The secret to success is having excellent content. As crucial as yourvisual material is, if not more so, is your audio. The core of TikTokis sound. Sounds play an important role in TikTok videos, includingviral sound effects, popular tunes, lip-syncing, and dance challenges.
How important is sound on TikTok?
The reason why the platform has been such a huge success is TikTok Sounds. In fact, theydiscovered the following when they teamed up with Kantar to learn more about the significanceof sound in digital marketing:
Sound, according to about 90% of TikTok users, is essential to the platform’s appeal. And over 70% of TikTok users who participated in the survey stated that they would watchcommercials on the platform due to audio-only. Users of TikTok claim that the auditory experience there is nearly twice as enjoyable as on othersocial media platforms.
How Do You Choose a Sound for TikTok?
1. Scroll the For You page for trending sounds
One of the first ideas that comes to mind when considering how to uncover trendy sounds onTikTok is to use the app itself, particularly the well-known For You page. Whether you’re a new or longtime user of TikTok, it’s safe to say that you spend the majority of your time on the For You page as it’s one of the app’s main features. When exploring there, pay attention to the types of videos that other people are posting and the sounds that they are employing.
Finding trendy sounds on TikTok through the For You tab has many benefits, as the fact that you can do so quickly and effortlessly while using TikTok. As you scroll, you probably won’t even need to pay attention to what you hear because any popular music or sounds will be played repeatedly. You’ll be able to tell what’s trending after a while.
2. Use TikTok’s search bar
On its app, TikTok makes it very simple for users to find popular sounds. This is how:
1. Open the TikTok app
2. Use the search bar at the top of the display.
3. Lookup “popular/ viral/ trending sounds” (or any other similar keyword)
4. Select the “sounds” tab after the results have loaded. You’ll find a list of the top sounds onTikTok along with how frequently those sounds have been utilized in videos on the platform.
5. As an alternative, you can click the“hashtags” option to examine the most widely used hashtags for sounds. For instance, videos using the hashtag #viral sound have received1.8 billion views.
3. Using the TikTok Sounds Library
You may search and explore through TikTok’s entire music selection in your Sounds Library.For instance, if you want to see what has just been added, you can click on New Released or conduct a genre search.
Overall, the function is incredibly simple to use and comprehend. Click on the “+” icon in the center of the navigation bar at the bottom of your home screen to access the Sounds Library.You’ll see a music note icon with the ability to add sound at the top of your screen.
Simply type the song’s name into the search bar on TikTok’s Discover page and select Sounds.billion views if you already know the song you want to add.
4. Saving a sound that other creators used
Maybe you’re browsing the For You page’s video library and want to use a music that you heard in one of the videos? In this instance, you can just tap on the sound to get to the audio page.Then, if you’re prepared to begin recording right now, select “Use this sound.” Otherwise, you may also save it to be utilized at a later time by selecting “Add to Favorites.”
5. Use TikTok Creative Center
When it comes to trend information, the TikTok Creative Center is your best friend. To access data for hashtags, songs, creators, and videos, go to the Trend Intelligence submenu. Songs from the previous day, the past 30 days, or the last 120 days can be browsed or searched. A region can also be chosen.
In the Songs area, there are two tabs: Popular and Breakout. The Breakout tab includes songs that are expanding swiftly, while the Popular tab lists the top trending songs in the region that was chosen.
The other pages in the Creative Center can be used to find trends that aren’t driven by music since user-generated content isn’t included in these listings. To see what’s popular, visit theTikTok Videos or Hashtags pages.
6. Making your own original sounds
The TikTok app also enables you to produce your own unique sound, whether you had in minda voiceover, running commentary, or mash-up. Making the extra effort to maintain consistencyin your branding is a smart idea.
In addition to being helpful for branding, it may provide you a ton of exposure because originalsounds can also be included in suggested and trending categories. This implies that otherplatform creators may use it in their videos as well.
Brand guidelines for sounds on TikTok
The most important lesson to learn from using TikTok is: Watch out for copyright violations. Hitmusic is featured in many popular TikTok sounds, yet companies aren’t individuals and followdifferent rules.
Your company has a number of possibilities for incorporating sounds without breaking thelaw. Brands can develop unique or branded sounds, use stock audio, license music, use user-generated content, and repost it. These additional choices provide you the chance to embrace trends and establish your brand as an active player.
1. License music
By getting in touch with the copyright owners, you can acquire the rights for commercial use. Usually, the record company or the artist does this, however the procedure may take sometime.
This is one of the reasons TikTok expanded the MarketingPartner Program with Sound Partners. The platformsUnitedMasters and other music production firms make upTikTok’s Sound Partners. By producing original sound or providing subscriptions for licensing agreements, these partners assist businesses in developing sound-centered marketing campaigns.
2. Use royalty-free music
To access thousands of options for music that is free of royalties, use TikTok’s CommercialMusic Library. Filtering options include genre, themes, runtime, and more. To find music, you can also view pre-made playlists.
Use the app or a desktop to access the library. Open the camera on the app, select “Sounds” from the menu, and
then click “Add sound” at the top of the screen. Then select“Commercial noises.” You can explore and look for audio
from this point. Investigate the playlist options, including TikBiz, Viral, and Emerging Artists. Additionally, you can allude to current music without violating any rights by finding instrumental versions of hit songs.
3. Create custom sounds
Your brand will stand out and be able to participate in TikTok culture by creating original sounds. By blending pre-existing sounds, adding voiceover, or sound effects, you can produce fresh music. Voiceovers can be used for vlogs that include event recaps, for example. To have a powerful sound, you don’t need a hit song. Consider using “talking head” audio, which features a speaker speaking directly to the camera. Story times and tutorials benefit greatly from talking-head content.
Think about working with music producers, musicians, or creative agency to commission a branded sound. Branded sounds can be compared to the interactive modern jingle. Because users may participate by producing their own material, branded sounds are excellent for marketing initiatives. Ask listeners to create a video utilizing your branded sound and hashtag by using the sound as a call
to action. Don’t forget to give your sound a formal name. Giving your audio a name allows other users to search for it and locate it, which is wonderful for branding and spreading awareness.
Dueling is another well-liked strategy. A Duet displays two videos in a split screen while they are both playing at once. Duets are used by TikTokers for reaction films, answers, and more to promote teamwork in some form.
4. Ask to use user-generated content (UGC)
Since consumers want to see real customer experiences, user-generated content is a fantastic opportunity for brands to interact with their audience. The foundation of TikTok is collaboration and re-creation. But regardless of whether you’re using the original music or publishing it on your brand’s TikTok page, marketers should always seek permission first as a precaution.
Additionally, we advise mentioning the author in the caption or the TikTok comment section.Reposting any videos with copyrighted audio should be avoided because even if your business isn’t using the music, it could still be considered an infringement.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, sound-based TikTok advertisements are very effective in raising brandawareness. Creating effective marketing on TikTok today begins with understanding the powerof sound.
Vy Nguyen
Finding the balance between modernity and antiquity, Vy is the art director at Filament and has been helping brands find that visual direction to tell their stories. She specialises in video making, content direction, motion graphics.
