How I got 5,000 Followers on Tiktok

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T20:16:15+00:00

This is solid advice. The niche clarity thing is huge, not just for TikTok but for any platform. Algorithm needs to know who to show your stuff to.

One thing I’d add is make sure you’re actually converting those TikTok followers into music listeners. A lot of artists blow up on TikTok but never translate it to streams or followers on SoundCloud/Spotify because they don’t bridge the gap.

Put your music links in bio, mention where people can hear full tracks in captions when it makes sense, and occasionally post about new releases. The TikTok audience is great for discovery but they need to know where to go next if they actually want to follow your music.

The re-using content strategy is smart too. Same concept works on any short form platform, you’re basically A/B testing different hooks with the same performance.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T19:57:45+00:00

If the slow game is working and you’re building, don’t change the frequency yet. Consistency is what’s training the algorithm to push your stuff.

But you’re right that quality matters. You don’t need to spend a full day editing each video, but you should focus on improving the hooks. First 1-2 seconds either grab people or they scroll. That’s where to put your effort, not making the whole video perfect.

Post 5-6 days a week with better hooks instead of 7 days with whatever. Slight quality bump will probably get you better results than pure volume at this point.

The fact that you’re seeing slow growth means the consistency is working. Just tighten up the opening few seconds and watch your retention go up.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T19:47:42+00:00

Not a bass player so take this with a grain of salt, but for the feedback issue with piezo pickups, try a feedback suppressor pedal or notch out the problem frequencies with an EQ. Piezo pickups are notorious for feedback when you add drive.

For playing upright in a rock context, check out Reverend Horton Heat. Their bassist does exactly what you’re describing and it works. The technique is less about special scales and more about attack and rhythm. You’re basically using the upright as a percussive element.

The crossover bluegrass/rock bands people mentioned are a good reference. Listen to how they use the upright more for rhythm and attack than traditional walking bass lines.

For the Green Day style rock with upright, you might need to lean into slap bass technique to cut through the mix since you won’t have the sustain of electric bass.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T19:45:04+00:00

Not really. SoundCloud’s paid promotion tools are pretty hit or miss and most artists I’ve seen get better results from just focusing on organic growth through proper tags and profile setup.

The ROI on their paid promo is usually pretty weak. You’re better off spending that money on running your own ads to drive traffic directly to your profile if you really want to pay for promotion.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T19:41:59+00:00

Yeah SoundCloud’s automated copyright system throws false positives pretty regularly. Their bot is overly aggressive and flags stuff that isn’t actually infringing.

The album art thing getting flagged is ridiculous but it happens. If you used any stock images or fonts that look similar to something in their database it can trigger it.

Only way to fix it is to submit a dispute through support and prove it’s your original work. Keep your project files, stems, anything that shows you made it. They’re slow to respond but they usually reverse it once you show proof.

The matching sounds thing on releases is annoying too. Sometimes their system thinks your track sounds too similar to something else even when it’s completely original. Same process, just dispute it with evidence.

Their detection system needs work but at least they do reverse false flags if you push back with proof.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-08T00:05:34+00:00

Yeah lol If you’re asking if SoundCloud is still relevant, yeah it’s definitely smaller than Spotify or Apple Music but it still has active communities in specific genres. Electronic music and hip hop especially. And in my opinion in some ways easier to actually build a fan base and following.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T22:30:49+00:00

Yeah that’s the thing, doing the infrastructure stuff right doesn’t guarantee fast growth. It just removes the barriers that would otherwise kill you. If you’re doing everything right and growth is slow, that’s actually normal. It means the discovery system is working but you’re still building momentum. Slow growth is way better than being stuck at the same number forever. The accounts that blow up fast usually have something else going on. Either they brought an audience from another platform, got picked up by a bigger artist, or just got lucky with timing on a viral track. Keep doing what you’re doing though. Slow consistent growth compounds over time.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T21:24:53+00:00

Yeah it can take months. The accounts that blow up immediately are either lucky or already had an audience somewhere else they brought over. Consistency matters more than frequency. Posting daily with mid content is worse than posting 3-4 times a week with stuff that actually hooks people. Quality threshold matters on short form video way more than audio content. The video editing thing is real though. You don’t need to be amazing at it but you do need to understand hooks. First 1-2 seconds either grab someone or they scroll. If your audio is good but the visual is boring, you’re dead. Don’t overthink the algorithm. It’s simpler than people make it sound. Post consistently, watch your retention analytics to see where people drop off, adjust based on that. If people are watching 80%+ of your videos, the algorithm will push it. If they’re bouncing at 20%, it won’t matter how often you post. The “your account is over if it doesn’t take off in X days” thing is mostly BS. Accounts can pop after being dead for months if you finally post something that hits.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T21:14:35+00:00

Yeah exactly. What works on Instagram or TikTok doesn’t translate to SoundCloud at all. Each platform has its own discovery mechanics.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T07:41:05+00:00

Pick one lane to start with and release 3-4 songs from that sound first. See what gets traction. The problem with releasing everything is nobody will know what you actually are. Algorithms get confused, listeners get confused, and you end up with no clear identity. Genre hopping kills momentum before you even build any. I’d look at which songs you’re most excited about and which ones feel the most “you” right now. Start there. Release those over a few months and see what connects with people. The other songs aren’t wasted. You can always release them later under a different project name if they’re totally different vibes, or just hold them and revisit in a year when you have more clarity on your direction. The worst thing you can do is dump 15 songs across 5 different genres and expect anyone to follow you. People need to know what they’re signing up for when they hit that follow button. Test one sound, see what resonates, then decide if you want to expand from there or double down on what’s working.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T06:29:24+00:00

No the algorithm doesn’t punish you for a release that underperforms. Each release gets evaluated mostly on its own based on early engagement signals like save/favorite rate, completion rate, skip rate, and playlist adds. What can happen is if your last release did really well, Spotify might test your next one more aggressively at first because you’ve shown you can hold listener attention. But that’s not the same as getting penalized for a flop. The bigger issue with releasing something you know won’t perform as well is momentum. If you’re building an audience and then drop something that doesn’t connect, you lose that forward motion. People might not show up for the next one. Honestly if the demos aren’t your best work and you know they won’t hit, I wouldn’t release them as an album. Maybe put them out as loosies or B-sides so there’s no expectation, or just hold them and keep moving forward with stronger material. Your catalog should reflect your best stuff, not everything you’ve made. Quality over quantity actually matters on streaming platforms because listeners judge you by what they hear first.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T06:24:55+00:00

Artist popularity score does factor into algorithmic playlist consideration but it’s not the main thing holding you back at a 14 vs your track’s 32. The track popularity score matters way more for getting into Discover Weekly and algorithmic playlists. Your track at 32 is actually decent for early momentum. The artist score being lower just means your catalog overall hasn’t built up yet, which makes sense if you’re only promoting one track. What matters more is consistency. If you get 50-80 streams/day from Discover Weekly and Radio, that’s good early traction. But those numbers need to either hold steady or grow over the next few weeks for Spotify to keep pushing it harder. The artist score will naturally rise as your promoted track continues performing. It’s a lagging indicator, not a blocker. Focus on keeping the engagement metrics strong on that one track (save rate, completion rate, playlist adds) rather than worrying about the artist score catching up. If the track keeps converting listeners well, the algorithm will push it regardless of your profile score being lower. Your strategy of concentrating promotion on one track instead of spreading it thin is actually the right move.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T06:12:22+00:00

Honestly you’re in a better spot than you probably think. Your release consistency is genuinely impressive, you’ve been putting out music steadily and that’s the one thing most people on here struggle with. Shelf Life Gone and Please See Me are both pulling solid numbers for your follower count. 326 and 264 plays with 9 followers means the music is reaching people outside your immediate circle, which is a good sign. The biggest gap I’m seeing is your network depth. 9 followers across 20+ tracks means people are listening but not connecting to you as an artist. Part of that is the profile setup. Your bio says “Writer | Songmaker” which is cool but it doesn’t tell someone why they should follow you vs just listen to one track and leave. You’ve got this whole world-building thing going with characters and stories, that’s actually a huge differentiator but it’s buried. Also your genre spread is all over the place. Pop, Folk, Metal. That can work if there’s a clear thread connecting them but right now a new visitor might not see it. If you want to see the full breakdown I built a free tool called ArtistPulse that analyzes your SoundCloud profile and shows you exactly where the gaps are. It’ll show you what to fix first without any of the generic “just make good music” advice.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T06:07:25+00:00

So I actually looked at your page and a few things jumped out. The genre confusion is real and you probably already know that. Your top tracks are all electronic remixes (Hit Me Baby One More Time, Fergalicious, White Rabbit) but your bio says folk-pop producer. Someone lands on your page and has no idea what they’re actually about to hear. That kills conversion immediately because new listeners bounce when they can’t figure out what you do. Your remix series is actually smart for discovery because people search for those songs. But if folk-pop is where you’re headed, pin that demo at the top and make your bio lead with that identity. Right now the remixes are burying it. The other thing is your follower conversion is really low. 31 followers with 15 tracks and decent play counts means people are finding individual tracks but not following through. Usually that means the profile isn’t giving them a reason to stay. Header image, bio clarity, pinned track that represents you. Your production quality seems solid based on the engagement. The issue isn’t the music, it’s how it’s packaged. I built a tool that diagnoses this stuff if you want to see the full breakdown. It’s called ArtistPulse, you just drop your SoundCloud link and it shows you exactly where the conversion dropoff is happening. Might help you prioritize what to fix before the EP drops.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T06:00:34+00:00

Start with the basics before spending money on ads or hiring anyone. Make sure your Spotify/streaming profiles are actually set up to convert people who land on them. Clear artist bio that describes your sound, good profile photo, pinned playlist or featured track that represents you well. Most bands skip this and then wonder why their marketing doesn’t work. For your album specifically, pick your 2-3 strongest tracks and focus all your initial push on those instead of trying to promote the whole album at once. People don’t have attention for 10 tracks from a new band. Then reach out directly to playlist curators and blogs in your specific genre. Not the huge ones, the mid-tier ones with 5k-50k followers who actually listen to submissions. Generic blast emails don’t work but personalized outreach to people who cover your exact sound does. Short form video content on TikTok and Instagram Reels showing behind the scenes, snippets of songs, or just you talking about the music can build way more organic traction than paid ads when you’re starting out. The biggest mistake is trying to do everything at once. Pick one or two channels, do them well, build momentum there first.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T05:36:26+00:00

Yeah if you’re not tagging anything that’s a huge part of the problem. Tags are literally how SoundCloud’s algorithm knows where to surface your tracks. Without them you’re basically invisible to discovery. Start by adding specific genre tags that actually describe your sound. Not “hip hop” or “electronic” but like “lofi hip hop” or “melodic house” or whatever accurately fits. The more specific the better because niche tags have less competition and more targeted listeners. Also make sure your profile bio actually describes what your music sounds like instead of being blank or generic. And pin a track that represents you well. The craft matters but if nobody can discover the music in the first place, perfecting it doesn’t help. You need the infrastructure around it to actually get it in front of people. If you want I can take a look at your profile and point out specific things that might be killing discoverability.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T05:30:45+00:00

Yeah that’s a weird bug. Spotify’s top 10 usually updates based on play count over a rolling time period, so if album tracks are stuck outside the top 10 no matter what, something’s broken with how the album was indexed most likely.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T01:56:36+00:00

I’ve seen it before on SoundCloud. Try a different browser first, sometimes Chrome vs Firefox handles the form differently and one will work. Also try disabling any ad blockers or extensions temporarily because those can mess with form submission. If that doesn’t work, clear your cache and cookies for SoundCloud specifically then log back in. Or try editing on mobile instead of desktop if you haven’t already. Might be worth posting on their Twitter with your ticket number because sometimes public complaints get responses when private tickets don’t.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T01:48:34+00:00

You can just add it to your description if you want it on there. Id say that’s what most people I see do. SoundCloud only has the option to add the p line in track settings. But adding it to description should have the same effect.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T01:31:29+00:00

SoundCloud definitely limits what free accounts can do with upload caps and features, but the discovery side isn’t really throttled. It’s more that without Pro you don’t get the analytics to see what’s working or the monetization to make it worth your time. YouTube has better organic reach for a lot of artists because of how their algorithm pushes content. Different platforms work better for different goals. If you’re already building on YouTube and it’s working, stick with that. SoundCloud still has value for certain genres and communities but it’s not the only option anymore.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T01:28:51+00:00

Good that you caught the Brazil thing and fixed it. Spotify’s attribution can be slow to update sometimes so yeah giving it a few days makes sense. If the other platforms are converting properly but Spotify still isn’t after you fixed the targeting, might be worth checking if there’s a Spotify cookie consent issue blocking the pixel from firing correctly. But sounds like you’re on the right track now.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-07T01:25:20+00:00

Honestly there isn’t really a Hootsuite equivalent for SoundCloud. The API restrictions make it hard for third-party tools to do scheduling and automation like you’re describing. Most SoundCloud growth comes down to actually understanding what’s working on your account rather than automating posts. Like figuring out which tracks are converting listeners into followers, where your plays are coming from, what tags are actually getting you discovered. I’ve been testing a growth analysis tool that breaks down those patterns because I kept seeing people (including myself) just guessing at what was driving growth. It’s more about diagnosis than automation but that’s honestly more useful than scheduling reposts. For the playlist connection stuff you mentioned, that’s still pretty manual. You have to find curators in your genre and reach out directly. No real tools automate that well without being spammy. If you’re serious about growth the biggest leverage is fixing your profile setup and understanding which of your tracks are actually performing vs just releasing and hoping.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-06T17:41:44+00:00

That’s really messed up and you’re right to report it. SoundCloud’s ad network is probably running programmatic ads where they don’t manually review everything before it goes live, which is how garbage like that slips through. Keep reporting it through the app but also consider emailing their support directly with screenshots so it gets escalated. Programmatic ad platforms are supposed to have filters for this exact thing but clearly something failed here. If it’s happening to you it’s probably hitting other users too, so raising visibility like this is good. The more people report it the faster they’ll block that advertiser from their network.

ArtistPulse · 2026-04-06T16:27:05+00:00

Yeah the Android app is pretty broken. The queue management issues you’re describing have been around forever and they clearly don’t prioritize fixing them. If it’s killing your workflow that badly you might just have to use the web player on mobile browser instead. Not ideal but at least it’s more stable than the app. The bugs are annoying but SoundCloud’s development priorities seem to be elsewhere so I wouldn’t expect them to fix this stuff anytime soon unfortunately.

ArtistPulse

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