How to Upload Music to TikTok

Getting your own music onto TikTok can feel like the key to unlocking viral success, but the process can seem a bit confusing. Whether you’re an artist trying to promote your new single, a brand aiming to create a unique sound for your content, or just a creator wanting to use a specific clip, you have options. This guide will walk you through the different ways to upload music to TikTok, from using the official libraries to getting your original tracks distributed on the platform.

First, A Quick Word on TikTok’s Music Rules

Before you upload anything, it’s important to understand the landscape of music rights on TikTok. The app has licensing deals with major labels and publishers, which is why its 'Sounds' library is so massive. However, this doesn’t mean you can upload any song you want. Using copyrighted music without permission can get your video muted, taken down, or even lead to strikes against your account.

This is especially true for Business Accounts, which have more restrictions. They are limited to TikTok’s Commercial Music Library to avoid copyright infringement issues associated with promoting a business. Personal and Creator accounts have more flexibility and access to the full music library for non-commercial use.

In short: always use either TikTok’s provided libraries, music you have the rights to, or your own original sound. Now, let’s get into the step-by-step methods.

Method 1: Use TikTok’s Pre-Approved Sound Library

This is the most straightforward and safest way to add music to your videos. TikTok’s built-in sound library is filled with millions of tracks, from trending pop hits to niche audio clips and viral sounds.

For Personal and Creator Accounts

If you're using a Personal or Creator account, you have access to the General Music Library, which includes a vast catalog of popular songs. Adding a sound is built directly into the video creation process.

1. Open TikTok and tap the + icon to start creating a video.
2. At the top of the screen, you’ll see an “Add sound” button with a music note icon. Tap it.
3. This opens the Sound library. You can browse recommended sounds, look through playlists, search for a specific song or artist, or see what's trending.
4. Once you find a sound you like, tap on it to preview. If you want to use it, tap the red checkmark.
5. You’ll be taken back to the recording screen with the sound loaded. You can now record your video, and the music will play as you film. You can also upload a pre-recorded video from your camera roll and add the sound to it in the editor.

For Business Accounts: The Commercial Music Library

If you have a Business Account, your access is limited to the Commercial Music Library. This is a curated collection of over a million royalty-free songs and sounds that have been pre-cleared for marketing, advertising, and promotional use. While you won't find the latest Drake or Taylor Swift hit here, you will find a massive library of high-quality music suitable for any brand’s content.

The steps to add a commercial sound are the same as above. The only difference is that your library will only contain commercially licensed tracks.

Method 2: Create and Upload Your Own Original Sound

This is the go-to method for artists, musicians, or anyone who wants to upload audio that they created themselves. If you have an original a cappella vocal, a beat you made, a funny voiceover, or your own song, you can get it onto TikTok as an "Original Sound" that you - and other creators - can use.

Unlike other platforms, you don’t upload an MP3 file directly to TikTok's sound library. Instead, you upload a video that contains the audio you want to use. Once the video is posted, TikTok isolates the audio track and makes it a reusable sound.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Original Sound:

1. Create a simple video with your music. The most important part is the audio. You can use any video editing app on your phone (like CapCut, Splice, or InShot) or desktop software (like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro). Create a new project, and import your song or audio file. Then, place a static image, album art, or some simple footage as the video track. The video itself can just be a placeholder, the focus is the sound. Export this file to your phone.
2. Pro Tip: Edit the sound to be the most compelling and catchy part of the song. Most TikTok videos are short, so start with the chorus, a great riff, or a standout lyric. You want to make a clip that instantly grabs attention and is easy to loop.
4. Upload the video to TikTok. Open TikTok, tap the + icon, and instead of recording, tap the 'Upload' button. Select the video you just created and exported.
5. Make post edits. Add any relevant text, captions, or effects. In your caption, be sure to include relevant hashtags, and maybe even a call to action like "Use my sound to show me your videos!" or "This is my new single, 'Song Title'!"
6. Post the video. Once it’s live on your profile, your audio officially exists on TikTok.
7. Access and name your new sound. Go to the video you just posted. Tap the spinning record icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This will take you to the audio page for your new sound. It will initially be named "Original sound - [Your Username]". Tap the title at the top of the sound page to rename it to something more memorable - like your song title and artist name (e.g., "Awesome Song - Your Band Name"). You can only do this once, so get it right!

That's it! Your audio is now a full-fledged TikTok sound. Anyone who sees your video can tap the spinning record and use your Original Sound in their own creations.

Method 3: Use a Music Distributor to Officially Add Your Song

If you’re a professional musician or artist and want your music to be in the main TikTok music library - fully available for millions to use and properly credited to you - you need to go through a music distributor.

Digital music distributors act as the middleman between artists and streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and yes, TikTok. They handle the licensing, formatting, and distribution to get your music onto these services.

How Does it Work?

1. Choose a Digital Music Distributor. There are many great options, each with a slightly different pricing model and set of features. Some popular choices trusted by independent artists include:
   • DistroKid: Known for its quick turnaround and straightforward annual fee model for unlimited uploads.
   • TuneCore: A longstanding service that charges per-single or per-album annually.
   • CD Baby: Charges a one-time fee per release with no recurring costs.
2. Sign up and upload your music. Once you've chosen a service, you’ll create an account and upload your song file (usually as a high-quality WAV file), along with your album art, song title, artist name, and other metadata.
3. Select TikTok as a distribution platform. During the upload process, you’ll see a list of platforms to send your music to. Make sure you check the box for TikTok (it may be grouped with "Facebook/Instagram"). This is the most critical step.
4. Wait for approval and distribution. Your distributor will review your files to make sure they meet all quality standards, then send your music out to all the platforms you selected. This can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
5. Find your song on TikTok. Once your song is distributed, it will appear in TikTok’s official sound library. You'll be able to search for it by song title or artist name, and it will be properly credited with your artist name and album art. Anyone on a Personal or Creator account will then be able to freely use it in their videos.

Going this route not only makes your music discoverable to a wider audience on TikTok but also allows you to earn royalties when your music is used on a large scale.

Tips for Making Your Sound Go Viral

Just having your audio on TikTok is only half the battle. To give it the best chance of taking off, you need to think like a content creator.

• Choose the Right Clip: Don’t just upload your whole song. Isolate the catchiest 15-30 seconds - the part with the best hook, the most compelling beat drop, or lyrics that are perfect for lip-syncing.
• Create a Trend or Challenge: The best a viral sound can hope for is to become associated with a specific trend. Be the first one to create a simple dance, a relatable skit, or a challenge that uses your sound. Give people an idea to copy.
• Make it Lyrically Relatable: Sounds that feature one or two highly relatable lines often take off because creators can use them to tell their own stories visually.
• Engage with Early Adopters: When you see other people starting to use your sound, engage with their videos! Like, comment, and show your support. This encourages more people to join in.
• A Clear and Searchable Name: When naming your Original Sound (or giving metadata to your distributor), make sure it is clearly named “[Song Title] – [Artist Name]”. This makes it easy for people who hear it to find it later.

Final Thoughts

Uploading music to TikTok is an accessible process with different paths for different goals. You can easily use commercially approved tunes for your business, create an Original Sound to start a trend with audio you made yourself, or work with a distributor to get your official single registered in the main library. By choosing the right method, you can effectively use music to enhance your content and connect with a wider audience.

Once you've got your sound and your video is ready, planning when everything goes live is just as important. Consistency is a huge factor in growing on any platform. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for the modern content creator, focusing on the video-first formats that dominate social media, like TikTok. We provide a simple, visual calendar to help you lay out your content strategy and a reliable scheduling tool to ensure your videos publish exactly when they're supposed to - every single time. It lets you manage everything in one clean space, so you can stop wrestling with logistics and get back to creating.