Even highly acclaimed, multi-platinum pop singers aren’t immune to TikTok’s new fascination with the music industry. Record companies have allegedly been urging artists to use the video-sharing platform as a way of self-promotion as it has increased in popularity. TikTok has become this year’s most downloaded app despite its ban in multiple countries.
On May 22nd 2022, famous artist Halsey voiced her opinion on this issue. In the viral TikTok video she released, she talked about how her record label wouldn’t allow her to release her song unless she found a way to market it on TikTok. Such a turn of events is quite surprising as Halsey is a very popular artist who has been in the industry for over eight years and has sold 165 million records. You can use TikTok Downloader to download Halsey’s latest songs.
Not just Halsey but many other artists and singers are getting similar demands from their record companies. “Tik-a-Tok-a-Who?” was how Adele responded when her management asked her to promote her music on the app. There are many songs by Adele you can save from TikTok.
Although many artists resist this change, most of the songs today are popularised by TikTok. The influencer culture has changed the way audience discovers music. Most of this ‘audience’ comprises Gen Z, who are active on TikTok. So whether you like it or not, TikTok is the ‘future’ of music.
How does TikTok work?
Short videos are produced using the TikTok app. Most videos last under 15 seconds (though videos of up to 60 seconds are possible). These videos often have music, and many showcase dancing or lip-syncing, while some also feature individuals interacting, sometimes even imparting financial advice. The song’s catchiest parts, such as the chorus or rhythm drop, are frequently the short clips that users choose while creating their videos.
Users can submit their audio clips; however, the app will censor those that include copyrighted content that the platform’s proprietors do not permit. Thanks to TikTok’s involvement in creating global hits, the app has recently acquired many songs that major labels have approved.
A new way to discover music
In 2018, a lonely college dropout living in his sister’s house brought a ‘beat’ on the Beatstars platform for $30. Using this simple beat, he recorded a song that was a mix of ‘country’ and rap which he posted on Soundcloud and TikTok. The song became an instant hit, but it did not make the news until the #Yeehaw challenge started trending on TikTok. The challenge involved TikTokers cosplaying as wranglers or cowgirls with this song in the background. The song is “Old Town Road”, and it stayed on top of ‘Billboard Hot 100’ for 19 weeks, making it the first song to do so.
Tyler Colon tried acting, modelling and podcasting. But he didn’t find success until he realised that music was his passion. So he spent six months testing ideas and recording songs. He worked at a Verizon store when he released “Stuck in the middle” on TikTok under the username ‘Tai Verdes.’ The song went viral on TikTok, and he was making deals with record labels during his lunch breaks. He also got to tour across America, and ‘Stuck in the middle’ has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify.
Australian artist Masked Wolf released his “Astronaut in the Ocean” song in 2019. But he did not find himself in the spotlight until the pandemic when his song was used in over 20 million TikTok videos. Astronauts in the ocean made it to Barrack Obama’s summer playlist and earned Masked Wolf five ARIA award nominations.
So you see, TikTok not only promotes music, it launches potential artists into the spotlight without having to deal with record labels. TikTok’s virality is robust but unpredictable. When they were first made available to smaller audiences, several of 2021’s most prominent international songs failed to gain much impact. CKay’s Love, Nwantiti, Africa’s most popular pop song, was published in 2019. It wasn’t until 2021 that it gained widespread popularity and appeared in more than 7 million TikTok videos.
Trending Music
Back when the app was just launched, a song was considered a hit when it appeared on Billboard charts. Today, Billboard charts are influenced by the popular songs on TikTok. TikTok has changed the way music is promoted. Record labels hire TikTok influencers to post short clips with their songs in the background to see how people would respond. They will also try to launch a dance challenge if the song has potential.
Even if a song has been out of the mainstream for a long time, it might nevertheless rise naturally on the app. Additionally, marketers will pay influencers to promote a song, encouraging a frenzy of user-generated content from the fans. Additionally, some artists arrange personal listening sessions with TikTok influencers in the hopes that doing so may boost the popularity of their latest songs on the platform.
TikTok’s team collaborates with bands and record labels to negotiate licence agreements and develops innovative strategies for TikTok to turn its cultural influence into income. Most new, distinct fans will end up streaming a song after listening to a clip or watching a dance routine on TikTok. You live in a time when people choose which music to listen to depending on their virality. Users learn about music they have never heard of on TikTok. It differs from popular streaming services where algorithms suggest content based on your preferences or prior knowledge. Primary music streaming services rely on your smartphone behaviour to determine your musical tastes.
Conclusion
TikTok demonstrated in 2021 that you could succeed in the music industry without the support of established media organisations. Most users share their account handles on other social networking sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This strategy is ideal for attracting new, diverse audiences each time they publish. Due to TikTok’s enormous reach and impact, an artist may now rely entirely on it to promote music and gain recognition on other social media platforms.
Meta Title: TikTok : From social media to the future of music
Meta Description: TikTok is the future of music -TikTok changed the way people discover music – Artists use TikTok influencers to promote new songs – Can boost old songs