Music on TikTok: Here's How It Works

TikTok can rightly be called the marketing trend of the year 2020, although in the coming 2021 it will not lose its popularity, believe me. Currently, this social network is available in 150 countries and has 1 billion users worldwide. The active audience, contrary to common opinion, consists not only of teenagers, for whom watching and publishing videos is just an entertainment, but also of people interested in "promoting" their talents. Let's talk about TikTok as a platform for musicians.

TikTok for musicians: how to gain popularityFocus on "your" niche

If you've recently created an account, start by finding a niche that's right for you. Choose something you're passionate about besides music, and gradually introduce your talents to your audience as well. Be consistent in creating themed content, posting 3-5 posts a day - this will allow the app's algorithm to "like" you. As a result, it will place you in a certain category and match you with users who are interested in a similar type of content.

For example, you can develop in a humorous direction by posting funny sketches and memes, or in an educational direction by sharing tips on creating high-quality audio recordings. An example of humor content is the Diplo account (1.1 million followers) with jokes and sketches. And here is a mega-popular Jason Derulo blog, which has over 41 million subscribers (!), dedicated to dance routines. Moreover, thanks to this social network it is possible to win worldwide fame - so the song "Old Town Road" by the American hip-hop artist Lil Nas X became a hit.

Use the 15 second rule

It's important that your video begins with a bright musical moment. The optimal length of a video is 15 seconds. Platform users enthusiastically accept short video content - up to 60 seconds, because it's convenient to view and evaluate it "quickly" when you flip through your feed. The social network itself suggests using commercials from 9 to 15 seconds, so it's logical to assume that following this rule will increase your chances of fame.

You can record a video and edit it in the app itself, or download it from the library. Most importantly, choose short musical excerpts that have potential: dynamic, with catchy, memorable lyrics, and enough versatility to appeal to a wide audience.

For example, an excerpt of the song Choices (Yup) by the American rapper E-40 became an audio meme thanks to the alternation of the words "No" and "Yes". Ticktockers synchronize their questions with these "answers," making videos with different contexts.

Keep an eye on trends

The platform offers the ability to monitor trends, in particular sounds-content and hashtags. We recommend reading the trends before TikTok does - just flip through the For You Page (FYP), the page that appears when you open the app on your smartphone. By the way, many former users use #fyp in hopes of getting to the "For You Page" and getting coveted views and likes. However, the content you see on FYP is there not because of the hashtags, but because of the interesting content.

Follow the example of many artists - create a remix or cover to join the trend. In doing so, other users can use your "original sound" as well, thus contributing to your promotion of the trend.

Participate in duets

Build rapport with your audience, including your "peers," by sending back responses. There are two reasons to use the "duets" feature - video responses to other people's videos:

1. the ability to publish additional content throughout the day, developing the blog and raising its status among the most active;
2. a great way to get the attention of both subscribers and the original creators of the videos, which makes a fruitful collaboration in the future realistic.

"Duets" is not the only feature that is desirable to use on a daily basis. You also have responses to comments: this helps you showcase your talent "without filters" while still communicating with your fan followers.

Reveal yourself as a person

When you're passionate about creating themed content, don't forget about real life, or, rather, about showing it to your subscribers. After all, fans want to see not only your creative side, but also learn about your goals, dreams, desires, and plans. Create a video blog style by posting short videos about your weekdays, vacations with friends, travel, trips, and more.

A smartphone or a camera with a vertical shooting mode is enough. Although the task is easier if you have professional equipment and experience in creating videos in the format of "Room tour", "My day" on YouTube or Stories on Instagram.

Stay up to date with algorithm changes

Understanding how the platform works is the key to successful promotion. Pay attention to watching informational videos about algorithm changes - you can find them both on TikTok and on YouTube. Check your analytics regularly to monitor audience retention time. Aim for an 85% retention rate to increase your likelihood of reaching FYP.

Consider the following promotion factors:

• Hashtags. Content categorization depends on them. The more you correspond to the chosen hashtag, the higher your authority in a particular niche. Experimenting with # is undesirable - it will slow down your ranking. It is sufficient to write 2-4 hashtags in each post.
• Publication time. Use analytics to find out "rush hour"-when you're being watched more actively. Consider the time difference with people in other time zones.
• Geolocation. Create localized content. And if you're going on tour, tag the city on the video, so you'll find new fans.
• Music trends. If you notice a new trend, try to be among the first to use it in your creative videos.

If you create your own music, you can upload it to the social network through digital music distributors. TikTok will show up in the list of online track upload options. To upload songs to your music library and get money for using them, TuneCore and CDs Baby are fine, and royalty free hip-hop beats are popular right now.

So, to successfully develop a music blog, you must be fashionable (know about trends), active (constantly remind yourself and flicker in the feed) and simple. The latter is an important promotional factor. After all, TikTok is not about perfection - it values quirkiness, originality and unconventionality. So whatever you do, the main thing is to be yourself.

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