“We are looking to become comedians full time and quit our day jobs soon,” says Say.

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

Over 7 million Australians now use the app, and Australian comedians like Tom Cashman (@tom.cashman, 158,000), Jeremy Franco (@jezbreezy, 274,000) and Lizzy Hoo (@lizzyhoo 23,800) also have large followings.

While it does seem that TikTok favours the comedic, the lack of transparency around its algorithm makes it hard to tell what factors are the most impactful. The algorithm has been criticised by users and creators alike – in 2020, black content creators called out the app for its “racial bias”, which saw videos with #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd hashtags receive zero views, which TikTok later apologised for.

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

“Sometimes you think you’ve got it down. And you’re like, ‘This will go well’, and then it just sideswipes you,” says Gibbons.

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 declined to provide The Age with information on the platform’s top-performing videos and where comedians rank among that.

However, Felicity McVay, the director of content and partnerships for TikTok Australia and New Zealand, says comedians are integral to the app.

“TikTok doesn’t share user data, however, the global community loves the uplifting and joyful content on the platform,” McVay says.

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

TikTok recently conducted a livestream in partnership with the Sydney Comedy Festival, showcasing sets from established and upcoming comedians.

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

Despite amassing hundreds of thousands of views on her videos reviewing well-known Australian suburbs, like Bondi and Brunswick, St Clair doesn’t consider herself a TikTok comedian.

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

“I’ve handed out flyers in front of Melbourne Town Hall at the comedy festival every year pre-pandemic. My first two years as a comedian I’d be at open mic comedy gigs and work hard to perform for really small crowds.”

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Festival director for Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Susan Provan, says the festival does scout talent from social media, but it’s not guaranteed to book a show.

“Every performer who has started out with social media content needs time to develop the material and performance skills for live performance. Not everyone who excels at a quick joke for the internet can hold a crowd in a room for an hour. On the other hand, not every great live performer is a natural at creating engaging digital content,” she says.

It’s true that online success does not always translate to “traditional” success at comedy festivals but, considering where audiences are, does that matter? TikTok is where comedians like Swag on the Beat have found their audience, financial opportunities and careers. In their own words: “You gotta follow where the eyeballs are.”