A kid pranking a friend. An athlete celebrating a victory. A life hack... that doesn't actually work. Whatever captures your attention on TikTok, there’s likely music playing in the background—music that artists hope will get shared and go viral. 9.7 million artists on TikTok create short-form videos in hopes of launching their careers to superstardom, whether through daily Lives or viral trends.
Potential shutdown
But time is running out. The United States Supreme Court has heard arguments from TikTok's lawyers, and a decision on whether the app will be banned in the U.S. is expected by mid-January 2025. TikTok is preparing for an imminent shutdown, which could occur by January 19, 2025, and has stated that it does not plan to sell the company.
The Taylor Swifts and the Weeknds will be much less affected than emerging artists whose primary audience—and possibly sole source of income—may be tied to TikTok. Some young artists have never known a world without TikTok, nor have they promoted music outside of it. What is a vocalist-dancer-producer-songwriter-rapper to do?
For you, the artist
There are a plethora of social networks available to you, even if none are quite the same as TikTok. But that could be a good thing. If short-form video isn’t quite your thing, switching to YouTube might be a better fit, as it offers short-form, long-form, and live videos. If you’re targeting a younger audience, check out Snapchat Spotlight; for an older audience, Clapper might be ideal. And if you want an experience as close as possible to TikTok, with a massive built-in audience, Instagram Reels could be your best option. (See an extensive list of alternatives below.)
Whatever platform you decide on, informing your audience as soon as possible is key. Record and pin a video letting them know where they can find you once TikTok ceases to exist. In the meantime, a website or landing page (aka link-in-bio tool) can help prevent you from losing your audience. A Discord server may also be useful for bringing your audience together. If TikTok announces a specific shutdown date and time, going Live during its final hour will allow your audience to see you one last time —before they see you again shortly after on a different platform.
TikTok alternatives
Bluesky: Greater emphasis on text, à la Twitter, but it may appeal to certain audiences.
Clapper: Very similar to TikTok, but with a target audience of Gen X and millennial users.
Instagram Reels: The most TikTok-like experience, with integration across IG Stories, posts, IGTV, and Threads, all backed by a massive built-in audience.
Likee: Similar to TikTok, but with a much smaller user base (at least for now).
Lemon8: A lifestyle app that's similar to TikTok—because it's also owned by ByteDance. But if TikTok gets shut down, Lemon8 may be on the chopping block in the future.
Snapchat Spotlight: Similar to TikTok, but with a younger user base overall.
Triller: While Instagram introduced Reels and YouTube introduced Shorts in attempts to copy TikTok, Triller has essentially been TikTok since its inception. It even created the SaveMyTikToks.com website to help creators easily transfer their videos.
Twitch: Not quite the TikTok experience, but if live videos of substantial length are your focus, Twitch could be the best platform.
YouTube Shorts: Short-form video, with the ability to feature long-form videos, supported by a massive built-in audience.
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