How to make a sound on TikTok
Since the rise of TikTok, sounds and music have become an increasingly important part of the social media experience, with some content being created just to revolve around a particular trending audio clip. If you're looking to bring some attention to your TikTok account by creating some new and potentially viral audio, or simply looking to get involved in the fun and see how far your sound can go, then keep reading to discover how to make a sound on TikTok.
Why should you create a sound on TikTok?
A TikTok paired with the right sound can be an incredibly powerful thing — and it has every chance of becoming viral content if the audio becomes well-liked and can be used within the TikToks of others. Whether you’re a musician, a casual user, or just somebody who wants to share a thought, creating a sound on TikTok means that you are allowing other users to make use of your audio.
To this day, many artists have seen their music reach new heights of popularity thanks to their use on the platform — this is how Lil Nas X got his big break with his hit single “Old Town Road.”
How to make a sound on TikTok
The easiest way to create new audio to be used on TikTok is to simply record a TikTok. Any sound picked up in the recording of your TikTok — such as your voice or the use of an instrument — will automatically be made into a new sound when your TikTok is published. You can also record your TikTok and add a voiceover in the editing process — this will also be made into a TikTok sound.
Further reading: How to Duet on TikTok
How to make a sound on TikTok:
- Within the TikTok mobile app, press the “+” button from the bottom panel.
- Press “Record” and create your video, and then press the red tick icon once done.
- From here, you can add filters, a voiceover, or voice effects by selecting the “Voice” option from the right-hand panel. Avoid using the “Add Sound” option as any sounds chosen from the TikTok library will appear as the audio used on your TikTok instead of your newly created audio when the video is published.
- Once done, press “Next” and then publish your TikTok as usual with a caption and hashtags to maximize your reach.
- Once your TikTok has uploaded to your profile, you should see a spinning record at the bottom right of the screen. Select this record.
- This page is the feed for your sound. You can edit the sound name to something more memorable in the search. If other creators use your sound in the future, those TikToks will show up here.
- Add this sound to your favorites and you’ll easily be able to use it again later.
How to make a sound on TikTok without posting a TikTok
You can create a TikTok sound without posting a TikTok, but you will have to follow this workaround to do so. This is a good solution if you, for example, want to create a TikTok in the future but can’t find the audio you want to use in the TikTok library.
- Use the screen recording feature on your mobile phone and play the sound you want to use as audio on your phone.
- Go to the TikTok app and press the “+” option to create a new video.
- Press ”Upload” instead of “Record” and choose your screen recording.
- Press “Next” and then crop your audio to the desired length using the “Adjust Clips” option. Press “Save” and then “Next.”
- When you reach the final page before publishing your TikTok as a video, select the “Who can watch this video” option and then choose “Only me.”
- You can now post the video and it will only be visible to you on your profile.
- Open your new TikTok and tap the spinning record in the bottom right corner and change the name of your sound. Select “Add to Favorites” to make it easily accessible for you to use in future videos.
If you are unable to press the spinning record, quit the app and then relaunch it. If this doesn’t fix the problem then make the video public, use the sound, and then set the original video to private again.
Further reading: How to delete a TikTok
How to make your TikTok sound go viral
It can be hard to predict what will make a TikTok sound go viral. However, there are a few steps you can take to give your TikTok audio the greatest chance of becoming popular.
- Put your own spin on something familiar: Create a mashup of a few popular sounds or turn a viral spoken audio into music.
- Make sure it sounds good on a loop: The best TikTok audios have cleverly put-together audio that sounds seamless when played over and over.
- Crop it efficiently: Make sure your audio is perfectly cropped to remove any moments of silence at the beginning or end.
- Make sure the sound is high quality: Nobody will want to use audio that is unclear or has background noise. Make sure your audio is clean and clear to avoid it sounding amateur or unusable.
Further reading: How to use TikTok: The ultimate guide for marketers
Going viral is hard, but creating a sound on TikTok is easy. Follow our instructions and advice to create your sound and give it the best possible chance of making the TikTok rounds.