TikTok turns NYC subway glitch into remix craze

A warped NYC subway PA glitch—captured on TikTok while a woman waited for her train—sparked a rapid run of remixes, from looping bass drops to an AI-edited alien dance video. The trend is now feeding collaboration among aspiring producers and offering a remind

On a platform in New York City, the train was not arriving fast enough—until a glitch in the subway’s loud public announcements cut through the waiting time and turned a mundane moment into a sound people couldn’t stop chasing.

The clip began with a woman who goes by the handle @meganesc. While waiting for the train to arrive, she heard something go wrong in the subway PA and recorded it, then posted it to TikTok with a challenge aimed straight at producers.

“Can someone use this subway announcement glitch as a looped sample in an amazing song. I have a vision but no means to execute,” the text on @meganesc’s video says. The caption adds, “Need a DJ or someone with Ableton to hop in here.”

In the comment thread, other users tried to make sense of what they were hearing. Many described the glitch as repeating phrases such as “cat loaf” or “stack low” in a high pitch—while agreeing it sounded exactly like the kind of sample that could be built into a beat.

One commenter wrote, “Lmao I heard it yesterday & was like who gon make a beat.” Another added, “algorithm, please bring me to the remix when it drops.”

TikTok’s algorithm did what it does best: it amplified the idea until the “glitch as music” concept became a wave of uploads. Remixes started flooding the platform almost immediately.

Music producer and composer So Wylie remixed the sound on a loop, building bass drops into the background. Shahab Moradi’s remix pushed further—editing the original user’s face with AI and creating a video of aliens dancing in the subway beside her. while keeping the glitch at the center of the track.

Even beyond video virality, at least one remix made its way onto mainstream listening platforms. A speedy producer who goes by Zhod got the song on Spotify.

Not every entry exploded, but some clearly caught fire. User Mortal Passenger’s remix brought in 10,000 views, a figure that underlined how quickly a niche sound bite can move when enough people hear the same “what if” in it.

The original post also attracted comments from people learning by doing—using the sample logic even if they couldn’t produce at the same level as the remixers. “Great job! I tried making a beat with the same sample logic,” Mortal Passenger wrote on one user’s posted remix.

For @meganesc, the caption wasn’t just a request for help—it was an argument that the spark of creativity could come from anywhere. “Her vision, your means to make it happen,” a user commented, referencing the original caption.

And @meganesc’s own line landed like a principle: “Music is everywhere if you choose to listen.” Another user replied directly to that spirit, saying, “The fact that you heard this and knew it was art worthy says a lot.”

In a world where subway delays and broken announcements usually mean annoyance, this one glitch did the opposite. It became a shared assignment. a collaborative playground for musicians and fans. and—unexpectedly—a reminder that sometimes the best samples are hiding in plain sight. waiting for someone to hear them as a beat.

NYC subway TikTok remix subway announcement glitch Ableton music sample So Wylie Shahab Moradi Zhod Mortal Passenger Spotify