How to Promote, Grow, Trend, and Monetize Your Music on TikTok: The Ultimate Guide for Musicians

TikTok is more than just a short-form video app. It is a powerful platform for musicians who want to showcase their talent, grow their fanbase, and monetize their music. Whether you are a singer, rapper, producer, DJ, or instrumentalist, you can use TikTok to reach millions of potential fans and make a name for yourself in the music industry.

But how do you use TikTok for musicians effectively and efficiently? How do you create videos that stand out and attract attention? How do you grow your following and views on the app? How do you get your music trending on TikTok and create viral challenges? How do you monetize your music on TikTok and earn money from your passion?

In this ultimate guide, we will answer all these questions and more. We will show you how to promote, grow, trend, and monetize your music on TikTok in 2023. By following these tips and best practises, you will be able to take your music career to the next level and become a successful TikTok musician.

How to Promote Your Music on TikTok

The first step to using TikTok for a musician is to create a TikTok account that showcases your music and personality. Your TikTok account is your online portfolio and your first impression for potential fans and collaborators. You want to make sure that your account is optimised and appealing to your target audience.

Here are some tips and best practises for creating and promoting your music on TikTok:

• Choose a username that reflects your artist name or brand identity. You can change it later if you want, but it is better to stick with one name that is consistent across all your social media platforms.
• Complete your profile by adding a profile picture, a bio, and a link to your website or other social media platforms. Your profile picture should be clear and professional, your bio should be catchy and informative, and your link should direct people to where they can find more of your music or contact you.
• Switch to a pro account to access analytics and insights. A pro account is free and allows you to see how your videos are performing, who your audience is, and what content they like. You can use this data to improve your content strategy and optimise your results.
• Start creating and uploading videos using the plus icon at the bottom of the screen. You can choose from various templates, effects, filters, stickers, music, and sounds to make your videos more appealing and unique. You can also edit your videos using the built-in tools or external apps like InShot or Splice.
• Use hashtags, captions, and calls to action to increase your visibility and reach on the app. Hashtags help you get discovered by users who are interested in your niche or genre. Captions help you tell a story or provide context for your videos. Calls to action help you encourage users to take action after watching your videos, such as following you, liking or commenting on your videos, checking out your link, or using your music in their videos.
• Some examples of hashtags for musicians are #musician #singer #rapper #producer #dj #instrumentalist #cover #original #song #genre #challenge #duet #stitch, etc. You can also use specific hashtags related to your music style or genre, such as #pop, #rock, #hiphop, #jazz, #blues, #country, #folk, etc.
• Some examples of captions for musicians are “This is my new song, what do you think?” “I wrote this song about my ex, can you relate?” “This is how I made this beat using household objects.” “This is my cover of (song name), hope you like it” “This is my entry for the (challenge name), do you want to join?” etc.
• Some examples of calls to action for musicians are “Follow me for more music” “Like and comment if you enjoyed this video” “Check out my link for more songs” “Use my sound in your videos” “Duet or stitch with me” etc.

How to Grow Your Following and Views on TikTok

Creating and promoting your music on TikTok is not enough. You also need to grow your following and views on the app. The more followers and views you have, the more exposure and engagement you will get for your music. The more exposure and engagement you get for your music, the more chances you have to go viral and reach new audiences.

But how do you grow your following and views on TikTok? How do you beat the algorithm and get featured on the For You page? How do you collaborate with other users and influencers on the app? How do you interact with your fans and build a loyal community?

Here are some tips and best practises for growing your following and views on TikTok:

• Post consistently and frequently. Aim for at least one video per day to keep your audience engaged and interested. You can also use the scheduling feature to plan your posts ahead of time and post them at optimal times when your audience is most active.
• Use the TikTok algorithm to your advantage. The TikTok algorithm is based on three factors: user interest, video information, and device and account settings. User interest refers to how users interact with your videos, such as watching, liking, commenting, sharing, following, etc. Video information refers to the details of your videos, such as hashtags, captions, sounds, effects, etc. Device and account settings refer to the preferences of users, such as language, location, device type, etc. To get featured on the For You page, you need to create videos that match the user interest, video information, and device and account settings of your target audience.
• Collaborate with other users and influencers on the app. Collaboration is one of the best ways to grow your following and views on TikTok. You can use the duet or stitch features to join forces with other musicians or influencers on the app. You can also participate in viral trends or challenges to join the conversation and showcase your skills. Collaboration helps you reach new audiences, increase your credibility, and create more content for your account.
• Interact with your fans and other users on the app. Interaction is another key factor for growing your following and views on TikTok. You should respond to comments, messages, and live streams from your fans and other users on the app. You should also show your personality and appreciation for your supporters. You can also ask for feedback or suggestions from your fans to involve them in your creative process. Interaction helps you build a loyal community, increase your engagement, and improve your algorithm ranking.
• Cross-promote your TikTok account on other social media platforms. Cross-promotion is another effective strategy for growing your following and views on TikTok. You should share your TikTok videos on your other social media platforms, like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You should also link your TikTok account to your Spotify or Apple Music profile to drive more streams to your music. Cross-promotion helps you increase your exposure, attract more followers, and generate more traffic to your account.

How to Get Your Music Trending on TikTok

One of the main goals of using TikTok for musicians is to get your music trending on the app. Trending music means that your music is being used by many users in their videos, creating a viral effect and spreading your music to millions of potential fans. Trending music also means that your music is being featured on the Sounds page or the Discover page of the app, increasing your visibility and reach.

But how do you get your music trending on TikTok? How do you create a catchy sound that users want to use in their videos? How do you start a challenge or contest that users want to participate in? How do you find and work with influencers who can help you promote your music?

Here are some tips and best practises for getting your music trending on TikTok:

• Spend time on TikTok and study what works. The first step to getting your music trending on TikTok is to spend time on the app and study what works. You need to understand what kind of music is popular on the app, what kind of videos are getting viral views, what kind of challenges or contests are getting viral participation, etc. You need to analyse the trends and patterns of the app and learn from them.
• Find your 15-second TikTok moment. The second step to getting your music trending on TikTok is to find your 15-second TikTok moment. This means finding the most catchy or memorable part of your song that users want to use in their videos. This could be a hook, a chorus, a verse, a drop, a riff, a beat, etc. You need to find the part that captures the essence of your song and makes users want to listen more or use it in their videos.
• Make sure your song is distributed to TikTok. The third step to getting your music trending on TikTok is to make sure your song is distributed to the app. You can use a digital distribution service like DistroKid or TuneCore to upload your music to TikTok and other streaming platforms. This way, you can earn royalties every time someone uses your music in their videos. You can also claim your sound on the app and add your artist name and song title to it, so users can easily find and use it. 

How to Monetize Your Music on TikTok

Getting your music trending on TikTok is good not only for exposure and engagement but also for monetization. Monetization means earning money from your music on the app. There are various ways you can monetize your music on TikTok, such as royalties, creator fund, tips, and sponsorships. You can also use Clout Network, the No. 1 platform used by brands and artists, to host Tik Tok competitions that drive real value.

Here are some tips and best practises for monetizing your music on TikTok:

• Distribute your music to TikTok. As mentioned before, you can use a digital distribution service like DistroKid or TuneCore to upload your music to TikTok and other streaming platforms. This way, you can earn royalties every time someone uses your music in their videos. Royalties are payments that you receive from the platform or the rights holders for the use of your music. The amount of royalties you earn depends on various factors, such as the number of views, the duration of the video, the location of the user, etc. You can also claim your sound on the app and add your artist name and song title to it, so users can easily find and use it.
• Join the TikTok Creator Fund. The TikTok Creator Fund is a programme that pays creators based on the number of views and engagement of their videos. You can apply for the TikTok Creator Fund if you meet the eligibility criteria: you must be 18 years old or older, have at least 10,000 followers, have received at least 10,000 video views in the last 30 days, and comply with the community guidelines. The Creator Fund pays you based on a dynamic rate that changes according to various factors, such as the region, the time period, the level of engagement, etc. You can check your earnings and withdraw them from your wallet on the app.
• Use tips and gifts. Tips and gifts are another way to earn money from your music on TikTok. Tips are donations that users can send you during your live streams or after watching your videos. Gifts are virtual items that users can buy with coins and send you during your live streams. You can exchange gifts for diamonds, which you can then exchange for cash. To use tips and gifts, you need to enable them in your settings and link your PayPal account to your wallet on the app.
• Find sponsorships and brand deals. Sponsorships and brand deals are another way to earn money from your music on TikTok. Sponsorships and brand deals are agreements between you and a brand or a company to promote their products or services in exchange for money or other benefits. You can find sponsorships and brand deals by reaching out to brands or companies that are relevant to your niche or genre, or by using platforms like FameBit or AspireIQ that connect creators with brands or companies. You need to make sure that you disclose any sponsorships or brand deals in your videos and follow the FTC guidelines and the community guidelines.
• Use Clout Network. Clout Network is the No. 1 platform used by brands and artists to host Tik Tok competitions that drive real value. You can use Clout Network Clout to create contests that reward your fans for creating videos using your music. This way, you can increase your exposure, engagement, and revenue on TikTok. You can also use Clout Network Clout to join contests hosted by other brands or artists and win prizes or money.

TikTok is an amazing platform for musicians who want to promote, grow, trend, and monetize their music. By following this ultimate guide, you can learn how to use TikTok for musicians effectively and efficiently. Remember to post regularly, use hashtags strategically, work with other users, interact with your fans, cross-promote your TikTok account, make catchy sounds and challenges, send your music to TikTok, join the creator fund, use tips and gifts, find sponsorships and brand deals, and use Clout Network.

If you want to learn more about TikTok for musicians, you can check out these resources:

• The official TikTok website is https://www.tiktok.com/.
• The official TikTok blog: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/
• The official TikTok Creator Portal is https://www.tiktok.com/creators/
• The official TikTok Creator Fund is https://www.tiktok.com/creator-fund/
• The official Clout Network website is https://clout.network/

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. If you did, please share it with your friends and fellow musicians. And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for more music tips and tricks. Happy TikToking!