How to Put an Artist on TikTok

Putting your art on TikTok can feel like shouting into a hurricane, but it remains one of the most powerful platforms for musicians and creators to find a genuine audience. You don't need a huge budget or a record-label marketing team, you just need a strategy. This guide breaks down exactly what you need to do, step by step, to build a presence that translates into real, dedicated fans.

Laying the Groundwork: Your Profile is Your Stage

Before you post a single video, your profile needs to instantly tell visitors who you are and what you do. Think of it as your digital marquee. When someone lands on your page, they should understand your vibe in three seconds or less. Make these small tweaks for a big impact.

Optimize Your Bio

Your bio isn't the place for mystery. Be direct. Clearly state what you do and where you're from. Formulas like this work well:

• Artist / Producer from [Your City]
• Singer-songwriter sharing new music
• Band Name // Creating indie pop music

End your bio with a call to action (CTA). What’s the single most important thing you want a new follower to do? Listen to your new single? Pre-save an album? Buy merch? Tell them directly. Use an emoji to draw the eye, e.g., “👇”.

Your Link-in-Bio is Your Front Door

TikTok only gives you one link, so make it count. Don't just link to Spotify. Instead, use a free service like Linktree, ToneDen, or Hypeddit to create a simple landing page. This page should provide clean, clear links to your most important platforms and offers:

• Your latest single on Spotify and Apple Music
• Your most recent music video on YouTube
• Merch store
• Tour dates
• Mailing list sign-up

This turns a single link into a gateway to your entire world, making it easy for new fans to find whatever they’re looking for.

Choose an Unmistakable Profile Picture

Your profile picture is tiny. A shot of your full band from a distance will just look like a blurry smudge. Use a clear, high-contrast headshot or a simplified version of your logo. It needs to be recognizable at a glance, both on the For You Page and in the comments section.

Finding Your Rhythm: A Content Strategy for Artists

Great music is the foundation, but on TikTok, it’s not enough. People connect with people. A successful artist strategy is built on sharing more than just finished songs. It’s about sharing your story, your personality, and your process. This is how you turn casual listeners into super fans.

Embrace the 80/20 Rule: Personality and Process First, Promotion Second

A fatal mistake artists make is using TikTok as a billboard. If every single video is just you saying, “Go stream my new song!” people will tune out. A better approach is the 80/20 rule:

• 80% of your content should entertain, educate, or connect. Show your personality. Share parts of your process. Tell stories. Give your audience a reason to follow you beyond your music.
• 20% of your content can be direct promotion. Announce your new track, a music video drop, or a ticket-on-sale date. Because you’ve spent the other 80% building trust and a connection, your audience will be much more receptive to these moments.

Identify Your Content Pillars

To avoid staring at your phone wondering what to post, establish 3-5 "content pillars" or core themes you can always return to. This brings consistency to your account and gives followers a reason to stick around. For an artist, these could be:

• The Music Itself: Yes, you still need to share your music. This pillar includes snippets of new songs, cool live performance moments, or explaining the story behind a lyric.
• The Creative Process: This is pure gold. Show people an intimate look at how you make your art. This could be you noodling on a guitar or writing lyrics on a napkin. You could even show a time-lapse of you setting up your microphones.
• Relatable Life Stuff: You’re more than just an artist. Do you love coffee? Are you obsessed with vintage sci-fi novels? Do you have a weird pet? Sharing these human moments makes you more relatable and builds a deeper connection. Never underestimate the power of simply being a person.
• Musical Skills & Knowledge: If you're a killer guitarist, post a quick riff tutorial. If you have a unique songwriting method, explain a piece of it. This content positions you as an expert and provides genuine value to other aspiring musicians.

Using Your Own Music (The Right Way)

Make sure your music is officially available on TikTok as a sound. Upload your tracks through a digital distributor like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. They will handle sending your music to TikTok's Audio Library, which means anyone on the platform can use your song in their own videos. When you post a video with your song, always select the official sound from the library. Why? Because when someone clicks the spinning record icon on your video, they’ll be taken to a page with every single video that has used your sound, which opens up incredible discovery opportunities.

Creating Content That Connects: Practical & Tactical TikTok Tips

Strategy is one thing, execution is another. Here’s how to create videos that actually grab attention and stop the scroll.

Lean into Trends, But Make Them Your Own

Chasing every trend is exhausting and inauthentic. Instead of just copying what's popular, ask yourself, "How can I filter this trend through my unique artistic lens?" If there's a trending audio, can you play the melody on your instrument? If there’s a popular meme format, can you relate it to a common struggle for musicians? Answering these types of questions can make even the most played-out trending audio content feel fresh.

Hook Viewers in the First 3 Seconds

Your video's first few seconds are its most important. You need an immediate hook to stop someone from swiping. It can be visual, textual, or auditory.

• Start with movement: Don't start your video already sitting at the piano. Walk into the frame and then sit down to play.
• Use on-screen text as a question: "Am I the only one who writes lyrics this way?"
• Show a surprising result first: Show the final mix of a song, then cut to how you created the sound.

Focus on Good "Lo-Fi" Quality

TikTok is not a movie set. Nobody expects cinematic quality. However, good lighting and clear audio are non-negotiable.

• Lighting: Stand facing a window. Natural light is your best friend and costs you nothing. If you have to film at night, a simple ring light makes a massive difference.
• Audio: If you’re talking, use the microphone on your earbuds instead of your phone's built-in mic. If you're recording music, even a simple USB microphone is a huge step up. The goal isn't pristine studio quality, it's clarity.

Use TikTok's Native Features

Engaging with the tools TikTok provides can boost your visibility. Two key features for artists are:

• Stitch: This lets you add your own video reaction or comment onto the end of another user’s video. You could stitch a video of a famous artist sharing their secret sauce in the studio and then follow up with a snippet of how you do the same. This introduces your content to their audience.
• Duet: Duets place your video side-by-side with another creator's. This is perfect for "open verse challenges," reacting to another musician's song, or adding your own harmonies.

Amplifying Your Reach: Community & Consistency

Making great video content is half the battle. The other half is fostering a community and showing up consistently so TikTok’s algorithm knows you’re serious.

Consistency Trumps Virality

You don't need to post five times a day. You just need to find a sustainable rhythm and stick to it. Whether it's three times a week or once every day, a consistent schedule teaches the algorithm to expect new content from you and lets your audience know when to look for more. Plan ahead, create several videos in one session (this is known as "batching"), and get yourself on a schedule.

Engage with Every Comment

Your comment section is where community is built. When you're starting out, try to respond to every single comment you receive. A simple "thank you!" or an answer to their question shows that a real person is on the other side of the screen. Responding also signals to the algorithm that your post is fostering conversation, which can give it an extra push on the For You Page.

A Simple Hashtag Strategy

Don't overthink hashtags. A good starting formula is to use a mix of broad, niche, and specific tags. Think of hashtags as breadcrumbs for prospective fans to find your work.

• Broad (1-2): #fyp, #musician, #newmusic
• Niche (2-3): #indieartist, #alternativerock, #singersongwriter, #[yourgenre]
• Specific (1-2): #[yourartistname], #[yoursongtitle]

Final Thoughts

Putting yourself on TikTok as an artist isn't about chasing viral hits or becoming an influencer overnight. It's about consistently sharing your art, story, and personality to build a direct, genuine connection with listeners who will become dedicated fans for years to come.

That level of consistency in planning, scheduling, and engaging with your growing community can feel like a full-time job. With that in mind, we designed Postbase from the ground up to support the video-first content that drives growth for artists today. We help you visually plan your entire content calendar, schedule TikToks alongside your other content reliably, and manage all your comments in one place - giving you more time to focus on what actually matters: making music.