Tik Tok, Tik Tok, time is running out for Influencers on TikTok
China’s viral export, not Corona, TikTok, is on the verge of being banned in the United States of America after being restricted in India with a host of other Chinese apps.
This ban could have a detrimental effect on an industry heavily relying on this specific Chinese export.
PR reps, social media experts, graphic designers, agents, manufacturers, video editors, and such can face a sudden drop in potential income. Influencers like Charlie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and all these young internet stars will have to scramble to find alternatives to push out their content, and stay viral.
Let’s put things into perspective first
TikTok is deemed to be a security threat to the United States, and rightfully so. TikTok has been using tracking tools specifically in Android phones to monitor their users, tactics that even Google refuses to use.
This potential ban has caused a whirlwind in the United States of America, accusing the Trump administration xenophobic. The truth is, TikTok is far from being the all good innocent app that the public seems to think. Not so long ago, they paid a fine of 5.7 million dollars in the United States for collecting phone numbers of underage children.
To go a step further, TikTok in terms of data and privacy invasion, was a security threat to even the Chinese government. China eventually blocked their native app and forced a tamer version called Douyin, which still keeps doing shady things in cooperation with the Chinese government.
But the unfounded hate and criticism of the American government are exaggerated. China has a history of banning and sending back most American platforms, they even send more apps back than Gordon Ramsay returns dishes.
So, it should come to no surprise as to why the United States executive branch sees this as a critical security concern that needs to be put to a stop immediately.
Coming back to the music industry
TikTok has so much power that record companies chase anything moving in the app. According to Rolling Stone, a song with 5,000 TikTok videos is getting thrown a $2 million deal, which is a reckless and short-sighted way of dealing business.
TikTok is a great tool to bypass the gatekeepers of the music industry, and reduce the barrier to entry significantly. Artists no longer need a big budget to appear on radio and become commercially successful (btw check out our article on how to get your song on the radio!)
This precedent of cutting through the traditional channels was already set off by YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. All the streaming platforms have their own algorithms, and gatekeepers, who curate the playlists and work in favor of record labels.
TikTok had no such thing as private music curators. Simply, a couple of musicians could jump on the app, and in a couple of weeks could have a hit.
As for the artists
Musicians alike who utilize the connections to these influencers will face a challenge to fight and find other sources to promote their songs and releases. This will undoubtedly be a setback for artists, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Labels might all of a sudden be more interested in singing artists that have tended to be more independent since the inception of these apps.
Even Genres that people could consume will change. On TikTok, Rap and up-tempo dance music often perform the best. With the potential demise of the app, we could see balladeers and guitarists see a positive upturn.
Regardless, if TikTok is banned, a piece of prominent music forward app will come forward. An app that can be utilized that is similar to TikTok is Triller that artists of specific genres can use to their potential. Even though it’s nowhere near as good as TikTok in terms of marketing. The one company that might have a shot in filling the gap is Instagram with Reels, although it does not have the je ne sais quoi of TikTok.
We at MusicPromoToday have experience dealing with artists from around the world and helping them reach new heights using similar data-driven tricks through apps like TikTok and the like.
To learn more about Spotify, Instagram, YouTube, PR, or growth marketing insiders, just get in touch with us through MusicPromoToday.com or DM us on Instagram @music.promo.
Subscribe To Our Music Marketing Newsletter!
News about music marketing strategies to the music business and beyond.
Delivered to your inbox once a week.
