How Tik Tok Became a Top Platform for Promoting Music, and What You Can Do to Get ‘Tik Tok Famous’
As many people know, Tik Tok has developed into a large social media platform that has brought success to a new wave of influencers such as Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Chase Hudson, and more. Similarly to how Spotify’s curated playlists are based on users’ previously-listened songs, the main concept of Tik Tok is for people to create 15 to 60 second videos about anything they want, and the app’s algorithm will analyze user activity through likes and followers to curate a “For You Page” that caters to what each particular user enjoys watching. Through this method, the app has created an online community in which creators can share content for niche audiences with varying interests. Some creators opt to use the platform to speak out on the social issues that have come to light in recent weeks, while others choose to have more fun with the app by creating comedic content, or showing off a talent such as singing and dancing.
The Promotional Jackpot for Music
Since Tik Tok allows users to select their own sound to feature in their videos, many people have opted for certain songs as a soundtrack or an accompaniment. Songs such as “Say So” by Doja Cat, “Josslyn” by Olivia O'Brien, and “Don’t Start Now” have been consistently played throughout the app to the point where most people only know of these songs through the platform and have earned a reputation as a “Tik Tok song”. In fact, many of these songs have what is now known to be a cultural trademark: a “Tik Tok dance”, associated with them. These dances are increasingly popular on the app, as users are inclined to film videos of themselves doing a set of very simple moves that have the versatility to be applied to almost any song and choreography. While creators are simply having fun experimenting with new music to dance to, the artists behind these songs have hit the promotional jackpot for their music.
As a loyal Tik Tok user, I have found many songs through the app that have made it onto my Spotify playlists. “Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi, “death bed (coffee for your head)” by powfu ft. beabadoobee, “This City” by Sam Fischer, and “IDK You Yet” by Alexander 23 are only a few of the songs that have been put onto my musical radar thanks to Tik Tok. If you consistently use Tik Tok, I can guarantee that there are many songs you have discovered since using the app, and that different videos have sparked your interest in music and artists you have never heard of before. Which only begs the question: How many of the millions of users on Tik Tok have done the same exact thing? The answer is... almost all of them. Therefore, Tik Tok has grown to be a valuable tool for music promotion and music discovery and is now a very important platform for record labels, artists, and their promotional teams to understand.
The Tik Tok Algorithm
The reality of Tik Tok is that any video can go viral at any time, regardless of the actual contents of the video. The key to making a song go viral is to have a video with the song “blow up” by appearing on multiple people’s “For You Pages”. The video should be entertaining, and easy to recreate, because this will incentivize other users to make their own renditions of the video, using the same song from the original. The more people using the song as their video sound, the more people will hear the sound, and thus, increase exposure to different people and expand the artist’s audience. This is why many aspiring artists can be found on Tik Tok creating simple dance choreography or a video challenge for their music, in hopes that other people will catch onto the trend they created. However, coming up with intriguing content to go with a song is only half of the challenge, the next step is to understand how to increase your chances of a viral video.
The Tik Tok algorithm is dependent on how many interactions your video receives. When the video is first uploaded, it appears on a few users pages so that they do not get bored and are exposed to fresh content while they are scrolling through the app. However, if these few users like, comment, share, or download that Tik Tok, then the algorithm will push it out to more people. The app also measures the speed of engagement for a video. Even if a video does not do well at first, there is a chance that it could receive more interactions on a later day, which will trigger the algorithm to show it to more users. As with any other social media platform, the more content that you release, the higher the chances of “blowing up” on the app. Given that Tik Tok has millions of users, and had more app downloads in the past year than even Instagram, the chances of having many people see your content is quite high.
The key to making a video go viral is in understanding the Tik Tok algorithm and also having basic knowledge on keywords and SEO (search engine optimization). By incorporating hashtags and keywords within the video itself and the description, the Tik Tok algorithm is more likely to flag your video as something that is relevant to your target audience. The best way to know which hashtags and keywords to use is given right in the app. When using hashtags in the description, Tik Tok provides a list of suggestions that shows which hashtags are trending, and how many views do these hashtags get. When including hashtags, make sure to look at how many views it receives on the app. A hashtag with 3.4 million views is definitely more likely to boost your video onto people’s pages, than a hashtag with a couple hundred views. Another important aspect to understand regarding Tik Tok’s algorithm is that it prefers concise but effective descriptions. This means, instead of riddling your caption with random key words and lots of hashtags, the most simple posts are the most likely to be seen.
Converting Views into Streams
The last part of using Tik Tok for music promotion, is knowing how to convert Tik Tok views into music streams and fans. While the app is a great way to introduce your music to more people, how will it help if no one is searching for your music after hearing it? With this step, understanding basic consumer behavior and human psychology is important to maintain your audience’s attention after you have grasped it.
With technology becoming more advanced, people are constantly experiencing faster response times and efficient work flow from the basic items we use in our daily lives. This sense of instant gratification has in turn, shortened human’s attention span and their ability for patience. This is why Tik Tok limits its users to creating 15 to 60 second videos. As people have shorter attention spans, they can easily get addicted to watching Tik Tok videos because they are able to move onto something new before they get bored. Therefore, the short 15 to 60 second snippet that users will hear of your song is important when converting Tik Tok views into music streams. You want to make sure that the snippet you select is the strongest part of the song, preferably something catchy, energetic, and representative of the song as a whole (which would most likely mean the chorus or the post chorus beat drop). When Tik Tok users hear the most attention grabbing part of your song, they will be curious to hear the rest of it and will most likely turn to Spotify or YouTube for more. At this point, it is up to the consumer to decide whether they enjoy your music and whether they choose to dig deeper into your catalog of songs. However, simply getting the person onto your Artist’s Page increases your chances of gaining a new audience member.
This behavior can be proven by many songs on Tik Tok, particularly “Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton. The song is viral on Tik Tok with its own set of choreography, and has been used by millions of users in different kinds of videos. The snippet that is commonly heard of the song is the very catchy and upbeat chorus, which has driven multiple people to search for the song in its entirety on the internet. However -as seen from Tik Tok users who post their reactions to the full song- the verses do not match the energy of the chorus, and people are often surprised by the contrast between the two sections. Considering videos using the clip of the song that includes the verses does not have nearly as many views, it is safe to say that the song as a whole would not have done well on Tik Tok if the artist had not initially used the upbeat chorus for their main sound snippet.
Overall, Tik Tok has had quite the transformation from a simple app to post comedic content, to a large social media platform that can be used as a tool for music promotion. While the app has made it very easy for its users to grow in popularity, it still takes time to accomplish the status “Tik Tok famous”. However, with consistent dedication, it is possible for your video (and in turn, your song) to reach out to thousands of users within your niche audience. Although, amidst the attempts to expose your music to a larger audience, is also important to avoid getting too caught up in likes and views. When creating promotional content for your music, it is best to show the full authentic version of yourself, and remember to recognize the original intent of the app: to have fun!
