How to Use Licensed Music on TikTok

Using the perfect song can make or break a TikTok, but finding out your favorite video was muted over a copyright claim is beyond frustrating. You're not alone in wondering how to use popular music without getting flagged, especially if you're running a business account. This guide breaks down exactly how to use licensed music on TikTok legally, explaining the different rules for personal and business accounts and giving you actionable strategies to keep your content live and engaging.

Why You Can't Just Use Any Song on TikTok

Before getting into the how-to, it's important to understand the "why." Music is copyrighted intellectual property, meaning the artists, songwriters, and record labels who created it own the rights. Using their work without permission - even in a 15-second clip - is technically infringement. TikTok has licensing deals in place to protect both creators and music rights holders, but these agreements come with specific rules you need to follow.

What Happens If You Violate Copyright Rules?

Ignoring TikTok's music guidelines can lead to a few headaches you'd rather avoid. While it's unlikely you'll face a major lawsuit as a small creator or business, the platform's penalties can still hurt your brand's growth and reach. Here's what can happen:

• Muted Video: TikTok's most common action is removing the audio from your video, replacing it with a message that says, "Sound removed due to copyright restrictions." All the effort you put into editing your video to the beat is lost, and the post becomes pretty much useless.
• Video Takedown: For more significant or repeated violations, TikTok may remove your video entirely from the platform.
• Account Strike or Suspension: If you repeatedly ignore copyright rules, TikTok may issue official strikes against your account. Rack up enough of these, and you could face a temporary suspension or, in the worst-case scenario, a permanent ban.

For brands and businesses, the risk is even greater. Using a popular song improperly in a promotional video could be seen as commercial infringement, which carries far more serious legal and financial implications than a personal user's dance video.

Personal vs. Business Accounts: The Two Tiers of TikTok Music

The single most important factor determining what music you can use is your account type. TikTok has two separate music libraries, and knowing which one applies to you is the first step to staying compliant.

Personal Accounts: The General Music Library

If you have a standard "Personal Account," you have access to TikTok's General Music Library. This is the massive collection of millions of songs you see creators using every day, including chart-topping hits from artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo.

TikTok has negotiated licensing agreements with major labels (like Universal, Sony, and Warner) that allow personal users to sync these songs with their videos for non-commercial purposes. Essentially, it's for personal expression, participating in trends, and creating for fun.

How to Use the General Music Library:

1. Tap the [+] icon to create a new video.
2. Tap "Add sound" at the top of the screen.
3. Browse playlists, search for a specific track, or explore the "Recommended" tab.
4. Select your song and tap the red checkmark to add it to your video.

The Catch: This music is strictly for non-commercial use. You cannot use these songs in videos that are sponsored, feature a paid partnership, promote a product or service, or are otherwise tied to a brand.

Business Accounts: The Commercial Music Library

If you're using TikTok to represent a business, non-profit, or any other organization, you should be using a Business Account. These accounts only have access to TikTok's Commercial Music Library.

This library contains over a million songs and sounds from emerging and established artists that have been pre-cleared for promotional and commercial use. This means you can safely use any track from this collection in advertisements, marketing videos, product showcases, and any branded content without worrying about copyright infringement.

While you won't find the latest #1 hit from Billboard in this library, it's a vast, diverse collection of high-quality, royalty-free music designed specifically for brands. Using it keeps your business safe and your content on the right side of the law.

"But what if I just switch my Business Account back to a Personal Account to use a popular song?"

This is a common temptation, but it's a bad idea. Doing so is a direct violation of TikTok's Terms of Service. If an account is promoting a business while masquerading as a personal account to use copyrighted music, it faces a much higher risk of having its content removed or its account penalized.

4 Smart Strategies for Using Licensed Music on TikTok

Navigating the rules doesn't mean your brand is stuck with boring or irrelevant audio. With a bit of creativity and know-how, you can still create viral-worthy content. Here are four effective strategies for businesses and creators alike.

1. Master the Commercial Music Library (For Businesses)

Don't dismiss the Commercial Music Library as a repository of generic elevator music. It's a goldmine of quality audio if you know how to look. TikTok has done an excellent job curating playlists and categories to help businesses find what they need.

Tips for Finding Great Commercial Sounds:

• Browse by Genre and Mood: Looking for a track that's upbeat and inspiring? Or maybe something more ambient and chill? Use the search filters in the library to narrow down tracks by genre, mood, theme, and duration.
• Check the "TikTok Viral" Playlist: The Commercial library has its own section for trending commercial sounds. Tap "Add sound" and look for the "TikTok Viral" category to find popular royalty-free tracks that are gaining momentum.
• Find an Artist You Like: Once you find a track you enjoy, tap the artist's name. You'll often find they have dozens of other great, pre-cleared songs in their portfolio, giving you a consistent audio palette for your brand.

2. Use Original and Trending Dialogue Sounds

You don't always need a chart-topping pop song to go viral. Some of the biggest trends on TikTok are built around original audio, funny dialogues, or relatable sound bites.

Record a voiceover directly in TikTok explaining a process, telling a funny story, or sharing a useful tip related to your niche. If it's helpful or entertaining, other users may start using your original audio, creating a trend that drives traffic directly back to your profile.

Jump on Non-Music Trends: Pay attention to trending sounds that aren't mainstream songs. These are often clips from movies, TV shows, and viral internet moments. Because they aren't coming from major record labels, they tend to be lower-risk and fall into a gray area that businesses can more comfortably participate in.

3. License Music from Third-Party Services

If you want complete creative control and a specific sound that's not in the Commercial Library, your best bet is to license a track from a third-party music platform. This is the go-to method for established brands that need high-quality audio for sleek, professional-looking video content.

Services like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and Musicbed offer massive libraries of music created by independent artists. For a monthly subscription or a one-time fee, you can download tracks and get a license that permits commercial use on social media platforms.

How it Works:

1. Find a track you love on a platform like Epidemic Sound.
2. Purchase a license for the song (usually included in your subscription).
3. Download the audio file.
4. Edit your TikTok video in an external app (like CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush) and add your licensed music track.
5. Upload the final video to TikTok with your custom audio baked in.

This approach gives you total freedom, but keep in mind that since the audio is original, it won't be linked to a trending "sound" on TikTok, which can impact its viral potential slightly.

4. Partner with Creators

One of the easiest and most effective ways for a brand to leverage trending songs is to let creators do it for them. When you partner with a creator for an influencer marketing campaign, they (using their Personal Account) can use a popular song from the General Music Library to promote your product.

This keeps your brand at arm's length from any direct copyright violation, as the creator is operating under their own user license. This strategy allows your product to be featured alongside the hottest trending audio, combining the power of influencer trust with the reach of a viral sound.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right music on TikTok isn't just about avoiding a slap on the wrist, it's about building a sustainable content strategy. By understanding the distinct libraries for personal and business accounts, you can make informed choices that protect your account while still creating content that resonates with the TikTok community.

As social media managers ourselves, we know juggling different platform rules - like TikTok's music policies - can be a real headache. That's why we designed an easy-to-use visual calendar inside Postbase that lets you plan all your short-form video content in one place. You can visually map out your TikToks, Reels, and Shorts, ensuring your audio choices align with your strategy while keeping your content consistent and on schedule.