In this guide
Choose Add sound when creating a TikTok to select an available track. For a local music file, add it in a separate video editor and upload the finished video. Preview the balance with speech and check the rights for your intended use.
To add music to a TikTok, start a post in the app, choose Add sound and select an available track. Record or upload your video, review the timing and balance against the original sound, and preview it before posting. To use your own local music file, a practical alternative is to add it in a video editor before uploading the finished video.
The in-app sound picker and an audio file embedded in an exported video are different workflows. If speech and music are already mixed into the original video, muting the original sound will mute both.
Add a sound from TikTok
- Start a post. In the TikTok app, tap the + button. Tap Add sound at the top of the recording screen.
- Find a track. Browse or search the sounds available to your account and preview one that suits the video. Select it using the app’s confirmation control.
- Record or upload your video. Continue through the recording and editing screens. TikTok’s controls and available sounds can differ by account, region and app version.
- Review the audio. Use the available sound-editing and volume controls to choose the useful excerpt and balance the added music with the video’s original sound. Listen to the busiest spoken sentence, not just the opening.
- Preview before posting. Watch the full video and check the music cue, dialogue, transitions and ending. Make any necessary changes before moving to the post screen.
TikTok’s post creation instructions describe recording or uploading video and adding sound in the editing flow. The app’s interface may change; check its current controls for your account.
Add your own sound or music file
- Choose an authorized file. Use your own voice, sound effect or music, or a recording for which you have the necessary permissions, including the composition where applicable.
- Import it into a video editor. Add the video to the timeline, place the audio file on a separate track and align the first audible word, effect or musical phrase with the desired visual cue.
- Trim and balance. Shorten the audio to the section you need and lower competing music under speech. Keep the original video audio if it contains dialogue or useful ambient sound.
- Export and upload. Save a new video, play it from beginning to end, then upload that video to TikTok. Check the in-app preview and any notices before posting.
This embeds the audio in the exported video. It does not guarantee the recording will appear as a selectable sound for other creators or be available to every account. If you want a reusable sound or distribution to TikTok’s library, check TikTok’s current creator options and terms.
For a voiceover, make a short test in a quiet space, listen for the complete first and last words, and save the recording before importing it. For an effect, leave enough of its attack and tail to match the action. If your video already has the desired sound, listen to the original track before adding a second copy.
The free audio trimmer can prepare an excerpt from a mono or stereo MP3 or WAV up to five minutes and 50 MiB. Download it and import it into the video editor; the trimmer does not combine a soundtrack with video or publish to TikTok. See how to add audio to video for a broader timeline workflow.
Keep speech clear under the music
Listen to a normal sentence and the loudest musical moment together. Reduce the added sound until the words remain understandable, then check quiet words and the end of the clip. A fixed volume percentage is not a reliable target because source recordings have different levels.
If your original video already contains music mixed with speech, lowering the original track reduces both. Return to the separate voice and music tracks if available. Otherwise, music removal can test an estimate from a supported file, but it may leave music or change words. AI downloads require an account and sufficient credits; check the shown cost and listen to the output.
Music rights and commercial posts
For content promoting a brand, product or service, TikTok recommends music from its Commercial Music Library because its licenses for other music do not cover commercial use. If using an original sound or other music outside that library, check the platform’s current confirmation and licensing requirements. TikTok explains this in its commercial music guidance.
A track being audible on TikTok, downloaded to your device or credited in a caption does not by itself establish permission for every reuse. Check the terms for your actual recording, composition and intended use.
Troubleshooting sound and timing
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Music covers the voice | Reduce the added sound using the available controls and compare a quiet word. If both sounds are embedded in one file, return to the original editor tracks. |
| The cue starts too early or late | Adjust the selected excerpt in the app or reposition the audio in your video editor. Check the exported or in-app preview. |
| A chosen sound is unavailable | Check the sounds currently offered for your account and intended use, then select another with suitable terms. |
| A posted video was muted | Open the muted post and check TikTok’s explanation. For eligible muted videos, TikTok documents View details → Change sound; this is not a general promise that every posted video can be freely re-edited. |
TikTok’s muted-sound guidance explains how to inspect the reason and, where offered, choose a replacement. If you want to remove music before posting instead, follow how to remove music from a TikTok video.
Posting to Instagram too? See how to add music to Instagram Reels.
Common questions
Can I use a song I bought or downloaded?
A purchase or download does not automatically grant permission to synchronize and publish the music in a video. Check the rights and TikTok’s terms for your use.
Can I add music and keep my voice?
Often, yes: retain the video’s original sound and lower the added music using the controls available in your workflow. Preview the complete mix because a loud song can mask speech.
Can Saturalabs upload audio directly to TikTok?
No. Its tools prepare supported local audio; editing and publishing the video happen separately.