TikTok is a multimedia platform that transcends the confines of traditional social media. While entertaining and engaging videos are a great addition to your content strategy, the audio component is what will ultimately determine the channel’s level of virality and success. The focus of TikTok is on audio. Your best video could sink or rocket to the ‘For You’ page, depending on whether or not you use the right sound at the right time.
It can be challenging for social media managers to know how and when to use popular TikTok sounds. The trends on TikTok are constantly shifting, and staying on top of them can be difficult. As social media evolves into a form of social entertainment, businesses will need to reevaluate their previous assumptions about the platform.
This comprehensive guide to TikTok sounds will help your brand succeed in the modern era of social marketing by explaining what they are, how to make them, and why they are important.
Define TikTok Sounds
Users can add musical cues, known as TikTok sounds, to their videos. Your audio selection plays a crucial role in making a good first impression in your TikTok marketing strategy, as short-form videos always play with the sound on.
The TikTok sound library is a great place to try out new noises and revisit old favourites. In addition to highlighting the most popular tags, the Discover section of TikTok also highlights the most popular sounds. Better results can be achieved on TikTok by capitalising on trending sounds, as users who are looking for variations on a particular trend may end up searching for more content relevant to that sound.
Learning the Ins and Outs of TikTok Sounds
Including Music in Recent Videos
The TikTok camera includes built-in sound effects. The “Add sound” button is located at the top of the camera and can be accessed by clicking the “+” button at the bottom of the screen.
From there, you can access TikTok’s sound library, which, if you’re using the app for business purposes, will consist primarily of commercial music (these sounds are royalty-free and can be used commercially).
Once you’ve found a sound you like on the Discover page, you can create content based on it or conduct a more general search for similar sounds.
Complementing Pre-Existing Videos with Audio
Camera-roll videos can also have audio added. Select “Sounds” after you’ve uploaded your video, and then add the desired sound by dragging it from the library or your Favorites.
As a result, most marketers just use their phones to record TikToks on the spot, rather than trying to sync an already-existing video with a custom sound effect from a library. Lo-fi footage is preferred by the channel’s viewers over polished productions, and it’s simple to capture on camera.
For companies that can only use sounds that can be licenced for commercial use, keeping up with the latest and greatest in popular music can be an enormous challenge. Here comes Dash Hudson with his collection of popular sounds for use in TikTok videos. By using this function, brands no longer have to scour Discover or FYP for the latest trends. Not only are the popular sounds tracked and updated regularly, but users also have access to information such as the sound’s duration, popularity, and, of course, its commercial viability for use by brands. Users can either create a post directly in the Dash Hudson platform using the sounds, or save the sound to their favourites for use in the native TikTok app at a later time.
What’s even better? The suite of tools offered by Dash Hudson’s TikTok Insights includes the ability to track trending sounds among others.
TikTok Tutorial: Creating Your Own Sound Effects
All viral sounds have to begin somewhere, and while TikTok has a large library to choose from, not all of them will go viral. One example is the 2007 Starburst advertising campaign that was the inspiration for the 2021 “berries and cream” earworm that swept through TikTok feeds. It wasn’t until August of 2021 that the sound became popular after podcaster Justin McElroy uploaded it as a custom sound to the channel.
It’s impossible to predict which sounds will become popular and when they will become popular, so it’s important to experiment, keep an eye on TikTok analytics, and be receptive to novel ideas. In order to get started with making your own sound on TikTok, consider the following advice.
Make a TikTok Voiceover Recording
Select “Next” when you’re ready to edit your video after recording or uploading it. At that point, you can activate your phone’s microphone by tapping the voiceover button. After clicking “Save,” your work is finished and can be published.
If you’d rather not use text for narration, a voice over is an excellent alternative. Your chances of having your sound go viral on TikTok increase if it is succinct, entertaining, and shareable.
Customize TikTok with Your Own Music
TikTok also allows users to upload videos with their own audio tracks. After uploading the video to TikTok, you can use the sound in future content by selecting “Use this sound” or adding it to your favourites, but you’ll need a third-party app like iMovie or CapCut to overlay the audio.
Get the Most out of TikTok’s Complex Algorithm
Making a sound that is both memorable and simple to loop is the key to success. TikToks loop indefinitely, so the more time users spend watching your video, the more likely the algorithm is to recommend your content to them in the future, which is great for marketing efforts like TikTok shopping.