Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Friday edition - 2 min read

How Sophia James Beat TikTok’s Algorithm

Who Did It

Sophia James, 26, took “quantity over quality” as a personal challenge. She dropped seven TikToks in one night to promote her single “So Unfair,” and video #7 blew up. 34 million views later and everyone’s chasing her, even the rich ones.

How They Did It

She posted seven videos in one night. In the last one, she said, “You’re in Group 7,” and people ran with it. Don’t ask why. It’s the internet. Looks random, but it was all strategy; she just made it look easy.

How You Can Too

Don’t copy her move exactly, but steal the mindset. Post multiple versions of your content in one go, make it fun, and push whatever catches fire. Right now, thinking outside of the box is THE way to stand out.

[Full story at Music Ally]

Album Reviews Are Dead. Here’s What Works Now

What’s Up

Pitchfork’s not what it was, Vice doesn’t care, and 100,000 tracks drop every day. Long-form reviews died when streaming turned discovery into playlists. PR veteran Ariel Hyatt says what we’re all thinking, “no one’s reading reviews, and that’s not your fault.”

So What

Streaming made reviews pointless. Why read a 40-page essay when you can press play? Listeners don’t need critics to tell them what’s good, TikTok, playlists and their own ears do that now.

Now What

Think in singles, not albums. Each track is its own campaign with its own story. Roll them out waterfall-style, and measure success by how people feel about your songs.

[Full story at Hypebot]

Free Pro Plugin: Things Fold Wavefolder

What's Up

AudioThing’s giving away Things Fold: a €19 wavefolder plugin that adds warmth to your sound. We’re talking fresh-out-of-the oven or burnt chicken nuggets kind of warm. They’re only giving out 10,000 free licenses so it’s kind of an urgent thing.

So What

Things Fold is a pro-grade tool that can make your soft synths growl or your harder synths scream. Perfect for anyone trying to sound less like a preset.

Now What

Grab it now before it’s gone. Head to Bedroom Producers Blog, claim your free key, and register it on AudioThing. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux, fully featured, and worth the two-minute detour.

[Full story at Bedroom Producers Blog]