By now you should already know that TikTok is one of the leading platforms for music promotion and marketing. From Simi’s Duduke to Blaqbonez’ Bling, to Ckay’s Love Nwantinti to Pheelz’ Finesse, to Steven Adeoye’s Ali Goes to School, and Melvitto’s Gentility. TikTok has helped several successful music careers and given hundreds of musicians a viable platform for independent success, and a blueprint for what might look like a recipe for overnight success. This is the beginning of a three-post series on TikTok music promotion. Link to the other two is at the end of this article.
What Makes TikTok special?
Fascinatingly:
- TikTok has 1.2 billion active users worldwide as at January 2022
- Users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app.
- 90% of all TikTok users access the app on a daily basis.
Before Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts that got inspirations from TikTok, TikTok was the only video content marketing platform that allowed everyone to be an audience and a creator at the same time. Within 10 minutes, you can go from just an idea to a final edit layered with filters, effects, and music. So, more than 55% of all active TikTok users are not just watching videos on the platform — they are regularly uploading interesting videos of their own. And that’s fun, especially as people can create a remix of your own video with the same sound.
Still don’t see why you should use TikTok for music promotion? Then, let’s continue.
5 reasons to use TikTok for your Music Promotion
- Exposure Like Never Before
The TikTok algorithm is unique compared to other social media platforms. The TikTok algorithm works in a way that gives every video a chance to be seen by many people you didn’t even think of.
As soon as you upload your videos, the algorithm pushes it to new unique viewers instead of merely leaving it to people who already know you or enjoy your content.
That way, you can distribute your song to so many more people and audiences than you’d likely find on any other platform.
A big W for your promotional team.
- Incredible Fan Base
Yeah, TikTok pushes your videos to new viewers. But then, there’s a section of user’s pages that allows people to view videos posted only by the people they follow. That means you have a great chance of your viewers viewing every video you post.
As such, TikTok allows you to spread your music to both new AND returning viewers.
- Crazy Interaction Rates
You’d have noticed too. TikTok is known for its viral followers and crazy interaction rates. Interestingly, the more interactions a video gets, the more viewers they get.
This means you have a perfect excuse to request likes, shares, comments, and rewatches from your viewers in exchange for helping promote your ambition. Just state your ambition in the post.
Often on TikTok, you’ll see videos with captions: “Watch this twice to support my small business” or “Get this to a million likes so my label will let me release it!”
- Growth! Growth! Growth!
Using TikTok effectively will undeniably help you grow your brand as a musician.
Maybe you just came on the internet and haven’t noticed, TikTok has been responsible for hundreds of undeniable success stories of different levels.
This doesn’t mean being in TikTok will make you blow tomorrow, but you gain exposure to fans you didn’t even know were there and that counts!
- Experiment Lab
You want to see how your new song will perform, but you don’t want to release it yet? Try TikTok. Before Finesse blew up, see how only the snippet was doing rounds in clubs and coming up in several short videos? TikTok allows you to cook, give a few fans to thirst, before you disperse your song.
With TikTok, you can get feedback from your loyal and new fans on samples and snippets, letting you know if the track is going to be commercially worthy or not. It can even help you decide which direction to go on future tracks, merchandising options, or branding moves.
So, how do you promote your music on TikTok?
Check out the next post on 8 Effective Ways to Promote Your Music on TikTok.
