How to switch to a TikTok Artist Account and why you should

In 2023 TikTok introduced the Artist Account to help musicians reach new audiences and strengthen fan engagement. Here’s how to switch to a TikTok Artist account and take full advantage of these powerful tools.

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by Chris Huff from the Disc Makers Blog

How to Switch to a TikTok Artist Account

In November 2023, TikTok created the Artist to help musicians more efficiently spread their music on TikTok. The goal, according to Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Partnerships & Programming at TikTok, is to “further empower artists by providing them with the tools they need to reach new heights … and deepen engagement while creating unique opportunities for fans to connect with their favorite artists in meaningful ways, driving music discovery on the platform.” This certainly sounds like something to take advantage of, right? Any edge a platform gives you to stand out from the pack is worth exploring. Here’s how to switch your TikTok account to an Artist account and claim your TikTok Artist profile. 

Why switch to a TikTok Artist account?

Switching to a TikTok Artist account has multiple benefits. You get additional tools for promoting your music, the aura of professionalism, and special features like the ability to upload your own tracks. Plus, you are verified as the artist you say you are, so your fans will know that it is really you! 

What you need before switching

Before you can claim your TikTok Artist profile, you’ll need to have music uploaded to the streaming services via a digital distributor; this is where TikTok gets your artist and track information. Your distributor will need to submit your music to TikTok so that when you search for an artist profile to match to, your music and picture come up. There is no follower count or engagement requirement to match; all you need to do is have proof that you are who you say you are (more on this below). 

How to switch your TikTok account to Artist

To switch your TikTok account to an Artist account, go here to the Artist Certification page on your mobile device (you can’t do it on desktop). 

Select “Apply Now.” 

You’ll be taken to a page that says: “Find your artist profile in our music library.” Enter your artist name and select “search.” 

When you see yourself in the search results, select your photo. You will then be asked to provide proof of identity in the form of logging into one of the streaming platforms (Spotify For Artists or Apple Music For Artists), or through your digital distributor. You’ll need to take screenshots with the following information visible: artist name, album titles, and/or track titles. No selfies or identity cards will be accepted.

TikTok will then review your submission and confirm that you are indeed the artist, then they will switch your TikTok account to a TikTok Artist account. 

Key features of a TikTok Artist account

There are several features that make a TikTok Artist account unique. Let’s dive in.

Artist tag and Music Tab

Once your Artist account has been approved, you’ll need to upload four songs to your Music Tab. Once this is done, the word “Artist” will be added underneath your name, along with an official blue checkmark. Your songs will appear on your main page under the Music Tab, easily accessible by your fans. New music added to the streaming services by your digital distributor will appear under your Music Tab automatically.

By Artist, New Release, and Behind The Song

The By Artist feature allows artists to pin a preferred post to the top of their Discovery page. This drives traffic and awareness to your favorite TikTok video, be it one of yours or another one using your music that you’d like to highlight. You can hype a new release or whatever you like. 

The New Release tool is intended to amplify new releases and make sure that they receive the attention they deserve. Artists can highlight a new track for up to 14 days before release and for 30 days after release. The tag will also highlight the track in the Discovery pages of catalog sounds, which allow other TikTokers to find your new tracks easily. The bright red text, “New,” signals to people that the track is a new release. 

Behind The Song is a feature that has been available as a hashtag for a couple years, but when you switch your TikTok account to an artist account you’ll have a special graphic available to you to format your Behind The Song videos. These videos are generally explanations of your writing process, how and where you recorded the track, and whatever else your audience might like to know. 

The impact of switching on your TikTok strategy

The creation of TikTok For Artists showed that TikTok prioritizes artist engagement. The algorithm definitely favors those who have connected their music and switched their TikTok account to an Artist account. You will look more legitimate and professional in the eyes of those scrolling through or directly seeking you out. Your ability as a TikTok Artist to highlight videos also gives you an edge on creating content relating to TikTok trends, one of the peculiar phenomenons of this particular platform. If you do create a video latching onto a particular trend, you have more of a chance of the video being seen with the artist tools available to you. If you’re wondering if TikTok Promote is worth it, experimenting with the platform’s paid promotion tools can help drive more visibility to your music.

Common mistakes to avoid after switching

Switching your account can be a game-changer as long as you don’t make these common mistakes.

Not optimizing your profile for music

While it’s all well and good to take advantage of the features TikTok provides, you will still want to use a good social media strategy and confirm that your TikTok page is optimized for music. Make sure you have a clear, brief, professional-sounding bio, links to your music and merch elsewhere, and engaging content where you encourage two-way interaction with your followers. Your social media pages should be coordinated across platforms so that there is a similar look and vibe; this way your followers can see that it’s your page instantly and don’t have to search or hesitate to verify your identity. Be certain that the music on your profile is your best foot forward. Often this would mean showing your most recent material along with strong material from previous albums.

Ignoring analytics and content strategy

Unfortunately, simply claiming your TikTok Artist profile doesn’t give you access to any analytics to help monitor your progress. You will need to sign up for TikTok For Business in order to have access to high-quality analytics; this is easily done and takes about 30 seconds. Once done, the analytics will be able to tell you everything from your best time of day to post to who is viewing your videos. 

You’ll also want to be aware of TikTok trends, as described above. This can be a great way to add new followers and expose your page to people who might not otherwise see it. And it should go without saying that the other rules of social media apply. Post regularly at predictable intervals and remember that a two-way conversation builds an audience faster than a parasocial one-way presentation. Interact with your followers, ask them questions, and tailor your content to the things they have told you they are interested in. 

How TikTok can boost your music career

TikTok is a good format for musicians in a number of ways, and not just because recent changes allow you to switch your TikTok account to that of a TikTok Artist. Most TikTok videos use music, and having your music easily and readily available from your Artist account will encourage people to use it. Using your videos to tell the stories of your songs and engage with those following you will build your community. Ultimately, TikTok should be a part of a larger social media strategy aiming to move followers into your sales funnel to purchase your CDs, vinyl records, and other merch. Additionally, pairing TikTok promotion with music distribution services ensures your tracks are available on streaming platforms, making it easier for fans to find and support your music.

But, unlike traditional advertising, “selling at” people on TikTok is the quickest way to turn them off. Create engaging videos with value for your audience, and the sales will come naturally. If you’re looking for ideas on how to promote music on TikTok, focus on creating viral challenges, collaborating with influencers, and using trending sounds to maximize reach.

Chris Huff has been a professional singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer for over 25 years. He has worked as a sideman with Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul, and Mary), Echo and the Bunnymen, Chuck Hammer (David Bowie, Lou Reed), and Tom Kitt (Broadway composer of Next To Normal). Chris also wrote liner notes for David Bowie’s Live And WellCD.