TikTok is a hugely popular short-form video app that allows users to create, watch, and share 15-60 second videos. Music is an integral part of the TikTok experience – videos use music clips, sounds, and effects to express creativity and emotions. Over the years, TikTok has evolved into a discovery platform for emerging and established musicians alike. TikTok has licensing deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, giving users access to an extensive music library to use in their videos. The app also lets independent artists and creators upload their own music. TikTok makes music sharing and discovery effortless through features like song identification, playlists, profiles, and more. This article provides an overview of how to access the extensive world of music available on TikTok.
Searching for Songs
One of the easiest ways to find music on TikTok is by using the search bar. Just tap on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app and type in keywords related to the song you’re looking for, such as the song title, artist name, or lyrics. TikTok’s search algorithm will return results related to your search query, including videos that have used that particular sound or song.
For example, searching for “abcdefu” will surface the many TikTok videos that have used Gayle’s hit breakup anthem. You can scroll through the results to find the official music video or various trending dance challenges using the track. Tapping on a video will take you to that sound page, where you can see other TikToks using the same song as well as add it directly to your favorites or a playlist.
You can also search for vague keywords like “viral songs” or “trending songs” to discover new music gaining popularity on TikTok. The search feature makes it easy to find just about any song, whether you know the exact details or just a few lyrics.
Discovering New Music
One of the best ways to find new music on TikTok is by using the Discover tab. This section allows you to explore trending songs, emerging artists, and different genres. When you open the Discover tab, you’ll see a variety of playlists and categories to choose from.
For example, the “Trending” section shows you the most popular songs across TikTok at the moment. Tapping into trending tracks is a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest music crazes. You can also sort by genre, like “Hip Hop”, “Pop”, or “Country”, to find new songs tailored to your taste.
Additionally, the “Emerging Artists” playlist highlights up-and-coming musicians that are starting to gain traction on TikTok. Checking out emerging artists lets you discover new talent and songs before they become mainstream hits.
Overall, spending time browsing through the various playlists and categories in the Discover tab is an excellent way to expand your musical horizons. TikTok’s algorithmwill learn your preferences and serve up new song suggestions the more you interact with the app.
As noted in this TechCrunch article, TikTok’s discovery features allow users to easily find and share new music: https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/24/siriusxm-partners-with-tiktok-on-a-new-music-channel-pandora-playlists-and-more/
Following Artists
One of the best ways to discover new music on TikTok is by following your favorite musicians directly. Most major artists have official TikTok accounts where they share previews of new songs, behind-the-scenes footage, live performances, and more. According to Top 10 most-followed music artists on TikTok 2024, some of the most popular musicians to follow on TikTok as of January 2024 include Bella Poarch, Kimberly Loaiza, BTS, Selena Gomez, and Jason Derulo.
To find artists to follow, tap the discover icon on the bottom toolbar and select “Accounts.” You can browse popular musicians or search for specific artists by name. When you find someone you like, tap “Follow” to add them to your main feed. That way whenever they post new music content, it will show up in your For You page or Following feed.
Following your favorite singers, bands, rappers, and other performers is a great way to get first access to their new songs on TikTok. You’ll also get to see their personality shine through in a more authentic way than just listening to their tracks. So search for your music idols and stay up-to-date on all their latest TikTok tunes.
Using Sounds
One of the most popular features of TikTok is its vast library of sounds that users can add to their videos. TikTok has an extensive collection of clips, song snippets, dialogue from movies/TV shows, and other audio files that can be used as background music or the focus of a video.
Users can search for specific sounds by keywords or browse trending options. When you find a sound you want to use, you simply click the “Use This Sound” button on the sound’s page. This will add it to your content when creating a new video.
If you come across a sound you really like while watching someone else’s video, you can tap the sound icon in the bottom left corner to go directly to that sound’s page. Here you can preview the full sound, see other associated videos, and save it to your own account.
TikTok also allows you to create your own sounds using any audio file on your device. After uploading your own sound, you can use it in the same way as pre-loaded options. Custom sounds open up creative possibilities for producing original content.
Saved sounds are available in your profile under the Sounds tab, allowing you to easily find and reuse your favorite music and audio clips when constructing new videos. Taking advantage of TikTok’s audio library is a great way to add engaging and viral elements to your content.
Creating Playlists
One of the best ways to save and organize your favorite TikTok songs is by creating custom playlists. Playlists allow you to curate a collection of videos that contain music you love listening to.
To create a TikTok playlist:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
- Tap on the “+” icon next to the “Playlists” tab.
- Give your playlist a name and description.
- You can now start adding videos to your playlist. Tap on the “Add Videos” button and select videos from your feed or search for specific songs.
- Arrange your playlist how you want and tap “Save” when you’re done.
You can also create playlists directly from videos you’re watching by tapping the “Save to playlist” icon. This allows you to quickly build playlists around certain themes, artists, or genres. Your playlists will always be accessible from your profile so you can easily find and listen to your favorite TikTok music.
Check out this helpful video on creating TikTok playlists: How To Make A Playlist On Tiktok – Full Guide
Sharing Music
Sharing music with friends and followers is an enjoyable part of the TikTok experience. When you come across a song you love, you can easily share it in a few different ways:
Make a video featuring the song. Use TikTok’s tools to create a new video set to the music. Get creative with lip-syncing, dancing, or showcasing your reactions. Adding effects and transitions can make it more engaging. Share your video for your friends and followers to enjoy the song too.
Duet with someone else’s video. If you see someone else’s video featuring a great song, tap the Share icon and select “Duet.” This allows you to record your own video alongside theirs. Dueting is a fun way to put your own spin on the song while sharing it with more people.
Add the song to your profile. From the Share menu, choose “Add to Profile” to pin the sound directly to your TikTok profile. Followers visiting your profile can then easily access the song to use in their own videos.
Send as a direct message. Tap the Share icon and choose “Send to Friends” to send a video featuring the song directly to friends via Direct Message. Share music you think specific people will appreciate.
Add to Favorites playlist. Any video with music can be added to your Favorites playlists for easy access later. Tap the Share icon, choose “Favorites,” and select which playlist to add it to.
Using TikTok’s intuitive sharing options makes it a breeze to spread great music with the people in your life. Have fun discovering songs and sharing them creatively!
Commenting on Videos
One easy way to identify a song used in a TikTok video is by checking the comments. Many users will ask “what’s this song?” or provide the song name and artist for others. You can simply scroll through recent comments and it’s likely the song details have already been shared.
If the song name isn’t listed, try commenting “what’s the song?” or “song?” on the video yourself. The video creator may reply with the song details. Other viewers who know the song may also reply to your comment with the name and artist.
TikTok creators often respond to comments identifying songs as it shows engagement on their videos. Using the commenting method can be faster than using other options like Shazam if the song details have already been shared.
Using Shazam
One of the easiest ways to identify music on TikTok is by using Shazam. Shazam is an app that can listen to music playing and identify the song title and artist. In 2017, Apple acquired Shazam and has since integrated it directly into iOS. This makes it incredibly simple to discover any song playing on TikTok.
To use Shazam to identify a song on TikTok, simply open the TikTok app and start playing the video with the music you want to find. Then open the Control Center on your iPhone and tap the Shazam icon to activate it. Hold your phone near the audio source to let Shazam listen and identify the song. Once it recognizes the tune, you’ll get a pop-up notification with the song title, artist, and other info. You can tap the notification to open Shazam and save the song to Apple Music or share it.
This Shazam integration makes finding any trending song or audio extremely quick and easy on TikTok without having to manually search for lyrics or details. For Android users, installing the Shazam app provides the same song recognition abilities. Simply open the Shazam app while the TikTok video is playing and it will identify the song (“How to Find Any TikTok Song With Shazam | iPhone Hack,” 2022).
Shazam is perfect for discovering music on TikTok since many sounds and songs aren’t tagged. The app can identify songs in seconds, so you can quickly save or share any music you discover while browsing TikTok.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a variety of options for accessing music on TikTok, from finding songs in videos, following artists, discovering new music through recommendations, using sounds, creating playlists, sharing music, commenting on videos, using Shazam, and more. TikTok has revolutionized music discovery and promotion, allowing emerging artists to reach massive new audiences. The app makes music highly shareable and interactive through features like duets. While some criticize TikTok’s impact on the industry, it’s clear the platform has become a hugely influential force in music.
Music is central to the TikTok experience. Though initially known for viral dances and challenges, TikTok has grown into a diverse musical platform. Users can easily access tons of songs, connect with artists, and share music with friends. TikTok opens up musical discovery, introduces fans to new genres and songs, and gives artists major exposure. For most users, the endless musical options are what make TikTok fun, unpredictable, and addicting.
