How to Promote Music on TikTok: A Simple Guide

How to promote music on TikTok? TikTok is the best platform to promote music especially for new artists. 

Its algorithm and short, creative videos make songs go viral by tapping into popular TikTok trends.

With over 1 billion active users, TikTok is becoming the new spot for musicians and a major force in the music industry. 

The social media platform has significantly changed the music marketing landscape, allowing artists to reach massive audiences with minimal budgets.

This will guide you step by step on how to make your music successful on TikTok App. Let’s get started with the strategies you need to know, starting with how TikTok can help your music.

Why TikTok is Good for Music Promotion

TikTok has changed the way we consume music. The video sharing app allows users to engage with short, catchy clips, making music go viral quickly.

75% of the active TikTok users say they discover new music through the social media platforms and songs that go viral on TikTok often top the charts.

For example, Lil Nas X became a global star after his song “Old Town Road” went viral on TikTok. TikTok’s success stories prove the power of the platform for music promotion.

But the real key to using TikTok for music promotion is to get people to use your music in their videos.

TikTok Friendly Song

The first step of how to promote music on TikTok is to make sure your song fits the platform. 

TikTok friendly tracks work best with short, engaging videos, as TikTok videos are 15-30 seconds long.

This could be a memorable lyric, a danceable beat, or a unique sound that makes people want to create videos or participate in a popular TikTok trend.

Here are some tips for TikTok friendly songs:

• Catchy hooks: The most memorable part of your song should happen within the first 30 seconds.
• Relatable lyrics: Songs with lyrics that people can relate to emotionally or lyrics that are trending or meme-able often go viral.
• Upbeat rhythm: Fast songs are used more in TikTok videos than slow ballads.

For example Doja Cat’s “Say So” became a viral dance trend on TikTok before it topped the charts.

Use the Right Hashtags

Once you have a TikTok friendly song, the next step is to get people to see it. Hashtags are one of the best ways to get your TikTok content in front of new users.

You want to use a mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach a broader audience.

Popular hashtags like #fyp (For You Page) and #music is broad and will get your content seen by a lot of people. 

Niche hashtags like #IndieArtist or #HipHopProducer will target specific users who will engage with your content.

Tip: Don’t overload your post with too many hashtags. Stick to 3-5 hashtags that are relevant to your content

Work with Influencers and Other TikTok Users

Understanding how to promote music on TikTok often involves collaborations, which can be a game changer. 

If you can get a popular TikTok creator or influencer to use your song, their audience may use your song in their videos and your song can go viral.

You can reach out to TikTok influencers directly or through platforms that connect musicians with TikTok influencers.

But even if you can’t afford a big influencer, you can work with smaller creators. 

Sometimes micro-influencers (creators with smaller, but loyal followings) are more accessible and can give your song the boost it needs.

Example: When Olivia Rodrigo released her song “Drivers License,” it went viral partly because TikTok users, including influencers, were using the song in their emotional reaction videos.

Run a TikTok Campaign

One of the best ways to promote your music product is to create a TikTok campaign. This gets users to create videos using your song in creative ways. 

For example, many TikTok challenges are dance challenges but you don’t have to limit yourself to dancing.

Here’s how:

1. Choose the hookiest part of your song.
2. Make the challenge fun, easy to join and leave room for creativity.
3. Promote the TikTok challenge by sharing it on your TikTok and other social media platforms.

The “Renegade” dance challenge to K CAMP’s “Lottery” is one of the most popular examples of how a TikTok campaign can launch a song into the charts.

Marketing Strategy for Promoting Music on TikTok

TikTok isn’t just about going viral, it’s a long term marketing tool for your music. 

With the algorithm favoring creative TikTok content and user engagement, artists can market their tracks by aligning with trends, challenges and influencers.

This way you can tap into organic growth and use tools like hashtags, influencer collaborations and ads to expand your reach.

Whether you’re running a hashtag campaign or posting regularly, the goal of any TikTok marketing strategy is to build relationships with fans, create buzz and drive listeners to Spotify or Apple Music.

Use TikTok Ads

If you have a budget to promote your music, TikTok advertisements can give your song a big boost. 

TikTok advertisements let you target audience by age, location and interests. So your music gets to the right people.

Types of TikTok ads:

• In-Feed Ads: These appear while users are scrolling through their For You Page.
• Branded Hashtag Challenges: You can promote a challenge with paid ads to encourage participation.
• Branded Effects: These are custom filters and effects that people can use in their videos.

According to Statista, TikTok has 885 million users. If used correctly it’s a powerful tool.

Use TikTok Analytics

TikTok analytics has a tool that gives you all the juicy info on how your videos are performing. You can see views, likes, comments and shares for each video. 

It also tracks your follower growth over time and how users are interacting with your content so you can see your engagement rates.

This is key to knowing what content is working and what needs work. By checking your analytics regularly you can adjust your strategy to focus on what’s working best.

Post Regularly and Engage with Your Fans

Consistency is key on TikTok. Posting often keeps you visible to your audience, and engagement drives even more visibility. 

To boost this engagement early on, you can buy TikTok likes or shares from services like TokUpgrade.

This initial boost makes your content more attractive to new viewers and helps the algorithm push your videos to a broader audience. 

Engage with fans by responding to comments, sharing user videos featuring your music, and thanking people who promote your track.

Fact: TikTok algorithm loves videos with high engagement like comments and likes which gets you more visibility on the For You Page.

Expand Your Reach Beyond TikTok

Expand your reach by sharing your TikTok content on other social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

This helps attract followers from different spaces and introduces your music to new audiences.

Use TikTok videos to drive traffic to Apple Music and other streaming platforms where listeners can explore your full tracks.

When releasing new music, announce it across your platforms, encouraging your TikTok audience to follow you on streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. 

Cross-promotion builds a consistent presence and increases the chances of turning casual listeners into loyal fans.

Get Your Own Videos on TikTok via a Distributor

To get your music on TikTok officially you need to use a music distributor. 

Platforms like DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby make it easy to distribute your music to TikTok along with other streaming services.

Once your song is on TikTok, users can find and use it in their videos and you can monetize it. 

The more users use your music, the more exposure your song gets and the more likely it will go viral.

Focus on Niche Audiences

While going viral is great, it’s not always the goal. 

Building a wider audience on TikTok can be more valuable in the long run. If your music is for a specific genre or demographic, focus on that.

Niche audiences are more likely to become dedicated fans who will support your music outside of TikTok.

For example if you’re an indie artist, using niche hashtags like #IndieMusic or #AltPop can help you reach users who are already into your type of music.

Discover the Artist’s Official TikTok Account

Want to stay up to date with your favorite artist? Their TikTok account is the perfect place for that. 

Catch early previews of new projects, exciting challenges, and other creative content.

From fresh music teasers to behind-the-scenes moments and collaborations, stay in the loop and follow them for real-time updates!.

Conclusion

Learning how to promote music on TikTok takes effort, but the reward is worth it. Be consistent, engage with your target audience and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Whether it’s starting a challenge, collaborating with influencers or using the right hashtags, every small step will get your music in front of more people.

In my opinion, it’s all about persistence on TikTok. 

You won’t go viral overnight, but by consistently participating in TikTok trends and doing these things, you’ll see your music start to gain traction.

Keep learning from your audience and always stay open to new opportunities.

FAQs

How to go viral with a song on TikTok?

To go viral, create a catchy hook or lyric that users can easily use in their short form videos. Promote your song with a challenge, get users to join in and make their own versions.

Collaborate with influencers to feature your song in TikTok influencer videos, as these clips can quickly attract attention and inspire others to follow the trend. And use the right hashtags to get your song discovered.

It’s all about being fun, relatable and easy to replicate.

Is TikTok good for music promotion?

Yes, TikTok is one of the best platforms for music promotion. With 1 billion active users it’s a huge audience for musicians to tap into. 

Many viral hits like “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and “Say So” by Doja Cat went viral on TikTok before going mainstream.

TikTok’s short-form video format allows your song to be used in user generated content which spreads fast.

How do I get my song noticed on TikTok?

To get noticed you need to be active in the TikTok community. Start by posting your own videos with your song and then get your fans to do the same. 

Collaborating with TikTok creators or using TikTok challenges is a great way to get your song out there.

You can also boost your chances by using TikTok’s ad platform or buying followers from our services like TokUpgrade to give your profile a head start. 

The more followers and engagement you have the more TikTok algorithm will push your song to new users.

How to promote audio and get paid on TikTok?

To promote your audio on TikTok, upload your track through a music distribution service like DistroKid or TuneCore. 

These services will get your music into TikTok’s library so users can use your music in their videos.

To get paid, every time someone uses your song in a music video TikTok pays royalties through your distributor. The more your song is used the more money you can make.

TikTok’s Resso platform also allows users to stream full songs so there’s extra revenue opportunities. With the right combination of promotion, consistency, and engagement, TikTok can be a powerful tool for your music career