Rising Star is our monthly column in which we meet the industry’s brightest new talents. Here, Lisa Skeppner, Music partnerships manager, TikTok, talks us through her industry journey so far...
You started at TikTok in 2019 when there were only 150 employees in the London office. What has it been like watching the development and growth the platform has undergone in recent years? And what role have you played within that?
“The growth of TikTok has been incredible, but it’s really been about helping artists and their teams get the most out of the platform. I joined as an intern and worked my way up to music coordinator and now music partnerships manager. At the start, I helped build the foundations of the music team across the UK, the Nordic [regions] and France, and as I’ve progressed, I’ve been able to launch some great campaigns, like #CoversForLovers during Valentine’s with artists like Raye and Ellie Goulding. I’ve also developed relationships with record labels, advising over 40 partners on how to use TikTok for music discovery and finding new audiences.”
Working in music partnerships, what does your day-to-day work look like?
“We support artists at every stage of development, through content strategies or education around the latest features. My work varies day to day, from providing workshops across the country to working with artists and labels to promote their releases and consulting on new account launches. Recently, the team and I have been teaching our partners about things that make it easier for artists to get discovered, like signing up for an Artist Account.”
In your role, you’ve also created TikTok Music Live streams for the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Liam Payne and Paloma Faith. What’s your proudest achievement so far?
"Working with such a diverse pool of artists is definitely up there. Meeting Nile Rodgers was a highlight whilst launching his Black History Month guest playlist last year, and I’m also proud of our work with #ClassicalMusic, where I launched Hans Zimmer’s account. Some other exciting acts we’ve also worked with are Anna Lapwood and Esther Abrami. Being Swedish, I can’t go without mentioning taking part in the ABBA campaign – who surpassed two million followers the week they joined TikTok – and having Kylie Minogue, Aurora and Mabel using #ABBA. It was so special. Earlier this year, I was also lucky to present an award for Youth Music!”
You’re a committee member of Women At TikTok. What work is TikTok doing to push gender equality? And is there enough happening in the industry at large?
“Shesaid.so was a great resource for me when entering the industry as it showed me a network of women connecting. There are so many talented women, but there’s more to be done to empower their voices and it’s something I’m passionate about. At TikTok, I’m proud we’ve sponsored the Music Week Women In Music Awards’ Roll Of Honour, but all year we bring together a diverse group of changemakers and allies with #WomenOfTikTok. This year, we had guest playlists from Mahalia and Rita Ora that celebrated women who inspired them.”
How do you see TikTok evolving in the next five years?
“We’ve got great relationships with major and independent labels that we’re proud to work with, launching releases and supporting catalogue songs. TikTok provides a platform for all artists to connect with a super-creative global community, so if the artist forms an authentic connection with [fans], they’ll effectively market their music for them, which is why it’s such a useful tool for labels. My role will be to keep deepening relationships with the industry for artists and their teams, whether they’re independent or signed to a major.”
