How to get your music on TikTok

Think TikTok’s just good for killing time with funny 15-second videos and contagious short-form dance challenges? Think again. The most-downloaded iOS app on Earth has become a powerful music marketing tool. And savvy artists are taking advantage of the video-sharing app’s success to promote their own music.

Independent musicians pour their hearts and souls into their music. But if you’re seeing any success with your indie career, you’re probably also playing the roles of promoter, publicist and grassroots marketer. TikTok provides you a unique opportunity to wear all these hats: You can get your music out to a wider audience and market your tracks – and sometimes even earn some money from the app itself. You can even use TikTok’s SoundOn service to distribute your music on and off the platform.

With more than a billion monthly active users averaging over 45 minutes per day on the app, TikTok opens the door to 45 billion potential minutes of attention to grab. And many musicians have propelled their careers to success by capturing the hearts of TikTok users. Ever heard of Lil Nas X and Doja Cat? You know their names because of TikTok.

How to add music to TikTok

Ready to go viral? All that’s standing between you and a billion future fans is getting your music onto TikTok. So how do you do it? Most musicians take one of two approaches: adding their music manually or working with a distribution platform. Keep reading to learn how both of these methods work.

Upload your music manually with SoundOn

SoundOn, the TikTok music distribution platform, allows creators to upload their music directly to the app. When you use SoundOn, you keep 100% of royalties the first year and 90% after that. SoundOn also gives you access to audience analytics so you can see what your listeners are vibing to. Here’s how to get started on U.S. TikTok:

1. Sign up for a SoundOn account as an artist. (Labels can also sign up).
2. Fill out your artist's profile. Be sure to fill in the required information, and include a solid bio and a great profile pic.
3. Use the Upload button to select new music from your personal library.
4. Upload your album art and fill out all the information about your track, like the release date, language, collaborators and genre.
5. Use the Trim Online function to cut a snippet (anything up to 60 seconds).
6. Choose your streaming platform. In this case, you’ll select the in-house TikTok option, but you’ll also have the option to distribute your music to external platforms.
7. On the final screen, click on the checkbox to confirm your information is correct. Then hit Submit.
8. Wait for TikTok to review your submission. It should take roughly one to three business days. While you’re waiting, you can explore your artist dashboard and sign your contract through DocuSign. Check out the Distribution Management tab under Contract Management to get the details about what you’re signing.

Use an external distribution platform

If you’re an indie musician, you may already have a distributor. Music distribution platforms act as intermediaries between you and streaming platforms. As the name suggests, they distribute your music and help you collect royalties.

Distribution platforms take some of the administrative work out of your independent music career. Some streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify, won’t even let you add tracks to their apps without a distribution platform. For TikTok, you can use music distributors Distrokid, TuneCore, Symphonic and CD Baby.

All distribution apps work a little differently, but here are the general steps you’ll take to get your music on TikTok:

1. Upload your music to your distribution service’s platform.
2. Select TikTok as one of your desired platforms.
3. Sit back and relax. With a distribution service, you don’t have to worry about how to add your own sound to TikTok – they’ll handle it for you.
4. Wait for your royalties to roll in.

How to promote music on TikTok

Once your music is on TikTok, it’s time to tap into the app’s other superpower – marketing prowess. Follow these tips to get the most out of this promo opportunity:

• Cross-share your content: One of the easiest ways to take advantage of TikTok promotion is to upload your TikTok videos to other social media platforms like Instagram – this will draw your fan base from one app directly to another. Use the space in your social media bios to give fans more information about your content and invite them to get to know you better. Try adding a Linktree URL to your TikTok and other bios to redirect your followers to up to five different locations – Linktree’s unique Spotify feature even gives fans a 30-second clip of your music.
• Start on the right foot: If you want to go viral on TikTok, post your catchiest track. Places like streaming platforms and Soundcloud are great for full albums – they don’t impose a one-minute limit like TikTok, so listeners can settle in for a long listening session. But for TikTok, you’ll want to upload your absolute bangers – your song may even earn “holy grail” status by serving as the soundtrack for a viral dance challenge.
• Use hashtags: Functionalities and algorithms constantly change, but hashtags never go out of style. They’re an essential tool for connecting with other social media users. Use trending tags related to the music industry to help users discover your content in TikTok's Discover and For You sections.
• Interact with your audience: Want to know how to go viral on TikTok? Create a challenge and invite your audience to dance or lip sync to your track. As the dance challenge gains momentum, your song will reach more and more TikTok users – and you can sit back and watch the subscribers pour in.