The Secret Behind the Success
What do Ice Spice, Jack Harlow, and Beabadoobee all have in common? For these artists, the key to launching their careers wasn't endless touring or chasing record deals – it was a viral moment on TikTok. This social media platform, known for its short-form videos and dance challenges, has become a breeding ground for musical discovery.
TikTok has grown far beyond its origins as a platform purely for entertainment, now serving as a vital tool for industry research, self-promotion, and global outreach. In this article, Hollywood Branded shines a light on why TikTok is essential to emerging musicians and why it sits at the top of the music industry.
SoundCloud = millennials, TikTok = gen-z
TikTok hasn't always been the online hub for new songs and talented artists. For years this scene has been dominated by the social media app Soundcloud as it provides a free accessible platform for ambitious artists to share their music with eager listeners. Musicians have also been drawn to Soundcloud due to the virality and recognition displayed on the app. Any artist had the potential to upload their song on the app and become an overnight success by the very next day. Soundcloud's “golden era” undoubtedly came in the mid to late 2010s as top charting artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Bryson Tiller, Post Malone, and Juice WRLD partially owe their musical success stories to this creator-friendly streaming service.
Soundcloud was renowned as it curated towards both the casual music enthusiast along with professionals within the music industry. Users such as college students looking for new music and record label A&Rs alike flocked to Soundcloud for new talent, as their platform was unmatched for underground music.
Soundcloud was imperative for young musicians to generate traction around their art. However, Soundcloud has seen quite a drop off in cultural relevance since the uprising of TikTok which seems to have almost, accidentally built upon SoundCloud's success and surpassed Soundcloud as the “go to” platform for new music lovers both conventional and professional listeners.
Soundcloud walked so that tiktok could run
TikTok has changed how we consume entertainment and provides an alternative path for musician discovery. Due to the app's ability to perpetuate virality like no other social media platform along with allowing billions of users the ability to use music snippets to boost their own content creation, it's a musical gold mine for growth and artist breakthrough. TikTok provides the same wave of new talent as Soundcloud with the shareability and influencer-backed legitimacy of Instagram.
It might seem that through this blog I am glazing TikTok for its vast capabilities however when and record label A&R in Los Angeles can sign an artist that they first found off of Tikok uploaded from a frat boy in Wisconsin or from a TikTok posted from a local coffee shop in Sydney Australia it's hard not to praise that kind global integration.
What Tiktok music looks like in 2024
No matter your genre, origin, or marketing team, TikTok has emerged as a powerful platform for music discovery. If your song and voice resonate with TikTok users, it's bound to catch attention and gain traction. Today, musicians have unprecedented opportunities to be discovered through TikTok.
Take, for example, country artist Zach Bryan. From serving in the United States Navy to becoming one of the top five biggest country artists in 2024, his journey to superstardom began with social media uploads. His breakout hit, "Heading South," propelled him into the mainstream music industry, thanks to TikTok's algorithm. By reaching a diverse user base, Zach attracted fans from demographics not typically associated with country music.
Similar to Zach, Tyla’s breakout song “Water” dominated TikTok for months at a time as it was constantly on users for you pages. From dance trends, to funny videos, to simple background music it was impossible to escape the impact “Water” was having on TikTok. Tyla’s success on TikTok has translated to popular music and accolades as she won the Grammy award for Best African Music Performance in 2024. Breaking into American mainstream music and culture is hard for any foreign artists especially ones from the African continent as many talented artists from Africa have been long overlooked by American audiences. However, TikTok is helping these artists surface in recent years as Tyla has followed in the footsteps of other prominent African artists such as Burna Boy and Rema who have all gained major recognition through TikTok.
Before he was collaborating with Drake and Kanye West all within a single calendar year, 4batz was raising the charts as an underground artist on TikTok. 4batz use of unconventional autotune that generates his melodic sound has engineered a fan based composed of everyday TikTok users and giants within the music industry alike. This along with his use of strategic marketing techniques has helped him become a household name in a matter of months. Much is still unknown on whether or not 4batz will sustain his initial commercial success however the future looks exceedingly promising for a 20-year-old who has created quite the buzz on social media and within the music industry.
The Future of Music
TikTok has revolutionized the way we discover and consume music, offering a powerful platform for emerging artists to reach a global audience. By understanding and utilizing the unique features of TikTok, along with a comprehensive marketing strategy, musicians can maximize their exposure and impact in the industry. As TikTok continues to shape the future of music, its influence will undoubtedly grow, solidifying its place as an essential tool for artist development and success.
Eager To Learn More?
Dive into our collection of articles crafted by the Hollywood Branded team to discover cutting-edge marketing strategies tailored for both the music industry and social media sphere.
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