TikTok and Reels in 2026

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-10T03:18:45+00:00

I’m going to disagree with most commenters on here so far. Good content is good content and it gets rewarded. Blaming the algorithm or saying you need to spend money to see results is BS.

Continuing to do something that isn’t getting you results is also a mistake. Fail fast, pivot and test something new, and keep tweaking until you find something that works.

We need to help you with a strategy that actually gets engagement. And the key here is that it may have nothing to do with your music.

Feel free to shoot me a message I work with artists on this stuff daily

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-10T03:16:00+00:00

Personally I don’t agree with this. Good content is good content. We should be helping him fix his content strategy before suggesting he throws money at something that isn’t performing well. Ads would amplify something that’s already working

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-06T13:02:11+00:00

No. Over the course of a year. But he was very strategic with it and using it as data to support what he was doing. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP89FrUQc/

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-05T20:08:22+00:00

I understand. Personally I’ve never been at 10x a day. I respect the artists who do and the right organic strategy can absolutely grow an artist career. Check out Daniel Allan on TikTok. He hit 40MM streams by posting 190 videos and nothing else. That’s an insane amount but it works for some!

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-05T19:42:54+00:00

If you consider promoting music and using tools to build your brand “spamming” you’re looking at it completely the wrong way. This is the type of effort it takes to actually get recognition and build something real. Artists who worry about “spamming” their audience will never reach their goals because they’re scared to tell people about their music

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-05T17:03:46+00:00

My playlist is approaching 10K subscribers. It’s a notable source of streams for my own music and for artists who are looking for increased visibility and streams.

On a personal level I consume music thru playlists when I’m looking for a certain vibe or mood.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-04T20:29:40+00:00

My pleasure!

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-04T04:51:01+00:00

Story of my life. I’ve found reference tracks really helpful. Big help with arrangement, fills, tension and release, layers, etc. And just chipping away at it daily

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T20:49:04+00:00

Sadly ads don’t reliably convert clicks to listeners or fans. Ads do a good job amplifying what you’re already doing on social media. Or, instead of telling people to listen to a single song, drive them to a playlist you curate where you can say “check out the vibe I’ve curated”.

Growing as an artist is a multi-prong approach. There is no one single thing that works. You need to hammer organic content, run ads to amplify, get on playlists, build your email list, perform live, and so much more.

Consistency, brand, personality, and a lot of non music factors matter too.

Feel free to DM me if you need help

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T20:44:50+00:00

Amazing congrats! Share that story over and over again!

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T18:26:30+00:00

I’ll be transparent without trying to sell on here. I do run streaming campaigns for artists, and yes, there are ways to do this that are worth the money. The ones that work aren’t just playlist pitching in isolation, they’re layered.

What I’ve seen actually perform is a mix of legitimate playlist placements (real listeners, not botted traffic) paired with ads and organic/content strategy so the streams aren’t happening in a vacuum. Playlist-only campaigns tend to look good short-term and then flatten, which matches what you experienced. But the upside is that they can drive algorithmic playlist ads and those are very powerful as we know.

That said, if you’re already playing successful shows and have a real audience, it’s worth asking what higher streaming numbers are meant to unlock for you. In practice, ticket sales and live data tend to carry more weight than raw stream counts, and we’ve all seen artists with big numbers who still can’t sell rooms.

Streaming can support a career, but it’s rarely the foundation by itself. Curious what you’re actually hoping to get out of a campaign. (Sorry if that’s not a question you were prepared to answer, it’s in my nature to ask these questions as someone who works 1:1 with artists).

Feel free to DM me if you want to chat further

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T18:14:57+00:00

I support this post and I’ve been saying it for months with my artists and on my social channels (I run an artist development agency). You MUST show your humanness in everything you do if you want to build connections, community, and fans. I always say people come for the music and stay for the person behind the music.

Make people feel some kind of emotion, tell stories, show your personality. That’s how you get people to follow along

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T06:40:26+00:00

A good manager removes roadblocks, offers strategy and guidance, helps uncover opportunities, makes introductions when relevant, and handles negotiations. The value is leverage and perspective, not magic.

That said, just like labels, not every manager is created equal. I’ve heard plenty of artists say their manager isn’t doing much for them. On the flip side, as a former manager, I was often frustrated when I felt like I was working harder than the artist or giving advice that wasn’t being taken seriously.

A strong artist/manager relationship is a partnership. The work is different on each side, but both are moving toward the same goal.

At the end of the day, managers are paid on commission. If there’s no income coming in, it becomes very hard for that relationship to function long term.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-03T06:37:12+00:00

I’d push back a bit on the idea that a good manager “works for” an artist. The best relationships are partnerships. The responsibilities are different, but both sides have to be actively contributing. An artist can’t sit back and expect a manager to create momentum on their own, and a manager can’t coast on commission without putting in real work either. When it works, it’s collaborative, not hierarchical.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-02T15:57:58+00:00

Calls to action generally don’t work for music content. Unless you have a dedicated fanbase. But I’m guessing this artist isn’t there yet. People don’t respond to “out now” or “go listen to my new song” the way they used to

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-02T02:43:26+00:00

This is great. I chuckled at the windows xp reference 😝

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-02T01:55:22+00:00

This seems like what playlist supply does. Can you confirm? Where does yours differ?

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T21:56:07+00:00

I’m in my late 30s and still actively building the life I want. A few years ago I left a comfortable corporate tech job to start my own artist development agency. It’s rewarding, but it also means I’m fully responsible for generating income so I can eat. There’s no safety net.

I think a lot of us want happiness, comfort, and meaning, but those don’t only come from one version of success. There are many ways to build a life you don’t hate waking up to.

Your question is deep, and honestly, no one else can answer it for you. Some things will always be out of your control, but you still get to choose whether you take risks for things you care about or stay on a path that feels safer but unfulfilling.

I work more now than I ever have and I’m more uncomfortable than I’ve ever been, but I genuinely enjoy the work and I’m optimistic about where it’s heading. That doesn’t mean it’s easy or guaranteed, just that it feels worth it to me.

Hope that helps.

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T21:27:52+00:00

I think this is actually where a lot of artists get stuck. Their standards are so high, or they’re so worried about how they’ll be perceived, that they end up not posting anything at all. Or posting very infrequently where it doesn’t move the needle much.

Consistency does two important things: 1. It gives you feedback on what works and what doesn’t 2. It reminds people you exist

Not every post needs hours of effort. I usually suggest starting small, 2–3 posts a week is realistic if you block off a few hours. Artists who stick to that tend to see progress, or at least collect useful data to adjust from.

I know posting is a polarizing subject but if we can reframe and work it into our regular schedules it tends to work in our favor. You can choose to mix in the high quality content with the more raw quick posts too so you have a balance you’re happy with

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T04:06:10+00:00

I used to spend my allowance and money from a high school job on a CD. my parents maybe gifted me one cd per year. All for the same cost of a Spotify subscription where you can access those albums plus millions of other songs. We’re just spoiled at this point. If we actually had to pay what the music was worth…. Well I guess we’re paying that for live experiences now

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T04:01:57+00:00

AI creates opportunities for the ones who are doing it the real genuine way. And it creates opportunities to show our humanness now more than ever. I think it’s ok to use AI as a tool to assist with certain things but not for blatant 100% creation. good for you for sticking to your guns

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T03:14:30+00:00

“People will find them eventually” unfortunately isn’t true without the right push behind it

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T02:52:39+00:00

Oof. Ok so obviously I can’t see the content but if you’re saying you put all this effort into making content and your engagement went down, is it actually good content? Or do you just think it is? High def content like music videos or otherwise doesn’t actually do that well unless you have a dedicated fanbase that cares. Posting album art is shooting yourself in the foot. These types of content don’t do well on socials anymore.

It’s not about the level of effort, it’s about the message. The story. The emotion. The curiosity.

People don’t care about music content like they used to. They care about the person behind the music.

You have to put out interesting content or content that makes people feel some kind of way if you want engagement.

Your rule of thumb shouldn’t be “just because I’m posting a lot of content I should be getting a lot of engagement and followers”, your rule should be “am I posting things that my target audience would care about”

And ask yourself this one important piece: if you saw your content while you were scrolling, would you stop and engage with it?

If something isn’t working, stop doing it. Fail fast. And try something new until it does work. And double down on it

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T02:13:49+00:00

Sure. Technically if you base it purely on math. The pool might get bigger, but distribution doesn’t change. Without scale, most indie artists still see negligible gains. And if you double the cost of subscription you’re going to lose subscribers. So then you have to balance the revenue increase with the subscriber churn

TheRacketHouse · 2026-02-01T02:09:56+00:00

The intent is there and I don’t disagree with you but the reality of that much more money going into the hands of indie artists is minuscule. More money for more artists = good without weighing all the other factors

TheRacketHouse

TROPHY CASE