Just days after iHeartMedia and TikTok partnered to launch a dedicated TikTok Radio station on iHeartRadio, the two companies are now introducing a new album-release format, starting with a campaign for Bruno Mars’ first solo album in nearly a decade.
On February 26, the platforms streamed a live broadcast called Romantic Radio with Bruno Mars: An iHeartRadio Album Preview simultaneously on TikTok and across more than 145 iHeartRadio stations nationwide. The promo reached over 270 stations in the US.
The campaign came a day before The Romantic dropped via Atlantic Records.
Mars debuted all nine tracks from The Romantic during the program, inviting fans to submit their love stories via the iHeartRadio app’s Talkback feature and on TikTok LIVE, and offering dedications and advice in real time.
Surprise callers, including Victoria Monét, Anderson .Paak and ROSÉ, joined the broadcast. Mars also announced during the event that the video for Risk It All would drop alongside the album that evening.
iHeartMedia and TikTok announced the partnership Monday (March 23), about four weeks after the broadcast. The companies partnered with Mars’ label Atlantic Records for the program.
Brady Bedard, EVP of Promotion at Atlantic Music Group, said: “Bruno poured his heart into The Romantic, and the fan response has been incredible. Through the power of both of these massive platforms, iHeartMedia and TikTok together created a bespoke event that helped debut the album.”
“This was promotion at the speed of culture—real-time fan and artist connectivity, massive broadcast exposure, and immediate interactive engagement.”
Brady Bedard, Atlantic Music Group
“This was promotion at the speed of culture—real-time fan and artist connectivity, massive broadcast exposure, and immediate interactive engagement. That synergy helped drive the album week of release and with this new success, set a new bar for how albums can break through.”
The campaign generated over 3 billion impressions across broadcast, radio promotion, social media, and digital promotion. The TikTok LIVE drew 36 million likes within the first hour and logged the highest unique viewership for a live album release in the past 12 months, the companies said.
The Romantic debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Mars’ first album to do so, with all nine tracks landing in the Top 100 streaming songs in both the US and globally. Risk It All took the No. 1 streaming spot in the U.S. for the release week.
Aaron Elharar, Mars’ manager (Gorilla Management), said: “Bruno wanted the release of The Romantic to feel personal, and ‘Romantic Radio’ did exactly that. This was the first time he sat down to discuss the album, and it gave him the chance to share that moment directly with his fans.
“Partnering with iHeartMedia and TikTok enabled us to make that connection truly count, turning one live conversation into a global event.”
“Bruno wanted the release of The Romantic to feel personal, and ‘Romantic Radio’ did exactly that. This was the first time he sat down to discuss the album, and it gave him the chance to share that moment directly with his fans.”
Aaron Elharar, Gorilla Management
The success of the campaign — which iHeartMedia and TikTok said “merges the scale of broadcast radio with the interactivity of a community-driven platform” — outlines “a new blueprint for artist launches moving forward,” the companies said.
Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, said: “The iHeartMedia–TikTok album release format signals a broader shift: from passive distribution to an interactive cultural moment that delivered deeper engagement and set record-breaking results.”
“The iHeartMedia–TikTok album release format signals a broader shift: from passive distribution to an interactive cultural moment that delivered deeper engagement and set record-breaking results.”
Tom Poleman, iHeartMedia
Added Poleman: “By pairing iHeartMedia’s scale and listener engagement with TikTok’s cultural momentum, we’ve created a new kind of album launch—one that turns a release into an event. This is more than a partnership; it’s a model for how artists can debut music, tours, even a new single in a more immersive, measurable, and impactful way.”
Shen Gao, Head of LIVE Operations, Americas at TikTok, said: “We’re thrilled to have joined forces with Bruno Mars and iHeartMedia to bring fans together for this special album preview on TikTok LIVE.
“The experience created a space where Bruno’s community could discover his new music together in real time — reacting, celebrating, and joining the conversation as it unfolded. Moments like this transform a release into a shared cultural experience where fans are actively participating. TikTok LIVE gives artists like Bruno Mars a powerful way to reach their community and connect with fans on a more personal level.”
“Moments like this transform a release into a shared cultural experience where fans are actively participating.”
Shen Gao, TikTok
Over a week ago, iHeartMedia and TikTok launched TikTok Radio from iHeart, which went live on the iHeartRadio app and across 28 broadcast stations throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Miami and more.
The station’s programming format is built around TikTok’s discovery engine and iHeart’s programming expertise, the two companies said.
The launch of TikTok Radio through iHeart effectively ends TikTok’s relationship with SiriusXM. In 2021, TikTok launched TikTok Radio, described at the time as a full-time SiriusXM music channel.
TikTok also announced the inaugural lineup of shows for the TikTok Podcast Network, which was first announced in November 2025, but had not yet revealed its full creator slate. Five podcasts were named, each hosted by a TikTok personality with an established following on the platform.
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