How to Put Two Sounds Together on TikTok

Ever scrolled through your For You Page and stopped on a video where you hear a trending song playing, but the creator is also talking over it? This sound-layering technique is more than just a cool trick, it’s a powerful way to add your own personality, context, or humor to a trending audio. This guide will walk you through exactly how to put two sounds together on TikTok using the app's native tools, plus a more advanced method for creators who want extra control.

Why Layering Sounds on TikTok is a Game-Changer

Before we get into the step-by-step, let's talk about why this is such a useful skill for creators and brands. In a sea of content where thousands of people are using the same trending sound, layering audio helps you instantly stand out.

• Add Commentary or Context: You can use a trending sound as background music while you explain a concept, tell a story, or provide instructions. This is perfect for educational content, product demos, or just sharing a personal anecdote that fits the vibe of the music.
• Create Dialogue Over Music: For comedy skits or short-form narratives, you can have a popular song setting the mood while your characters speak. The music adds an emotional layer that elevates simple dialogue.
• Voice Your Internal Thoughts: A really popular format involves a trending sound playing "out loud" in the video's world, while your own voiceover comes in as your "internal monologue," reacting to the situation.
• Boost Engagement: Videos with a unique twist get more attention. By combining your original audio with a trending sound, you get the discoverability benefit of the trend while providing original value that encourages comments and follows.

Basically, it’s about taking something familiar - a sound everyone recognizes - and making it uniquely yours. This blend of familiarity and originality is what often makes content go viral.

The Main Method: Using TikTok's Built-In Voiceover Tool

The good news is that TikTok has a built-in feature that makes combining two sounds relatively simple. The trick is to add one sound as your main "Added sound" and the second one as a "Voiceover." It sounds a bit confusing, but once you follow the steps, it’ll click. Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Step 1: Record or Upload Your Video

First, get your visual content ready. You have two options:

• Record in the App: Open TikTok and use the camera to record your video clips as you normally would. You don't need to worry about audio at this stage unless there is specific sound from the recording you want to keep.
• Upload from Camera Roll: If you've already filmed and edited your video outside of TikTok, just tap the "Upload" button and select the video file from your phone's gallery.

Once you have your video clips arranged on the timeline, tap the red checkmark or "Next" to move to the editing screen.

Step 2: Add Your First Sound (The Background Music)

This is where you'll add the trending song or sound that you want to serve as the background layer.

1. On the editing screen, look for the "Add sound" icon at the top of the screen.
2. Tap it to open TikTok's massive audio library.
3. Search for the song you want, browse the recommended trending sounds, or pick one from your Favorites.
4. Once you select a sound, it will be automatically added to your video. You can now use the "Trim" tool (it looks like a pair of scissors) to select the specific part of the song you want to use. This is helpful for starting the music right at the chorus or a specific beat drop.
5. Tap "Done" when you're happy with the placement.

At this point, you have a video with just one sound applied. Now for the magic part.

Step 3: Record Your Voiceover (The Second Sound)

This is where you add your commentary, dialogue, or whatever second audio layer you need. We're using the voiceover feature for this.

1. On the main editing screen, look at the vertical menu of tools on the right side. Tap the "down arrow" to expand the menu if you don't see all the options.
2. Find and tap the icon labeled "Voiceover" (it usually looks like a microphone).
3. A new screen will appear with your video timeline at the bottom and a big red record button.
4. Before you record, look for a small checkbox at the bottom left that says "Keep original sound." Uncheck this box. This is important because, right now, the song you added in Step 2 is considered the "original sound." Unchecking this ensures the new voiceover doesn't fight with the music while you record. You'll remix them in the final step.
5. Drag the white timeline marker to the exact point in the video where you want your voiceover to begin.
6. Press and hold the red record button to record your audio. You can stop and start multiple times to record different parts.
7. When you’re finished recording, tap "Save" in the top right corner.

Step 4: Adjust the Volume Levels (This is the Crucial Part!)

You’ve now technically added two sounds to your video, but they're likely competing with each other at full volume. The final and most important step is to mix them properly so your voice is clear and the music is truly in the background.

1. Back on the main editing screen, go to the menu on the right one more time.
2. Find and tap the "Volume" icon (it looks like a small speaker).
3. You will now see two volume sliders:
   • Original sound: This slider controls the volume of the voiceover you just recorded.
   • Added sound: This slider controls the volume of the music you picked from the library.
4. To make your voice the primary audio, slide the "Original sound" slider all the way up (or to a level you're comfortable with).
5. Now, slide the "Added sound" slider way down. A good starting point is usually between 5% and 20%, depending on how loud the song is. You want it to be audible but not distracting.
6. Play the video back to check the mix. Is your voice clear? Is the music too loud? Adjust the sliders until you get the perfect balance.

Once you’re satisfied, tap "Next," add your captions, hashtags, and post your video! You've successfully layered two sounds together.

Advanced Method: Using a Third-Party Editor like CapCut

For creators who want more power and flexibility, using a mobile video editor before uploading to TikTok is the way to go. Apps like CapCut (made by the same parent company as TikTok), InShot, and VN Editor give you a multi-track timeline, much like professional desktop software.

Why use a third-party editor?

• Unlimited Tracks: You're not limited to just two sounds. You can add music, a voiceover, and sound effects.
• Precision Control: You can precisely trim audio clips, fade them in and out, and adjust their volume at different points in the video. Want the music to get louder when you're not speaking? You can do that easily.
• Better Quality: You avoid any potential compression issues that might occur when recording a voiceover directly in TikTok.

The General Workflow in a Mobile Video Editor:

1. Start a New Project: Import your video clip into the app.
2. Add Your Music: Use the "Add Audio" feature to import your first sound. This could be a song from your phone or extracted audio from another video. Place it on the first audio track.
3. Add Your Voiceover: Record your voiceover directly in the app or import a pre-recorded audio file. Place it on a second audio track.
4. Edit in the Timeline: Now you'll see your video and both audio clips as separate layers on the timeline. You can drag them around, trim them, and tap on each clip to adjust its individual volume.
5. Export and Upload: Once your video sounds perfect, export it in high quality (1080p is standard) to your camera roll. Then, open TikTok and upload the finished video.

Pro Tip: When you upload a video with custom audio to TikTok, you can still select a trending sound from the "Add sound" menu. Simply add it, then go to the "Volume" controls and slide the "Added sound" volume all the way down to zero. Why? This allows your video to be associated with that trending sound's page, potentially increasing its visibility, even though your original audio is the only thing viewers will hear.

Final Thoughts

Layering sounds on TikTok is an excellent way to elevate your content, whether you're using the simple built-in Voiceover tool or getting more granular with a third-party app. By blending a trending sound with your own unique voice, you're not just hopping on a trend - you're adding to it and making it your own.

Once you get comfortable creating more dynamic, high-effort content like this, the next challenge is often just keeping up with your posting schedule. We built Postbase to solve precisely that problem. Our social media management platform is designed for the visuals-first world of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. You can use our visual calendar to plan your content, schedule your awesome new videos to publish automatically at the perfect time, and manage all your content and engagement across every platform without feeling overwhelmed. It helps you focus on creating, not juggling apps.