Everyone knows that going viral can be a fast track to success BUT how is this achieved in this fast paced and saturation online world? If you are an artist trying to take this route then the it all starts with a beat. In this post we examine how to choose the right beat, how to make it your own and how to position it for viral success.

What It Means to Go Viral in Today’s Music Industry

So what does it mean to go viral? Much like an actual virus its all about organic and rapid spread. This should ideally happen across multiple platforms through massive public engagement. As well as people sharing and streaming your track to truly break it virally you also want it to be used in user-generated content. As an artist you now have the power in your own hands to harness the power of social media, streaming services, and short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

There are various ways virality can occur. A catchy hook sparking a TikTok dance trend, a relatable, topical or amusing lyric being used in thousands of videos, or a unique sound catching the attention of influencers.
The key is to create something that is repeatable. People are going to want to use, remix, and engage with your song over and over. Focusing on simplicity and one clear theme is therefore often a driving factor.

Finding the perfect Viral Beat

Understanding Your Genre & Audience

You probably make music already within a certain genre. While you want to target beats that will align with current trends you also need to be aware of your strengths and niche as an artist and choose beats that compliment these strengths. So focus music genres that you feel comfortable with and research the types of beats that tend to go viral within that music style.

Streaming charts, TikTok trends, and popular playlist placements can help you learn what’s connecting with listeners right now.

Next you will need to determine how different types of beats favour different platforms:

  • TikTok: favours short, catchy beats with clear build-ups and drops.
  • YouTube & Spotify: Well-structured tracks (often instrumental) that can sustain full song playback.
  • Instagram Reels: Dynamic beats with a memorable melodic element that encourage shorter looped listens.

Beat Elements that work for Viral Hits

While there are no hardened rules the following key attributes are often associated with viral sucess.

  • Catchy Melody: Simple, repetitive melodies that listeners can hum after one listen work the best.
  • BPM & Tempo: Target tracks that are optimal dance tempos for your given genre.
  • Drum Patterns & Groove: Look for bounce-heavy drums and grooves that inspire dance moves is vital
  • Unique Elements: A quirky or unexpected standout sound (e.g., a flute, whistle, sound effect or vocal chop) can make a song instantly stand out.
  • Emotion: If you are not concentrating on viral dance action then keying in on peoples emotional responses can be an effective strategy.

Beat Purchasing

There are no shortages of places online to search for high quality beats for your viral song. The most obvious place would be a beat selling marketplace such as Beatstars, Airbit. Use targeted search terms to find the sort of beats that match the criteria’s we have touched upon. Youtube is also awash with beats offered for sale. You must be especially careful when sourcing beats from YouTube, especially if they are offered for free. This is because many of them will not be aloud to be used for profit or may have strict restrictions to their usage.



Alternatively you may have come across a producer that makes the sort of beats that you think could really blow up virally. Reach out to them directly and start to form a working relationship. By working one to one with a producer you can have more of a say over the direction and future useage of the track(s).

Check the small print

You must always take care to check the terms of your lease agreements. There are often usage limitations and restrictions that apply. Importantly these often relate to the amount of streams or views a track can achieve. And if your goal is to try and obtain viral momentum then this can create issues. You may have to renegotiate with the beatmaker and this may involve giving up potential royalties.

Luckily at RouteNote Create we offer just one simple non-restrictive license for all the beats on our platform. You are therefore free to go mega viral without having to give up any future earnings.

Turning a Beat into a Viral Phenomena

So you have obtained a beat that you believe has all the makings of an internet smash. Your job now, to take this and give it the full viral treatment. Assuming that you are a vocalist (note* Instrumentalists also have the potential to create viral heat) what sort of vocal is going to work well for a viral hit?

The main thing to concentrate on is a strong hook. It must be the kind of thing that will instantly stick in someone’s head. Simplicity is therefore essential. Here are a few factors to consider when crafting that killer hook:

  • Short & Repetitive Hooks: Keep it short and repetitive for maximum impact and catchiness. Keeping it under 10 seconds in length gives your track maximum flexibility for those looking to share it.
  • Relatable Themes: Try to focus on themes and subjects that might relate and apply to the audience you’re targeting.
  • Instructional and Call-to-Action Hooks: As many viral videos centre on a particular dance or activity try to work this into your hook. Using phrases such as Time to do the _____ and Now lets ______ often work well as they offer a call to action.
  • Comedic, Quirky and Random: Just like the whole meme phenomena, people love to share funny, quirky amusing stuff. Think of your track as an audio meme and try to apply the same rules.
  • Emotional Impact: Use heartfelt highly relatable lyrics sung with passion to resonate with more reflective online subject matters

Riding Trends

TikTok and Instagram thrive on rapidly shifting trends, with each new wave of content fuelling engagement and keeping users constantly entertained. Understanding how this infrastructure works is key to success when it comes to launching a potentially viral song.

Find out about hot new challenges or crazes. You could even try to tailor your music release to the sort of content they are creating. For example if Rollerskating shorts are a thing why not think about tracks with associated ‘rolling’ lyrical themes

Targeting Influencers

While some platforms like Spotify and YouTube rely on you publishing and pushing your track, other platforms such as TikTok and Instagram favour an approach where you try getting your music on other peoples posts.
This is where collaborating with influencers is key. And while the largest Mega influencers (500k+ followers) will want large sums to feature your track you can start with low level or micro influencers.

In fact, by actively engaging with low level TikTokers and influencers you may be able to persuade them to use your music for free. You suggest video shares on your socials or early song access as a form of mutually beneficial exchange. Spending time finding up and coming influencers with quality content is therefore vital. Don’t be afraid to hit up lots of potential content creators with blanket requests linking top your track.

The other option is to pay influencers to include your track on their videos. For example Micro-influencers with 10K-100K followers Often charge $50-$500 per post. If your track is a winner and you have incorporated all the things mentioned in this post, this could be enough for your track to be heard and then used by other TikTok or Instagram users. And its this momentum that is the very engine that drives Virality!

Spark your own Trends

If you have a considerable fanbase and reach already why not encourage these most dedicated of followers to engage with your track. You could come up with your own craze or challenge and encourage users to post their own content with your music as the soundtrack.

Alternatively if you have a lot of fellow music followers make your song available to remix. Offer the stems and an opportunity for the best ones to get an official release or even a small prize. Anything you can think of to encourage others to use your music should be considered. The more original the idea the better.

Just make sure to take full advantage of Hashtags when trying to instigate your own challenges. i.e #TheRollerLimboChallenge

Keeping the Momentum Going…

Its important that once your music starts to gain traction you should adapt to this and offer constant engagement. Make sure you like, share and comment on everything you see that uses your work. This will feed the algorithms that drive momentum and virality. You can also keep things bubbling by releasing remixes, alternative versions and different edits of your song.

Conclusion

Going viral isn’t just about luck. Firstly your beat and songs need to be easily usable in content. It’s then important to understand and ride current trends. In turn targeting the right influencers can make a big impact as they hold the key to your songs potential spread.
Aim to get your track in as many videos as possible. That way on sites such as TikTok the algorithm will pick up your track and it could then potentially appear on the ‘For You page’. This is key to spreading your creation far and wide and becoming the next big viral smash.

Remember – RouteNote Create now offers some of the best beats on the block.  sign-up now to check em out!

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