How to Edit Sound on TikTok

Perfecting the audio on your TikTok videos can transform them from a simple clip into something people actually want to watch and share. It's the secret ingredient that pulls everything together, setting the mood and driving the story forward. This guide will walk you through every level of sound editing on TikTok, from simple music trimming and mixing to professional-style voiceovers and creating your own viral-worthy audio.

First Things First: Adding and Adjusting Your Sound

Before you get into the fancier edits, you need to master the two foundational skills: adding a sound and trimming it to fit perfectly. Sound is half the experience on TikTok, and using popular or well-fitting audio is non-negotiable for reach.

1. Adding a Sound From TikTok's Library

This is where it all begins. TikTok’s massive library is your gateway to trending audio that can help your content get discovered.

• Record or upload your video clips into the TikTok editor.
• Once you're on the main editing screen, tap the 'Add sound' option at the top of the screen.
• Here, you'll see a 'For You' page with recommended sounds, along with options to browse playlists, search for specific songs or artists, or check out your 'Favorites' (sounds you've saved from other videos).
• Once you find a sound you like, tap on it to preview. If you want to use it, tap the little red checkmark to add it to your video.

2. Trimming the Sound to Fit Your Video

Rarely does the beginning of a song perfectly match the start of your video. That’s where the trim tool comes in. This lets you choose the exact snippet of audio you want to use.

• After adding a sound, look for the little music note icon in the right-hand editing toolbar and tap on it. It should say the name of the sound you added.
• From the menu that appears, select 'Trim.'
• You'll see a waveform of the entire song. You can now press and drag this waveform left or right to find the perfect starting point. The bolded section represents the part of the song that will play over your video.
• Listen back by playing your video preview and keep adjusting until the music’s beat, lyrics, or energy lines up with your video's action. A well-timed audio start is one of the easiest ways to make your content look more professional.
• When you're happy with it, tap 'Done.'

Getting the Perfect Mix: Balancing Original Audio and Added Music

What if you have valuable audio on your original clip - like you speaking, the sound of a recipe sizzling, or ambient noise from a beautiful location - but you also want background music? You don't have to choose. The Volume tool is designed for this exact purpose.

After adding your chosen sound and trimming it, follow these steps:

1. On the main editing screen, find the 'Volume' tool in the right-hand editing menu. (You may need to tap the down arrow next to the top icons to reveal more options.)
2. Tapping 'Volume' brings up two simple sliders: "Original sound" and "Added sound."
3. For a talking video with background music: You’ll want your talking to be the focus. Slide the "Original sound" up to around 100-200% and slide the "Added sound" (your background music) way down to somewhere between 2-10%. You just want the music to set a subtle mood, not overpower your voice.
4. For a cinematic montage or travel video: Here, the music is the main character. You’ll want to slide the "Added sound" all the way up and might turn the "Original sound" completely off or keep it very low (5-15%) to pick up occasional atmospheric sounds.

Play with these sliders until you get a mix that feels right. This is a fundamental skill that separates amateur content from polished, engaging videos.

Become a Storyteller: How to Use the Voiceover Tool

The voiceover feature is a game-changer for tutorials, comedy skits, day-in-the-life vlogs, and storytelling. It lets you record new audio directly over your edited video, giving you complete control over the narrative.

Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Get all your video clips edited and arranged in the timeline exactly how you want them. You should have already adjusted your original clip volume.
2. On the right-hand editing toolbar, tap your way to the 'Voiceover' tool (it has a microphone icon).
3. You'll see your video timeline at the bottom. You can drag the white marker to the exact point where you want your voiceover to begin.
4. Press and hold the red record button to record your voice. Release it to stop. You can record in one long take or in short segments throughout the video.
5. Pro Tip: Take note of the little checkbox at the bottom that says "Keep original sound." If you uncheck this, it will completely replace the clip’s existing audio with your new voiceover for any parts you record over. If you leave it checked, it will lay your voiceover on top of the existing audio. It's often best to uncheck this if your original clips have messy or distracting audio.
6. After recording, you can use the 'Volume' tool again to fine-tune the mix between your clips' original audio, any added music, and your brand-new voiceover.

Have Some Fun: Using Voice Effects and Other Features

Beyond the basics, TikTok offers a few more creative sound editing tools that can add personality and humor to your videos.

Using Voice Effects

You’ve probably seen videos with funny chipmunk, robotic, or echoing voices. This is done with Voice Effects. This tool works on both your original audio and voiceovers, offering a quick way to create a character or a certain vibe.

• Tap the 'Voice effects' button in the right-hand editing menu.
• You'll see a gallery of effects like 'Chipmunk,' 'Baritone,' 'Robot,' and 'Echo.' Tap each one to preview how it sounds on your video's audio.
• Once you find one you like, just tap 'Done' and the effect will be applied. This works wonderfully for skits or trend-based content.

Replacing Sound

This is a super simple but useful feature. Let's say you filmed your video to one trending sound but later realized a different one works better. Instead of starting over, just use 'Replace sound.'

• Tap 'Add sound' at the top of the editor, even if you already have one.
• Find your new sound and select it. TikTok will automatically ask if you want to replace what's there and will sync the new audio to your video. You may need to do a quick trim to get it right.

Advanced Tactics: Sound Editing Beyond the Basics

When you're ready to get even more serious about your content, you can start creating a more custom sound design for your videos, which often means starting the process outside of TikTok.

Editing Sound Before You Upload

For truly unique audio creations - like layering multiple sound effects, foley sounds, or having full control over audio fades - your best bet is an external video editing app like CapCut (which is also owned by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance) or another editor like InShot.

You can use these apps to build a complete soundscape. Layer a talking track, add subtle background music, and then place custom sound effects (like a "swoosh" during a transition or a "ding" for an idea). Once your video and audio are perfectly mixed, export the final video file to your phone and then upload it to TikTok as a cohesive clip. TikTok will recognize all that audio as your "Original sound."

Creating and Using Your Own Original Sound

This is an incredible organic growth strategy. An "Original Sound" is any audio that originates from a user's uploaded video, rather than from TikTok’s library. If you create an original sound that’s funny, helpful, or catchy, other people can use it in their videos.

How it works:

• Film a video with unique dialogue, a memorable bite of your own music, or a funny noise.
• Follow the steps above to edit it with an external app or using TikTok's internal tools to create a standout audio track.
• Post the video. Once it's live, a spinning record icon will appear in the bottom-right corner of the video. The text next to it will say something like "Original sound - @yourusername".
• Now, anyone (including you) can tap on that spinning record and use your audio in their own video. If your sound goes viral, every video it's used in acts as a direct link back to your original post and your profile.

Why Mastering Sound Editing on TikTok is Worth It

Learning how to edit sound on TikTok isn't just a technical skill, it's a creative one. A well-edited soundtrack can stop a user's endless scroll. A clean, clear voiceover builds a tighter connection with your audience and establishes authority. Using trending sounds correctly signals to the algorithm that your content is relevant and should be shown to more people. And importantly, it makes your content VASTLY more re-watchable, which is a major factor in getting more views.

Don't just think of audio as background noise. Think of it as your co-star. Give it the attention it deserves, and you'll see a noticeable difference in the quality and performance of your content.

Final Thoughts

Mastering sound editing on TikTok is a powerful way to set your content apart and keep viewers engaged. By moving beyond simply adding a trending song and learning to trim, mix volumes, and use voiceovers, you gain creative control that makes every video more impactful and professional.

We understand that great short-form video requires both creativity and smart planning. Managing content shouldn't steal time from your creative process. That's why we built Postbase, a social media management tool designed first and foremost for video content on platforms like TikTok and Reels. When your masterpiece - complete with perfectly edited audio - is ready, our visual calendar and reliable scheduling help you plan and publish with confidence, so you can spend your time dreaming up the next big thing.