ICMP on TikTok

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms for creatives, artists and music makers with millions of users flocking to join the channel. 

According to recent forecasts, the huge growth makes it the fourth largest of the top five social media channels after Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Alongside our profiles on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Spotify, ICMP has now joined TikTok too. 

Follow us here 

How has TikTok grown?

Launched in 2017, TikTok was created by Beijing-based tech company ByteDance. 

Roughly 60 percent of the company is now owned by global institutional investors such as Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group.

According to statistics, the short-form video app has seen rapid growth over the past few years with users wanting to connect to their online audience via video clips. 

• TikTok had 1.4 billion monthly active users in 2022 and is expected to reach 1.8 billion by the end of 2023.
• TikTok has been downloaded over 3 billion times. 

About 63 percent of users aged between 12 and 17 are using TikTok weekly. TikTok was downloaded 745 million times in 2021, whereas people installed Instagram 545 million times.

Why is TikTok popular? 

Marketers are drawn to TikTok as it reflects a key social media trend for creative skills and collaboration among young audiences. 

Its fast-paced nature keeps users engaged for relatively long periods, with users spending an average of 56 minutes per day on the app, according to eMarketer.

There are many opportunities for music makers and content creators to utilise the platform to grow their fan-base. 

Songs can rise organically on the app even if they've been outside the mainstream for decades. For example, Celine Dion's nineties hit 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now'  was a recent viral smash on the platform. 

Marketers can also hire influencers to help a song take off, sparking a wave of user-generated posts from their fans. Some artists even set up private listening sessions with TikTok influencers in the hope that it will help new songs gain traction. 

67 percent of the app's users are more likely to seek out songs on music-streaming services after hearing them on TikTok, according to a November 2021 study conducted for TikTok by the music-analytics company MRC Data. 

Which artists have successfully used TikTok? 

Ice Spice 

Ice Spice (real name Isis Gaston) first became popular on the TikTok after taking part in the so-called 'Buss It' challenge.

Her viral clip played to the beat of Texan rapper Erica Banks' 'Buss It' single. Her 2022 track 'Munch (Feeling' U)' was supported by Drake and also went viral, leading to collborations with Nicki Minaj and a Taylor Swift remix. 

Kylie Minogue 

Kylie has been one of pop's most enduring stars and recently went viral on TikTok with her hit, 'Padam, Padam'  after the track sparked a wave of imitation dance routines. 

The success of the song saw it reach number eight in the UK charts and was one of the songs soundtracking the summer. 

BTS 

BTS are one of the biggest groups in the world and have tested new features on TikTok to take their music even further.

The band were among the first users to try a 'new release' feature allowing artists to highlight a new track to fans up to 14 days before a release and for 30 days after.

According to the platform, they were the most searched-for music artist on TikTok worldwide between December 2022 and March 2023.

Who uses TikTok?

TikTok is most popular with young people around the world (39 percent are 18-24 years of age). It's this age group who are generally early adopters of new social media platforms. 

Even though TikTok very much appeals to young generations, it does seem to be retaining its audience as they age.

TikTok is available in over 150 countries and penetration is at its highest in Asia, where over one-third of users aged 16-64 had an account. 

Advice on Getting the Most From TikTok

How can you build a following on TikTok? 

Some things will always ring true no matter the platform, like being active in terms of both posting on your own account and interacting with others' content.

Others will be more TikTok specific, like taking advantage of trending sounds, filters, and CapCut templates.

What is unique about TikTok that makes it such an exciting channel?

In comparison to other platforms, there's a lot more opportunity for organic reach at the moment on TikTok.

Other platforms have kind of become pay-to-play in terms of getting eyes on your content, but with TikTok it's still possible to reach a wide audience by yourself."

Do your research and look at what performs well on the platform

Keeping a finger on the pulse and paying attention to your analytics are both great ways of creating engaging content on TikTok.

Find some accounts that are similar to yours, see what's working for them and try to find a way to make it your own. Also look at how your posts are performing; if something succeeds, try and figure out why, and see if you can replicate that success. Pay attention to when your followers are active as well, there's no point in posting when no one is online to see it!

Here are some great TikTok creators to follow

Atlanta at @musicindustrymentor is a great one to follow - lots of tips for aspiring musicians!

There are some ICMP alumni killing it right now as well, like The Valla (@thevallaband) and Cora Rebel (@corarebel). They’re all working hard to carve out their own little space on TikTok, and it's paying off with consistently good views and growing audiences that care and connect with their content. 

Save songs to streaming platforms directly from TikTok

TikTok is now rolling out a feature that allows users to save songs from their official sounds on TikTok to a variety of major streaming platforms:

If you're an artist releasing music you can also now sign up for an Artist Profile, which will give your profile a little 'Artist' badge and add a page to your profile with all your music (as long as it’s been distributed to TikTok)."

Use analytics to enhance your TikTok strategy

Just click the hamburger icon in the top right corner of your profile, then Creator Tools > Analytics.

Get in touch if there are any other pieces of advice we might have used or could be useful...