Short Guide for Small Artists: TikTok Addition
By Stephanie Gratzel
TikTok is a world of its own, with videos for every single type of person out there, from cooking to comedy and everything in-between. An unintended consequence of TikTok has been its power to get small, up-and-coming artist attention and give them a platform on which their music has the chance to go viral. This idea is incredibly polarizing, leaving many to wonder how and why songs can garner hundreds to millions of streams overnight and fresh artists can become stars in seconds.
This attention all has to do with TikTok’s algorithm’s power. TikTok closely examines videos, and has worked towards a unique algorithm that evaluates the quality of each video. This doesn’t only include the content in the video, but also the sounds in the video. People in the music industry have made an alarming switch from music promotion on social media apps like Instagram and Twitter and spread that funding to TikTok. This switch comes with close attention to trends as teens are moving from these apps to TikTok. The more people interact with a post (or a song), the more TikTok promotes it. If millions of teens interact with videos in which the song is used, the more likely the song is to be on the “For You Page” of millions of users, likely being pushed so much that people can’t scroll one day without hearing it multiple times.
Music industry workers began taking notice of this power, in early 2019, with the rise of “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X. Lil Nas went from rapping and recording as a hobby to perhaps the biggest meme of 2019. Despite having an extremely negative connotation (being a “meme”), it meant stardom, a recording deal with Columbia Records, and breaking the record for the longest ranking single on the Hot 100. Female rapper, Ashnikko, has also gained attention through TikTok. Her single was recorded and used by a small account, and within a few weeks had reached 10 million streams, as well as getting added to TikTok as its own sound. Not only has her music taken off, with new singles, such as her 2020 single “Daisy,” being used almost immediately after its drop, but she has become an influencer which gives her a platform to spread her messages and promote her music.
Now, what does this mean for underground artists? There are a few important factors that artists should consider when looking to promote on TikTok, in the quest to go viral. The videos are extremely short, so the more participation and interaction with the app the better, and that the eye of influencers is extremely important. When song’s become viral, influencers look to use them. Their feed is based on what they like and listen to the most. Contemporary artists look to produce the type of music that big influencers seem to be creating and interacting with. One example of this can be seen in alternative artist BENEE’s track “supalonely,” which features Gus Dapperton. The song is much different compared to BENEE’s older singles, such as “tough guy.” However, her 2019 single “Glitter” went viral and she quickly produced “supalonely,” a track with a similar catchy chorus and upbeat sound. This advice isn’t to encourage artists to change the genre/type of music they make, it just has been taken notice by artists, monitoring the algorithm and manipulating their sound while still staying authentic. It's also important to note the length of the video. Shorter songs, with catchier chorus’ seem to be a commonality of the trend.
TikTok’s rise of power also means a rise of power for artists everywhere. People in the music industry can keep an eye on the app and use it to push the music that they want to go viral. It’s not just luck, it’s power and intelligence. Small artists can rise up and promote the music that deserves the attention of millions so badly.