The TikTokification of Music (pros, cons and 5 tips)

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Okay, now that I have your attention, let’s talk. From content to songs, making your point quickly is the name of the game.

Welcome to the TikTokification of music (of everything).

This post shares my take on the good, the bad and the importance of not caring.

So let’s do this!

What Is TikTokification In Music?

TikTokification in music is the shortening of songs and the development of music with virality or social trends in mind.

Aspects like capturing attention quickly and a song’s use in social media content are popular ways to create music right now.

But it’s not just in music. On-demand, short-form commoditization is also found in:

• Fast fashion trends

• Beauty trends

• Language and slang

• Monthly food boxes ready to cook

• etc., etc.

But as with anything, there are ups and downs to this social moment. It’s not all bad — but it’s not all good either.

Pros of Music Tiktokification

• Short songs are easier and quicker to write

• More opportunities to hop on trends and gain a following

• More collaboration opportunities

• Clear path to engage more with your audience

• Less gatekeepers — if you play the game even just a little

Cons of Music Tiktokification

• If you don’t capture attention quickly, you lose the audience

• It’s fast food for music (quick consumption and done)

• Requires extra skills and time beyond music (video, marketing, etc.)

• Extra pressure to make music a certain way

• Cheapens musical quality and artistic integrity

Adapting to Short-Form Music (5 tips)

1. Trim the Fat

This is the most obvious and practical tip. Trimming the fat is the quickest way to adapt to music TikTokification.

For example:

• Avoid long intros

• Ignore bridges and end choruses that repeat

• Get to the point (the hook) quickly

• Avoid long build ups

Despite the formulas, templates and trends, creativity is more about intention.

So if you have a song that absolutely needs to be long, then keep it that way. You can always slice it up for social media purposes.

Creative integrity still matters. But short songs are not out of the question — they can be your lead magnets.

2. Mini Songs Are Just Lead Magnets

In marketing, lead magnets are top-of-the-funnel offers that bring awareness to your brand and generate leads.

Put another way, lead magnets grow your audience when nobody knows who you are.

The TikTokification of music is sort of doing the same thing. Here’s what I mean.

Mini songs (or key parts of a song) are useful for short-form content. The goal is to capture attention quickly and introduce your music and your brand to potential fans.

This is nothing more than a top-of-the-funnel channel to boost awareness.

As fans become interested, they’ll consume more of your content and be more willing to hear longer songs.

But remember, in business and marketing, it takes multiple “touch points” before a lead trusts you. That is, if they your music once, they won’t care. But if they head 10+ times, they’ll start to notice.

This is a sales funnel. Your short-form song (your lead magnet) sits at the top and is only meant to draw in potential listeners (not necessarily make them immediate fans).

Slowly, through repetition and continued value add, you move listeners further down your brand funnel, until eventually they become fans.

I like to reframe TikTokified music as being more like lead magnets. It gives me a sense of control and a practical strategy to follow.

You can release longer, fuller versions of your songs (bottom-of-the-funnel songs) to the fans that stick around.

Rinse and repeat.

3. Add Unique + Personal Elements

In this TikTokified world, authenticity is the name of the game. So adding more unique, personal elements into your music is a smart move. These are things that help you stand out and capture attention better.

Part of TikTokification is writing music for trends and algorithms. But sometimes we forget that we still need to be authentic. It’s a balancing act and a bit dichotomous. But it’s also creative.

Heed what’s popular, but infuse your authentic style and voice into it.

Regardless of the trend, your unique perspectives and experiences remain. Highlight those.

If anything, TikTokification is a creative challenge to play with. And like other musical challenges, you can become stronger and more flexible for it.

Explore more:
➤ What Makes A Music Style Authentic?

4. Stay Patient (looking ahead…)

TikTokification and short-form content is not the last stop.

It’s not permanent and history has been before. People (or new generations) grow tired of the status quo and will shake things up.

Music has been cut short before. Think about the radio, where shorter songs were/are preferred.

Eventually, longer songs always make their way back, either as a rebellion to some establishment (like radio) or to mark a cultural shift.

Right now, short, TikTokified songs are popular. But do you really believe this is the last stop?

Nothing is ever static. Everything from an artistic trend to the cosmos is dynamic.

So I say, who cares?

Long songs will have their moment again.

(especially as people grow tired of the hyper-TikTokification of literally everything)

5. I See TikTokification (but I also don’t really care)

This tip feels contradictory.

I mean, TikTokification usually means creating short-form stuff to improve your chances of going viral, finding fame, blah blah blah.

But this is unhealthy — for anyone — but especially creators and musicians.

Remember, you’re an artist first. And crafting your melodic vision requires risk-taking, having fun and ignoring social metrics or outside influences.

So I say, let’s not get too caught up in writing exclusively for short-form fame.

Do you and don’t care so much.

Besides, this builds authenticity and that’s what goes viral the most anyways.

Later ✌️

The TikTokification of music is the shortening and development of songs for social media purposes.

Attention is a commodity and growing a brand requires capturing it quickly.

As musicians, we can trim the fat and change our mindset — but don’t forget to keep your authenticity. This is more important than song length or trend hopping.

But ultimately, just have fun with it all and stay patient — no trend lasts forever.

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