How to Add a Song to a TikTok Post

Adding the right song to your TikTok can be the difference between a few dozen views and a video that lands on millions of For You pages. Music isn’t just background noise on TikTok, it’s the heartbeat of trends, the shortcut to conveying a mood, and a powerful tool for engagement. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add music to your posts, from picking a trending track to understanding the specific rules for business accounts.

How to Add a Song from TikTok's Music Library

This is the most common way to add music to your TikTok videos. The platform has a massive, licensed library of songs, clips, and sound effects ready for you to use. Following these steps will get your video paired with the perfect audio in no time.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Sound:

1. Open TikTok and Start Creating: Tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen to open the camera, just like you would to start any new video. You can either record a new video right in the app or upload a pre-recorded clip from your phone’s camera roll.
2. Find the "Add Sound" Button: Once you’re in the recording or editing screen, look at the very top center of your screen. You will see a music note icon with the text "Add sound." Tap on it. This is your gateway to TikTok’s entire audio library.
3. Pro Tip: If you are editing a video you’ve already recorded, this option will be in the editing menu on the right side of the screen, or accessible by tapping "Edit" and then "Sound."
5. Explore the Music Library: After tapping "Add sound," you’ll be taken to the music discovery page. This can feel a little overwhelming at first, but it's well-organized:
   • For You: TikTok recommends sounds based on videos you’ve watched and liked. It’s a great place to start if you’re unsure what you’re looking for.
   • Playlists: Here you'll find curated lists of songs based on genres (like "Hip Hop" or "Indie Cafe"), trends ("Viral"), or themes ("Summer Vibes").
   • Search Bar: If you have a specific song, artist, or sound effect in mind, just type it into the search bar at the top of the page.
6. Preview and Select Your Song: Tap on any song to hear a preview. Once you find one you like, tap the red checkmark button next to it to select it and return to your video editing screen.
7. Trim the Sound: TikTok rarely uses an entire song, usually just a 15 to 60-second clip. After selecting a song, you’ll see a scissor icon on the right side of the screen labeled "Trim." Tap this to see the song's waveform. You can then drag the waveform left or right to choose the exact part of the song you want to feature in your video. This is essential for syncing your video content to a specific beat drop or lyric.
8. Adjust the Volume: This is a step many creators forget. After adding your sound, tapping on the downward arrow on the right-side menu will reveal more options, including "Volume." Here you can adjust the balance between the song you added and the video's original sound. If you want your chosen song to be the only thing audiences hear, slide the "Original sound" slider down to 0%. If you want a mix of your voice talking over some background music, you can find the perfect balance here.

Trending Sounds vs. Original Audio: What's the Difference?

While the music library is vast, you'll also see videos with "Original Sound" at the bottom. Understanding the distinction is vital for growing on the platform.

What is a Trending Sound?

A trending sound is any audio clip - be it a song, a quote from a TV show, or a user-created effect - that is currently being used in a large volume of videos. The algorithm actively pushes videos that use trending sounds because it knows users enjoy the format. Jumping on a trend early is one of the fastest ways to gain visibility.

To find trending sounds, you can:

• Scroll through your For You Page and see what sounds keep appearing. When you find one you like, tap on the spinning record icon in the bottom right corner of the video. This will take you to the sound’s page, where you can tap "Add to Favorites" to save it for later or "Use this sound" to start creating with it immediately.
• Check the “Viral” or “TikTok Viral” playlists in the music library.

What is an Original Sound?

Any audio that is recorded or uploaded to TikTok that doesn’t come from its existing music library becomes an "Original Sound." This is usually created in one of two ways:

1. Speaking in your video: When you simply record yourself talking, your voice becomes the "Original Sound" for that video.
2. Uploading a video with unique audio: If you upload a video with a custom jingle, a unique sound effect, or background audio that isn't recognized by TikTok's system, it will be labeled as an Original Sound.

When someone else uses the audio from your video, the sound will be credited to you (e.g., "Original Sound - @yourusername"). If your original sound goes viral, every video using it acts as a direct link back to your profile, which can be an enormous driver of brand recognition and follower growth.

Important Note on Copyright: You cannot simply upload a video with a famous copyrighted song (like a track from Taylor Swift or Drake) and expect it to work. TikTok's system will likely detect it, mute your audio, and hit your video with a copyright warning. You must use songs from their licensed library for commercial music.

For Business Accounts: Using the Commercial Music Library

If you have a TikTok Business Account, the rules for music usage are much stricter. This is a common pitfall for brands and marketers who are new to the platform. Using a trending pop song in your brand’s video could lead to severe legal consequences.

Why Business Accounts Have Different Rules

The music in TikTok's main library is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only. When you use a video to promote a product, service, or business, that falls under commercial use. To protect brands (and themselves) from copyright lawsuits, TikTok created the Commercial Music Library.

The Commercial Music Library is a collection of over 1 million royalty-free songs and sound effects that have been pre-cleared for businesses to use in their marketing content without worrying about infringement.

How to Use the Commercial Music Library

The good news is that if you've officially switched your account to a Business Account, you are already using it. When you tap "Add sound," the library you see is automatically the commercial one. You’ll notice that many of the chart-topping, viral pop songs are missing. While this can feel limiting, it’s a necessary protection.

To succeed with the Commercial Library:

• Focus on mood and genre: Instead of searching for specific artists, search for terms like "upbeat," "energetic-pop," or "chill lo-fi" to find a track that matches the vibe of your video.
• Find versatile tracks: Save songs you like to your Favorites. A good, versatile background track can be used in multiple videos to build some auditory consistency for your brand.
• Use Original Sounds: The best strategy for businesses is to create their own strong original sounds. This could be a voiceover explaining a product, a customer testimonial, or a funny and engaging sound bite related to your industry. It's unique, builds your brand, and circumvents licensing issues entirely.

Advanced Techniques for Standout Audio

Once you’ve got the basics down, you can start using audio more strategically to create higher-quality content that stops the scroll.

1. Use the Voiceover Tool

Sometimes you need to add narration *after* filming. The Voiceover tool is perfect for "day in the life" videos, tutorials, or storytelling clips.

• In the main editing screen, tap the arrow on the right to expand the editing options.
• Select "Voiceover."
• Find the spot in your video where you want to start talking and press the red record button. You can record in one long take or in short segments.
• There’s an important checkbox at the bottom that says "Keep original sound." If you uncheck this, it will completely replace the video's original audio with your voiceover. If you keep it checked, you can mix the two using the Volume tool.

2. Syncing Video Clips to the Music

One of the most satisfying video styles on TikTok is when the visual cuts and transitions are perfectly synced to the beat of the music. While this historically required complex editing software, TikTok's editor makes it easier than ever.

• After filming or uploading your clips and selecting a song, tap the "Edit" button in the top right.
• In this timeline view, you can trim individual clips and move them around. Play the sound and listen for the distinct beats. Try to align the end of one clip and the start of another directly on a major beat change for a powerful, professional feel.

Final Thoughts

Mastering audio is an essential part of creating successful TikTok content. By learning how to navigate the native music library, understanding the powerful potential of original sounds, and respecting the commercial licensing rules for business accounts, you have all the tools you need to create engaging videos that look and sound great.

Once you’ve lined up the perfect audio and video, the real strategic challenge begins: planning and scheduling your content consistently. That's a huge hurdle for busy creators and marketers, which is why we built Postbase. With our platform, you can visually plan your entire TikTok content calendar, upload your videos, and schedule them to go live at the perfect time. Because Postbase was built from the ground up for short-form video, you can trust that your carefully crafted content will publish reliably, every single time.