What is the TikTok music library?
The TikTok music library is a collection of licensed music and sounds available for use on TikTok. It includes over 1 million songs and sounds from both emerging and established artists that creators can use legally in their TikTok videos and other content (TikTok Commercial Music Library).
The music library aims to provide TikTok creators access to a diverse catalog of music to use in their videos. It offers a variety of genres from rock to pop to hip hop and more. The songs and sounds are licensed so that creators can use them without worrying about copyright issues.
Using music from the library allows creators to enhance their videos with popular songs and the latest music trends. It helps them more easily produce compelling content that resonates with viewers. Overall, the TikTok music library exists to both protect copyrights and empower creators with licensed music options.
Navigating to the TikTok music library
TikTok offers a wide variety of music that creators can use in their videos without worrying about copyright issues. This music is available in TikTok’s music library.
To access the music library in the TikTok app, follow these steps:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the + icon to create a new video.
- On the video recording screen, tap on the music note icon in the bottom left.
- This will open the music selection screen. At the top, tap on “Music Library”.
- You will now see different categories and playlists to browse through. You can search for songs using the search bar or scroll through the selections.
- When you find a song you want to use, tap on it and select “Add to video” to add it to your TikTok.
The music library gives you a vast catalog of songs to legally use on TikTok without having to worry about copyright claims. It’s a great resource for creators looking to enhance their videos with music.
Searching for songs
The TikTok music library has a powerful search bar that allows you to find specific songs quickly and easily. To search for a song, simply type the song title, artist name, lyrics, or other keywords into the search bar at the top of the music library page. You can search for partial song titles or artist names as well.
The search results will display a list of matching songs. You can click on any song in the results to go to that song’s page, preview the full song, and add it to playlists or download it.
The search is very flexible – you don’t need to type the exact song title. For example, searching for “shallow lady gaga” will return Lady Gaga’s song Shallow. Misspellings and alternate titles often work as well.
If you can’t remember the specifics of a song, try searching for lyrics or other descriptive keywords. Searching “can’t feel my face when with you” will surface The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face.
You can further filter the search results by selecting filters like genre, mood, or theme. This makes it easy to find the perfect song for your needs, even if you don’t know the title or artist.
Browsing by Genre
The TikTok music library allows you to browse songs sorted into different genres. This makes it easy to find music that fits a certain style or vibe. According to research from Music Tomorrow, the most popular genres on TikTok in 2021 were Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop, and Dance (Source).
When you open the TikTok music library in the app, you’ll see the main genres listed across the top. Tapping on a genre like “Pop” will then show you subgenres like dance pop, indie pop, and more. You can go several levels deep, exploring niche genres and finding very specific song styles. This makes it easy to match music to whatever idea or meme you want to use it for.
The browsing system also surfaces trending and popular songs within each genre category. So you can quickly find the hottest tracks in hip-hop, rock, country, and other genres. TikTok’s algorithmic recommendations combine with human curation to showcase songs that are getting traction in each genre right now.
Using hashtags to find music
Hashtags are an effective way to discover new music on TikTok. By searching or clicking on specific hashtags, you can browse songs that have been used in videos using that hashtag. Some popular music hashtags to explore include:
- #music – A broad hashtag used on over 600 million videos featuring music
- #newmusic – For finding the latest song releases and music trends
- #songs – Search this tag to browse a wide variety of popular songs
- #artistsontiktok – Follow this hashtag to find emerging and established musicians
You can also search more specific genres or moods like #countrymusic, #hiphop, #workoutmusic, #guitar, and more. Pay attention to which hashtags are generating lots of views and engagement. The most viral music hashtags will help you discover songs gaining popularity on TikTok.
In addition to genre hashtags, follow hashtags like #TikTokMusic, #musictok, and #tiktokartist to stay on top of the latest music trends on TikTok. Using relevant hashtags is key for music discovery and expanding your playlist.
Following artists and playlists
One of the best ways to discover new music on TikTok is by following musicians and curated playlists in the TikTok music library. When you follow an artist on TikTok, their new releases and popular songs will show up in your Following feed. This makes it easy to stay up-to-date on music from your favorite artists.
Playlists are another great discovery feature in the TikTok music library. Playlists like “TikTok Hits” and “Viral Songs” collect trending music that’s popular in TikTok videos. Following these playlists is a great way to find songs making waves on TikTok. TikTok also creates specialized playlists like “TikTok Latin Hits” that cater to specific genres and interests.
The key benefit of following artists and playlists is having new music consistently served up based on your tastes. You can easily like or share new song discoveries directly in the app. Following curated playlists also provides a shortcut to the massive TikTok music library so you don’t have to hunt for the latest viral sounds yourself.
Check out TikTok’s “For You” and “TikTok Emerging Artists” playlists to discover new artists taking off on the platform.
Licensing and attribution
TikTok has deals in place with major record labels and publishers to license their music catalogs for use in videos on the platform. This means creators can use most popular songs without worrying about copyright issues. However, there are still some limitations around length and attribution.
Songs from TikTok’s licensed music catalog can generally be used in videos up to 60 seconds long. For videos over 60 seconds, different rules may apply depending on the specific agreements with rightsholders. Using a song for more than 60 seconds without permission may result in a copyright claim.
When using licensed music, creators should provide proper attribution by crediting the artist and song title either in the video caption or with an on-screen text overlay. This gives credit to the artist and satisfies TikTok’s licensing requirements.
For lesser-known songs not in TikTok’s catalog, creators need to be more careful. Using unlicensed music without permission, even if properly attributed, can still result in copyright issues. The safest option is to only use music you have licensed or have explicit permission to use.
TikTok provides a library of royalty-free music and sounds that can be safely used without worrying about licensing. This includes music produced specifically for the TikTok platform. Using TikTok’s own music library is the best way to avoid any copyright concerns.
Sounds vs. music
The TikTok music library contains both short music clips called “sounds” as well as full-length music tracks. Sounds are usually under 15 seconds long and focus on a signature riff, beat, or melody. They are frequently used for dance challenges, reacting to videos, and ironic humor. Full-length music tracks can be used as background music for longer videos like vlogs, tutorials, and storytimes.
Sounds are sourced from both emerging creators and top music labels. They help kickstart music trends on the platform. Full music tracks come from TikTok’s partnerships with major and indie labels, publishers, and aggregators. To use them legally, you need to license the tracks through TikTok. Both sounds and full tracks are searchable by keywords, hashtags, moods, genres, and more. TikTok curates playlists of trending sounds and music as well.
In summary, sounds are short, viral clips while full music tracks are licensed songs you can use as background music. Both can inspire trends and enhance video creativity.
Popular and trending music
TikTok makes it easy to find the most popular and viral songs being used on the platform. The TikTok music library showcases trending tracks and sounds that are going viral with the TikTok community. This is a great way to discover music that is resonating with users and could potentially help make your TikTok videos more discoverable.
You can browse trending music by viewing the “Trending” tab directly in the TikTok music library. This displays top trending songs across all genres. You can tap into a specific genre like “Hip Hop” to see trending tracks just for that genre. The TikTok creative center also compiles lists of currently trending music and sounds that you can browse through.
Outside of the TikTok app, some helpful sites to find the latest trending TikTok music and sounds include Tokboard and Tokchart. These sites track the top songs and sounds on TikTok each week and day. Monitoring these sites can help ensure you are using the hottest and most viral music in your TikTok videos.
Summary
Accessing TikTok’s vast music library can seem daunting at first, but becomes easier once you understand how it’s organized. The key points are:
- The music library contains both popular songs and lesser-known sounds and can be searched or browsed.
- Use hashtags and follow playlists or artists to find music that fits your style.
- Most music can be used for free, but always check the licensing and give proper attribution.
- Sounds are short audio clips while full-length music has more recording artist restrictions.
- Check out trending sounds and songs to see what’s popular on TikTok right now.
With this knowledge, you can easily navigate TikTok’s music library to find the perfect songs and sounds to enhance your videos.
