Imagine being a highly skilled musician, with melodies effortlessly emanating from your creative essence. Now, envision one of your compositions skyrocketing in popularity on the social media sensation TikTok, being incorporated into countless user-generated videos. As the euphoria settles, you’re left with a pertinent question: Does my creative contribution to TikTok result in financial gains?
Indeed, it does! TikTok is not just a platform for viral videos, it also provides artists with the opportunity to generate income through music royalties. Hence, an artist’s music has the potential to bring not just popularity but also financial rewards.
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Do Music Artists Get Royalties from TikTok?
The answer is a resounding yes! TikTok pays royalties to artists whose music gets selected as the soundtrack to someone’s video on the platform. The payment isn’t based on how many times the song is played. TikTok pays royalties based on how many videos it’s featured in. So, as an artist, every TikTok user hitting “create” with your track adds a bit more to your piggy bank.
How Do TikTok Streaming Royalties Work?
In the world of TikTok, royalties are all about video numbers. TikTok pays royalties based on the number of videos created with your song. Many other digital service providers like Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal (aka DSPs) pay creators based on streams of their songs, and you can see it’s a little bit different when it comes to TikTok. So, only the number of videos created using a “TikTok snippet” of your music affects royalties paid to you.
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How Much Does TikTok Pay Per Song Use?
On TikTok, it’s not about the number of times your song is streamed but how often it’s used in videos. Each video creation with your music triggers royalties for TikTok payments. Depending on your distributor, you typically earn around 3 cents per video featuring your tune.
For calculating TikTok royalties, use the TikTok royalties calculator on SoundCampaign to estimate your earnings based on views.
Understanding the Role of Music Distributors on TikTok
Music distributors are crucial players in managing your music on TikTok. These entities act as intermediaries between you (the artist) and TikTok, ensuring your songs are available for TikTok users to use in their content.
Distributors take care of the nitty-gritty tasks such as encoding, delivery, and tracking of your music across various platforms including TikTok. In this case, TikTok reports revenue to your distributor, so they can collect royalties and pay artists. Distributors and TikTok have their own deals that specify the percentage of TikTok’s revenue that will be given to each of their artists.
Do You Collect Royalties If You Upload Your Songs Directly to TikTok?
I know this question is on every aspiring TikTok artist’s mind: “If you upload your songs directly to TikTok, will you still get your fair share of royalties?” Well, brace yourself for a bit of a downer – the answer is, unfortunately, “no!”
To receive royalties, your music needs to be dispatched to TikTok through your distributor. It’s the key to unlocking the TikTok music royalties treasure chest, and there’s no workaround. So, in this grand musical journey on TikTok, your distributor is not just a partner, but an absolute necessity!
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From TikTok Stardom to Multiple Revenue Avenues
TikTok fame can be more than just viral videos—it can also open doors to other money-making opportunities.
- Live gigs: Your TikTok popularity can score you live performance opportunities, meaning more ticket sales and performance fees.
- Merchandise: Turn your TikTok fame into a merchandise brand that fans will love.
- Brand buddies: Your TikTok popularity might catch the attention of brands looking for partnerships or sponsorships.
- Streaming glory: A hit on TikTok often translates to more Spotify streams (or streams on any other platform you choose), meaning more royalties in your pocket.
TikTok Royalties: Separating Fact from Fiction
Myth: Royalties are about how many times your song gets played on TikTok.
Fact: TikTok doesn’t count streams. Instead, it counts the number of videos that feature your song.
Myth: The more followers you have, the more royalties you earn.
Fact: While a large follower count can boost the chances of your music being used, you receive royalties based on the number of videos using your music, not how many followers you have.
Myth: TikTok royalties are just spare change.
Fact: While it’s true that the royalties per video might not seem like much, remember, TikTok is all about volume. The platform’s gigantic user base means your music could be featured in tons of videos, which can add up to a significant payday. So, every video counts!
Why Artists Should Hop on the TikTok Train and Bonus Tips for Success
If you’re an artist, TikTok isn’t just a fun app—it’s a powerful platform to share your music with the world. It’s like having a concert stage in the pockets of millions of users worldwide. Having a TikTok account means you can directly engage with your audience, gain feedback, and most importantly, let your music be discovered and used by TikTokers in their creative content.
But, merely having an account isn’t enough. To truly rock the TikTok stage, here are some bonus tips:
- Make Your Music TikTok-Friendly: Craft tunes that are catchy, engaging, and have elements that can spur a trend or challenge. Remember, TikTok is all about fun and virality!
- Collaborate and Conquer: Partner with other TikTokers, influencers, or artists. Collaboration can extend your reach and bring new audiences.
- Hashtags are Your Best Friends: Using popular and relevant hashtags can make your music more discoverable. So, #use #them #wisely.
- Cross-Promote: Don’t limit yourself to TikTok. Share your TikTok content across different social media platforms to drive more attention to your music.
- Regular Engagements: Posting consistently and engaging with your audience can help keep you on top of their mind (and their playlists!).
Remember, as an artist, TikTok isn’t just about royalties—it’s about reaching new audiences, creating trends, and letting your music make its mark on the world.
Photo by Collabstr on Unsplash
How Can SoundCampaign Help You?
Now that you’re armed with all the know-how TikTok streaming royalties work and how TikTok music royalties for artists are calculated, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. But why not get a little extra push to rocket your reach? Enter: SoundCampaign’s TikTok Music and Song Promotion campaign!
Consider us as your dedicated backstage crew, fine-tuning every aspect of your performance. We’ve crafted this service with one aim in mind: to blast your music across the TikTok universe and beyond. With SoundCampaign and TikTok promotion, you get to vibe with music aficionados around the globe.
We go the extra mile to submit your tracks to a smorgasbord of TikTok content creators. This exponentially ups your chances of getting a coveted spot in viral TikTok videos.
So, ready to take your passion global? SoundCampaign is here to help you step into the limelight and let your music become a worldwide sensation!
by artists for artists