Many major-label artists perceive the facility of TikTok as a music-marketing device. In reality, some main acts even sought artistic workarounds to get tracks again onto TikTok after their music was eliminated.
In distinction, numerous unbiased musicians appear to have the alternative drawback. Their music IS simply obtainable on TikTok, however there’s one thing else holding them again.
What’s stopping these artists from reaching new followers on TikTok? Is it ability points? Lack of drugs? Concepts that don’t translate into viral movies? In all probability not, really! Most of us know easy methods to body a shot, maintain a smartphone, and seize one thing that belongs on social.
No, what holds so many musicians again is one thing (fortunately) that’s straightforward to unravel. We simply have to STOP believing essentially the most damaging fantasy about TikTok.
What’s that massive, unhealthy fantasy?
It’s that TikTok prohibitively skews in direction of a selected age or demographic. That it isn’t for YOUR age-group, your interest-group, your nation or area, and so on.
Have you ever ever heard your self say some model of:
“It’s just for youngsters.”
“It’s just for dance traits.”
“It’s just for comedy.”
“It’s just for pop music.”
In that case, you’ve helped gasoline this fantasy.
Briefly: You consider that TikTok isn’t for you.
The reality about TikTok for musicians
It’s not a fantasy, in fact, that TikTok skews younger. That half is true.
However right here’s the factor: When you have got a billion or extra customers on a platform that’s designed to get the best content material in entrance of the best viewers, what does it matter if 60% of them are age 24 or youthful? That also means you’ll be able to attain 400million people who find themselves OLDER than 24.
And you’ll run related math for nearly any demographic consideration. You CAN discover your folks on TikTok. Which is why you would possibly hear the phrase “nook of TikTok.” As in, there are tens of millions of customers in a sure “nook” of the platform, interacting with area of interest content material that also positive factors large attain as a result of total dimension of TikTok’s userbase.
In different phrases,…
No music is too area of interest
No music is just too unusual. No artist is too previous. No creator is just too ANYTHING!
So long as the content material is sweet.
Accordion hip-hop? After all.
Unhappy indie-folk covers of dance songs? Certainly.
Digital pop that solely makes use of Casio keyboards? Yep.
Historical Corsican acappella? Why not.
Humor and critique? Loads of it.
Encouragement and knowledge? Completely.
Geography classes by way of heavy metallic? Hell sure.
Sea Shanties? Timeless.
Whether or not you’re 18 or 98, your music can attain, transfer, and alter folks. Not when you don’t get it in entrance of them although. And at this time, TikTok is arguably the best device for music discovery. Which is why Taylor Swift’s music is again on the platform after UMG eliminated its catalog from TikTok.
So if you wish to attain folks, you in all probability SHOULD be energetic on a vertical video platform. If it isn’t TikTok, it’s best to have a method for Reels or Shorts as an alternative.
Why will we consider the parable that TikTok isn’t for us?
It’s handy. As a result of if we consider that fantasy, we don’t should strive.
We don’t should danger failing or being ignored. And I get it: It may be scary to place ourselves on the market. Particularly in a more moderen format (close-up, social, video) that differs dramatically from different settings the place we would naturally thrive (on stage, within the studio, and so on.)
But when we connect ourselves too carefully to some critique of recent music consumption traits — “oh, TikTok is just for youngsters and silly dance movies” — what we’re actually doing is obstructing our personal capability to use those self same precise instruments to achieve individuals who will fall in love with our music.
And isn’t that the purpose of all the things we’re doing?
