Sound trend
An audio clip (a song snippet, line of dialogue, or sound effect) that becomes a template for thousands of videos on TikTok/Reels — everyone uses the same sound but with their own interpretation. The central spreading mechanism of short-video platforms.
Mechanic: when a video becomes popular, others can tap "use this sound" and make their own video to the same audio; the platform collects all videos under the sound. A sound gets its own "trend" with an implied format (a certain dance, a joke setup, a reveal transition). Effect: the sound becomes the carrier of the meme, and artists chase viral sounds because it drives streaming (an old song can be revived by a TikTok trend). The algorithm amplifies content with trending sounds. Distinct from a hashtag trend (text-based) by being audio-driven. One of the most distinctive features of modern short-video culture. Related to green screen and hashtag follow.