TikTok has developed into a blossoming platform, providing incredible opportunities for a wealth of influencers. Music is a key component of TikTok’s worldwide success, allowing users to post interesting sounds to complement their videos. Musicians on TikTok have also seen a lot of success, with artists signing record deals after immense exposure on the platform. Netinfluencer is here to discuss musicians who started a successful career on TikTok.

Musicians To Look Out For on TikTok

Crawlers

Crawlers are a four-piece band based in North-West England. This nuanced rock band found fame on TikTok with their song ‘Come Over (again)’. Many creators used this song’s inspiring lyrics to document their gender transitions or to show triumph in tough situations. The band quickly became very popular amassing 676.5K followers. Members of the band also use TikTok to show off their vibrant personalities, creating videos using popular sounds and trends on the app. Crawlers first formed in 2018 but finally signed with prominent record label Polydor Records in January 2022. The group is still using TikTok to promote their new content and hopes to go on tour later this year.

@crawlersband i’m actually scared of the gremlin i formed in this #fyp ♬ original sound – CRAWLERS

Tom Rosenthal 

This musician has been producing material on YouTube since 2011, earning him over 300,000 subscribers. However, Tom Rosenthal’s jump to TikTok has seen him gain 1.6 million followers and find viral fame on the app. His most popular song, ‘Home’, was first written under the pseudonym Edith Whiskers, meaning that Rosenthal was not recognized for his work.  The song has been used in over 1 million videos, helping Tom Rosenthal finally achieve some recognition for his music. In 2021, this musician set up his own record label, Tinpot Records, in the hopes to build a community of singer-songwriters and help them produce music under a legitimate label. 

@tomrosenthalmusic Thanks for listening and for your support! 100 million! Crazy #gosolo ♬ Go Solo – Tom Rosenthal

24kGoldn

Based in San Francisco, 24kGoldn was just 18 when his hit single ‘Valentino’ was certified platinum by the Recording Industry of America. This artist is using TikTok to further promote his music to his 5.8 million followers. Valentino has been used in over 600,000 videos on TikTok, making it a viral hit in just a few weeks. 24kGoldn also uses the app to collaborate and perform with other musicians on TikTok. He has paired up with Carson Elliot and Spencer X to produce unique remixes of his songs. Most recently, this artist has been creating content for TikTok to promote his new single ‘Options’. 

@24kgoldn

♬ Optionsss – 24kGoldn

Em Beihold

Em Beihold recently found TikTok fame from her newest single ‘Numb Little Bug.’ This song details Beihold’s struggles with mental health, a topic that is becoming quite prevalent on TikTok. Em Beihold also uses TikTok to create humorous and relatable videos to share with over 519,000 followers. Despite ‘Numb Little Bug’ being her first career entry, it reached #91 on the Billboard Charts’ Hot 100 list. In fact, the song was streamed over 1 million times on Spotify within the first 24 hours of its release. Em Beihold is a key example of how musicians on TikTok can reach incredible and profitable markets with just a small amount of exposure. 

@embeihold

where my Barney b!tches @

♬ original sound – Em Beihold

Justus Bennetts

This musician posted his first TikTok video in July 2019, creating a video of him using a facial filter in the shower. Little did he know, this would be the start of a very successful music career. In 2021, Justus Bennetts posted a video of him recording his popular single ‘Bad Day’, a song that caught the attention of over 21.3 million viewers. The official music video gained over 450,000 views on YouTube, making it one of Bennetts’ most successful singles. This artist is still making music and promoting his new tracks consistently on TikTok. He posts videos of his unreleased music and collaborates with other artists on the platform such as GAYLE. 

@justusbennetts shooting this video gave me ptsd #donttrip #newmusic #musicvideo ♬ original sound – Justus Bennetts

Nathan Evans

In 2020, Nathan Evans posted a video of him singing sea shanties, which quickly blew up across the UK. His cover of the 19th Century song ‘Wellerman’, was remixed by 220 KID and Billen Ted. This simple TikTok grew overnight success, reaching the top of the UK charts in 2021. Evans was originally working as a postal worker in Scotland but he managed to gain 1.4 million followers on TikTok and became a full-time recording artist. This musician also has a successful YouTube and Twitch channel, where he engages more with his growing and devoted fan base. 

@nathanevanss Take My Hand. (New original, what do we think?) #fyp #foryoupage #viral #insta #acoustic #original #foryou #music #scottishsinger #scottish #scotland #nathanevanss ♬ original sound – N A T H A N E V A N S

Ashnikko

With her brightly colored hair and exuberant fashion sense, Ashnikko blew up on TikTok in 2019 with her single ‘STUPID.’ Since then, Ashnikko has created her own style of music, pushing away from the typical demands of the mainstream American music industry.  This musician is also well known for their larger-than-life music videos, something that she documents on TikTok for her 3.8 million followers. Ashnikko is still able to gain immense traction on TikTok with her latest single, ‘Panic Attacks in Paradise’ being used in over 3,000 videos. 

@ashnikko something we cooked up in the stu @oscarscheller ♬ original sound – ashnikko

Dove Cameron

This musician is best known for her role in the Disney Channel series, ‘Liv and Maddie.’ Now at 26, Dove Cameron is focusing her attention on her music, using TikTok to promote her latest single ‘Boyfriend.’ This song focuses on Queer relationships, something very close to Dove Cameron’s heart as she came out as bisexual in 2020. Boyfriend has become a viral hit on TikTok, being used in nearly 500,000 videos and has been used in its own unique trend. Cameron has an incredible 8.5 million followers on TikTok and uses the platform to engage and communicate with her growing fanbase. 

@dovecameron missing tour hours . i love you (& i love @heyimashe ♬ original sound – Dove Cameron

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X is possibly TikTok’s most famous success story. In 2019, he posted a clip of his single ‘Old Town Road’, which quickly set the record for the longest-running song at the #1 spot on Billboard Hot 100. The single was then released featuring country icon Billy Ray Cyrus. This TikTok musician won two Grammys in 2020, showing the positive effect TikTok can have on musicians. Lil Nas X uses TikTok to show off his funny side, creating a fake pregnancy photoshoot for his album ‘Montero’, which was released in 2021. This artist is still active on TikTok, gaining a monumental 27.3 million followers.

@lilnasx THANK U VEGAS! @Insomniac #lomotif ♬ original sound – lil nas x

Loren Gray

This musician has been a popular influencer on TikTok since she started posting videos at age 13. In recent years, Loren Gray has been using the platform to share her music, earning her over 54 million followers and nearly 3 billion likes. With so much experience on the platform, it is no surprise that Gray posts a collection of humorous videos using popular sounds on the platform. The behind-the-scenes footage of her recent single ‘Piece of Work’, was posted on the Guess YouTube channel, gaining over 7,000 views. Gray is continuing to develop her large portfolio of music and has created a line of merchandise for her fans to enjoy. 

@lorengray

gave it my best go for the kids back home LAUGHSSS

♬ original sound – ashes

Many musicians on TikTok have credited the platform for their immense success, praising the levels of engagement they can achieve. As more artists continue to promote their music on the platform, we can see how the music industry is beginning to transform to fit this new development. To learn more about how to increase your engagement on TikTok, visit our website.