TikTok has been one of the most important tools in the digital marketing mix of artists and labels for quite some time: 80% of the tracks listed in the Spotify Viral Charts are almost exclusively influenced by the platform and its strong connection to music. In German-speaking countries, the music industry seems still reserved and the platform is polarizing. Unjustly, TikTok is still infamous as a platform for teenagers to upload funny videos. This is by no means the case, meanwhile all musical niches and age groups take place successfully at TikTok.
In this talk, Steffen Geldner introduces TikTok as a marketing tool for musicians. Digital self-marketing has changed fundamentally in recent years. Whereas it used to be possible to grow quickly and organically with good content, music content marketing has become much more complex due to algorithm- and data-driven platforms. With TikTok, there is (still) an opportunity to grow organically and without the use of large budgets.
After an introduction to the TikTok algorithm, Steffen deep-dives into the connection between TikTok and music and talks about the Sounds and Artist Page, playlists and targeting, among other things. This workshop will also provide participants with a hands-on experience of what content currently works best on TikTok and how it can be used most effectively. Range expansion, hashtags and analytics are also part of this workshop. An essential part of the talk will cover best practices from a wide variety of musical niches.
Steffen Geldner is founder of BERMVDA, a collective for talent, music and marketing. In this context he takes care of the management of musicians and influencers and runs the label »antischlager«. He also advises creative professionals in the field of digital marketing. He is a lecturer at universities in Germany, Europe and the USA, focusing on digital music marketing. He gives social media workshops – always with a strong focus on the music industry. As a project manager for digital innovation at Popakademie Baden-Württemberg, over the course of six years he developed the curriculum with a strongly digital focus.
