How has TikTok changed the world music industry?

Like it or not, TikTok has been changing the world music industry.

TikTok has the potential to turn a song into a huge hit overnight. One could argue that the video-sharing app is a positive for the music industry, allowing people to discover new artists they might otherwise never have heard of. And smart marketers are now paying TikTokers to use certain songs in their videos to help the track go mainstream.

Singer Gia Woods has many song snippets posted on TikTok

Insider

67% of users are likely to search for songs on a streaming service like Spotify after hearing them on TikTok, according to a study by music analytics firm MRC Data. However, many artists and musicians are unhappy. Some feel pressured to create music videos that go viral on social media – which means songs are shorter and themes and messages are thinner.

TikTok “shredded” a song

“Basically, I had a song that I loved and wanted to release as soon as possible, but my record company wouldn’t let me. I’ve been in the business for eight years and sold over 165 million records. But the record company said I couldn’t release this song unless it went viral on TikTok. Everything is marketing. And they’re doing this to a lot of artists these days. I just wanted to release music,” American singer Halsey admitted.

Halsey performs the song Without Me

tl

Ironically, the 30-second video did exactly what Halsey wanted, helping her go viral, racking up over 8 million views in 24 hours. And Halsey isn’t the only singer/songwriter speaking out about such issues. Singer Grimes posted on Instagram: “This is so real. It’s so hard to focus on art when you have to be a social media influencer too.”

In a tweet, the account @alluregaga2 shared a screenshot of the artist talking about the new pressures, with the caption: “What TikTok has done to the music industry is sad.”

“It’s not just advertising. I actually hate TikTok more when artists are forced to make ‘TikTok-friendly songs’. Many brands rely too much on the app hoping it will do wonders rather than actual promotion. It’s like they’re just trying to do what everyone else is doing to go viral and intentionally shorten the length of the song… It’s annoying that it affects the quality of the music. That’s the most disappointing thing,” one artist said.

Another account pointed out that artist demands are always changing and TikTok is simply replacing radio: “TikTok isn’t messing with the music industry. Labels always want their artists to pay them. Artists are forced to get radio hits and now they’re forced to get TikTok hits. That’s it.”

A big change in music enjoyment

Whatever the case, there’s no denying that TikTok has made a huge difference in the way we consume music. Popstar Dua Lipa teamed up with rapper DaBaby for the late 2020 song Levitating . In the music video, they blatantly show why contemporary music is rapidly declining. Most of the music video takes place in an elevator, and the lyrics reference Renegade, one of the first dances to go viral on TikTok.

TikTok videos can be 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or as long as a minute. Often, one-minute videos are stories with some music in the background. However, the majority of videos are 15 seconds long, which is really ruining the music. If the music isn’t catchy, it can be mixed with other music. Many people don’t like listening to these “songs” that are made specifically for TikTok.

Meanwhile, songs created simply for TikTok lack the creativity that often requires the musician’s talent to keep listeners interested in the entire song. Before TikTok, artists would have to create lyrics, melody, harmony, and arrangement to create a hit. Now, they only need 15 seconds to “cool” the ears of listeners, plus someone to dance along, if possible.

This new wave of music has damaged the integrity of the music industry. Because of the connection between image and sound, the TikTok app has created a demand for instant approval. Artists who are excellent and careful in their craft are eliminated if their songs are not danceable, while artists who jump on the trend quickly gain popularity.

Nowadays, the music industry is almost dependent on spontaneous instincts, preferring to watch videos of many people rather than “listening to music”, making it easier for new artists to popularize their work in this trend.

The TikTok app is amazing at helping artists and small businesses reach new listeners and followers. Simply put, songs on TikTok should stay on TikTok and move away from purely musical avenues that require listeners to consume the entire song. That’s a musical impact that’s hardly interesting these days.

TikTok is an essential promotional tool for artists and record labels

Songs can grow organically on TikTok even if they’ve been out of the mainstream for decades. Marketers can also hire influencers (TikTokers) to help songs go viral, sparking a wave of user-generated posts from their fans. Some artists even set up private listening sessions with TikTok influencers for new songs, hoping that will help the new songs gain traction on the app.

“TikTok has really become a big part of how artists tell their stories,” Kristen Bender, head of digital strategy and business development at Universal Music Group, told Insider during a webinar about TikTok's impact on the music industry.

Artist Taylor Upsahl told Insider it's been "really stressful" balancing social media promotion with touring, writing and recording new music.

Singer Dua Lipa

Billboard

But the music industry’s attention to TikTok isn’t without merit. According to a November 2021 study for TikTok by music analytics firm MRC Data, TikTok has become a platform for labels to promote and release new music. A new group of social media music marketers has been formed to support promotional efforts on the app.

Many record labels have entire teams dedicated to monitoring TikTok so they can help fuel a trending song as it begins to take off.

“Our entire music catalog is effectively monitored on a daily basis. We’re constantly monitoring the actions, reactions, and trends that are happening on TikTok,” said Andy McGrath, senior vice president of marketing at Legacy Recordings, a Sony Music company focused on the label’s decades-old catalog of songs.

Song promotion deals between music marketers and social media influencers have become a major source of income for TikTokers, with some TikTokers earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars per video they promote for artists.

“Music marketing on TikTok is huge. It’s how a lot of labels have gotten artists into the spotlight over the past few years. It’s also how creators have made a lot of money,” Jesse Callahan, founder of marketing firm Montford Agency, told Insider .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tiktok-da-va-dang-lam-thay-doi-nganh-cong-nghiep-am-nhac-the-gioi-nhu-the-nao-1851489091.htm