TikTok For Artists: How To Claim Your Profile & Link Songs

Before you can hit the ground running on TikTok, you need to make sure you can actually and legitimately get your songs on the app first. The most simple way to do this is by going through distributors such as Distrokid, CD Baby, and TuneCore. Not only will these companies upload your music to TikTok’s music catalog for you, they’ll also automatically upload your songs to any other social media or streaming platform you are signed up with as well. 

Sometimes users will upload videos to TikTok with music in the background instead of linking the song through TikTok’s built-in music catalog. This becomes a problem for a few different reasons. If someone is playing your song in their video and it goes viral without you being linked or mentioned — you’ll essentially get no recognition and you will miss out on the streams/plays that could be earning you royalties. 

Also, when you link your songs to TikTok via your distributor, your songs will appear in the music catalog that all users are able to access. This also provides a direct link to your streaming platforms, making it easier for fans to follow you and listen to more of your music. 

TikTok is now paying creators royalties — so when a subscriber streams your music, you will be paid a proportion of TikTok's revenue per month based on the terms set out in TuneCore's blanket agreement. The videos on the app are usually around 15 seconds, so keep in mind you would expect to earn significantly less than a Spotify stream. TikTok reports quarterly to its distributors so you would receive your royalties after each quarterly report has been received.

Now that you understand how to legitimately get your songs on TikTok so you can begin earning royalties through the platform, you're probably asking yourself the burning question that everyone else wants to know too...“How can I get verified on the app?!” 

You may think TikTok verification is simply a status symbol but it’s actually so much more. A verification badge gives your account an added stamp of approval, which can build your credibility, increase exposure, and distinguish you from impersonators or fan accounts.

Everyone yearns for the little blue check mark beside their profile icon but to keep it real, this is not a simple task to achieve. Although it is not impossible if you put the necessary effort into getting it. First before even applying for verification, you’ll need some very basic things for your verified profile submission to be taken seriously: 

• Original username 

• Up to date and high quality profile photo

• Cohesive branding among your videos 

• Updated and catchy bio

• Include links to other social media accounts on your page

• Narrow down your niche and stick with it

• Collaborate with other TikTok users, preferably influencers

• Participate in trends 

• Compelling and viral content

• Thousands of engaged followers

You are probably cringing at that last bullet point, especially if you are newer on the platform and haven’t built up much traction just yet. Thousands of legitimate followers can't always be made overnight, but great content can be, and your content is ultimately what will lure in users to follow your page.  

If you are not so sure on how to create compelling content that fans will love — fear not. We’ve got some seriously helpful tips that we are going to share with you so you can begin creating and posting exceptional TikTok videos that users can’t resist. 

While there is no single recipe for making a viral video, there are some high-level criteria points that TikTok is rumored to follow.

• Authenticity: Copying popular accounts won’t get you far. Instead, be your genuine raw self and let your own personality shine through your videos.

• Uniqueness: Prove that your content is vastly different from the billions of other users on the platform. Find your niche and own it!

• Activity: Regularly post engaging content and interact with your community through likes, comments, shares, and challenges.

• Follow the rules:  Adhere to TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service — that means no nudity, bullying, or hate speech of any kind.

Among those points to keep in mind, you’ll also want to ensure your videos are of high quality. This may seem like a no-brainer to some, but you would be surprised at how many poorly-made clips are actually on the app. Just like anything else you’ve ever started out new, it will take some time in the beginning to get the hang of it. In order to save you the time and hassle, we’ve made a list of tips for you to consider when uploading your vides TikTok.

Before uploading your videos to the platform, take a look over this list below and make sure you meet all these criteria before posting it. This is a surefire way to optimize your TikTok videos and make them look as eye-catching as possible.

• Aspect ratio: Full-screen vertical (9:16).

• Quality: Videos taken in good lighting often perform well.

• Length: 11-15 seconds is the sweet spot as your audience is more likely to watch the whole video.

• Captions: The best captions are personable and relevant to the video. Non-promo as well, it could be viewed as spam if so, and restricted or taken down as a result. TikTok recommends a maximum of three hashtags.

• Vertical Capture: Videos on TikTok should be full-screen vertical.

• Captions: Use the caption to clearly describe your video – try to be personable and include relevant information.

• Features: Play around with TikTok’s filters, stickers and effects to capture attention.

Though it is not necessary to have anything other than your smartphone to capture TikTok videos, going the extra mile in terms of equipment and accessories can be what sets apart a viral video from a basic video. If you are serious about growing your TikTok popularity and sharing your music to the millions of users on the platform, you should highly consider buying some add-ons to step up your video production game further.

Here is a list of additional equipment you can purchase that will help you create amazing TikTok videos just like the big influencers do:

• Lighting Rig

• Phone Tripod

• Wireless Mic

• Selfie Light

• Video Editing Software/Apps

These extra tools paired with great content showing off your great music will be just what you need to set yourself apart from the competition on TikTok. Plus, all of these tools are low cost and can be found for around $20 each.

Once you have your TikTok for artists career underway, the team at Omari MC can help you to extend your reach on the platform. Many emerging artists require some help with their music careers, and as long as your content is clean and free of profanities we can help you more effectively share it to the world.

The more you create videos, the more your editing skills and overall content will improve. However, just because you have good content doesn’t mean it will get the attention it deserves. This is where Omari MC’s team of experts come in to promote your content through our network of TikTok influencers with popular channels and a large user reach. 

You are able to submit your music to us and from there, we match your music up with a popular influencer whose brand is a good fit on both ends, then they create their original videos using your song. All you have to do is sit back and watch the popularity of your channel and music take place!

Of course, doing things on your own time to boost your content will obviously get you better results in the long run. So, we do recommend that along with our promotion, you continue to interact on the platform from your own page. Things like commenting on posts, liking, sharing, tagging — especially on the influencers post featuring your song, can only grow your recognition on the platform. 

If you want to learn more about Omari MC’s TikTok promotion, ask questions, or submit your song to be featured in a top influencer’s video, go to our website under the promotion tab to find everything you need!

Once your video is on TikTok, it’s officially out there for the entire world to see. So, make sure you are posting something you can be proud of now and years down the road. Great content on TikTok is everything, so also make sure you are only posting high quality work to share on your page, as this will be a representation of your brand and music career.

Don’t forget when you are trying to build up your TikTok page to build up others pages as well. TikTok is very much a collaborative platform, and it’s likely that if you share others' videos that they will do the same in return for you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and use the old ‘share for share’ method. 

Stay up to date with the platform’s trends, because these come and go fast. Don’t be scared to break out of your comfort zone and make a post of you dancing or lip-syncing. You want to show your followers that you are active on the app and are willing to do different things besides just music. Also, think about creating your own trends as well. Encourage your fans to repost themselves and get involved in whatever trend you are looking to create. 

The most important thing to remember about TikTok is…. have fun! That is what the app is all about, you want to post high quality content but don’t take anything too seriously. TikTok is just an additional tool to help you promote your music and your music career doesn’t necessarily depend on it. However, there have been  many artists to break on TikTok who have put the effort and dedication into the app.

Let your personality shine through and you will find that your followers and popularity will grow overtime. If you are wanting to become verified with the blue checkmark on TikTok, just know that this too is a very timely process and takes a lot of work on your part to achieve. As we mentioned, Omari MC’s TikTok promotion is a great way to speed up that process and provide guaranteed growth that you will need in order to become verified in the future. 

We hope that this article was helpful and that you now have a better understanding of how to share your music and become successful on TikTok. If you have any questions, comment below. We wish you the best of luck on your TikTok for artists ventures!