TikTok For Artists: How to Make My Song Go Viral on TikTok

How to make my song go viral on TikTok? You’re probably imagining it being used in videos by thousands, maybe even millions of people.

It sounds like a big ask but with some strategy, creativity and understanding of how TikTok works, you can make that happen. TikTok is one of the top social media platforms for music discovery so it’s a great place to start your music career.

Let’s get your song noticed and turn it into a hit on TikTok, proving you don’t need a record label to make a big splash!

Know the TikTok Algorithm

To get your song to go viral on TikTok you need to understand how the algorithm works. Think of the algorithm as a magic formula that decides what videos people see. The better your video fits what the algorithm likes the more people will see it. Here’s what the TikTok algorithm cares about:

• Engagement: This is all about how much people interact with your video. When people like, comment, or share your video TikTok sees this as a good sign that your content is interesting.
• Watch Time: TikTok pays attention to how long people watch your video. If they watch all the way to the end or even better, watch it multiple times it shows TikTok that your content is engaging.
• Completion Rate: This means how often people watch your entire video without skipping. Higher completion rates tell TikTok that your video is worth promoting to more people.
• Video Details: TikTok looks at the captions, sounds and hashtags you use. Using trending sounds and popular hashtags can get your video noticed by the algorithm.

Make a Catchy Song That Fits TikTok Trends

On TikTok having a catchy song is everything. People are scrolling through tons of videos so your song needs to stand out from the get-go. A great hook those few seconds of your song that get stuck in your head can make all the difference.

How to Make Your Song Memorable:

1. Keep it Simple: Lyrics that are easy to remember and sing along to are more likely to go viral on TikTok. Have you seen the same few lines of a song in multiple videos?
2. Make it Fun: Songs that make people feel good or want to dance are winners on TikTok. How does your song make people feel? Does it make them smile, dance or even cry?
3. Add a Drop: A drop is when the music changes suddenly, like going from a quiet verse to a loud chorus. Drops make people stop scrolling and pay attention.
4. Be Different: While it’s good to follow trends, adding your own spin will make you stand out. Be bold and try new things.

Start a TikTok Challenge

TikTok challenges are the best way to get your song noticed. A challenge encourages people to make videos using your song which can help it spread fast on the app.

The more people that participate in your challenge the more likely your song will go viral on TikTok. Here’s how to start your own TikTok challenge:

Pick a Fun Concept

Think of something people will enjoy doing. This could be a dance, a lip-sync, or even a funny prank. Just make sure it’s something anyone can do.

Creating a funny video is a great way to grab attention, as TikTok users love content that makes them laugh and want to participate. If your song has a humorous twist or is a funny song, it can make your challenge even more appealing.

TikTok users love participating in challenges that are fun and easy to replicate, so aim for something that encourages creativity and engagement. You can even consider turning your challenge into a music challenge, where participants create unique content that fits the theme of your song, adding another layer of fun and interaction.

Use a Good Hashtag

Hashtags make it easy for people to find and join your challenge. Make sure your hashtag is unique, easy to spell, and related to your TikTok song.

A good hashtag helps people remember and search for your challenge. To reach your target audience, choose hashtags that are relevant not only to your TikTok song but also to other songs you’re promoting.

This ensures that your hashtags connect with the type of viewers you want to attract, encouraging them to engage with your content and get involved in your challenge.

Make Show Me How TikTok Video

Create a video of yourself doing the challenge. Make it fun and easy to follow so that TikTok users are excited to try it themselves.

Break it down step-by-step to show how simple it is, making sure everyone feels confident they can join in. The more entertaining and approachable you make it, the more people will want to jump on board and share your challenge!

Be More Creative

While it’s good to give people an idea of what to do, leave some room for imagination. This flexibility can be a huge boost to your music career. The more unique and fun the challenge, the more people will want to join in.

Let participants add their own spin to make it more interesting. For example, someone who makes comedy videos might add a humorous twist to your challenge, which can attract even more participants and keep the trend lively and diverse.

How to Find the Right Influencers:

1. Check Your Genre: Look for influencers who promote music like yours. If you’re making pop music, find influencers who feature pop songs in their videos.
2. Look for Engagement: It’s not just about how many followers an influencer has but also how much they engage with their audience. Check how many likes, comments and shares their videos get.
3. Reach Out: Once you’ve found a few influencers who seem like a good fit, message them. Be clear about why you think your song would be great for their audience and how you’d like to work with them.
4. Offer Something in Return: This could be a small payment, a shoutout or even early access to new music. Building a good relationship can lead to more collaborations in the future.

Use Hashtags and Trending Sounds

Hashtags are like signposts on TikTok. They help people find your videos and tell the algorithm what your video is about. Using the right hashtags can increase the visibility of your song. Here’s how to use hashtags and trending sounds:

Research Trending Hashtags

Spend some time browsing TikTok to see which hashtags are trending. Look at what’s popular in the music and dance categories and what hashtags similar artists are using.

You can also check the “Discover” tab on TikTok to see which hashtags are currently trending. By using these trending hashtags in your videos you’ll increase your chances of being seen by more people.

Use Relevant Hashtags

Make sure the hashtags you use are relevant to your song and video appearing. For example, if your song is about summer you might use #SummerVibes or #SummerAnthem.

These hashtags tell the algorithm what your video is about and help you reach people who are interested in that theme.

Using relevant hashtags not only helps with discoverability but also makes sure a wider audience finds your content. People searching for summer content will be more likely to watch and engage with your video if your hashtags match their interests.

Change Up Your Hashtags

Don’t use the same hashtags on every video. You might be tempted to stick with what works but using different combinations of hashtags can help you reach different audiences and keep your content fresh. Try out different hashtags and see what gets the most engagement.

For example, if you’re posting a video about your new song you might use genre-related hashtags one day (#PopMusic #IndieArtist) and then mood-related hashtags the next day (#FeelGoodMusic #ChillVibes). Mixing it up will help you reach a broader audience and keep your content new.

Interact with Your Audience

Interacting with your audience is key to building a loyal fanbase. When people see you’re active and responsive on your artist’s official TikTok account they’re more likely to follow you and support your music. Let’s check out some ways to do that:

Respond Fast

When someone comments on your video respond quickly. This shows you value your fans and appreciate their support.

A quick voice message or audio snippet can feel more genuine and heartfelt, making people feel more connected to you. It encourages more people to interact with your content because they see you’re approachable and interested in what they have to say.

Even a simple “Thanks!” or “Glad you liked it!” can go a long way in building a connection with your target audience.

Always Be Yourself

People love to see the real person behind the music. When you respond to comments, don’t just give generic replies. Be yourself and make your responses fun and real.

If someone says they love your song, you could respond with a little story about how you wrote it or what inspired you. Sharing personal anecdotes about creating your own songs helps fans feel more connected to you and your music.

This kind of authenticity can deepen the bond between you and your audience, making them more invested in your journey.

Ask Questions in Your TikTok Videos

Asking questions in your comments or videos is a great way to keep the conversation going. For example, ask fans what their favorite part of your song is or what kind of music they want to hear from you next in your new video.

This shows you care about their opinion and helps you understand what your audience likes so you can plan your future content.

Create Polls and Challenges

Engaging your audience with polls and challenges is another way to get them involved in your own content. For example, you could ask them to vote on which song you should release next or create a challenge based on your latest track.

Challenges are especially good in the music industry as they get users to create their own videos using your song and share it on the platform.

Promote Your TikTok Content on Other Social Media Platforms

Don’t just promote on TikTok. Use platforms like Instagram, YouTube and even Twitter to reach a bigger audience and bring more people to your account. Here’s how you can cross-promote:

Share Clips Among TikTok Users

Sharing short clips or teasers of your own videos on other platforms gives people a taste of what you’re doing and encourages them to go to the full video on TikTok. This works especially well if your content includes funny videos, as humor tends to catch people’s attention and make them want to see more.

Collaborating with other artists and sharing each other’s content can also boost engagement and expand your reach. This strategy drives traffic to your artist’s official TikTok account and increases your visibility across multiple platforms.

Create Teasers From Your TikTok Account

Constantly create teaser videos or stories that link back to your TikTok to build hype and get people interested. For example, share a snippet of a new song on Instagram with the caption “Check out the full video on TikTok!” This approach promotes your TikTok content and keeps your audience engaged and waiting for your next release.

Tag and Mention

Whenever you post about your TikTok videos on other platforms, make sure to tag your account. This makes it easy for people to find and follow you.

Mention platforms like Apple Music or your digital music distributor to reach more people and promote your music across different channels. For example, you could say, “Check out my song on TikTok and listen to it on Apple Music!”

This helps fans discover your music in more places and keeps them engaged with your own content.

Collaborate with Other Artists

Sharing each other’s TikTok videos and promoting each other on your respective platforms can help you tap into new audiences by using TikTok’s sounds library.

Collaborations are a great way to expand your reach and connect with fans who wouldn’t have found you otherwise.

Working with other musicians can introduce your music to their followers and help both of you grow your fanbase. This is especially good if you collaborate with artists in your genre or with a similar fanbase.

Check Your TikTok Analytics

Keep an eye on your analytics to see what’s working and what’s not. By tracking your numbers you can adjust and focus on what’s giving you the best results. Here are some to keep an eye on:

• Views: Views show how many people have watched your video. A high view count means your content is reaching a lot of people. If you notice a certain type of video is getting a lot of views, create more of that to boost your TikTok channel.
• Likes and Comments: Likes and comments show how many people are engaging with your video. A high number of likes means people like your content, and comments are direct feedback from your audience. Monitoring these will help you see what resonates with your fans and guide your future content.
• Shares: When someone shares your video it means they really liked it or found it interesting. Shares are a powerful metric because they can get your video in front of a new wider audience and increase your chances of going viral. Ask your fans to share your videos to get more visibility.
• Track Your Followers: Tracking your followers over time will show you how well your content is performing. If you’re gaining followers steadily it means people are interested in your viral content and your TikTok music promotion is working.
  This is especially important for independent musicians who rely on building a strong and engaged fan base without the backing of a major label.
• Trending Songs and Sounds: See which songs and sounds are trending on TikTok and see if you can use them in your videos. Using trending sounds will get you featured on the For You page which can get you more views and followers. It also keeps your content current in the ever-changing music industry.

Be Consistent and Experiment

Consistency is key when building your presence on TikTok. Posting regularly keeps your audience engaged and shows TikTok you’re an active user which can get your videos more views.

How to be Consistent:

1. Create a Posting Schedule: Decide how often you want to post a new video each week and stick to it. This could be once a day, three times a week, or whatever works for you.
2. Experiment with Content: Don’t be afraid to try different types of videos. This could be behind the scenes, funny skits, TikTok challenges or even just talking to your audience.
3. Analyze and Adjust: Use your analytics to see what type of content performs best. If you notice a certain style or theme getting more engagement, focus more on that type of content.
4. Repurpose Content: Take a popular TikTok and adapt it for other platforms or re-edit it with a new twist. This keeps your content fresh and interesting.

Conclusion

Going viral on TikTok isn’t just about luck – it’s about having a plan, being creative and connecting with your audience. By understanding TikTok, making good content and promoting your song across multiple platforms you can increase your chances of being the next big thing. Try, stay consistent and don’t be afraid to experiment. Who knows your song could be the next big hit!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make my song viral on TikTok?

Make content that people want to watch and share. Use hashtags, collaborate with influencers, and promote on other socials. You can even create a TikTok campaign to strategically boost your song’s visibility and reach a bigger audience on the platform.

Working with other musicians to cross-promote each other’s content can also help you reach new fans who might not have discovered your music otherwise.

How do I get my song noticed on TikTok?

Make fun content, participate in trends and challenges, and engage with your audience. Cross-promote on Instagram and YouTube too.

Creating a comedic video can also be a great way to entertain your followers and attract new ones. Be sure to regularly check your TikTok analytics to see what’s working and adjust your strategy to keep your audience engaged.

How to make a TikTok sound go viral?

A TikTok sound needs to be catchy and memorable. Pair it with a challenge or trend and it’s more likely to get used by others. This combination can help your sound go viral on TikTok, reaching even more users and boosting your song’s popularity.

How to make a song on TikTok famous?

Start challenges, work with influencers, and promote across multiple platforms. Engage with your audience and monitor analytics too.