TikTok audio is more complex than it first appears, owing namely to the fact that artists are well within their rights to revoke access to and the ability to use their songs or audio clips on the app if they choose.
TikTok may well block a video that uses a song or audio clip which has not been approved for use, to protect itself from being impacted by copyright issues and lawsuits. This is particularly critical when creating content as a business user or creator, as using a sound to market and advertise your own business can quickly spark issues within the world of copyright violation.
Which is why understanding what a commercial sound is and how to use it is so important on TikTok.
What Are Commercial Sounds?
Commercial sounds refer to a library of sounds, songs, and audio clips which have been cleared for use by the platform.
But that’s not all. Commercial sounds work differently to clips which are available to generic users – because these commercial sounds are notably ones which have been cleared and approved for business use. Why? Because business accounts are looking to boost their profile for their own gain, and so the sounds available to them become instantly more limited.
In short, these commercial sounds are sounds that can be used by anyone, including businesses, for their TikTok videos and promotions – without the risk of being penalised or falling foul of copyright regulations.
How to Find the Commercial Sounds Library
In order to access the commercial sounds library, you must have or manage a business account.
This is mainly because commercial activity on TikTok is restricted to business accounts only, and so the understanding is that only those with business accounts will need to be able to access songs and sounds which have been made available to commercial users.
So, to find the commercial sounds library, you first and foremost need to have a business account.
When to Use the Commercial Sounds Library
It is worth noting here that brands and businesses can access the regular user-created sounds library on TikTok – but should do so with extreme caution. There is no protection here should the user make a claim against your business for using their sound in your promotional marketing, and so sticking with the pre-approved commercial sounds is certainly safer.
The commercial sounds library should be used when:
- Your content promotes your brand or business
- You are creating content for a collaboration (influencers specifically)
Another thing to know is that business accounts specifically cannot stitch or duet with TikTok videos that use copyrighted songs from TikTok’s regular music library. This is because these songs and sounds are not commercially approved and so can end in problems for the business if the creator or artist is made aware of them using a song for business or promotional purposes.
3 Steps to Access Commercial Sounds as a Business
- Create your TikTok as normal, by clicking on the large plus sign in the bottom centre of the screen
- Click on the ‘Sounds’ button at the bottom of your screen once you’ve captured your footage or uploaded your images
- If you are successfully running a business account, then TikTok should be smart enough to take you directly to the commercial sounds library. You can then browse and search for sounds to compliment your content – or look at which sounds are trending to help give your content a boost
And there you have it! Commercial sounds, and the library of sounds that TikTok has created, is a quick and easy place to find audio which enhances your business and branded content – without getting you into trouble!
Through this library you can see what’s trending, create playlists of sounds which compliment your brand identity, and unlock sounds you might not have considered but which effortlessly enhance your content.
