How to Use Trending Audio on YouTube Shorts

Using trending audio is one of the most effective ways to boost your views and reach on YouTube Shorts. When you use a sound that the algorithm already loves, you’re giving your content an immediate head start in discoverability. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find trending audio, use it strategically, and avoid common mistakes that can hold you back.

Why Trending Audio is a Game-Changer for YouTube Shorts

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly understand the "why." Using sounds that are gaining momentum isn't just a fun trick, it's a core strategy for short-form video. Here’s what makes it so powerful:

• Algorithm-Friendly: YouTube’s algorithm is designed to push content that people enjoy. When a sound is trending, it means users are engaging with it heavily - watching, liking, and sharing videos that use it. By adding that sound to your Short, you're tapping into a pre-approved signal that tells the algorithm your content is relevant and likely to be engaging.
• Instant Cultural Context: Trends are a form of shared language. Using a popular audio clip instantly connects your video to a larger, ongoing conversation. Viewers recognize the sound, understand the context (the joke, the format, the mood), and are more likely to watch because it feels familiar and timely.
• Inspiration and Structure: Staring at a blank screen can be intimidating. Trending audio provides a starting point. It offers a structure, a mood, or a punchline to build your content around, making the creative process faster and more effective. You're not starting from scratch, you're iterating on a concept that's already resonating with people.

How to Find Trending Audio on YouTube Shorts

Finding the right sound at the right time is half the battle. Fortunately, YouTube gives you several ways to spot rising audio on a daily basis. Here’s a breakdown of the four best methods.

Method 1: Browsing the YouTube Shorts Audio Picker

This is the most direct way to see what YouTube is officially promoting. When you create a Short, tapping "Add sound" at the top of the screen takes you to the Audio Library.

Inside, you'll see a section at the top typically labeled "Top sounds" or a playlist like "Shorts Sounds." This is YouTube’s curated list of popular and emerging audio. While these are reliable choices, they can sometimes be a bit oversaturated. Think of this as your starting point, but don't stop here.

How to do it:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap the "+" icon to create a Short.
2. At the top of the camera screen, tap "Add sound."
3. Browse the "Top sounds" list for popular tracks.
4. You can also explore different genres and curated playlists to find something that fits your niche.

Method 2: Spotting Trends in Your Feed (The Organic Way)

This is arguably the most effective method, as it shows you what's trending right now in real-time. It requires you to do what you're probably already doing: scrolling through Shorts. But you need to do it with a more analytical eye.

As you scroll, pay attention to sounds you hear repeatedly in a short span of time. More importantly, look for the small, upward-trending arrow icon next to the sound name in the bottom corner of a Short. That little arrow is YouTube telling you directly: "This sound is on the rise."

How to scroll with purpose:

• Commit to 10 minutes of scrolling: Spend some time each day actively consuming Shorts within your niche.
• Listen for repetition: If you hear the same audio clip three or more times, that’s a trend.
• Look for the arrow: When you see the upward arrow, tap on the sound name. This takes you to the audio page, where you can see how many Shorts have been made with that sound. A rising number in the low thousands is often a great time to jump on a trend before it peaks.
• Save your favorites: On the audio page, tap the bookmark icon to save the sound. This adds it to your "Saved" sounds list in the Audio Picker for easy access later.

Method 3: The YouTube Music Charts (The Data-Driven Way)

For a higher-level view, you can check out the official YouTube Music Charts. While not specific to Shorts, this shows you what songs are gaining massive traction across the entire platform.

Go to charts.youtube.com and look at the "Trending" section. This shows you the hottest music videos right now. Many commercially successful songs first gain viral legs on short-form video platforms. If you see a new pop song rocketing up the charts, there’s a good chance creators are building trends around it on Shorts.

Method 4: Looking Outside of YouTube (The Cross-Platform Way)

The world of short-form video is an interconnected ecosystem. Trends don't live in a vacuum. A sound that is absolutely dominating TikTok or Instagram Reels is very likely to spill over to YouTube Shorts.

Use other platforms for "trend forecasting." If you're a heavy TikTok user and notice a particular sound or format taking off, get ahead of the curve and be one of the first creators to bring it over to your Shorts audience. This positions you as a trendsetter on the platform instead of a follower.

Best Practices: How to Use Trending Audio *Strategically*

Finding a trend is one thing, using it effectively is another. Simply pointing your camera at your face and lip-syncing won't build a brand. You need to adapt the trend to fit your content and provide unique value.

Add Your Own Twist, Don't Just Copy

The purpose of a trend is to deliver a familiar format in a new way. The audio is the familiar part, your content is the new part. Think about how you can relate the sound to your niche.

• Example for a Baker: If the audio is about a "shocking realization," you could use it to show a baking fail, like realizing you used salt instead of sugar.
• Example for a Fitness Coach: Using a sound about "leveling up," you could show a progression from a beginner exercise to an advanced one.

The goal is to make the viewer think, "Oh, that's a clever way to use that sound."

Match the Vibe of the Audio to Your Brand

Not every trend is for every brand. A sound that is chaotic, comedic, and Gen Z-focused might feel out of place on a channel dedicated to calm, minimalist home decor. Forcing a trend that doesn’t align with your brand’s voice can feel inauthentic and may alienate your existing audience. Be selective and choose sounds that genuinely complement your style.

Act Fast, But Not Carelessly

Trends have a short lifespan. The ideal window to participate is when a sound is visibly rising but hasn't yet reached total oversaturation. If a trend has been around for weeks and is all over mainstream media, you’ve likely missed the peak discovery window. This is why saving sounds you spot in your feed is so powerful - it helps you build a queue of potential trends to act on quickly.

Use the Right Part of the Sound

Often, the most recognizable part of a trending audio clip - the "hook" - is within the first few seconds. When you select a sound in the Audio Picker, use the trimmer tool to make sure your video syncs perfectly with the key part of the audio. Mis-timing the punchline or the musical drop can make the video feel awkward and off-beat.

Pay Attention to the Associated Format

Many trends aren't just about the audio, they’re about the visual action that goes with it. It might be a specific dance, a point-and-reveal text format, or a specific type of camera transition. Watch a few examples of how other creators are using the sound to understand the underlying visual trend. Replicating the format - while adding your own spin - is part of what makes the trend recognizable.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Trending Audio

Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. Here are a few common pitfalls that can undermine your efforts.

• Forgetting About Originality: If 100% of your content is just jumping on trends, it's hard for viewers to understand who you are and what unique value you offer. Balance your trend-based content with original ideas, series, and formats that build a deeper connection with your audience.
• Using Low-Quality Audio Rips: Never screen-record audio from another video to use in your own. It sounds terrible and the algorithm won't associate it with the official trend. Always use the sound directly from YouTube's Audio Library by tapping "Use this sound" on another short or selecting it from the picker.
• Being Inconsistent: Posting one Short with a trending sound might give you a temporary view spike, but the real growth comes from consistency. Make it a regular part of your content strategy to incorporate trends alongside your original content to sustain momentum.
• Ignoring the Basics: Trending audio doesn't replace the need for a good hook, an engaging video, a clear title, and relevant hashtags. These fundamentals still apply. The sound gets you discovered, but the quality of your content is what gets you a subscriber.

A Quick Note on Copyright

One of the biggest advantages of using the YouTube Shorts Audio Library is peace of mind. When you use a sound provided within the Shorts creator tool, YouTube has already handled the licensing for that specific use case. This protects you from copyright claims *on that Short*. However, this isn't a free pass. If you edit a video outside of YouTube with a commercial song you don't own the rights to and then upload it, you are still vulnerable to copyright issues. When in doubt, always use the library.

Final Thoughts

Trending audio is your invitation to take part in the internet's biggest conversations. By consistently finding relevant sounds, adapting them creatively for your niche, and executing with speed and quality, you can leverage these moments to accelerate your channel's growth and connect with a wider audience.

We know that staying on top of trends and maintaining a consistent posting schedule across multiple platforms can quickly become a huge time commitment. That's why we built Postbase with a visual calendar that helps you plan your content strategy at a glance, allowing you to react to trends quickly and fill gaps in your schedule. Since we designed our platform for short-form video first, you can schedule your YouTube Shorts, Reels, and TikToks all from one place without wrestling with a tool that wasn't built for the job.