TikTok is a monolith when it comes to social media platforms for musicians, and it's not going anywhere.
If your own music isn't featured within the platform and its 'sounds' library, you are missing out on huge potential reach with your songs.
Music is a staple for TikTok users and TikTok content, and active users are frequently looking for new sounds and trends for their own videos.
If any notable TikTok influencers choose your own music, it can be a game-changer for growing your fanbase.
You only have to look at the success of 'Old Town Road' by Lil Nas X to see the real power of TikTok in music marketing.
To even have a chance at getting your music heard on this leading social media platform and to possibly go viral on TikTok, your music has to feature in the TikTok app's library, to begin with.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how independent artists can get their own songs on TikTok.
1. Choose A Music Distribution Service
Getting your songs on Spotify, TikTok or other streaming platforms like Apple Music involves using a service to help with distributing music online.
There are lots of music distribution companies for artists out there, and they have varying prices and streaming services that you can distribute your music to.
You may have heard of some of them before. CD Baby, TuneCore, DistroKid, and Ditto Music but to name a few.
If you wanted to see how these various other platforms for musicians stack up against each other, you can watch my full guide here.
To save you some time, however, I can recommend DistroKid and Ditto Music for getting your music on TikTok, as well as other streaming platforms.
You can even get a nice discount on DistroKid by signing up using the link below.
DistroKid allows you to get your music on TikTok, Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music and so much more.
It's really easy to do so after signing up, here is what to do next so you can start promoting your music on TikTok today.
2. Upload Your Music To A Distribution Service
After signing up and creating your profile on your chosen distribution service, it's time to upload your new releases.
When you upload your music, you will be presented with a plethora of options.
Start by filling in all the required fields with detailed information.
This includes the song name, artwork, artist name, genre, release date, and more. Go through the process and fill in the information as accurately as possible.
This is important if TikTok users or any other listeners are to be able to find your song easily in the future!
How are users going to include your song in their TikTok videos if they can't find it properly in the library of sounds?
If you've already uploaded your music to one of these services but aren't showing up in the TikTok platform library of music, it's not too late to get your music on TikTok.
After filling in all of your required information, here is what to do next.
3. Select TikTok As One Of Your Desired 'Stores'
Whether you are on CD Baby, DistroKid, or Ditto Music, you'll be presented with a list of music streaming platforms and social media platforms where you'd like your music to be featured.
These are sometimes listed as 'stores'.
Some of them are actual stores where users can purchase your music for a fee, and others allow you to feature in the Instagram stories music feature, or even on the Shazam database to recognize your music.
Among the list of stores available for you, search for TikTok and make sure the box is checked!
It really is that easy and after your upload is approved and live, it should be distributed into the library of sounds and available for use on TikTok content for active users.
What If I Have Already Uploaded My Music To A Distribution Service But It's Not On TikTok?
For other artists who already have songs and albums out there in the world via a distribution service you might be wondering, how do I go back and get pre-released songs into the TikTok library?
It couldn't be easier, here's how.
Login to your distribution service artist profile
Simply navigate to any of your released songs within your library
Isolate those that aren't featured on TikTok
Edit your release
Navigate to the 'stores' area
Select 'add more stores'
Select TikTok (and any other platforms you'd like your music to on)
And that's it! Your already released music is ready to hit the TikTok library.
The great thing is, TikTok music distribution is free and included in the price of your distribution service membership. It won't cost you any more than what you're already paying to get your music heard.
How Long Does It Take To Get Your Music On TikTok?
The answer to this depends on the music distribution service you have chosen, as well as your actual release not running into any issues.
If you have included any copyrighted material in your release, it might not be approved at all.
If there are no issues at all, it can take anything from 1-3 weeks for your own music to appear within the TikTok library.
Can You Earn Money From Your Songs Being Used In TikTok Videos?
If you use a distribution service like DistroKid, your music can earn money when it’s included in a video by a TikTok user.
If you uploaded your music manually without the use of a distributor, it is not eligible for monetization on TikTok.
Because the app now has licensing deals in place with most music distributors and labels, this means that music artists should be utilizing TikTok's power as part of their music marketing strategies.
Your distributor is responsible for collecting these royalties on your behalf. The same goes for Spotify royalties or any other social media platform.
As TikTok videos are usually short, you can expect the payments to be significantly less than what you would earn from Spotify for example.
However, just as you would focus on getting more streams on Spotify, you should also be focusing on TikTok promotion. The potential reach with your song being used in a popular TikTok challenge or by notable TikTok influencers significantly outweighs the actual monetization of the track itself.
