TikTok Music Tips: How to Go Viral on TikTok

Overflowing with catchy tunes and viral challenges, TikTok has become more than a social media platform – it’s now a full-blown cultural movement. The platform has quickly evolved from a short-form video app into a pivotal hub for musicians and content creators, greatly influencing how TikTok music is experienced, promoted, and consumed. 

As we continue through 2025, the landscape of this ever-evolving platform continues to shift, presenting both unparalleled opportunities and formidable challenges for existing and aspiring musicians. In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of TikTok’s music scene, uncovering the secrets to not just surviving, but thriving as a musician on TikTok. From decoding the algorithmic mysteries to crafting the perfect hook, we’ll delve into the strategies and tactics that can help your music be discovered or even go viral.

Whether you’re a seasoned musician looking to amplify your online presence or a budding artist eager to make your mark, here’s how to navigate the world of TikTok music and even how to create a TikTok strategy to promote your music.

TikTok has become a powerhouse for music promotion, redefining the social media presence of musicians and brands. Through innovative features like “Viral Music Challenges” and a dedicated space for TikTok music, artists can engage audiences authentically. These challenges encourage user participation, propelling songs into cultural prominence and fostering genuine connections. The platform’s algorithmic precision in the music section ensures a tailored experience, creating an artistic movement beyond traditional promotion. 

TikTok is a transformative stage where creativity and promotion intersect, shaping impactful narratives in the music and social media landscape. Beyond mere entertainment, it is a dynamic platform where artists can forge meaningful connections and take their digital presence to new heights. If you’re not participating on this platform, you’re missing out on a powerful way to engage with your current fans and reach new ones.

TikTok challenges are much more than temporary trends. As exemplified by the success of K CAMP’s “Renegade” dance challenge, these challenges can propel songs to chart-topping heights. 

Why not embrace such challenges and make them a part of your TikTok social media strategy? You can make it easier by finding the right music for your video among the wide library of royalty-free music and sound effects on Envato Elements.

TikTok’s democratizing impact extends to discovering emerging artists and content creators, turning unknown talents into global sensations. In this wave of discovery, platforms like TikTok play a crucial role as artists can promote and boost TikTok view engagement and skyrocket their songs, ensuring their creative work reaches a broad audience.

Take Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X, who rose to prominence through TikTok music. Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” found their initial audience on TikTok, showcasing how this platform can be a launchpad for the next big thing. So whether you want to discover new artists or be discovered yourself, it’s essential to be aware of what’s happening on TikTok.

TikTok holds immense power in shaping music trends and preferences. The app’s users consume music and actively participate in setting the agenda for what becomes popular, especially in social media marketing and content creation. So, as a content creator on TikTok, it’s essential to pay attention to all the latest TikTok trends – and remember that you could play a part in resurrecting old tracks and discovering new ones.

TikTok’s transformative impact goes beyond merely elevating new releases; it possesses the remarkable ability to breathe new life into older tracks, reshaping the dynamics of musical consumption. A vivid illustration of this phenomenon is the appearance of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” in Stranger Things, which blew up on social media and TikTok after becoming a big hit on Netflix. 

Another example is the resurgence of Fleetwood Mac’s timeless hit, “Dreams.” A TikTok video featuring the iconic song went viral, catapulting the track back into the charts and the forefront of popular culture. 

These examples underscore TikTok’s role as a cultural curator, providing a dynamic space where the old seamlessly merges with the new. TikTok bridges generational gaps by enabling users to create engaging content set to a vast array of songs, creating a communal experience around music. 

Another way artists have been able to take advantage of TikTok’s undeniable reach and impact is through their songs going viral via trends. For instance, TikTok user Cordelia posted a video of her original – and at the time undiscovered – song Little Life, which consequently blew up across TikTok and started the now iconic “I think I like this little life” trend.

While the song became a point of contention among many TikTokers due to its viral nature – eliciting some polarising and controversial opinions – love it or hate it, there’s no denying that this trend attracted a lot of attention to this little song – it’s now generated over twelve million streams on Spotify. Moral of the story: if you post your original music on TikTok, you never know who might pick it up and use it for the next big TikTok trend!

The exposure a song gains on TikTok translates directly into increased streaming and sales for artists. TikTok serves as a discovery platform, enticing users to explore full tracks on streaming services and giving them substantial exposure thanks to content creators and brands using their tracks on a large scale for viral content. 

Artists like Dua Lipa and Doja Cat have experienced a surge in streaming numbers thanks to TikTok – the platform’s seamless integration with music streaming services encourages users to explore the full range of an artist’s catalog and original songs or well-edited video with bank songs.

Another excellent example of the boost in streaming thanks to TikTok is Miley Cyrus’s “Flower,” which won a Grammy award in February 2024 after its music exploded all over the socials in 2023. TikTok again demonstrates the power of virality and its positive impact on artists.

Trends, dances, and TikTok music can boost tracks because any TikTok user wants to reproduce the current trend or is looking for views. So whether you’re an influencer or a micro- or nano-content creator, you can play a part in promoting artists’ tracks today. 

Universal Music has recently found itself at odds with TikTok in a clash of industry titans. Tensions have escalated to the point where Universal boldly moved to pull the music of one of its biggest stars from the Chinese platform. The crux of the issue lies in the compensation structure between TikTok and Universal, where the latter feels its artists are not adequately reimbursed for their contributions to the platform’s success. As the lifeblood of TikTok’s viral content, music is pivotal in captivating audiences worldwide. 

However, as negotiations between Universal and TikTok continue, the rift underscores the delicate balance between artistic creation and corporate compensation in the digital age. With billions of users tuning in for the latest trends and tunes, this clash highlights the complexities of the modern music industry and the evolving dynamics between platforms and content creators.

The disappearance of some of the best hits could significantly impact the social media platform and its popularity, as users have proved that they make music take off thanks to trends. Still, trends also take off on TikTok thanks to the hits of famous artists! 

So, as you post on TikTok, keep this balance in mind. By reusing and remixing other artists’ content, you can give them exposure and boost their streaming numbers, but are they constantly being compensated fairly? 

TikTok has become a fertile ground for collaborations between musicians and influencers for brands. These partnerships leverage the platform’s reach to create content that benefits both parties.

Artists increasingly collaborate with TikTok influencers, content creators, or even brands to amplify their reach. These collaborations – which can also be done via duets or stitches – not only boost the visibility of a song but also create a unique and engaging user experience. So, look for opportunities to collaborate on the platform to benefit both parties.

If you want to grow your account and get your music in front of more eyes and ears, it’s crucial to develop a TikTok content strategy. If you’re not sure where to start, finding a social media management platform can help you take your TikTok social media strategy to new heights. Enabling you to do everything from create a robust TikTok plan, schedule videos seamlessly, collaborate with influencers, a TikTok social partner can help ensure ensuring your content reaches its full potential, including boosting your content or collaborations on the complex algorithmic platform.

As TikTok reshapes the music industry, challenges such as copyright issues, licensing disputes, and collaborations have arisen. While TikTok has undeniably transformed the industry, it’s not without its challenges; copyright issues and the evolving nature of the platform present hurdles for artists, labels, and creators. That’s why, for brands or content creators, it’s safer to collaborate with artists directly or use a royalty-free music solution such as Envato Elements and AudioJungle.

These days, to break through as an artist, you need to be on social media – especially TikTok. As for brands and content creators, you need to be able to predict what will emerge and what type of music will get views. Collaboration with artists or music platforms is the only way to meet supply and demand while dealing with copyright issues.

For 2025, the relationship between TikTok and the music platforms will continue to develop. Even if there are currently conflicts with Universal, artists could see their listening figures soar, and content creators could see their content go viral thanks to newly emerging hits. 

TikTok’s influence on the music industry and the protection offered by music platforms create a powerful combination for artists seeking success in the digital age. Our advice is to embrace the potential of TikTok to give your music the opportunity to be discovered and your career the chance to thrive.