Beyond TikTok and YouTube: The Key to Long-Term Music Success
You may get you quick views and even go viral, but you must go beyond TikTok and YouTube to distribute and market your music across all platforms to achieve long-term success and monetization.
Beyond TikTok and YouTube: The Key to Long-Term Music Success
by CD BABY via the DIY Musician blog
As an independent artist, it’s easy to get caught up in the joy bubble of platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. These sites give you instant access to fans, the potential to go viral, and a quick way to get your music out there to a wide audience. In fact, a recent MiDia report shows that a quarter of music creators are uploading their music only to these platforms, bypassing traditional streaming services altogether. That’s a significant number of independent musicians bypassing DSPs (Digital Service Providers), which is understandable in a time when platforms are limiting payouts to artists who don’t meet certain streaming thresholds, and when streaming royalties alone often aren’t enough to cover expenses. The streaming landscape is not perfect, and we can admit that.
But here’s the thing: if you’re only relying on social platforms, you’re missing out on a ton of opportunities to not only reach a wider audience, but maximize your monetization.
If you want a career that lasts beyond the feed, building a solid release strategy that includes distributing your music to all platforms is still essential.
Reach All of Your Potential Audience
Not everyone goes to TikTok or YouTube to find new music. Shocker. While those platforms are popular, a huge part of your potential audiences (not just your boomer dad) are still discovering music on conventional streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. By limiting yourself to just video streaming platforms, you could be missing out on a large group of listeners.
Imagine setting up a food truck at a popular event—lots of people might see it, but only those attending the event will ever taste your food. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are like that busy event—they can give you quick visibility, but they’re just one part of the bigger world. By only focusing on those platforms, you’re missing out on all the other places where potential fans could discover and enjoy your music. When you distribute across all platforms, you’re making sure your music is accessible to everyone, wherever they are. The bigger your reach, the more chances you have to build your fanbase, gain streams, and catch the attention of industry pros or potential collaborators.
Don’t Miss Out on Revenue Opportunities
If you’re only releasing music on video platforms like YouTube and TikTok, you’re missing out on a significant number of potential revenue streams. Social video platforms are great for visibility, but they represent just one piece of the broader income puzzle for musicians today. Here are some of the key revenue streams you could be missing:
- Streaming Sales and Royalties
Every time your song is streamed on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or Deezer, you’re owed streaming royalties—sometimes referred to as the “streaming license fee.” CD Baby delivers your music to all the major platforms, ensuring that your streams are properly tracked, and the royalties are collected and deposited into your account with detailed reporting. - Download Revenue
Don’t forget about digital sales. Every time your music is purchased on platforms like Apple Music or Amazon, you earn download royalties. CD Baby collects these on your behalf, ensuring you capture earnings from digital downloads, in addition to streaming. - Social Video Monetization
Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok take a “sonic fingerprint” of your music, meaning your songs are automatically monetized whenever they’re used in videos across their ecosystems. By opting into CD Baby’s social video monetization service, you can collect revenue from user-generated content that features your music. - YouTube Partner Program
If your YouTube channel is eligible for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you can also earn ad revenue directly from your videos. Even if you don’t meet the requirements for YPP, CD Baby’s YouTube monetization service will ensure your music is monetized wherever it appears. - Mechanical Royalties
Collecting mechanical royalties independently can be complex, but CD Baby helps simplify this process. With the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) now partnered with CD Baby, we simplify the collection of mechanical royalties for songwriters. By opting into CDB Boost, you can effortlessly register your original tracks, allowing the MLC to handle the royalty collection process on your behalf, while you focus on creating music. - Performance Royalties
Whether your music is played on the radio, streamed online, or performed live, you’re owed performance royalties as a songwriter or publisher. With CD Baby’s CDB Boost, you can be sure to collect these royalties through services like SoundExchange. - Sync Licensing Revenue
Ever wonder how artists get their music into films, TV shows, or video games? That’s sync licensing, and it’s another avenue for monetizing your songs. CD Baby offers a non-exclusive sync licensing service to help you get your music placed in visual media.
By leveraging these various revenue streams, you’re ensuring your music is not just heard, but also financially rewarding across multiple platforms. To get a better understanding of the many ways you can earn from your music, check out our guide to music revenue sources or run through this music revenue checklist to make sure you’re collecting everything you’re owed.
Trends Come and Go, But Your Music Should Stick Around
Going viral on TikTok is exciting, but it’s temporary. Social media trends do eventually fade, and relying solely on platforms like TikTok or Instagram means you’re “renting” space. These platforms—and the followers you gain—don’t belong to you. Just look at what happened to artists when MySpace faded.
By distributing your music, you’re giving it a longer-term home. These platforms offer perks like playlists and sync opportunities that keep your music relevant long after social media trends pass.
You’ve Worked Hard—Don’t Stop at One Platform!
You’ve put so much time, effort, money, and creativity into your music—so why stop at just YouTube or TikTok? Music creation is a labor of love, and it deserves the same level of dedication when it comes to promotion. Just as you invested countless hours crafting your sound, recording, mixing, mastering, etc… you should apply that same passion and momentum into developing a solid release strategy. This means thinking beyond just the songs themselves; it involves creating a cohesive plan that encompasses multiple platforms and engages your audience effectively.
Use the creativity that fueled your songwriting to brainstorm your promotional strategy. Consider how you can leverage a cohesive social media campaign, email newsletters, live performances, and collaborations to expand your reach.
Try Our Release Plan Generator
We know the list can pile up. That’s why we offer a Release Plan Generator. This tool helps you map out a clear, step-by-step plan for your release, including timelines and a checklist of everything you need to do to maximize your launch. From social media teasers to setting up your music on streaming platforms, this tool takes the guesswork out of the process and ensures you’re hitting all the right steps for a successful release.
The Key to a Balanced Plan
Social platforms are awesome for generating buzz and engaging with fans, but they shouldn’t be your entire strategy. By spreading your music across all platforms, you’re giving it the best chance to reach listeners everywhere. Combine the viral potential of social media with the staying power of traditional streaming platforms, and you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.
Ready to Make an Impact?
After putting in all that hard work to create and promote your music, it’s time to share it with the world! To do this, you’ll need a distributor to send your album to all the digital platforms, and that’s where CD Baby comes in. We distribute your music to over 150 platforms worldwide, ensuring that your sound reaches listeners across the globe. Plus, we offer a suite of optional services designed to elevate your music and help you collect all the revenue you’re owed (more on that soon). And don’t forget—our Release Plan Generator is here to guide you through the process, making sure your music release is as smooth and impactful as possible.
