A good TikTok video is a culmination of a number of things: great visual content, a fun and engaging concept, a great hook, and of course compelling audio or sound to match.
Whether your sound is a live commentary on what’s happening on screen, a carefully selected background song, or a trending audio clip that you have added your own spin to in a video, the way you edit and use sound can make or break a TikTok video.
So, where and how do you edit sound to make it the best it can be?
Adding Sound to a TikTok
One of the great benefits of TikTok is its ability to match footage or photos with the kind of sound that the platform thinks will compliment your content.
When you record a video or upload a series of photos to create a video reel, TikTok will instantly recommend a selection of sounds that could work. You can browse all the recommended songs by clicking on the pre-selected option at the top of the screen or search the platform’s endless reel of other songs and sounds.
This is the quickest and easiest way of adding sound via the app, without relying on your own original audio.
Editing the Sound on a TikTok Video
Once your TikTok is fully recorded, open up the menu of options which run down the right hand side of the screen and select the ‘Edit’ icon and label.
This will take you through to the full editing screen, where you can visually see how the selected sound or audio file interacts with the footage that you’ve filmed or uploaded.
Clicking on the audio file in the content breakdown underneath the preview screen will open an editing tool box for the sound – inviting you to change the volume, adjust its duration, change which segment of the song or audio file is played, or replace it completely.
Clicking on ‘Replace Sound’ will open up a new sound selection box whereby you can search recommended, recent sounds, favourites, or search for something completely different.
Typically, trial and error is the best way to really get the hang of sound editing, with competent TikTok creators able to layer sounds and adjust the duration to play from one sound to the next effortlessly.
Adding a Voiceover to a TikTok Video
If your content is more educational and you want to go down the voiceover route rather than creating something using trending audio, then you can do so on the same editing screen – layering your voiceover on top of the original sound or replacing the sound with your new audio.
To add a voiceover, skip through to the edit screen as above and tap on the sound icon along the bottom of the screen. Select ‘Voiceover’ and then hit the record button when you’re ready to record.
The beauty of this particular tool is that you can record your voiceover in line with the visual content as it runs, making sure that everything you say aligns with the visual on screen.
And there you have it! Completely unique and original content which adds context to your video in your own words.
Can You Use Third Party Apps?
If there is a specific sound that you want to layer on top of your video, then you can do this in a third party app and then upload the entire clip to TikTok complete with that sound – carrying it through into the platform’s own editing screen for further finessing.
However, with so many options available on TikTok, most find that the social app is flexible and versatile enough to deliver what you need in terms of sound, video, and caption editing.
We hope this helps you to make your TikTok videos even better than you could have hoped for! Happy editing!
