cleaning TikTok,” #staycation or #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt drive culture and how users view brand participation. TikTok points to brands like Gap, L’Oréal and Goldfish Crackers that have participated in trending topics on the app.

In a survey conducted in March 2021, Flamingo found that 61% of users say they like brands’ content better when they create or participate in a trend on the platform, and 56% of users and 67% of creators feel closer to brands they see on TikTok, especially with unpolished content. Evidence of brand engagement is also helpful, with 21% of users feeling more connected with brands when they comment on people’s posts.   

Brands that partner with creators are also popular. The survey found that 63% of users like when brands show creators in their videos, and 66% of users enjoy when creators show off brand products.

In general, 71% of users believe the biggest trends start on TikTok, seven in 10 users believe TikTok posts have the power to change culture, and 43% of users try something new or go somewhere new after seeing it at least once on the platform.