TikTok has taken over the app world in the past two years and has forged a strategic partnership with the music industry in the process. The latest viral craze to take over the platform has been the Adult Swim Challenge where users have been posting videos paying homage to The Cartoon Network doing random acts over production from Florida producer Vano 3000.
That popularity has led to Vano 3000 gaining a huge following and tons of fans supporting his online beat tapes as he starts his trek to becoming a household name. His fan base grew increasingly after building a relationship with executives at the app and now hovers around 250,000 followers.
“We’re very accessible. I connected with the producer of the Adult Swim trend, Vano 3000, back in January when he had like 3,000 followers on Instagram,” Isabel Quinteros, director of artist partnerships at TikTok explained. “We connected, and I told him to stay in touch and let me know how I can help. We had a few phone conversations, and in six months he blows up and it’s been an incredible journey. He’s moving out to LA soon, and he says this is his moment and life-changing for him. To be part of that journey in a small way is what makes this journey incredible.”
TikTok is one of the most popular apps today with more than a billion users in 150 different countries. It’s hard to miss kids and young adults performing their latest dances and skits on the app, which allows users to create up to 60-second films as they showcase their talents ranging from comedy and lip-synching to even daily diaries and vlogs.
ByteDance, a Chinese multinational technology company, first launched TikTok in 2016 before going global and taking over smartphones. The app is like Vine on steroids with its additional minute, allowing users to get their messages out quickly. Downloaded more than 200 million times in the U.S. alone, the music industry also has latched on to the app to promote artists and increase their streams. Hit songs by Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B have taken lives of their own as influencers showcase the latest dance crazes to their hits, but it’s far deeper than just promoting a new single.
Artists actually connect with their fans by showing their silly sides with creative vignettes sharing their hobbies, favorite foods, or just hanging out, which draws fans organically to them. From there, users find songs they like of their favorite artist and get their dance on and take phrases from the music and create their own skits using the music audio. The key then is for artists to share their influencers’ (fans) video creations as they keep the momentum going. This new fan interaction has led to more than 8 million followers for both rappers alone on the platform.
“The reason TikTok is so successful is because we give the power back to the user, Quinteros added. “We’re not pushing music that the label thinks is No. 1, or what the program directors in radio think is going to work. It’s really about self-discovery and connecting with the music that you love without anyone telling you what you need to listen to.”
Quinteros said the key for artists is to not take themselves too seriously but to just have fun and entertain people while you’re doing it. “Our community takes the lead of what they want to create. The community takes a liking to a song and really elevates it,” she continued. “Smaller artists that would never have the opportunity to ever be played on the radio or don’t have the infrastructure to release music officially can still find success because they’re still discoverable and on this platform.”
A few independent artists that have also taken off with the help of TikTok recently and some who eventually landed major deals include Fousheé, Popp Hunna and SpotemGottem.
“Super Boss Queen Isabel has been such a great help to me and I appreciate every single thing she’s done for me so far on this journey. It’s cool how we’ve been able to build a friendship without it feeling like a corporate transaction,” producer Vano 3000 elaborated further.
“It’s obvious she knows what people want and I can attest to that because of how early she found me. The support that she provided from the beginning made me feel more comfortable about being a creator on TikTok. It’s amazing how fast I’ve been able to grow and she played a part of the reason why.”
TikTok recently introduced the Live option, which is similar to Instagram Live and Facebook Live so that creators can talk and interact with their followers. Viral concerts and live streaming opportunities are also in the works. As technology continues to advance, TikTok has no plans of slowing down and has just begun its trek up the social media ladder and making its presence felt on the music industry.
