We analysed some of the best-performing music artists on TikTok and identified ten principles you need to understand to make your content more engaging in 2024.
But first, it's important to understand the context and landscape in which you are now operating. There was a time when music was a key cultural tenet. You watched Top of The Pops or MTV, bought the NME, bought records and attended music festivals without comedy tents.
Things have changed, in 2024 music now exists as part of a wider entertainment experience. It’s the background noise at our dinner parties, video games and Netflix shows and it only makes the news when something happens beyond the music. For example, few people wrote about The Killer's latest tour, but when the band stopped a gig to allow fans to watch England taking penalties in the Euros, it became news. Meanwhile, it's hard to find much written about the music at The Brit Awards, but plenty was written about what Sam Smith wore to the Brit Awards.
When it comes to our social media music is rarely the focus of our viewing. We are much more likely to be focused on that latest trending dance or filter. If you are a musician and your Instagram Feed is filled with badly cropped clips from your music videos or live clips of you strumming an acoustic guitar it’s time to step up your game, because in 2024 this isn’t working.
The artists that will win in 2024 will be the ones that recognise music alone is not engaging, especially if it is an unknown song from a little-known artist. The trick is to add additional layers on or around your music to increase its universal appeal and interest.
How to promote music in 2024
Here are ten things to consider when making social content to promote your music in 2024.
1. The key to virality is watch time not views
The secret to TikTok content virality is engaged viewers. Check the stats on your views to discover the average post-view time. Make it your mission to increase the time people spend with your content. Connor Price is the master of this, there is always something new to look at and engage you every 2-3 seconds.
2. Capture the emotional response to your live music
Replace your solo live performances with clips of you performing to someone. This could be a parent, girlfriend, music teacher or a stranger. The key is to capture their emotional response to your music. This provides viewers with an immediate emotional shortcut, showing them how to respond to your music.
3. Entertain or inform
You have two choices with your content. You can either entertain or educate if you do neither in the first two seconds you will be skipped. So choose your route and commit. But remember, if you are an unknown artist performing unknown music, most people won't be entertained.
4. Build your brand with visual consistency
Look to add visual consistency to every clip. Think of this as your brand style. This provides viewers with a simple way to remember you. Viewers want familiarity and format. If I know what to expect and like the last video, I’m more likely to watch the next one. This is nothing new. Think back to your favourite comedy sketches, the joy is knowing the format, the formula and the catchphrase.
5. Stop, collaborate and listen!
Collaboration is nothing new in music, remember when Elton John teamed up with Eminem or Run DMC teamed up with Aerosmith? When two artists with differing fan bases collide it expands your potential reach. In the entertainment age, collaboration doesn’t have to be limited to another musician. Can you persuade an influencer to feature in your next post?
6. Engage the eyes before the ears
TikTok is one of the few automatic ‘sound-on’ social media platforms. However, 80% of social content is viewed with the sound off. Before you engage the ears, you have to engage the eyes. Try adding a visually engaging thumbnail or headline that allows viewers to understand the relevance. Remember, you have to earn the right to sound!
7. Make content fit for format!
It’s no surprise that the best-performing content was made for the format. Don’t expect horizontal YouTube videos to blow up on TikTok. With Canva allowing everyone to resize and format social content in a heartbeat, there will be no excuses for badly cropped content in 2024. Fill the space!
8. Cover trending tunes
Like collaborations cover versions are not a new tactic for musicians to launch themselves into the world. It’s much easier to get people to watch a video featuring a song they love than an unknown track. Now TikTok trends will tell you which familiar songs are blowing up, allowing you to jump on the bandwagon and add your take. Only when people have engaged with your cover, is it time to introduce your original music to the mix.
9. Music videos come second to fanbase
In 2024 unless you have an established fanbase don’t waste your hard-earned money producing a full-length music video that sits on YouTube with under 500 views. Instead, create dozens of short-form video clips containing the layers described above. Short-form video is the best way to attract an audience.
10. Promote your best-performing content
Always start with organic posts. Monitor to see which ones perform the best, if you have a post that is outperforming the rest, promote it to reach wider audiences. Then take time to critically consider why it worked. What can you repeat again and again? The best social influencers find a format and then rinse and repeat. Remember you don't have to reinvent the wheel.
Words Mark Knight
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