How to Make Your Music Go Viral

What does it mean to go viral?

Go viral. You hear the term all the time: that clip, that craze, that song, that dance “went viral” on the internet. The desire to have a piece of content go viral is pretty strong for individuals, brands, and creators too.


To “go viral” typically means that a piece of content, such as a video, image, or article, spreads rapidly and widely on the internet through social media sharing, word of mouth, and other forms of digital communication. When something goes viral, it can reach a massive audience in a short period of time and generate a lot of attention and engagement.


The term "viral" comes from the idea that the content spreads like a virus, infecting more and more people as it moves through social networks and online communities. Some factors that can contribute to a piece of content going viral include its emotional appeal, its shareability, its relevance to current events or trends, and the network effects of social media algorithms. 


Less often, however, do things go viral simply through sharing among a small group of friends and social media follows. The likelihood that something will scale depends a lot on who is doing the sharing. What many people think they understand about viral content is a myth. It’s the few well-connected influencers that make the biggest impact, especially for musicians. That’s where influencers come in.

The Truth About Going Viral

As social creatures, humans have a natural inclination to talk, share, and pass on information. However, unlike the spread of a viral disease, the transmission of an idea is a conscious choice. Most people who come across an idea do not pass it on, and information cascades tend to occur in short bursts and quickly die out. 


Some musicians have fallen prey to the idea that the only way for something to become popular is through a viral spread, but this notion overestimates the power of word of mouth. Often, what appears to be virality is actually the result of influencers - individuals or companies that distribute information to many people at once, but whose influence is not readily visible to outsiders. 


SpaceLoud believes that true virality is a rare occurrence and, when it does happen, it is typically short-lived and quickly returns to linear growth, or even worse. In most cases, a product going "viral" is not the result of a many-to-many spread, but instead, it is driven by someone with a substantial audience broadcasting it.


Despite the fact that products don't have long-lasting viral growth, optimizing virality mechanisms, such as word of mouth, invites, referrals, and a remarkable product, is still worthwhile since it can drive ongoing (free) growth.


At the same time, if you want to ignite or reignite moments of "virality," you'll need to invest a lot of money into keeping the buzz going. However, by partnering with an influencer to boost your chances is an excellent idea. Let’s look at a few ways influencers do this.

6 Ways Content Goes Viral?

Influencers know that trends can go viral in a number of ways, but some common factors that contribute to their success include:

1. Emotional Appeal

Trends that evoke strong emotions, such as humor, outrage, or inspiration, are more likely to catch on and be shared widely.

2. Timing

Trends that are timely and relevant to current events or cultural moments have a better chance of gaining traction.

3. Shareability

Trends that are easy to share and participate in are more likely to spread quickly. This can include hashtags, challenges, or other user-generated content that people can easily create and share.

5. Algorithmic Support

Social media algorithms can also play a role in promoting trends by surfacing them to more users based on their engagement and interest.

6. Influencers

And of course, a huge reason content goes viral is due to the influential individuals or organizations with large social media followings that amplify a trend and bring it to a wider audience.


When all of these factors align, a trend or song can quickly gain momentum and go viral, spreading rapidly through social networks and digital channels.

Creating Viral Music

It’s great when a cute puppy video goes viral, but if you’re a musician this is your career. You’re interested in how you can make your song or video go viral, so let’s look at how that happens.


Music can go viral in a number of ways. It includes many of the factors that make any content go viral, but some common factors that contribute to its success include:

Catchiness

Songs that have a memorable melody or catchy lyrics are more likely to stick in people's heads and be shared widely.

Emotion

Music that evokes strong emotions, such as joy, sadness, or nostalgia, can have a powerful impact and be shared widely.

Social Media

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become increasingly important in driving music trends and helping songs go viral. These platforms allow users to create and share short-form videos featuring music, which can introduce new songs to a wider audience.

Influencers

Influential musicians, celebrities, and social media personalities can also help drive music trends by promoting new songs to their followers.

Streaming Services

Music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have become a key way for users to discover and listen to new music. When a song starts to gain momentum on these platforms, it can quickly become popular and go viral.


When these factors come together, a song can quickly gain popularity and become a viral hit, spreading rapidly through social networks and digital channels.


The best shot at making your music a viral contender is to incorporate some or all of the above factors. However, if you use an influencer to conduct a targeted marketing campaign, it is their job to make that happen.

Influencers Defined

An influencer is a person who has established credibility and a significant following on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and others. They often have a specific niche, such as music, fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, or food, and use their social media presence to share content related to their niche and engage with their followers.


Some influencers have become extremely successful, earning significant amounts of money through brand collaborations, sponsored posts, and other forms of monetization. 

Traditional Method for Getting Your Music Heard

Any influencer campaign you take on should be supported by traditional methods as well. For example, live performances remain one of the most effective ways to get your music heard is to perform live. This can include playing at local venues, open mic nights, or festivals.


Radio is still an important medium for music discovery, especially for genres like pop, rock, and country. Musicians can submit their music to radio stations or hire a radio promoter to help get their music played.


Getting coverage in music publications, blogs, and websites can help build buzz and get your music in front of new audiences. Musicians can reach out to journalists and bloggers or hire a publicist to help get their music featured in the press.


Creating music videos can be a great way to promote your music and reach new audiences. Musicians can post their videos on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo or hire a video director to create a more professional-looking video.


Building relationships with other musicians, industry professionals, and fans can be a powerful way to get your music heard. Musicians can attend industry events, join online communities, and collaborate with other artists to expand their reach.


While these traditional approaches are still important, the rise of digital platforms and social media has opened up new opportunities for musicians to get their music heard, such as through streaming services, social media promotion, and digital marketing.

Using Influencers

To recap, going viral is a phenomenon where a piece of content, such as a song, video, image, or article, spreads rapidly and widely on the internet through various means like social media sharing, word of mouth, and other digital communication. Viral content can reach a large audience in a short period of time and generate a lot of attention and engagement. Factors like emotional appeal, shareability, relevance to current trends, and social media algorithms can all contribute to the virality of a piece of content.


Music can achieve virality in various ways, such as by having a memorable melody, catchy lyrics, or evoking strong emotions like joy, sadness, or nostalgia. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become crucial in driving music trends and helping songs go viral, allowing users to create and share short-form videos featuring music. Influential musicians, celebrities, and social media personalities can also help drive music trends by promoting new songs to their followers. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have also become essential in helping new songs gain momentum and go viral.


An influencer is a person who has established credibility and a significant following on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and others. They often have a specific niche, such as fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, or food, and use their social media presence to share content related to their niche and engage with their followers. Influencers have a significant impact on the purchasing decisions of their followers due to their perceived expertise, authenticity, and authority in their specific area of interest.

Social Media Platforms Influencers Use

There are several social media platforms you can use to get your music heard. Here are some popular ones:

YouTube

With over two billion monthly active users, YouTube is the world's largest video-sharing platform. You can upload your music videos, live performances, and other visual content to reach a massive audience.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a platform that allows artists to upload and share their music with a global community of listeners. You can use SoundCloud to promote your music, connect with fans, and collaborate with other artists.

Instagram

Instagram has become a powerful tool for musicians to showcase their work and reach new audiences. You can use Instagram to share photos, videos, and short clips of your music, as well as connect with fans and other artists.

TikTok

TikTok is a social media platform that has exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger audiences. Musicians can use TikTok to create short-form videos featuring their music, participate in viral challenges, and reach a massive audience.

Twitter

Twitter is a platform that allows you to share short updates and connect with fans and other artists. You can use Twitter to promote your music, share news and updates about upcoming releases, and engage with your audience.

Facebook

Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, with over two billion monthly active users. You can use Facebook to share your music, connect with fans, and promote upcoming shows and tours.



There are many other social media platforms out there, and the key is to find the ones that work best for your music and your audience.

What is SpaceLoud?

Now that you have an understanding of the importance of using influencers to get your music heard and where to focus your efforts, the next question is how to go about submitting your music to the right influencers. That's where SpaceLoud comes in.


As a platform, SpaceLoud brings together promising new artists with influencers who can help take their music careers to the next level. For influencers, it provides them with content to promote while growing their own followings. Both parties have the flexibility to choose who they want to work with and at what price.


SpaceLoud is a platform that facilitates mutually beneficial relationships between artists and influencers. By partnering with influencers, artists can increase their exposure while helping the influencer grow their own following and earn money. Influencer marketing has become an effective tool for musicians to promote new releases, shows, and tours and to gain social media followers. Getting started on SpaceLoud is easy and free, and artists can search for influencers who are a good fit for their music by browsing their profile pages. The platform also offers the option to create a campaign where interested influencers can submit proposals to help reach the artist's target audience across various social media channels.


Sign Up for a Free Trial Today

If you're ready to get started with influencer marketing for your music, signing up for a SpaceLoud account is simple and straightforward. As a platform, we only succeed when you do, so we've designed tools to help you get your music in front of a large and engaged audience. And for influencers, SpaceLoud provides an opportunity to earn a steady income by leveraging the following you've built on social media. 


Get your music heard today with a Free 14-Day Trial today! If you're an influencer, sign up for free and start earning money immediately.

0 Comments

No Comment

Leave a Comment