Getting More Views On TikTok As A Musician

While achieving much-coveted TikTok fame as an artist may seem to be largely a product of random chance, the reality is that there are a few things artists can do to boost their chances on the often inscrutable platform.

Guest post by Randi Zimmerman of the Symphonic Blog

Everyone wants to know the secret to TikTok fame. Musicians all over the world have gained major exposure from even a single video’s success. Although some people have found this success completely by chance, there are things you can do to boost your chances. Want to learn how? Here’s how to get more views on TikTok as a musician…

How to Get More Views on TikTok as a Musician

Hook Your Viewers

To hook your viewers and stop them from scrolling, you need to engage them in the first 3 seconds. TikTok favors videos that people have watched all the way through. That means the more people who watch your videos from start to finish, the more people the algorithm will share it with. To do this, you need to incentivize engagement.

There are lots of ways to do this. For example, you can:

• Add suspense by asking a question in the description.
• Tell a story, but don’t reveal anything until the end.
• Create a series. (part 1, part 2, part 3)
• Intrigue viewers with text overlays like “Wait for it…”
• Make sure your videos are visually on point. (good lighting, aesthetically pleasing background, etc.)

Take some time to explore the platform yourself and take note of what catches your eye. Practice makes perfect!

Use TikTok’s In-House Features

TikTok’s algorithm picks up users who utilize their in-house features (ex. green screen, transitions) over those who don’t. You can find “Effects” to the left of the record button. To the right of the record screen, you’ll find the tools and filters you can use as well.

Be Consistent

If you want to build a loyal following, you need to post every single day. If you ask any successful TikToker, they’ll all tell you the same thing. Consistency is key.

This post, “How To Figure Out The Best Times to Post on TikTok” can help you out here. It breaks down exactly how to figure out the best times for you.

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Learn more…

How the TikTok Algorithm Works

How to Get Your Music on TikTok

How to Use TikTok’s Video Editor for Instagram Stories

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Hashtags

Hashtags are important on basically every platform. They work by showing your video to people who have also engaged with those same hashtags. So, if your video is a duet and you tag “duet” in your description, TikTok will show your video to people who have liked, shared, and used that hashtag.

Luckily, figuring out how to choose the right hashtags is easy. The trick is finding which hashtags are trending right now. — To do this, all you have to do is tap on the “Discover” tab, scroll through and choose a trending hashtag, then add it to your video description.

Interact with Creators in your Niche

Finding your niche is important in anything you do. It helps engage a more loyal audience and helps you secure yourself in a more manageable, less saturated space. For example, some people post street style videos, some people post alternative covers of popular songs, some people even just post their top 10 favorite songs of different genres every day. Whatever makes you unique, run with it. There is always an audience out there who likes whatever you do.

To find your niche on TikTok, consider your social presence on your other platforms. If you have a secure following on Instagram that revolves around your house music loving/DJ lifestyle, translate that onto your TikTok. When you already have a following elsewhere, it makes it even easier to get fans from those platforms to check out your TikTok, too.

Once you’ve found your tribe, start interacting with other creators who match your energy. Aside from commenting and liking their posts, “duet” their videos, too.

To make a Duet video:

• Tap Share, located at the bottom of the right side panel.
• Tap Duet.
• Begin recording alongside the selected video!

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Here are some extra tips and tricks from the pros:

• Even if your video is just you talking and there’s no music in the background, add trending audio as the “sound” and put the volume to 0. — This will maximize your reach and show your videos to people looking up videos with that trending sound.
• Interact with your comments and ask questions in the comment section after posting a video. — Start a conversation!
• Don’t use more than 6 hashtags at a time. (As a rule of thumb, stick with 2 trending, 2 viral, 2 niche / video specific tags.)

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In Conclusion…

If you want more views on TikTok, engagement is everything. To increase engagement, you need quality content that hooks viewers into watching until the end. Once you’ve figured out your niche and gotten used to the platform, practice makes perfect. Be consistent with your efforts and you’ll see your views start to climb in no time.

Good luck!