In light of global COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of changes have happened in the entertainment and technology space. TikTok has taken over the music industry.
TikTok's growth has been tremendous having transformed from a niche service to a video platform mentioned in the same breath as YouTube.
Chinese company Bytedance has rebranded it and the outcome has been extremely successful, at least when it comes to impacting popular music. The platform has established itself as a staging ground for hits.
Kenyan TikToker Azziad Nasenya become an internet sensation after her short video of Femi One and Mejja's banger Utawezana went viral on TikTok. Internationally, artists like Drake released Toosie Slide specifically for TikTok.
Gengetone Guru K4 Kanali is one such beneficiary of the platform having adapted to the changes in music promotion. He says artists should realize the gap that TikTok fills in the road to mainstream media and radio success.
Having released a banger Bad Manners alongside Gwaash and Joseph Hill (Team Psycho) the hook has become a viral challenge on TikTok with over 50,000 views on #HaitakiHasira challenge alone .
He adds that what makes the platform such a major player is its ability to promote content through social mobility and targeted outreach efforts that ensure popular users are on the latest trends.
The app has multiple ways of bringing more eyes and ears to a reactive song video combination beyond placing it on the "For You" page.
It can also launch a hashtag campaign signaling a new trend.
What's great for music business might not be great for TikTok but the platform has succeeded in convincing users that fame is 15 seconds away.