TikTok for Artists Launches in South Africa

TikTok has officially launched TikTok for Artists in South Africa, following its global debut earlier this year. The new platform is designed to give artists, labels, and their teams access to actionable data and insights, helping them understand music performance, fan engagement, and audience behaviour on TikTok, ultimately supporting career growth both on and off the platform.

With daily-updated dashboards and comprehensive analytics, TikTok for Artists offers transparent data on how music and content are performing, and how fans are interacting with it. Key features include:

• Song Performance: Track views, posts, and creator engagements per track.
• Post Performance: Monitor views, likes, comments, shares, and post completion rates.
• Follower Insights: Gain a breakdown of audience by age, gender, and language.
• Guides and Resources: Step-by-step tutorials on TikTok tools and strategies for long-term music careers.

The platform also introduces the Pre-Release tool, allowing artists to create campaigns for upcoming albums and enable fans to pre-save tracks directly to Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms.

Speaking on the South African launch, Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships, UK, Ireland, and SSA at TikTok, said:

“TikTok has always been a key space for music discovery and promotion across Africa. With the launch of TikTok for Artists in South Africa, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally. This platform is about putting powerful, transparent data in the hands of creators so they can make smarter decisions and connect with the global TikTok community.”

TikTok has emerged as a major platform for music discovery, helping local artists reach wider audiences. In South Africa, tracks like ‘Isaka (6am)’ by Ciza, Jazzworx, and Thukuthela have been used in over 1.2 million video creations locally and more than 2 million globally. Similarly, ‘Ngishutheni’ by Goon Flavour, Master KG, and Eemoh has generated nearly 1 million local video creations and over 6 million worldwide.

Everyday TikTok users also play a role in music promotion. Mawhoo, GL_Ceejay, and Thukuthela’s ‘Bengicela’ (feat. Jazzworx) has seen over 630 000 local video creations and over 700 000 global creations. By leveraging TikTok sounds, artists can fuel organic discovery while gaining actionable insights to inform promotional strategies.

TikTok for Artists is now available to all artists with a certified TikTok Artist Account. Artists can also provide access to managers and label teams to ensure their campaigns are data-driven and effective.

With this launch, TikTok reaffirms its commitment to Africa’s music industry, equipping creators with the tools they need to build sustainable and global music careers.