5 reasons you should promote your music on TikTok

TikTok has made the climb to the top social media platforms in the last two years. With the way its algorithm works, almost anyone could blow up overnight, and many have. So here are 5 more reasons you should use this platform to grow as an artist.

Guest post by Sammy Hakim of BandZoogle.

By now it should come as no surprise to anyone that in 2021, TikTok has established itself as one of the leading platforms for music promotion and discovery. Not only has it launched several successful music careers in the last year alone, but it’s given hundreds of musicians a viable platform for independent success, and a blueprint for what often appears to be a recipe for ‘overnight success.’

If that hasn’t sold you on why you should use TikTok to promote your music online, here are five reasons that can help you catch up to speed. 

1. Exposure to new fans

TikTok’s unique, yet often infamously frustrating, algorithm works in a unique way to any other social media platform. Instead of promoting your videos to your followers, the videos you are posting are pushed to unique viewers as soon as they’re uploaded. 

This means that every time you post you’re more likely to rack up new viewers, instead of people who have already heard of you or enjoyed your content. That allows you to spread your music to so many more people and audiences than you’d likely find on any other platform, which is a huge advantage for you and your promotional team. 

After all, reaching the largest new audience possible is a huge part of what you usually pay to do with promotional ads – for free! 

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2. Building a fan base

Additionally, TikTok is an amazing platform to build a fanbase on. I know before we talked about the fact that videos are pushed to new viewers. However, there’s a section of user’s pages that allows them to view videos posted only by the people they follow. That means you’ve got an avid chance to have your viewers viewing each video you post as well. 

As a result, TikTok is a great platform to push your music to both new AND returning viewers, giving it an edge over other social media and promotional sites. 

3. Encouraging fan interaction

TikTok is known for its rabid followers and wild interaction rates. In fact, videos with higher interaction from users actually do better and are pushed to more viewers. This is perfect because it means you’ve got an excuse to request likes, shares, comments, and rewatches from your viewers in exchange for helping promote your dream.

With TikTok, many of the videos do state their wants as simply as that. You’ll often see videos stating “Watch this twice to support my small business” or “Get this to a million likes so my label will let me release it!” going viral quite frequently.

Additionally, chatting with your fans, and even pinning top comments, is a great way to encourage more interaction and boost your posts even further.  Building engagement through TikTok can lead to even more chances to connect with fans as well.

4. The potential for growth

All the interaction and exposure you get on TikTok can lead to one amazing benefit: Growth! Using TikTok will undeniably help you grow your brand as a musician online. 

Still not sure? A quick google search will pull up hundreds of undeniable success stories of all levels. No, going on TikTok doesn’t guarantee you’ll go viral tomorrow, but whether you’re gaining ten, a hundred, or two hundred thousand followers overnight, it’s still growth from where you started. And each follower counts! 

5. Musical experimentation

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about experimenting with new material. TikTok is an amazing platform for experimenting with new material. Because you’re getting a mix of unique and loyal viewers, your new material is shown to people who know your current material well, and those who are just discovering it. 

That allows you to get samples and snippets of feedback from both parties, letting you know if something is commercially working or not. It can even help you decide which direction to go on future tracks, merchandising options, or branding moves. 

In conclusion, TikTok is a one stop shop for all things promotion in the music industry. Whether you’re trying to grow your fanbase, experiment with new trends or sounds, or even just interact with fans, it can help you do all of that in a single video. 

Know any other great promotional tips for TikTok users just starting out? Comment below. We’re always looking for great new tools to help musicians reach their goals. And remember, like all other social media, TikTok is just that, a tool. Have fun with it, and be yourself. You never know which audience has been waiting to find you.

Happy Tokking! 

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Sammy Hakim is an up and coming young songwriter based in Los Angeles. In May 2018 she graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Major in songwriting and a focus in music business. These days she spends most of her time in songwriting sessions with artists all over the country.