TikTok has likely forever changed the game for online entertainment, connectivity, how we receive information, and shifted their behavior towards using short form video as a primary means to market.
Companies had promoted themselves and their products on TikTok but now artists are also using the app to encourage listeners to stream their tunes. Plenty of our favorite artists have created their own profiles, connected with fans, and teased upcoming singles. Even more, artists are utilizing the "sound" feature on the app for more traction on their singles and even going a step further and accompanying a dance to their song.
The music world has welcomed this platform as a tool to pull more talent and market current and new streams.
Before, many other social media platforms had taken the spotlight, were crowned as the main source of music promo for up and coming talents, and led the way in which artists were marketed.
In 2005, Youtube was a way for artists to post online videos of their talents for the internet hopes of being discovered and sealing a records deal. This site housed the creation of thousands of music careers and continues to connect fans to artists.
In 2007, Soundcloud was created and provides users with the ability to promote their talents online for free with the primary focus on audio and streaming. Artists like Billie Elish and Juice Wrld got their start in music within the site.
In 2010, Instagram's users were able to post photos or even videos for its users to promote themselves and connect with an audience. This allowed for a more interpersonal relationship between artists and fans and provided another site for artists to promote their music and update followers on the newest releases.
But in 2016, TikTok was created and it took the world by storm bringing together a community of millions in just a few years and hit its first billion downloads in 2019. These 15 second to 3 minute videos provide users with the ability to promote themselves, their music, and even add them as a sound on the app. A major part of TikTok has become trending dances to various songs that prompts others to follow along and create their own video with the same dance challenge. Many users have become widely followed after following or creating their own dances to new or upcoming songs, which in turn have promoted artists and their releases.
These popular dance challenges have been recreated by millions on the app and the constant use of the sound accompanied by the dance have subsequently marketed their music to the masses.
Artists like Giveón, whose hit song "Heartbreak Anniversary" had gained even more popularity from a dance created by @marcdanielbernardo. This dance challenge has accumulated at least 3.4 million videos. Despite his music gaining recognition on its own, the accompanying dance promoted the song to even more users.
"In the past month, the "Heartbreak Anniversary" challenge has found a second life in the U.S., where some of the platform's biggest dance creators have imitated Bernardo's choreography and turned "Heartbreak Anniversary" into a global chart-topping hit." - RestofWorld.org
Not only have thousands of dances become familiar to users and even non-users of the app, but songs have accumulated mass popularity across the internet, topped charts, and won numerous awards. As these songs have gained or even regained traction, many artists are hopping on the bandwagon by using the platforms to promote their releases and perhaps even gain some more fans and recognition. In addition to up and coming artists using TikTok as a way to market themselves and their newest singles, some well-established artists have utilized the app to their advantage.
The multi-grammy award winning artist Bebe Rexha with hit songs like "Me, Myself, and I" and "Meant To Be" has her own profile on the popular app where she not only connects with her fans but promotes some of her new music. Her single "Baby, I'm Jealous", featuring Doja Cat has accumulated over 100 million streams on Spotify. Prior to its release in 2021, Rexha posted videos with her unreleased single as the accompanying sound. Her video included TikTok celeb Charli D'Amelio, in which she promoted her newest single with a dance challenge that prompted others to join in. In addition, the music video to the new song had teasers posted with D'Amelio to not only excite fans of her music but Charli's fans too.
The legendary Jenny From The Block released a single in 2020 called"Pa' Ti" featuring Maluma, which gained a whopping 75 million streams on Spotify alone. Jennifer Lopez’s music video for this release also featured Charli D'Amelio, in which she curated and performed a dance that prompted fans to join in and post their version. Not only did it include one of the app's most identifiable creators, but it promoted the song to a younger audience. Charli promoted her music video feature and the song on her social media pages, which accumulated over 100 million views.
K-Pop TikTok | Youtube
More well known and popular artists have noticed and started using the app to promote their upcoming hits or resurface their old ones. Jason Derulo, Jay Sean, and Aly & AJ are some of those artists whose songs have resurfaced after thousands of users rediscovered their music and repurposed them for a dance or even added them into their posted content. These celebrities have then made TikTok accounts promoting their new music or even their old songs as new fans are discovering their hits.
As social media advances, platforms are created, and new music is produced, the ways to promote or market artists will constantly change. Who knows where the music industry will go next so stay tuned....
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