How to Use Sound on TikTok Without Copyright

Using the right sound is a make-or-break moment for your TikTok, but navigating copyright rules can feel like a minefield. One muted video or copyright strike is enough to make anyone nervous about what they can and can't use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add sound to your TikToks legally, so you can focus on creating great content without worrying about your videos getting taken down.

Why Copyright Matters on TikTok (The TL,DR Version)

Copyright law exists to protect creators - musicians, artists, and record labels - so they get paid for their work. When you use a popular song without permission, you're using someone else's property without a license. On TikTok, this can lead to a few frustrating outcomes:

• Muted Sound: The most common penalty. TikTok's system will identify the copyrighted audio, and your video will lose all its sound, often replaced with the message, "This sound isn't licensed for commercial use."
• Video Takedown: If a copyright holder files a formal complaint, TikTok may remove your video entirely.
• Account Strikes: Repeated violations can lead to copyright "strikes" against your account, which could result in a temporary suspension or even a permanent ban.

Simply put, playing by the rules saves you headaches and protects your account in the long run.

An Important Distinction: Personal vs. Business Accounts

One of the biggest factors determining which sounds you can use is your account type. TikTok splits its audio licenses into two main categories:

• A Personal Account has access to the massive General Music Library, which includes major pop songs, trending sounds, and pretty much everything you hear on your For You Page. This music is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only.
• A Business Account is for brands, marketers, or anyone using TikTok to promote a product or service. These accounts are restricted to the Commercial Music Library - a curated collection of royalty-free sounds that are pre-cleared for promotional content.

If you're using TikTok to sell something (even indirectly), you should be using a Business Account. While the Commercial Library has fewer chart-topping hits, using it guarantees you won't face legal issues for using a popular song in an ad.

The Easiest Way: Using TikTok's Own Sound Library

For 99% of creators, the absolute safest and simplest way to add music is directly through the TikTok app. The platform has licensing deals with major music labels to let you use songs from its library without fear of copyright infringement. The key is to use the right library for your account type.

For Personal Accounts: The General Music Library

If you're using a Personal Account, you have access to a vast catalog of popular songs. Simply follow this process:

1. Tap the + icon to create a new video.
2. At the top of the editing screen, tap Add sound.
3. You can browse curated playlists, search for a specific title or artist, or explore sounds saved to your Favorites.
4. Once you find a sound you like, tap it and then tap the red checkmark to add it to your video.

Since this audio is licensed by TikTok for personal use, you are good to go. Any song found and officially applied through this menu is safe for your content.

For Business Accounts: The Commercial Music Library

If you're running a business, your access will automatically be limited to the Commercial Music Library. TikTok created this to protect brands from accidentally using a pop song in their marketing, which could lead to significant legal trouble.

The Commercial Library contains over a million songs and sounds from emerging and established artists that are all pre-cleared for business use. While you won't find the latest Drake song here, you will find high-quality, genre-diverse tracks that can make your content feel professional and polished. Using songs from this library is non-negotiable for any brand that wants to stay on the right side of the law.

Pro Tip: To check if your company account is set up correctly, go to Settings and Privacy >, Account >, Switch to Business Account. If it says "Switch to Personal Account" instead, you're already set!

Going Beyond the TikTok Library: Finding Royalty-Free Music

Sometimes, you need something unique that isn't already trending with millions of other videos. This is where royalty-free music platforms come in. "Royalty-free" doesn't mean the music is entirely free, it means you typically pay once (either a one-time fee or a monthly subscription) for a license to use the music without having to pay ongoing royalties to the artist for every view.

This is a great option for businesses that want a consistent, unique sound or creators making content for other platforms (like YouTube) where TikTok's licenses don't apply.

Top Places to Find Royalty-Free Music

Subscription-Based Services (Best for frequent creators):

• Epidemic Sound: Extremely popular with creators for its massive, high-quality library and user-friendly search. A subscription gives you unlimited downloads and covers all your social channels.
• Artlist.io: Known for its highly curated cinematic and modern music. Licenses are straightforward and cover a wide range of uses.
• Soundstripe: Another excellent option offering radio-quality music and a robust library of sound effects, all covered under a simple plan.

Free Royalty-Free Sources (Check the license for each track):

• Pixabay Music: Offers a surprising amount of quality music available for free commercial and non-commercial use without attribution required (though it's always appreciated).
• Creative Commons: Sites like CCMIXX.com offer music licensed under Creative Commons. Pay close attention to the specific license type! Some require you to give credit (CC BY), while others prohibit commercial use (CC NC). Always read the details before downloading.

When using an external source, you'll need to download the file and add it to your video in an external video editor before uploading the final clip to TikTok.

The Ultimate Copyright-Proof Method: Creating Your Own Audio

The only 100% foolproof way to steer clear of copyright forever is to use audio that you created yourself. Better yet, if your original sound goes viral, every other creator will be promoting your account for you!

"Original audio" sounds imposing, but it doesn't have to be a professionally produced song. Many of TikTok's most viral sounds are scrappy, authentic, and organic:

• Record a Voiceover: This is the simplest method. Tell a story, explain a tutorial, share a funny thought, or create a character. Educational content and storytelling thrive on original voiceovers.
• Use Your Own Music: If you're a musician, TikTok is one of the best platforms to showcase your work. Upload your tracks and encourage others to use them.
• Record a Unique Sound Effect: A satisfying crunch, a weird engine noise, the tapping of your fingernails on a can - all of these can become viral "niche" sounds or ASMR triggers.
• Just Talk to the Camera: Some of the most memorable sounds are clips of people just talking, venting, or making a joke. If it's your own voice and words, it's your audio!

When you upload a video with a sound that doesn't match anything in TikTok's library, it gets labeled as an "Original audio." From there, anyone can tap on it and use it in their own videos, with attribution linking directly back to you.

What About Remixes, Covers, and "Borrowed" Audio? The Gray Areas

You've probably seen lots of sped-up songs or audio snippets taken from movies on TikTok. This brings up plenty of confusion, but the rules are clearer than they seem. Let's address some common myths.

Myth #1: "If I only use it for 15 seconds, it's fair use."
False. "Fair use" is a complex legal concept that rarely applies to social media marketing, and it doesn't specify a "safe" number of seconds. TikTok's automated copyright detection may still flag a short clip of a popular song.

Myth #2: "I can use copyrighted music if I speed it up or change the pitch."
False. This is still considered a "derivative work" of the original copyrighted piece, meaning it still infringes on the copyright. Modern audio-fingerprinting algorithms are designed to detect these modifications.

Myth #3: "As long as I give credit to the artist in the caption, I'm okay."
False. Providing attribution is a nice gesture, but it's not a substitute for a legal license. You still need permission (which is what TikTok's library or a royalty-free service provides) to use the work.

The safest path is to avoid these gray areas entirely. The risk of getting flagged or having your audio muted isn't worth it.

Final Thoughts

Navigating sound on TikTok is simple when you stick to three safe paths: use the approved music in TikTok's official library, license high-quality audio from a trusted royalty-free service, or create your own original sounds. Sticking to these guidelines protects your account and helps you build a sustainable presence without fear of takedowns.

Keeping track of all these elements - finding the right audio, matching it to your content ideas, and laying it all out - can be a lot to juggle. This is where a tool designed for how social media actually works can make a difference. Because we built Postbase with a video-first approach, we made our content calendar highly visual. It lets you map out your entire TikTok strategy, see where trending sounds best fit your schedule, and gives you a single view of your brand's whole story, ensuring your audio strategy is just as effective as your visuals.