As time goes by, TikTok has made its mark and has become an essential social network to promote your music online. It brings new concepts and new rules which can be difficult to assimilate. However, as long as it’s successful, there will always be a barrier to entry for new users and especially for artists who want to promote their music on TikTok. But those who see barriers, see advantages! In fact, if you start now, your chances of creating a solid community and gaining clout are multiplied by ten. We know how difficult it has become to make a place for oneself on Instagram where many musicians have been established for years. But the question is: how do you create content to make your music known on TikTok?
Most importantly, if you’re hanging out on Groover’s blog, you’re probably looking to promote your music. However, the fear of many musicians who want to start on TikTok is that the platform is not adaptable to to their image as an artist.
In this article, you’ll understand exactly how to do this. A few disclaimers before we start! First, these ideas are taken from trends and the idea here is not to simply copy them entirely, but to adapt what works on TikTok and what is relevant to you as a musician. Secondly, get rid of the idea that what works on this social network is young people dancing. There is a huge variety of content creators on TikTok, with very innovative ideas. Finally, it’s rarely a good idea to force yourself to do things that don’t feel like you. If these ideas really don’t speak to you and you don’t recognize yourself in the platform, maybe you belong somewhere else; and that’s fine too.
On that note, here are 4 content ideas to get your music known on TikTok!
“If I had a verse on this song …”, the trend to get your music known on TikTok
If you haven’t seen any yet, you’re not hanging around TikTok enough! Some emerging artists take the production of a track that is trending (on TikTok or on the charts) and put their own verse on the track, as if they had been a feature on it. Here’s an example made by rapper Zai1k who raps his own verse over Stacey Ryan’s trending verse in order to make his own music known on TikTok.
Advantages of this type of content?
The public will immediately recognize the song since it is known or easily recognizable. Moreover, for the same reason, the algorithm of TikTok will be able to push your video since it contains a track with a potential “buzz”. Despite the fact that you are posing on another artist’s song, it is your own verse! This way, you can fully demonstrate your abilities, which really differentiates this format from a cover. On the other hand, since it’s not an original production or an exclusive sound made by you, you can explore different musical styles: afrobeats, trap, drill, …
Disadvantages of this type of content ?
Obviously, it’s not really an original track and chances are that you will have to copy the original topline used in order for your part to fit musically. Your artistic identity may not be extremely audible, since you’re riffing off of someone else’s sound.
Any tips for this type content?
Considering this, make the identity of your musical project visible by carefully choosing how you film your video: decorate the place where the video is shot, change the lighting, use filters, etc. Finally, take this TikTok content for what it is: a way to be identified by the audience of artists you like, and to generate relevant growth on your own social profiles. To go further, don’t hesitate to do a little staging, like Adamé did by giving the impressions of a missed call to his video performance.
A tutorial
TikTok is a rather spontaneous social network, where people tend to show themselves naturally… and it works! Without necessarily falling into voyeurism (which also exists…), many users are curious to understand what influencers do and how they do it. Make-up tutorials, a time-lapse of a painting, phone hacks… this type of content is one of the most effective on TikTok! To promote your music on TikTok, the equivalent is to show content like: “how I recorded this sound”, or “what the production is made of” or “the making-of this video”…
@thelucky20 someone get on this😵 #producer #liluzivert #ssgkobe #ragebeat #bangermusic #makingmusic ♬ original sound – Lucky 20
Benefits of this type of content?
Firstly, you bring your followers behind the scenes of the creation of your music and videos. In addition to being interesting, you allow them to feel close to you, to access a part of your professional life. The magic of music that can fascinate many people! Don’t hesitate to break down this wall with those people who will come to your concerts one day. Moreover, in a pragmatic way, it’s content created from things you live naturally: no need to put thousands of things on stage, it’s already you! In short, it’s perfect way to make your music known on TikTok!
Disadvantages of this type of content?
Simple shots of your video, or track by track of your production will have little negative impact. The cool thing about this content is when the artist is able to embody an action to take the audience into their world. However, showing off or bragging will make it harder to have effective content to get your music out on TikTok.
Any tips for this type of content?
If you’re not too social, try to convince a friend to be the presenter! This way you don’t put your image on the line and you’ll create the feeling that this is a media outlet that follows you in your daily life as an artist. Don’t underestimate the interest that people are capable of having in what you do: are you recording in the studio? Shoot it! You’re going to buy a kind of tape for a video? Shoot it! You listen to a song after a studio session? Shoot it! These common moments for you can be exciting content and used to promote your music on TikTok.
Viral content to get your music known on TikTok
On Tik Tok, there are always “trends”: particular content that everyone picks up on. For example, this dance on Stromae’s song, do you recognize it? It’s up to you to use these musical trends to your advantage to make your music known on TikTok. And for that, you have two options:
- Copy viral content. You can take an existing trend and adapt it to your reality. Don’t hesitate to use one of your sounds to illustrate this!
- Create your own trend. If there’s a moment in your single that motivates your to dance or simply to give attitude: exploit it to get your music known on TikTok! At best, you can hire an influencer to launch a challenge on your track. Their followers will pick it up and give your sound a spin! At the very least, don’t hesitate to stage it yourself. The impact of your video may be less, but it will be a great use of TikTok!
@tatemcrae1 oh shit….. should i drop this oneeee
The subliminal message
Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with trends, so here’s some content that’s the equivalent of a selfie on Instagram and will probably never go out of style… ever. On TikTok, it’s not photos but videos. So an animated selfie could contain: a silent face cam of you, for starters; then some stock footage of your week! For example, footage of nature, the subway, the car, your studio session… A kind of compilation of the past month for example. You know what I mean: in the background, you will obviously put your single. There are TONS of videos like these on TikTok: check out Sam Ryder’s.
Disadvantages?
There are none! You can publish this kind of content very easily and regularly, as long as you vary it with others. The advantages are obvious: to put your sound in context, as if it was the soundtrack of your own life, and simply… to post quickly and create content to maintain a regular presence on this social platform. And always with a real impact to make your music known on TikTok!
Conclusion
With these 4 content ideas to make your music known on TikTok, normally, you are ready to take off: no more excuses! This content will help you create and engage a sense community on TikTok in order to promote your music. So in the midst of all this content, it will be important to post clips of your music videos, or other original creations! On the other hand, don’t neglect those ideas you’ve been given. TikTok-friendly content is what will make people interested in the clips you post. Without them, you run the risk of having very low statistics on TikTok, because the algorithm favors content with viral potential, i.e. the ones on which we based this article on…
Now it’s up to you to find your balance and use TikTok in a way that will serve your musical project and artistic identity!
Translated by Betty Gonzalez Gray
I am Theodore, editor-in-chief of NewTone media and I accompany emerging artists in the development of their musical career, through our agency, Qualité Musique.
Next articles:
> How to use TikTok to promote your music?
> VOG gets his music on a TikTok playlist after using Groover
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