How to Make a TikTok with Music

Music is the heartbeat of TikTok. It transforms an ordinary video clip into a viral trend, sets an emotional tone in seconds, and gives creators a shared language to connect with millions. This guide will walk you through exactly how to make a TikTok with music, covering everything from using TikTok’s built-in sound library to finding trending audio and creating your own original sounds.

Why Music is a Game-Changer on TikTok

On other platforms, sound is often an afterthought - something you might turn off while scrolling in public. On TikTok, it’s the main event. The algorithm actively promotes videos that use trending songs and audio clips because it knows users love them. Participating in a sound trend is one of the fastest ways to get your content seen by a wider audience, as your video can appear on the For You Page and the audio's dedicated discovery page. Furthermore, music is a powerful storytelling tool. It establishes the mood instantly, whether it's comedic, nostalgic, dramatic, or inspiring, and helps you create a more engaging experience for viewers.

Method 1: Adding Music from TikTok's Library

The most straightforward way to add music is through TikTok's massive library of licensed songs and sounds. You can do this either after uploading a pre-recorded video or before you start filming directly in the app.

Adding Sound to a Pre-Recorded Video

If you've already filmed and edited your video outside of TikTok, follow these simple steps to add the perfect soundtrack.

1. Upload Your Video: Open the TikTok app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen to enter the creation mode. Tap the “Upload” button on the right to select a video from your phone’s camera roll.
2. Find the Sound Menu: Once your video loads into the editor, look for the “Add sound” icon at the top of the screen. Tap it to open the music library.
3. Browse and Select a Sound: Here, you can explore sounds curated for you. You'll see playlists like "TikTok Viral," "New Releases," and other themed collections. The best way to find a specific song is by using the Search bar at the top. Type in the song title, artist, or even a lyric you remember. Tap on a sound to preview it, and when you've found the one you want, tap the red checkmark to add it to your video.
4. Trim the Music: Your video timeline will now appear in the editor with the song layered over it. You probably don't want the song to start from the very beginning. To choose a specific part, tap the “Trim” icon (it looks like a pair of scissors) in the right-hand menu. This opens a waveform of the audio track. Simply drag the waveform left or right until the perfect clip is aligned with your video.
5. Adjust the Volume: This is a step many people miss, but it's hugely important. If your original video has talking or important sounds you want people to hear, you need to balance it with the music. From the right-hand menu, tap “Volume.” You will see two sliders: one for "Original sound" and one for "Added sound." Lower the "Added sound" slider to turn the song into subtle background music, or lower the "Original sound" slider to let the song take over.
6. Finish and Post: Once you're happy with the sound, continue editing your video, add a caption with relevant hashtags, and post it.

Adding Sound Before You Record

If you're creating a lip-sync video, a dance challenge, or anything that needs to be synchronized with the music, you should add the sound before you film.

1. Open the Camera and Add Sound: From the TikTok camera screen, tap the "Add sound" button at the top menu before you hit the record button.
2. Choose Your Song: Browse or search for your desired track just as you would in the previous method. Once you select it, you'll be returned to the camera screen.
3. Record with the Music: Now, the selected song will play as you record your clips. This allows you to time your actions perfectly to the beat, the lyrics, or a specific audio cue. You can start and stop recording to create multiple clips that are all seamlessly timed to the same soundtrack.
4. Edit and Post: After you finish recording, you can still edit your clips, add text, or apply effects before posting your video. The audio is already locked in place.

Method 2: Using Sounds from Other TikTok Videos

Many of TikTok's most popular "sounds" aren't commercial songs - they're original audio clips from other creators, snippets from movies, or funny voiceovers. This is how trends are born. If you hear an audio you love on someone else's video, you can use it for your own.

How to Use Someone Else's Original Sound

1. Identify the Sound Source: When you're watching a video, look at the bottom left of the screen. You'll see a small spinning record icon and scrolling text with the name of the sound. Tap on this text.
2. Visit the Audio Page: This action will take you to the audio's official page. Here, you can see who created the original audio and scroll through a feed of all the top videos that have used this sound. It's a great place to get inspiration for your own video.
3. Use the Sound: At the bottom of this screen, find and tap the big red button that says “Use this sound.”
4. Record Your Video: Tapping that button opens your TikTok camera with the sound pre-loaded and ready to go. You can now record a video to it or upload a clip from your camera roll.

Best Practices for Using Music on TikTok

Just adding music isn't enough, using it strategically is what makes a video excel.

Find a Trend but Make It Yours

Don't be afraid to jump on a trending sound, but try to give it a unique spin that aligns with your personality or brand. A contractor could use a trending sound to show a dramatic home renovation reveal. A book blogger could use it to react to a shocking plot twist. A coffee shop could use a popular dance trend but perform it behind the counter while making a drink. The key is to blend the familiar (the sound) with the original (your content).

Sync Your Edits to the Beat

A well-edited TikTok feels satisfying to watch, and syncing your visual cuts to the beats of a song is a simple way to achieve this. You can manually trim your clips to line up with musical changes, or you can use TikTok’s built-in "Sync" feature after uploading your clips. Well-timed edits make your content feel more professional and dynamic, holding a viewer's attention for longer.

Attention Business Accounts: Understand Licensing

If you have your account set as a "Business Account" on TikTok, you'll notice your music selection is different. You have access to the Commercial Music Library - a collection of over a million royalty-free tracks that are pre-cleared for marketing and promotional use. You won't be able to use most popular, mainstream songs due to copyright laws. While it seems limiting, this rule protects your brand from potential legal issues. Embrace the Commercial Library or focus on creating original sounds that your community can use to engage with your brand.

Creative Techniques to Elevate Your Content

Ready to go beyond the basics? These techniques add another layer of polish to your videos.

Combine a Voiceover with Background Music

Storytelling and educational videos work great with a voiceover. Here’s how to do it correctly:

First, record or upload your video clips. In the editing screen, tap "Voiceover" from the right-hand menu and record what you need to say. After saving your voiceover, go back to the editor and tap "Add sound." Add a subtle, instrumental track. Finally, use the "Volume" tool to lower the music so your voice remains clear and easy to understand. This two-layer sound design makes your tutorials or stories feel much more professional.

Create Your Own Original, Reusable Sound

You can become the source of the next big trend by creating an original sound. To do this, simply record a video with a distinct, interesting, or funny audio clip. It could be your unique take on something, a catchy phrase, or an observation. Once you publish the video, your audio becomes a usable sound for other creators. If it's compelling enough, others will start using it, and every video will link back to you as the original creator - a fantastic way to build visibility and authority on the platform.

Final Thoughts

Using the right music on TikTok is about much more than just slapping a song onto a video. It's about tapping into trends, setting an emotional tone, and giving your content the best opportunity to be discovered by a massive audience. By mastering how to use audio, you unlock one of the most powerful tools for growth and connection that the platform has to offer.

Once you've nailed down your audio and perfected your edit, getting that content scheduled and live is the next step. At Postbase, we built our platform with a strong focus on today’s video formats, which means it’s incredibly simple to plan and schedule your TikToks, Reels, and Shorts from one visual calendar. We make sure your thoughtfully crafted video goes live right when you intend it to, without the tech hiccups and reliability issues that often come with older, more clunky platforms.