Succeeding in creating buzz on TikTok by revealing the extract of a musical piece even before its official release would be the guarantee of exploding its number of listenings. In any case, this is the marketing strategy on which many record labels are betting… To the excess? This method, which is flourishing, is fiercely contested by artists, under pressure. On Wednesday June 8, Courrier International compiled various complaints from popular performers, such as Ed Sheeran, FKA Twigs and Florence Welch, singer of the group Florence and the Machine. On social networks, the tongues of stars are loosening. They evoke an obsession of the labels concerning these “peaks of virality”. A requirement that sometimes turns to blackmail.
“I have a song that I love and that I want to release quickly, but my record company refuses… According to them, impossible, unless they manage to mount something viral on TikTok”, regrets the singer Halsey in a TikTok video. “It’s all marketing,” she insists, as her latest music is ironically revealed in the background. Thanks to this post that has gone viral, the long version of the said song is now available to listen to on several platforms and radio stations.
what tiktok has done to the music industry is upsetting like… pic.twitter.com/bSJ0EIVfv1
In May, singer Gavin DeGraw released a meaningful parody version of one of his hits, retitled I Don’t Want to Be on TikTok but My Label Told Me That I Have To. on TikTok but my label tells me I have to” in French). Depending on its popularity on TikTok, a track can boost an artist’s career or, conversely, dig their grave.
Each label is notably remunerated by the music streaming service Spotify, according to the number of plays over a given period. A buzz therefore ensures maximum profitability. Thus, TikTok has become the record company’s prediction tool for testing future releases on a wide range of Internet users. Nowadays, to get on the radio, it is better to shine on the networks.
