TikTok Elevate: The Best Emerging Artist Program Explained

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Carolyn Howell

Last Updated: Aug 13, 2023

TikTok 101

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With millions of devoted music fans exploring fresh talent daily, TikTok has unveiled its groundbreaking initiative – TikTok Elevate. It is a rising artist platform designed to support and celebrate emerging musicians and singers who have captured the attention of the app’s vibrant community. 

Leveraging TikTok’s music discovery tools and unparalleled social reach, TikTok Elevate seeks to provide these talented individuals with meaningful support. This can take their music careers to new heights.

Let’s read on to understand this new feature and how artists can use it for their benefit.

A guy standing in front of a neon wall with a cassette player.

What Is TikTok Elevate?

TikTok Elevate is a new rising artist platform launched by TikTok to support and promote emerging musicians and singers who have gained traction on the app. This initiative aims to leverage TikTok’s music discovery tools and social reach to provide meaningful support to fresh talent in the music industry.

The inaugural program of TikTok Elevate features six selected artists: Chinchilla, Sam Barber, Omar Courtz, Isabel La Rosa, Kaliii, and Lu Kala. These artists will receive various resources and benefits, including early access to new features on TikTok and support from TikTok’s official social handles.

Through the Elevate program, the chosen artists can share new content and updates on their upcoming music releases with their fans on TikTok. They can also provide an intimate look into the evolution of their music careers through the platform and TikTok Music’s @musicontiktok social handles.

Additionally, audiences can expect to see the artists perform in their respective hometowns, including Canada, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom.

The participating artists expressed gratitude and excitement about being part of TikTok Elevate, acknowledging the platform’s transformative impact on their careers. They highlighted TikTok’s ability to connect them with fans on a personal level. Furthermore, it provides exposure to new listeners worldwide. It also facilitates organic growth without requiring a massive marketing budget.

TikTok Elevate reflects TikTok’s commitment to empowering diverse talent and supporting artists in their pursuit of long-term success in the music industry. TikTok aims to foster a nurturing environment for rising musicians and contribute to their artistic journey by harnessing the app’s immense popularity and reach.

A girl posing with headphones on.

How To Become a Part of TikTok Elevate?

To join TikTok Elevate individuals need to catch the attention of TikTok’s music-loving community and gain traction on the app. TikTok has become a powerful platform for music discovery and promotion, with millions of passionate music fans discovering new musicians and supporting up-and-coming artists.

For the inaugural class of TikTok Elevate, the selected rising artists are CHINCHILLA, Sam Barber, Omar Courtz, Isabel La Rosa, Kaliii, and LU KALA. These artists have already made an impact on TikTok, and they represent diverse musical styles and backgrounds.

TikTok’s Elevate program aims to provide meaningful support to these artists both within the app and beyond, helping them build lasting careers in the music industry. The program seeks to showcase the exceptional talent found on TikTok and celebrate each artist’s unique story and sound.

TikTok will offer resources, exposure, and exclusive experiences for artists chosen for the Elevate program. This includes early access to new features on the platform and support from TikTok’s official social handles. 

They can also get opportunities to perform in significant locations in their hometowns that inspired their music. Through TikTok and the @musicontiktok accounts, artists will share native content, updates on upcoming music releases and provide fans with an intimate look into their music careers.

The Elevate artists will also perform in their hometowns around the world, spanning locations such as Canada, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

While the specifics of how artists can apply or nominate themselves for TikTok Elevate are not clear yet. However, aspiring musicians should continue engaging with the platform, creating compelling content, and capturing the attention of user base. This will help to increase their chances of being noticed and potentially considered for future Elevate cohorts.

A group of people listening to music from a cassette player.

Which Artists Have Been Promoted by TikTok Elevate?

TikTok Elevate aims to uplift and promote emerging musicians and singers who have garnered significant attention. Among the artists selected for this inaugural program are Chinchilla, Sam Barber, Omar Courtz, Isabel La Rosa, Kaliii, and Lu Kala.

For these talented individuals, being a part of TikTok Elevate represents a remarkable opportunity to further their music careers. Through this program, they gain access to valuable resources and early exposure to new features on the TikTok platform, providing them with a competitive edge in reaching their audience. 

We cannot overstate the significance of TikTok as a music discovery platform. As the app’s popularity surged, it became an unexpected yet powerful tool for musicians and record labels to showcase their work and propel new singles to stardom. 

TikTok’s unique algorithm, which facilitates the viral spread of content, has enabled songs to capture the attention of global audiences and catapult artists to newfound fame. By capitalizing on this potential, TikTok Elevate seeks to bolster the careers of promising musicians by harnessing the app’s music discovery tools to the fullest.

For the artists involved, being part of the Elevate program brings with a sense of gratitude and excitement. They acknowledge the platform’s role in providing feedback that has honed their craft and elevated their artistry. Moreover, TikTok’s ability to reach diverse audiences around the world gives Elevate artists the chance for new listeners from different cultures and backgrounds to listen to them.

The support offered by TikTok Elevate goes beyond mere promotion. It enables these emerging artists to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of their music careers, offering fans an intimate and exclusive look into their artistic journeys. Furthermore, the opportunity to perform in their hometowns and beyond promises to forge stronger connections between artists and their fanbase.

A group of people singing and playing instruments together.

What Other Ways Does TikTok Promote Artists?

TikTok employs various strategies and features to promote artists and their music on the platform. Here are some of the key ways TikTok promotes artists:

  1. Trending Sounds and Challenges: TikTok’s “Sounds” are audio clips that users can incorporate into their videos. When a song becomes popular on TikTok and people use it in a significant number of videos, it can trend and gain viral momentum.
  2. Hashtags and Discover Page: TikTok utilizes hashtags to categorize content, and artists can create unique hashtags for their songs or campaigns. TikTok’s Discover page showcases trending and popular content, including music-related videos, allowing users to easily discover new music and artists. This also leads to an increase in video play.
  3. TikTok LIVEs and Q&A Sessions: Artists can host live streams on TikTok to interact with their fans in real time. These live sessions often include performances, Q&A segments, and behind-the-scenes glimpses, fostering a more personal and direct connection with the audience.
  4. Creator Marketplace: TikTok’s Creator Marketplace connects brands with TikTok influencers and content creators.
  5. Music Library and Licensing: TikTok maintains an extensive music library, making it easy for users to include popular songs in their videos. Artists benefit from this exposure and the potential for their music to go viral when used in trending videos. This increases their video play over rate.
  6. Duets and Stitches: TikTok’s duet and stitch features enable users to interact with existing videos, including music clips. Artists can encourage fans to duet or stitch their songs, allowing for collaborative and user-generated content that boosts visibility.
  7. TikTok for Artists: TikTok offers a dedicated platform called “TikTok for Artists,” where artists and their teams can access analytics. They can also view performance metrics to monitor the impact of their music and campaigns on the platform.

A band practicing their singing together.

How Do Record Labels Track Performance on TikTok?

Record labels closely monitor the performance of their songs on TikTok through dedicated teams and various tracking methods. TikTok has become a significant platform for music promotion, and record labels are keen to leverage its popularity to propel trending songs even further.

One way record labels track the performance of songs on TikTok is by employing daily monitoring. For instance, Andy McGrath, said that their entire music catalog is effectively tracked on a daily basis. They continuously observe the actions, reactions, and trends that unfold on TikTok.

RCA Records takes a slightly different approach. Tarek Al-Hamdouni, SVP of digital marketing at RCA Records, revealed that they rely on a series of signals to assess the effectiveness of a TikTok song campaign. These signals include looking for changes in streaming numbers on other platforms like Spotify and shifts in the demographic makeup of the audience on platforms like YouTube.

For example, if they notice a sudden increase in streams on Spotify or a shift in the demographic of their YouTube viewers. This can be from primarily 25- to 34-year-old males to 13-to-24-year-old females, they can make a connection between these changes and the ongoing TikTok campaign.

In summary, record labels adopt a proactive approach to monitor and analyze the performance of their songs on TikTok. By closely observing the platform’s trends and employing cross-platform analysis, they can effectively gauge the impact of TikTok campaigns. They can then capitalize on the potential of viral trends to boost a song’s popularity.

A group of people having a concert together.

TikTok Elevate – The Way To Becoming a Famous Artist

TikTok Elevate represents an incredible opportunity for emerging artists to shine on the ultimate music discovery platform. By providing meaningful support, TikTok empowers artists to connect with their fans on a deeper level. They can then expose their music to new audiences worldwide and chart a course toward long-term success in the music industry.

The inaugural program unfolds with Chinchilla, Sam Barber, Omar Courtz, Isabel La Rosa, Kaliii, and LU KALA taking center stage. TikTok Elevate promises to elevate the voices of emerging artists and reshape the landscape of the music industry for the better. One thing is certain: TikTok Elevate has the potential to reshape the music industry landscape for emerging artists on the rise.

You should make use of all new tools TikTok launches in any way they relate to you. This can help better your overall TikTok experience. To further elevate your experience, take the help of a TikTok growth service like High Social. High Social can help you gain a larger audience on TikTok, which is completely organic. This will encourage your engagement and reach to increase further. Try High Social for yourself today!

TikTok 101