Forget open mic nights, TikTok is where aspiring comedians try to make it

“We want to be full-time comedians and quit our day jobs,” Says said.

There is no denying that TikTok has cemented its position as a “funny” app – the comedy hashtag alone has over 1645 billion views, and the most followed person on the platform is Senegal-born comedian Khabane Lame (146 million).

More than 7 million Australians now use the app, and Australian comedians such as Tom Cashman (@tom.cashman, 158,000), Jeremy Franco (@jezbreezy, 274,000) and Lizzy Hoo (@lizzyhoo 23,800) also have huge followers.

While it seems TikTok loves comedy, the lack of transparency around its algorithms makes it difficult to know what factors have the most impact. The algorithm has been criticized by users and creators alike – in 2020, black content creators called the app “racial bias”, which viewed videos with the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd unwatched, which TikTok later apologized for.

Swag on the Beat says that despite many attempts to recreate viral content, they still haven’t figured out the algorithm.

“Sometimes you think you’ve got it. And you’re like, ‘This is going to go well’, and then it just gets you sideways,” Gibbons said.

It’s hard to gauge how many comedians are even on the app, and how broad their appeal is. TikTok is notorious for its lack of data transparency. TikTok refuses to provide Era with information about the best performing videos on the platform and comedian ratings among them.

However, Felicity McVay, director of content and partnerships for TikTok Australia and New Zealand, said comedians were an integral part of the app.

“TikTok doesn’t share user data, but the global community loves uplifting and fun content on this platform,” said McVay.

“Entertainment is at the core of the TikTok platform and comedians are a big part of this.”

TikTok recently went live stream in partnership with the Sydney Comedy Festival, featuring sets from established and up-and-coming comedians.

Melbourne-based TikTok comic and personality Aurelia St Clair appeared on a similar livestream to the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2021, and performed at the festival earlier this year.

Comedian Aurelia St Clair makes a video on TikTok.

Despite garnering hundreds of thousands of views on his videos covering famous Australian suburbs, such as Bondi and Brunswick, St Clair doesn’t think of himself as a TikTok comedian.

“There are people who just do TikTok. For me, it’s always been about the stage, TikTok just pops up.

“I handed out flyers in front of Melbourne Town Hall at the comedy festival every year before the pandemic. My first two years as a comedian, I would be in open mic comedy shows and work hard to perform in very small crowds.”

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Festival director for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Susan Provan, said the festival seeks talent from social media, but is not guaranteed to book shows.

“Any performer starting out with social media content needs time to develop material and performance skills for live shows. Not everyone who is good at quick jokes for the internet can hold a crowd in a room for an hour. On the other hand, not all great live players have the talent to create engaging digital content,” he said.

It’s true that online success doesn’t necessarily mean “traditional” success at comedy festivals, but, taking into account where the audience is, does it matter? TikTok is where comedians like Swag on the Beat find their audience, financial opportunity, and career. In their own words: “You have to follow where the eyeball is.”

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