Denga Takalani, popularly known as KingDMusic, an independent SAMA and Crown Gospel Award winning artist has done this exceptionally well. His use of content creation to grow and promote his music has seen him grace many stages, make it on international music charts and collaborate with some major artists from across the globe.
His latest album, ‘HOLD ON’ has been doing incredibly well. His latest collaboration is with One House Music on a song called ‘FIRE and he will also be joining Maverick City band and Kirk Franklin on their Joburg leg of the Kingdom World Tour.
A combination of relatable lyrics, catchy hooks accompanied by quality, organic unofficial music visuals has seen Kingdmusic go viral a couple of times with millions of views. The singer also takes his audience behind the scenes, from how his hit songs come about to collaborations, his honest thoughts on the business of music and his journey as an independent artist.
In addition to traditional media and live shows, Denga has used content creation to build a reputable and consistent brand. His music can often be found on trending songs on music platforms and popular audios used on Instagram and TikTok.
To take it a step further, is the founder of a creative agency, @kdmcreativesa which helps other up and coming artists achieve the same success. We had a little chat with Denga to get his take on using content creation for a wider reach as an artist.
Why is content creation an important tool for music artists?
Everyone is on social media consuming short form content everyday so artists have to be at the forefront of content creation so they can reach a wider audience.
When you create content, what is your main goal?
Conversion and spreading the Good News. I create content that can easily lead people to listening to my music.
Is going viral part of the strategy?
Going viral is never the end goal for me. I just love creating quality content that represent Christian artists and my music in good light.
Does the success of your content serve as an indicator on how well new music will perform ?
Yes! Going viral or having lots of engagement on an unreleased music can change your life haha! This can lead to lots of pre-saves which means thousands or millions of people will be notified once your music is released which means they will stream it while it is still fresh which can lead to the song doing well across DSPS.
Have you ever made adjustments to your music based on how snippets were received on social media?
No, I haven’t done that. I don’t like creating something that works for social media only. I am a creative who loves creating from the heart. I always just hope and pray that people will connect with the music I’m making.
Do you ever make music with the intention of it becoming a popular sound on Instagram ?
No, I make music with the intention of inspiring others while also pointing them to Jesus. Hence I have songs that have done well on IG reels and TikTok and also have tons of songs that aren’t doing that great on the socials.
