TikTok was the top app (by worldwide downloads) in the first quarter of 2022. This means there’s a seemingly infinite audience for you to target, connect with and most importantly showcase your musical talent to!
An independent musician can show audiences their ability in a number of ways – but to be clear, just putting ‘musician’ in your bio or plugging various links to songs isn’t going to attract any listeners if the content on your page isn’t engaging and in-line with the uniqueness of the TikTok platform.
Here are three quick tips for a musician looking to grow your music fanbase using TikTok, using content strategies, your musical talent and the virtues of the platform itself.
Show people what you’re all about (in the right way…!)
If you want to grow your music fanbase using TikTok, simply posting clips of your upcoming tracks or behind-the-scenes footage won’t be enough. You need to find a way to show your music in the videos you create, while also making sure that they always match with the spirit of the platform. This means creating viral content…
The TikTok algorithm works differently to other social media platforms; although a video is more likely to gain views from an account with many followers, the number of followers (nor the fact that the account has previously had high performing content) are not direct factors in TikTok’s recommendation system.
Since you are looking to grow your music fanbase using TikTok, make sure that all your fans on the platform are aware of what you are doing (music-wise) outside the platform. Don’t be too blunt; TikTok is not the place for “new single AVAILABLE NOW on all major platforms”. But if you are posting original videos – be it trends or unique content – you have every reason to use your own music as soundtracks.
Build your account strategically
Chances are, if you want to grow your music fanbase using TikTok, your end goal is to get people to listen to your music. So your artist profile on TikTok should only be built with that purpose in mind, and that purpose alone.
Whatever other funny personas, skills or content ideas you have to post will just spread yourself too thin across the platform and dilute your overall approach. People may begin to know you now not as an artist, but as something else.
This means choosing a theme or “universe” that suits you – if you’re a rapper will you create regular short freestyles? If you’re a singer-songwriter will you do lots of well-known covers that display your musical talent?
Obviously there will be some variation in what you put out, as posting the exact same format of content every day will become monotonous. But choosing a rough content type will allow the algorithm to better identify you in order to assign you to a certain content category, and to connect you with people who want more of it.
Follow trends, challenges and platform features
If a new challenge appears on the platform, TikTok users will be more inclined to take an interest in this type of content – and the algorithm knows it. So if you like a music trend and have an idea for a cool video, feel free to create it and share it, but remember to be on-brand with your content and artist personality.
The more trends you aim to take advantage of, the more followers and engagement you’ll get – so the better you can grow your music fanbase using TikTok.
Don’t forget hashtags either – they are probably the most important method of relating video to a type of content. If you choose popular hashtags, it will increase the chances that your video appears in TikTok’s ‘Discover’ and ‘For you’ tabs. Each trend has an engaging name so that people can identify it, so choose a clear hashtag that is easy to remember and identifies the challenge.
Time to get started
After following these tips, it’s time to get stuck in and grow your music fanbase using TikTok. At the best of times, your journey will be turbulent; TikTok is a highly saturated platform with millions of users, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t start the next global music trend.
Do beware, the viral nature of TikTok means that, in practice, trends come and go. This means that the window of opportunity to convert user awareness into something meaningful and lasting can be fairly short.
Remember: you should treat your artist TikTok account as an extension of an overall music marketing strategy – simply one piece of the puzzle. The end goal is to point people back towards your music, so have that in mind when creating an account rather than trying to grow a following for the sake of it.
Ask your friends and family to interact with your TikTok – a good ten videos can easily start a trend.
Famous also offers various music promotion services for independent artists, bands, DJs, record labels and managers. The passionate team uses a variety of tactics to successfully distribute your music in front of the right audience. Our range of promotional services include Spotify and radio promotion, social media growth, Press & PR, influencer marketing and more. The bespoke services will not only allow you to reach a new audience with your music, but also increase your revenue and build a professional profile which will connect with fans. Whilst we offer a range of promotional services, we also provide creative services including music, video, photography, branding, and content creation. Whatever you need to get your music off the ground, Famous are here to kick off your journey.
