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This is how music marketing works on TikTok
Are you social media savvy and looking for new platforms on which you can market your music? TikTok is currently all the rage and already has more than 1.5 billion downloads. With around 800 million active users per month, there is enormous potential to make your music known. But how does TikTok work specifically for musicians and what is the relevance of the platform in Germany? In this post we will inform you about music marketing on TikTok.
How can TikTok be a support for musicians?
The TikTok platform is based on numerous short video sequences that users upload of themselves, their everyday lives or other things. With a wide variety of filters, suitable music and many other details, the possibilities are almost unlimited. No other medium puts music in the foreground as much as TikTok. The interpreters of the songs are displayed in each clip, which easily brings you into focus if you mention it frequently.
In this way, TikTok becomes a great opportunity for musicians to draw attention to their own music together with other influencers or through their own accounts. This does not necessarily have to run in the background, but can also be the reason for the video. Through dance interludes, lip syncs or short sequences from live performances, you or your band are in the foreground. It is important that the marketing of your music on TikTok follows a clear structure.
Examples of successful music marketing with TikTok
Since the users only deal with you and your videos for a few seconds, you have to set yourself apart from other artists. As with other social media, TikTok requires enormous creativity to appear on other users' “For You” pages. Artists like Marc Forster, Mero or Loredana, for example, have used TikTok well in recent years to increase their reach. Many musicians are active on TikTok, are expanding their reach and are gaining popularity every day with new contributions.
This is how the TikTok algorithm works
In order to use TikTok actively and successfully for your marketing, you should understand and be able to use the algorithm. This is basically based on three levels that you should also consider with your clips. Above all, the interactions of the users and the general information about the video are of great relevance at this point. This is the only way to assign the videos to the interests of the respective target group and distribute them further - and this is the only way to display your videos to the right people, i.e. those who will potentially like your music:
- User Interactions: The number of likes and the frequency of forwarding are important criteria for the algorithm on TikTok. Comments and reactions are also included.
- Information: Hashtags and descriptions make it easier to assign the newly created videos. Songs and other details also increase your chances of success.
- Settings: Language, location and device are not decisive, but they have an influence on the algorithm. So TikTok can sort the content for your target group.
The more views, the more awareness
In many ways, music marketing on TikTok differs little from other social channels and platforms. The more often your videos are shared, liked and commented on, the more likely they are to be suggested to other users. The proportion of fully viewed videos is also decisive in order to be better perceived by the algorithm.
In order for the algorithm to be on your side when marketing music on TikTok, the quality of your content plays a crucial role. The classic production of large amounts of content will not help much at TikTok, since the reactions of the users are crucial. Again, with every video you have to draw attention to yourself and your music and attract attention. This is the only way you can play a real role when looking for musicians on TikTok.
Challenges to increase your popularity
In addition to the classic videos, there are other ways to increase your reach. Challenges, for example, are considered to be one of the best approaches to setting new trends and coming into contact with users. For example, simple challenges are based on lip sync videos that you want to create for your tracks. Depending on the scope of the challenge, ideally thousands of videos about your music will be created on TikTok, which has a positive effect on marketing.
For a challenge to be successful, creative ideas and good songs are essential. It must also be easy for artists on TikTok to empathize with the music and create their own interpretation. Many people can only be motivated to use your music for their own contributions to the challenge with creative ideas. Also make sure to choose a winner at the end of the challenge. This is how you motivate more users to participate.
Looking for alternatives? Work with influencers on TikTok
Nevertheless, even with the right challenge, it is difficult to achieve reach as a beginner on TikTok. Measures such as exclusive content for followers, for example on Patreon, can be helpful here, but only become meaningful above a certain range. To be more likely to be seen, working with experts is a good approach. Influencers usually have a large community with which you can create new challenges, for example. So network and use the fame of other artists.
However, working with influencers on TikTok is also a question of cost. Your music becomes a product that you would like to market indirectly as part of the challenge. Depending on the reach and target group, you have to expect high costs for such campaigns. It is best to first get in touch with good influencers and find out about their conditions.
As an alternative to direct contact, agencies can also support you with the placement. Although this leads to significantly higher costs, it saves you valuable time. Another advantage is that the selected influencers mostly match your own music and the planned campaign exactly. As soon as you have the necessary reach yourself, your content will arrive without a push and be used by TikTok users.
TikTok as an effective platform for brief introductions
For you as a musician, the video design options offer exactly the right solution to put your music in the foreground. Even without words, you present yourself and your songs, receive reactions from users and can build on direct feedback. As with Facebook and Instagram, you have your own profile on TikTok, which you can use to introduce yourself indirectly. As soon as your content matches the preferences of your users, you will be able to increase the number of your followers considerably. Profile links and direct messages ensure that you are there for your fans and remain likable even with a larger reach.
Your chance to set new trends and #hashtags
If you want to appeal to young people with your music, TikTok is exactly the right platform for you. Around two thirds of all users are younger than 30 and female. You can also take these facts into account when choosing new challenges and actions in order to market your music successfully. Decide on suitable hashtags for every post so that you can also be found more quickly in the direct search. Even if the selection of countless hashtags seems tedious at first glance, it will be worthwhile for direct music marketing on TikTok. Nevertheless, don't exaggerate with hashtags and use up to ten meaningful ones.
Of course, the success of your marketing can be measured without much effort, which allows you to fine-tune your campaigns step by step. You should put a lot of emphasis on quality, especially with your first videos. Decide on a topic that best embodies your music and reaches your users. Your goal should always be to be remembered with your music even after a few seconds of TikTok video.
Get active now with our musician search on TikTok!
If you want to learn more about music marketing on TikTok, a network of countless musicians awaits you here with us. Here you will meet many years of industry experience, knowledge of marketing, instrument teaching and singing as well as exciting personalities who, like you, have a passion for music.
Originally published on July 13, 2021, updated on February 19, 2022
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