Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has emerged as a major player in the entertainment business and is already aiming to revolutionize how musicians are found and rewarded.
Record companies, originally alarmed by TikTokers’ unauthorized use of their songs, soon realized they had no choice but to join the party.
Tilting the balance of power between content owners and revolutionary new technology is understandable when a new framework is introduced. TikTok’s director of song, Ole Obermann, said in an interview with the press. ArtistPush collected valuable info.
“Of course, we now have to spend a lot of cash on this project. There is some great news: “We’re fully licensed currently, and we are discussing new ideas on a regular basis.
Revolutionary change in TikTok
As a result of the applications’ widespread success, TikTok continues to influence the entertainment scene. There are so many examples of popular music that have recently re-emerged in popularity. A large fan base may be found without the help of major music companies. However, this isn’t always the case for emerging or solo musicians.
Solo musicians and TikTok
As was mentioned earlier, things are not the same with solo artists. Take, for example, CKay, a Nigerian recording artist. While “Love Nwantiti,” his 2019 song, was a modest success in the country he is from, which is Nigeria, it quickly grew in popularity among TikTok subscribers. And by December 2024, it had amassed more than 13 billion plays. This, therefore, made it one of the most-streamed songs in China, Germany, as well as North America.
Music labels and TikTok
There is nothing to worry about, say the big labels. When asked about TikTok at a press summit in Paris, Universal Song’s president of operations, Jean Charles Mariani said, “TikTok is now an astonishing engine for finding music, and certain solo musicians utilize it very successfully.” The majority of people, however, still rely on labels due to our extensive knowledge and experience with this medium.
“Customarily, it implied something like a huge automobile company licensing a popular song like ‘i drove all night’ for their advertising purposes,” he explained.
“But we have roughly one million minor and midsize enterprises that want to develop TikTok commercials utilizing music. Since our licensing doesn’t allow for commercial use, this is a problem.
TikTok now has to seek authorization both from the label and the composers for each commercial usage, which might take months.
That is a waste of time and resources. The worldwide licensing industry might expand from $500 million to several billion dollars in a few years if we could change the way it functions. There are just so many unmet needs right now. That’s something we’re putting considerable effort into. ”
Others involve live-streaming performances and direct marketing of CD players and merch by selected artists who currently do so on the site.
However, will TikTok go as swiftly as it showed up? The legacy of MySpace, a pioneering force in the entertainment industry, continues to plague its descendants.
Every morning, “it’s something we ponder about,” said Obermann.
“We believe that TikTok is now firmly entrenched in the cultural consciousness, and to be at the top, an individual has to continuously upgrade themselves.”
Noteworthy developments on TikTok to look out for in 2024
It is essential to stay abreast of the most recent patterns if artists want to have any level of success marketing songs on TikTok. It seems like 2024 will be an interesting year for the entertainment business, particularly in terms of how it will be represented on online platforms.
TikTok and new artist
TikTok was the most searched online platform in 2024, and it has become the preferred platform for up-and-coming musicians who are hoping to become internet sensations. Many musicians will use the massive social media platform as a springboard in the hope of achieving their 15 minutes of online stardom by combining brief musical excerpts alongside amusing video clips of themselves performing their tunes.
However, this involves the production of more visual material by musicians, namely in the form of short videos which can be published on platforms such as TikTok. Even though the production of video material may be a time-consuming process, musicians will be able to get a huge number of followers if they publish their work on many platforms.
Increase and popularity of songs not made in English
There is a good chance that more songs will be heard that are not sung in English in the mainstream. The reason for this is that many non-speaking musicians and songs are currently in the lead on various channels in the music industry all over the globe. Additionally, Latin genres, in particular electronic dance music, are continuing to see progress.
In a similar vein, a survey suggests that twisting and merging different genres is a developing movement that is projected to continue to increase over the course of 2024. If musicians find themselves confined to a single style, there is no better moment than the present to collaborate with other musicians to cooperate and break into other aspects of music. To put it another way, rock artists should try to have their songs reworked by electronic dance music producers.
Hip Hop and K-Pop continue to dominate online services, while radio almost entirely ignores them as musical genres. This may be somewhat attributable to the characteristics of those who listen to radio as opposed to users of streaming services. Nevertheless, given the continued growth of streamed songs, radio may ultimately have to catch up by becoming more receptive to playing music from these genres.
On the other hand, live entertainment is eventually enjoying its expected post-pandemic return, and electronic music events account for 34 percent of the majority of festivals.
Musicians and social media
According to the statistics, only the top 1 percent of musicians have a dominant presence on online and music platforms. This is obvious as the top artist on the board receives the majority of interaction and growth. This is also consistent with the fact that the overwhelming number of musicians included on the editorial playlist on Spotify are signed to big labels.
For up-and-coming artists who are intent on expanding their careers, specializing is the best way to go. For this to be done, musicians have to inquire as to what, apart from their music, their fans like. It makes little difference if this refers to television series, blogs, aesthetics, or mushrooms. It is vital to begin on a modest scale and expand from there.
