Making music is one thing, and marketing it to find the audience it deserves is another. These days, an active and steady presence on social media is critical for any artist who wants to pursue music more than just a hobby. The tools available for artists to grow an audience are plenty. Although it makes it easier than ever for independent artists to build a music career without signing up with labels, navigating through all the options and paths ahead can be quite overwhelming.

Over the past few years, TikTok has gained a lot of popularity as a social media platform for sharing short-form content. Many artists and musicians have been able to build their careers through making TikTok videos and sharing them with the world. However, directly making content for the ‘For You Page’ is not the only way musicians can utilize TikTok.

Many creators on TikTok use music in their videos. Having your songs in TikTok’s library has two primary advantages. First, you’ll get a royalty cut on monetized videos that use your songs. Second, having other creators making content with your music gives you a lot of exposure, which can potentially grow your audience.

In this post, I will teach you everything you need to know about uploading your music to TikTok, list four platforms that offer you the service, and tell you how you can promote your music on the app.

1. TuneCore’s New Artist Plan- Free (20% Royalty Cut)

As one of the most popular music distribution services out there, TuneCore offers a wide range of services for independent artists and labels pursuing a career in music. The music distributor company offers four tiers, with the “New Artist” plan advertised for free. In another post, I’ve explained all you need to know about TuneCore’s plans.

Choosing the free plan, TuneCore allows you to upload unlimited songs on social media platforms like TikTok. Moreover, TuneCore offers some other services in the New Artist package, including official sales reports and the TuneCore Rewards Masterclass that can aid artists in building their careers.

In return, TuneCore takes a 20% cut from the revenues you make through social media platforms. Although the commission is more than other free music distribution services, TuneCore’s reputation as a reliable distributor makes it a safer and more hassle-free choice for artists.

2. United Masters’ Debut Plan - Free (10% Royalty Cut)

United Masters is another distributor that offers free service for those who are not yet ready to invest money upfront in music marketing. The company’s “Debut” plan allows artists to upload one track per month on TikTok and other social media outlets. Although TuneCore offers unlimited uploads to artists, United Masters takes half of the cut from your online revenues and royalties (10% cut).

If you have a large catalog that you wish to share with the world through TikTok, TuneCore can be a better option. On the other hand, if you have one track in specific that you want to put out, United Masters will be a better option.

3. Ditto Music’s Starter Plan - $19/Year (No Royalty Cut)

If you have the option to pay for music distribution services, I highly recommend you do so. Most free distributors take a percentage of your revenue, which might not be a big deal at first. However, as you make progress in building your career in music, you’ll quickly realize spending money upfront is a much better investment than always having to share music royalties with your distributor. What’s more, paid services usually offer more advanced tools that allow you to reach your goals as a musician.

Ditto Music has gained a decent reputation as a reliable and affordable music distributor for indie artists and labels. With the “Starter” Pan, Ditto allows you to have unlimited releases on all of the major platforms, including TikTok. Ditto’s Starter tier comes with a 30-day free trial, perfect if you’re not sure about investing money in putting your music out there. After that, Ditto Chargers $19 a year. Ditto allows you to keep 100% of your revenue from streaming services and social media platforms.

4. DistroKid’s Musician Plan - $1.92/Month (No Royalty Cut)

DistroKid is another household name in the music distribution business. The company’s most affordable plan, dubbed “Musician,” costs $1.92 per month ($22.99 billed annually) and allows artists to upload as many songs as they want to major social media platforms and streaming services. Like Ditto, you can keep 100% of your song royalties when you distribute your music through DistroKid.

One of the advantages of DistroKid over other major distributors is its upload speed. Based on user reviews, the company has the fastest upload speed in the market, with some reporting upload times of only a few hours.

Unless you’re on a really tight budget, I highly recommend opting for DistroKid’s “Musician Plus” tier. Coming at $3.33/month ($39.99 annually), the upgrade is well worth the money for those who are more serious about building their career and growing an audience. With the Musician Plus plan, DistroKid allows you to set release and pre-order dates and gives you access to daily sales stats for tracking your songs.

Promoting Your Music On TikTok

Releasing your music on TikTok’s database does not guarantee that people will start interacting with it. One of the best ways to push your music out there is to use promotional services.

There are several music promotion companies that work with different content creators across multiple platforms, including TikTok. Depending on how much you’re willing to invest in promoting your work, you can have anywhere from a few to a couple of hundred established content creators using your music to make videos. In another post, I have listed 5 of the best music promotion services you can use.

Final Thoughts On Uploading Music To TikTok

TikTok, as one of the largest social media platforms out there, can be an excellent tool for artists and musicians to promote their work. Uploading your songs out there for other content creators to use in their videos can expand your target audience and, ultimately, help you reach your goals as a musician much quicker.

Various distributors allow you to upload your tracks on TikTok without any upfront fees. However, most distributors that offer paid plans allow you to keep 100% of your revenue. The correct approach can differ depending on your goals and budget. However, I recommend opting for paid distributors over the free ones if you’re serious about pursuing a music career.