How to Create a TikTok Video with Text and Music

Adding dynamic text and trending music to your TikTok videos is one of the most effective ways to stop the scroll and tell a compelling story. Mastering this combination lifts your content from a simple clip to an engaging piece of communication that gets your message across quickly. This guide breaks down the full process, walking you through every step from planning your video to perfectly syncing your text on screen.

Before You Press Record: Plan Your Story

While spontaneity is part of TikTok's charm, the most impactful videos usually start with a bit of a plan. Taking a minute to think about your story, even a 15-second one, can change the game. This doesn’t mean you need a full-blown storyboard, but you should have a basic idea of the narrative arc and how your text and music will support it.

Think in Three Parts: Hook, Story, and Call-to-Action

Every great TikTok tells a mini-story. Think about what will grab a viewer's attention in the first three seconds (the hook). This could be a question posed in a large text overlay or a dramatic visual. The middle of your video is where you deliver the core message or the "story" - whether it's a quick tutorial, a before-and-after, or a funny lipsync. Finally, close out with a call-to-action (CTA), like asking a question or encouraging a "follow."

• Example Idea: A Mini-Tutorial:
• Hook: Text on screen says, "You’re making your coffee wrong." This is paired with an intriguing, short clip.
• Story: Quick cuts show the "right" way to do it. Text overlays appear to label each step: "1. Grind fresh beans," "2. Use filtered water," "3. Bloom your grounds."
• CTA: The final text asks, "What’s YOUR coffee secret?"

Matching Your Music and Text Vibe

The sound you choose sets the entire mood. Before adding any text, decide on your audio. A trending, upbeat pop song calls for playful, bright fonts and fast text transitions. In contrast, a classical piece or a somber piano track fits better with elegant, simple fonts that fade in and out slowly.

Think of music as the heartbeat of your video and the text as the narration that guides the viewer. They should work together, not against each other. If you're doing a voiceover, choose background music that's instrumental and won't clash with your own voice.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your TikTok Video

Once you’ve got a rough plan, it’s time to bring your creation to life. Let’s walk through the technical steps directly in the TikTok app.

Step 1: Record or Upload Your Video

First, open your TikTok app and tap the plus (+) icon at the bottom of the screen to enter the creation mode. You have two options for your footage:

• Record in the App: This is perfect for capturing something on the fly or for videos that rely on TikTok's built-in effects and filters. You can use the timer feature for hands-free recording, adjust the speed of your clip (from 0.3x to 3x), and apply filters before you've even shot anything. This is the go-to method for most trending challenges.
• Upload from Camera Roll: If your video requires more editing, was shot on a different camera, or consists of multiple clips, uploading is the better option. Tap the "Upload" button to the right of the record button and select the video(s) or photo(s) you want to use from your phone’s gallery.

After you have your clip(s) ready, tap the red checkmark or "Next" button to move to the main editing screen.

Step 2: Add and Trim Your Music

Upon entering the editing screen, you’ll see your video timeline. The very first thing to do is set the sound, as it will often guide the timing of your text and video edits.

1. Choose Your Sound: At the very top of the editor, tap "Add sound." This opens TikTok's massive audio library. You can browse through "Recommended" tracks, explore playlists by genre, check out trending sounds, or tap your "Favorites" to use a song you've saved earlier. Use the search bar if you have a specific song, artist, or sound-bite in mind. To learn more about adding audio, check out our guide on how to add audio to TikTok.
2. Trim the Audio: Once you select a sound, TikTok will often drop it somewhere into your video. To pick the perfect segment, tap the "Trim" tool on the right-hand menu (it looks like a pair of scissors). A soundwave will appear, allowing you to drag it left or right to find the exact portion of the song you want - whether it's the chorus, a specific beat drop, or a funny line of dialogue. For more detailed instructions on this, see our article on how to trim music on TikTok.
3. Adjust the Volume: If your original video has audio (like you talking), use the "Volume" tool to balance the two sounds. You can lower the background music to make sure your voice is clearly audible.

Step 3: Add and Customize Your Text

With your music set, it's time to add the text that will deliver your message. This is where you can get really creative.

1. Open the Text Editor: On the right-side menu of the editing screen, tap the "Text" icon (it looks like "Aa"). If you need a comprehensive guide, refer to our article on how to add text to TikTok videos.
2. Customize Your Text's Appearance: Type your desired words and then use the tools to style them:
   • Fonts: Cycle through the available fonts to find one that matches your video's aesthetic (e.g., classic, handwritten, bold).
   • Color: Select a color from the palette at the bottom. Make sure it provides good contrast with your video background so it's easy to read.
   • Highlight/Background: Tap the "A" icon on the left to add a background, an outline, or a highlight effect. This is a game-changer for making text readable over busy backgrounds.
   • Alignment: The alignment tool allows you to justify your text to the left, center, or right.
3. Consider Text-to-Speech: After typing your text, you can tap it and select "Text-to-speech." This feature adds an automated voiceover that reads your text aloud - a fantastic tool for accessibility and for adding a different kind of character to your video. You can even choose from a variety of voices. Explore more about this feature in our guide on how to add text-to-speech on TikTok.

You can add multiple, separate text boxes throughout this process - one for your hook, one for your main point, and one for your call-to-action.

Step 4: Sync Your Text with the Video and Music

This is where the real magic happens. Static text that sits on the screen for the whole video is fine, but text that appears and disappears at just the right moment is what makes a video feel professional and dynamic.

1. Set Text Duration: Once you have a text box on your screen, tap on it. An option will appear: "Set duration." Tap this to open the editing timeline for that specific text block.
2. Adjust the Timing: In this view, you'll see your video timeline at the bottom and a red highlight representing when your text is visible. Grab the ends of the red bar and drag them to set the precise start and end time. You can "scrub" through the video preview to see exactly when the text will appear and disappear.
3. Sync to the Beat: Play your video in the duration editor and listen to the music. Try to make text appear right on a major beat drop or when a specific lyric is sung. For tutorials, make text appear *exactly* when the corresponding action is happening on screen (e.g., "Add 1 cup flour" appears as you're adding it).

Repeat this "Set duration" process for every text box you add to create a perfectly synchronized, easy-to-follow video masterpiece.

Pro-Tips to Make Your Text and Music Pop

Now that you know the mechanics, here are a few strategies to take your videos from good to great.

Stay In the "Safe Zone"

Remember that the TikTok interface covers parts of your video. The caption, username, engagement icons (like, comment, share), and sound title all take up space on the right side and bottom of the screen. When placing your text, keep it closer to the center of the frame and avoid the edges, especially the bottom right, so nothing gets cut off.

Less is More with Text

TikTok is built for speed. Use short, punchy sentence fragments rather than full paragraphs. Your audience is likely to be watching on a small screen while scrolling quickly, so make your text as skimmable as possible. If you have a lot to say, break it up into several text overlays that appear in sequence.

Use Trending Audio Purposefully

Hopping on a trending sound is a solid strategy to increase your video's potential reach, as TikTok's algorithm often pushes content using popular audio. However, don't force a trend that doesn't fit your niche or brand identity. The most successful videos creatively adapt a trend to their own content, rather than just copying it without context. For more tips on this, read our guide on how to use trending audio on TikTok.

Final Thoughts

Combining text and music isn't merely a technical skill, it's the core of storytelling on TikTok. By planning your narrative, choosing the right sounds, and carefully syncing your text overlays, you transform a simple video clip into content that connects with viewers, delivers a clear message, and keeps them wanting more.

Creating compelling, video-first content consistently is one thing, but planning, scheduling, and analyzing it all across multiple platforms is another challenge. At Postbase, we built our platform from the ground up specifically for modern social media, where short-form video on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts reigns supreme. You can use our visual calendar to plan your content for the week, upload your videos once, and trust that our platform will reliably schedule them across all your profiles without connection issues or post failures common in older tools.