How TikTok helped Zay Dante release his tune occupation through NewsFlicks

Zay Dante listens to numerous tune. Like, a lot of tune.

And you’ll inform whilst you watch his content material. It is why his TikTok movies in regards to the Drake and Kendrick pork went over so smartly, and why his skits about fashionable songs hit so laborious: He has the context to make the content material sing (pun supposed). It is that roughly determination to the craft that has resulted in him gathering an target market of over 2.5 million fans throughout YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

And Dante does not simply discuss tune — he is developing it, too. He launched his debut EP, TBTV, on March 27 to most commonly sure evaluations. At VidCon 2025, we sat down with Dante, who was once a featured author, to discuss making his personal tune, the place he will get the muse for his movies, and the way he collected just about two million fans on TikTok.

Credit score: Mashable Composite: Zooey Liao/ Symbol Credit score: Getty Pictures/ TikTok/ Spotify/ Zay Dante’s Instagram

How has social media affected your transition into the tune trade?

It’s an instantaneous one-to-one. In the future, I made up our minds I sought after to do a parody track. I were doing parody songs since about 2020, however by no means significantly. [After recording my first parody song], it did in reality smartly. And I used to be like, “Oh, there is not any explanation why I mustn’t stay doing this.”

When I dropped the EP, I used to be in reality fascinated with folks’s ideas, and I used to be so pleasantly shocked through how a lot folks loved it. I used to be in reality satisfied as a result of I no doubt know that parody tune has a stigma to it, that it isn’t meant to be taken significantly. And there have been songs on my EP the place I used to be like, “Nah, there may be no longer in reality a funny story to this. I simply sought after to rap. I simply sought after to make a track.” However I understood that individuals who had been coming from the movies would come into it with the similar mindset that they had been staring at the movies, which was once, “It is a funny story.” However I used to be beautiful satisfied that folks were given one thing from it in any respect. It in reality made me very interested by liberating one thing else, too. I used to be in truth simply hype that any one cared in any respect. 

How a lot time do you spend paying attention to tune? Are you listening on Spotify?

Remaining yr, I had 50,000 or 60,000 mins listened to on Spotify, however I break up my time between Spotify and Apple Track. I in reality did adore it. I did return to Spotify, however I did in reality like [Apple Music]. I ignored having the Wrapped. Everyone was once posting their Wrapped, and I sought after to look how omitted I felt. Can I stand it? Am I going as a way to keep on with Apple Track? And I may no longer stand [feeling left out].

While you made the ones movies about Kendrick and Drake, had been you afraid?

Surely. I used to be so scared. I attempted to be so truthful. I used to be making movies about what was once taking place. I by no means sought after Kendrick to do what he ended up doing. And I by no means sought after Drake to lose that badly. However he did. So, what else am I meant to do?

Have you ever coated anything else that is shocked you this yr?

Pusha T’s new album rollout has been superb. I all the time anticipated to hear it, however I by no means anticipated it to get to some degree the place I might be capable of make content material about it. It is been beautiful cool. I am in reality excited for that album.

Zay Dante at VidCon 2025.
Credit score: Mashable / Christianna Silva

Who do you wish to have to collaborate with greater than someone?

Clearly, Kendrick. If Drake was once a greater game about stuff, then him. Tyler, The Author. SZA. The Weeknd. They all.

How do you get a hold of concepts?

I am doing what everyone else is doing—scrolling via and seeing what persons are speaking about. However numerous the issues that I am doing are retroactive, having a look again to the 2010s. 

Are you able to stroll me via your advent procedure?

I take advantage of the Notes app for writing the entire songs, and I take advantage of CapCut for modifying the entire songs. And I additionally use CapCut for all my unique tune as smartly — no longer construction the beats as a result of I’ve manufacturers making the beats — however within the reference tracks that I am making, I make all of that during CapCut.

I used to be anticipating you to mention Common sense. 

My manufacturer, Demko, produces in Ableton, however I do not understand how to make use of Ableton.

I do a loopy setup in my storage the place I write the notes in my Notes app, after which I am getting my MacBook, and I am getting my headphones, and I am getting my telephone. I carry that downstairs and get the report of the beat, ship that to myself at the pc, ship that report again to myself, play that during my headphones, after which I do the track over that. Ship that again to myself, play that model on my pc, after which I can reply to the object that I simply recorded.

What sort of headphones are you the use of whilst you do this over there?

I take advantage of over-the-ear Sony headphones.

I like how top quality your headphones are, however you are modifying in CapCut.

I am operating CapCut to the bone. CapCut will actually close off a lot of occasions whilst I am operating, and I’m going to get pissed off after which remind myself, “Wait, It’s not that i am doing issues which might be customary.”

Do you save your paintings on a power?

No.

I am so scared for you.

I save my YouTube movies and long-form stuff on my power. However for the entire short-form movies, what I in reality love about TikTok, and simply normally, is the truth that you’ll come out a video at any cut-off date. 

When did you know that it’s essential flip content material advent right into a full-time process? 

I began doing content material in 2020 and discovered I may flip it into a task most likely a yr in, once I had round 1,000,000 fans. Again then, if you happen to had 1,000,000 fans, you needed to transfer to LA, so that is what I did. 

Yeah, I have heard that is the regulation.

Yeah, it is within the privateness coverage on TikTok. A million fans? You gotta transfer to LA.

Had been you creating wealth best throughout the Author Fund?

Yeah, I used to be creating wealth throughout the Author Fund and logo offers. 

What was once your first logo deal?

What Do You Meme? They had been my first primary deal. I had finished some smaller stuff the place I were given despatched some unfastened issues, which was once great. However that was once my first logo deal. They paid in accordance with viewership, which made me sufficient cash to transport to LA.

Do you utilize AI in any respect to your content material advent procedure?

None. I don’t get entangled.

Why no longer?

I do not adore it. I am simply no longer an AI man. It makes me uncomfortable. As AI continues to develop and turns into extra a part of society, I am understanding I will be like one of the vital outdated males who is identical to, “I will be able to’t flip this right into a PDF.”

Be your self and do the issues that you just in finding humorous, no longer the belongings you in finding humorous since you assume it is gonna make you move viral.

Do you could have any pointers for creators who wish to create viral content material?

Be your self. I do know that’s the cliche. There is by no means been a greater instance of being your self than being on-line, as a result of everyone that I do know, and everyone that you realize as smartly, is attempting to feed into an set of rules to some degree the place it’s not herbal anymore. Be your self and do the issues that you just in finding humorous, no longer the belongings you in finding humorous since you assume it is gonna make you move viral.

Do you could have any recommendation for people who find themselves looking to struggle the truth that it may be embarrassing?

Simply stay going as a result of now and again movies are not going to do smartly. The best way that you just scroll if you find yourself on-line is that you are not checking like, “Oh, this video has best 5 likes. It will have to be dangerous.” You do not care, you simply scroll anyway. It’s not relevant. An important factor to bear in mind on the net is that you are not the principle persona. If it does not do smartly, then who cares? No person noticed it anyway. And if it does smartly, then nice. Do extra of that.