How to Find Audio on TikTok

Finding the right audio on TikTok can mean the difference between a video that lands on the For You page and one that gets lost in the noise. It’s the invisible thread that connects millions of videos into trends, memes, and cultural moments. This guide walks you through every practical method - from simple in-app tricks to advanced discovery tools - to find the perfect sound for your next video.

Why Audio is Everything on TikTok

On TikTok, sound is more than just background music, it’s a language. A snippet of a song, a line from a movie, or a funny original sound becomes a template for creativity. The algorithm pays close attention to the audio you use. When a sound is trending, TikTok actively shows more videos using that sound to users who have previously engaged with it. This creates a powerful discovery loop where using popular audio gives your content an immediate advantage, connecting you with an audience ready for that specific trend.

Think of it this way: using a trending sound is like joining an ongoing conversation. It provides instant context and signals to viewers that your content is timely and relevant. It’s one of the most effective non-hashtag methods for discoverability on the entire platform. Whether you’re a creator trying to grow your audience or a brand aiming for relevance, mastering audio is non-negotiable.

Method 1: Using the 'Add Sound' Feature While Creating

This is the most direct way to find an audio to pair with your video idea. When you already have your visuals ready to go, the in-app sound library is your best friend. It’s curated by TikTok and organized to help you find popular and relevant sounds quickly.

Step 1: Open the Camera and Tap 'Add Sound'

Start by opening the TikTok app and tapping the plus (+) icon at the bottom of the screen to open the camera. At the very top of the camera screen, you’ll see a music note icon next to the text "Add sound." Tapping this brings you directly into TikTok’s massive audio library.

Step 2: Browse the Curated Sound Library

Once you’re in the library, you won't just see a random list of songs. TikTok does a fantastic job of categorizing sounds to make your search easier. Here's what you'll find:

• Recommended: This is a personalized feed of sounds the algorithm thinks you'll like, based on videos you’ve watched, liked, and saved. It’s a great starting point if you're feeling uninspired.
• Playlists: These are themed collections curated by TikTok’s team. You'll see playlists like "TikTok Viral," "Up-and-Coming," "Pop," and even seasonal or niche playlists like "Cozy Season" or "Workout Beats." The "TikTok Viral" playlist is pure gold, it’s a direct look at the songs currently dominating the platform.
• Favorites: Any sound you’ve ever favorited (we'll cover how to do this next) lives here. This acts as your personal audio library, ready whenever you need it.

Step 3: Dive Into the Search Bar

If you have something specific in mind, the search bar at the top is your most powerful tool. You can search in several ways:

• By Song Title or Artist: If you know the name of the track or the musician, just type it in.
• By Keywords or Vibe: Not sure of the title? Try searching for the feeling or genre. Terms like "upbeat indie," "cinematic music," "funny dialogue," or "lofi beats" can yield fantastic results.
• By a Line from the Audio: If you keep hearing a funny sound bite but don’t know its name, try transcribing a memorable line and searching for that. More often than not, someone else has named it similarly, and it will pop right up.

Method 2: Discovering Sounds on Your 'For You' Page

Just-in-time inspiration is great, but the best social media marketers and creators are proactive. They build a library of potential audios by paying attention while casually scrolling. Your For You Page (FYP) is a real-time focus group, telling you exactly what sounds are capturing mass attention right now.

Keep your ears open as you scroll. If you hear the same audio two or three times within a few minutes of browsing, you've likely stumbled upon an emerging or peaking trend. Here’s how to act on it:

1. Tap on the Sound at the Bottom of the Video

At the bottom left of every TikTok, there's a small, spinning record icon or a scrolling line of text showing the name of the sound and artist. Tap it. This action takes you to the audio's main page.

2. Analyze the Sound Page

The sound page is your hub for intelligence on that specific audio. You’ll see a few important things:

• Video Count: At the top, you'll see how many videos have been made with this sound. A popular sound may have hundreds of thousands or even millions of videos. An emerging sound might only have a few thousand, but if you start seeing a bunch of new videos at the top with high engagement, it’s about to blow up.
• Grid of Videos: You can see a feed of all the top-performing videos that use this sound. This is incredibly useful for understanding *how* the sound is being used. Are people lip-syncing? Using it for a transition? As background for a story? This context helps you create content that fits the trend perfectly.

3. Save it for Later by Tapping 'Add to Favorites'

The most important button on this page is "Add to Favorites." Tapping this bookmark icon adds the sound to your personal collection (the "Favorites" tab in the main sound library). Get into the habit of saving every interesting sound you find, even if you don't have an idea for it yet. This way, when you’re ready to create, you have a curated list of relevant audios waiting for you instead of having to search from scratch.

Method 3: Mastering the TikTok Creative Center

For those who want to take a data-driven approach, the TikTok Creative Center is an underutilized but wildly powerful free tool offered by TikTok itself. It’s designed for advertisers but is accessible to everyone.

The Creative Center has a "Trend Discovery" tool that lets you see which songs are popular and breaking out by region. Here’s how to use it:

1. Navigate to the TikTok Creative Center and find the "Trend Discovery" section. You do not need an ads account to access this.
2. Select the "Audio" tab.
3. You can filter by your country to get localized results.
4. From here, you can see a list of popular songs, complete with data showing how they’ve performed over the last 7 or 30 days. You'll see which songs are "Breaking Out" (experiencing rapid growth), making it a goldmine for spotting trends before they peak.

The Creative Center gives you auditable proof of a trend, removing the guesswork involved with simply scrolling your FYP. For marketers planning a campaign, it’s an essential stop.

Method 4: Finding Your Way with Original Audio

Not every viral sound is a chart-topping song. Sometimes, the most memorable audio is a simple voiceover, a funny reaction, or a unique sound effect created by another user. These are "Original Sounds," and they often form the basis of meme formats.

Creating Your Own Original Audio

Want to start a trend instead of just following one? Create your own original audio. Record a voiceover telling a story, sharing a tip, or delivering a punchline. This not only makes your content unique but also means that if your sound takes off, your account is credited on every single video that uses it - driving massive traffic back to your profile.

Using Another Creator's Sound

When you see a video with an Original Sound you love, the process is the same as with commercial music. Tap the scrolling text at the bottom, head to the sound page, check out how others are using it, and save it to your Favorites. Responding to someone else's original sound is a great way to participate in a community-driven trend.

A Quick Word: Commercial vs. Personal Libraries

It's important to understand that not all accounts have access to the same audio library. TikTok has two main types of libraries to stay compliant with music licensing laws:

• The Creator/Personal Library: This is the vast library most users have access to, filled with millions of popular songs, movie clips, and viral sounds. If you have a Creator Account, you have this library. You can freely use these sounds for your organic, non-promotional content.
• The Commercial Music Library: Business Accounts have access to a more restricted library. This library contains over a million songs and sounds that are pre-cleared and royalty-free for commercial use. This means a business can use them in their videos without worrying about copyright infringement. While it doesn't have every chart-topping hit, it's constantly updated with catchy, high-quality music suitable for marketing.

If you're a brand, using the Commercial Music Library is the safest bet. It protects you legally. Plus, it pushes you to get creative, either by finding a gem within the commercial library or - even better - creating a signature original sound for your brand.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right audio on TikTok is a skill that blends passive discovery with active searching. By habitually saving sounds from your For You Page, exploring the sections of the in-app library, and using data from the Creative Center, you can build a flexible strategy. This ensures you’re always ready to jump on a growing trend or find the perfect audio that makes your content undeniably you.

Of course, finding the sound is just the first step. Capitalizing on a trend means planning and scheduling your content before the moment passes. We built Postbase because we know modern social media moves fast. Our entire platform is designed for this reality, especially when it comes to short-form video. The visual calendar lets you plan all your platform content side-by-side, so you can easily see where your next TikTok full of trending audio fits beside your Reels and Shorts. Because our scheduler is built to be rock-solid, you can trust it to post reliably - getting your content live right when a trend is hitting its peak.