BLKMKT MUSIC SHARES THE TOP 10 TIKTOK MUSIC TRENDS FOR ADVERTISERS TO WATCH IN 2023

LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BLKMKT MUSIC a leading music house for advertising has been working directly with major brands and the TikTok team to create custom music for social campaigns is now releasing their music predictions for 2023. TikTok is rapidly becoming the world’s most influential social media platform. With more than 1 billion active monthly users, it is also one of the most important platforms for brands to engage their clients through. Music is integral to the TikTok experience as over 90% of users attest. And as such, savvy brands are taking a more calculated and strategic approach to the music in their ads.

WHY MUSIC MATTERS

A Soundtrack Your Brand and MRC study shows that 41% of customers will spend more time with a brand if they connect with the music it plays. As TikTok is now the preeminent site for the discovery and distribution of new music, it is essential that advertisers focus on the musical habits of their would-be customers in order to maximize ROI. Here are 10 music trends that brands should look out for on TikTok in 2023 and beyond.

10 PREDICTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS IN 2023

1. BRING BACK THE JINGLE

You might think of jingles as a relic of a bygone era, but they are back and more relevant than ever on TikTok. Research shows that a catchy song featuring a brand’s name in the lyrics can boost brand recall and overall participation. For example Alka Seltzer partnered with T-Pain to reinterpret their classic “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz” campaign as a contemporary song. The result is a cool and humorous song about hangover relief that feels very much in line with T-Pain’s existing oeuvre.

2. ORIGINAL BRANDS NEED ORIGINAL SOUNDS

 Although there is now an abundance of “royalty free” music readily available to content creators on TikTok, research shows that brands who utilize original music emphasizing cutting edge creative sounds in their advertisements earn a higher ROI than those who lean on stock sounds. For example the bold audio visual choices in this Clearly campaign captured the attention of audience members resulting in a 13% increase in ad recall, outperforming the Kantar norm for the Apparel/Accessories category. When it comes to free sounds, you really do get what you pay for.

3. REMIXING A CLASSIC

Continuing our trend of the old made new, many brands are finding success by reimagining classic songs from a current perspective. This strategy is a win win as it capitalizes on the song’s cultural cache, imbuing the brand with a sense of timelessness while still engaging young listeners on their own turf. Bending and blending musical genres is an essential trend that has the potential to grow for years to come.

4. ARTIST & BRAND COLLABORATIONS

 As TikTok grows and matures, so too must the ambition of advertisers hoping to capitalize on its massive user base. While it was once considered wise for advertisers to mimic the homespun quality of the user generated content that is at the heart of TikTok, brands are now finding success with more traditional, high production value TV commercial style ads.

Partnering with a musical celebrity, like Garnier did with Jason Derulo, is a great way to convey brand legitimacy and appeal to the star’s existing massive fanbase. The songs created for these campaigns can also be cross promoted on streaming platforms like Spotify thus giving them greater reach and a longer shelf-life.

5. CELEBRATE LATIN MUSIC & LATIN GENRES

2022 was the year that Latin Music “crossed over”, becoming one of the most culturally relevant forces in mainstream US music. Sales of Latin Music grew 23% in the first half of the year according to the RIAA. Reggaeton in particular has seen explosive growth including among non-Spanish speakers as evidenced by the 11 weeks Bad Bunny’s album Un Verano Sin Ti spent at #1 on the Billboard Chart. His “El Último Tour del Mundo” become the highest grossing U.S. tour to date, earning $120.1 million according to PollStar.

6. CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS THROUGH AUTHENTIC HIP HOP CULTURE

“Hip-Hop isn’t just a genre at this point, it’s the epicenter of culture,” said Juice Rodriguez, co-founder of Colorway Agency. For many brands, tapping into Hip-Hop culture is one of the strongest ways to connect with consumers. In the US, nearly one third of all music consumed in 2020 fell under the hip-hop and R&B categories.

7. LEGACY ARTISTS FOR YOUR BRAND

 Though Latin Music and Hip Hop may be the biggest drivers of music culture, legacy artists continue to represent the majority of music consumption (nearly 70% in 2021 according to the MRC). As such 2022 saw many brands partner with legacy artists.

“The overarching reason brands see value in catalog is because of brand recognition. Highly recognizable songs with just three to five seconds are highly identifiable to consumers,” said Jeffrey Straughn, partner and chief brand officer of Primary Wave.

“Too many brands get caught up in heavy copy with advertisements and want to squeeze way too much in 30-60 second spots. Brands that allow iconic music to help drive the message will always be the campaign most will remember.” In fact, if a brand’s TikTok video features a song that is popular on the platform, 68% of users say they remember the brand better, and 62% say they’re more curious to learn about the brand.

8. HIT SONGWRITERS = HIT ADS

Brands looking for a deeper connection to their audience may want a more customized message than an existing song can deliver. In these cases, the solution is to hire professional songwriters and music producers to create an original song that captures the feeling of a hit record. For this Mejuri spot, the agency provided the writers a playlist of their favorite songs from artists like Beyonce and Rihanna as well as a mood-board of videos to convey the tone they were after. The resulting song has all the vibe and authenticity of a radio hit, but is 100% original and 100% on brand.

9. TRADITIONAL ADS WITH AN UPDATE

Until recently, pop music has been the dominant voice for advertising on TikTok. A new trend has been the introduction of broadcast-style ad music. As TikTok grows and matures, so too must the ambitions of advertisers hoping to capitalize on its massive user-base. We predict higher production values and the integration of traditional TV commercial style music to be an growing and ongoing trend.

10. DANCE TRENDS NEVER DIE

Tik-Tok has long been known for sparking viral dance crazes. Clever advertisers have capitalized on this trend in hopes of making their own content go viral. This forward looking ad from Samsung features slick high production value footage of global dance influencers and cutting edge custom music utilizing sound design inspired by their Galaxy Flip phones and tablets.

About BLKMKT MUSIC: BLKMKT is a Full Service Music House based in Los Angeles. From original music composition, music supervision and a boutique library of music we pair sound with visuals in all forms of media. In a day and age where music is often mindlessly outsourced or valued for how cheap it can be bought, BLKMKT is committed to keeping artistry core to the experience. Because if it doesn’t move you, it doesn’t matter.

SOURCE Blkmktmusic