Can I upload an MP3 to TikTok?
Not as an audio file on its own. Put the MP3 into a video and upload that; its sound becomes an original sound under your name.
Guide · free tool included
How to add your own sound on TikTok
TikTok’s sound picker searches its own library. Your voice, song or podcast gets in another way: recorded in the app, or carried in by a video you upload.
To add your own sound on TikTok, post a video that contains it. Whatever you record with the camera, or whatever sound is in a video you upload, becomes an “original sound” under your name, and other people can use it in their own videos. Add sound in the app only searches TikTok’s library; there is no button for importing an audio file on its own.
If the sound is your voice, the quickest route is in the app: record it, or narrate over a clip with the Voice tool. If it is a file you already have, such as a song, a podcast clip or a voice memo, make it into a vertical video first. Any editor will do, or you can turn it into a captioned 9:16 clip in your browser on this site.
Add a voiceover to a TikTok in the app
TikTok’s own way to put your voice over a video, from its Help Centre.
Record or upload your clip
Tap Add post (the + button), then record a video or choose one from your phone, and go on to the editing screen.
Open the voice tools
Tap Voice in the side panel of the editor.
Record your voice
Tap Record and speak over the clip as it plays, then tap Done and Save.
Post it
Finish the caption and settings and post. Your voice is part of the video’s original sound.
Posting an audio file you already have
For a finished song, an interview or a podcast moment, the sound has to arrive inside a video. TikTok then treats it as your original sound. A plain picture works, but captions and movement give people a reason to stay without the sound on.
- On this site, choose Vertical on the start card and open the audio file.
- Move the window on the timeline to the moment you want; Best 30 s under Audio finds the busiest talking.
- In Captions, Make captions sends that clip’s sound to our speech provider and puts the words on screen, lit up as they’re spoken. Without it, nothing leaves your phone.
- Press G to check that nothing important sits under TikTok’s buttons, then Export and Share to save it.
- In TikTok, tap Add post, upload the video, and don’t add a library sound on top.
From a computer, TikTok Studio on the web accepts MP4 or WebM of at least 720×1280, up to 30 minutes and under 10 GB. A 1080×1920 export from here is well inside that.
Mixing your sound with TikTok’s library
Once a video is in the editor, Sound lets you Add sound from the library or Replace the one you chose. If you add a library track to a video that already has your audio, you’ll be balancing the two. For a voice recording, keep the library track quiet or leave it out, so the captions and the voice match.
Original sound: what others see
- Your sound shows as an original sound with your name, and people can tap it to see every video that uses it.
- TikTok lets you remove an original sound you made: tap the sound, tap Share, then Remove sound. That removes it from every video using it, including other people’s.
- If TikTok recognises commercial music in your upload, it may mute it or restrict the video. Use your own recordings or music you have the rights to.
Podcasts and songs on TikTok
A podcast
Short, captioned clips of one idea each work far better than full segments. Lead with the most surprising sentence, keep it under a minute, and put the show name in the video so people can find the full episode. The podcast audiogram page covers saving your show’s look so every clip matches.
Your own song in TikTok’s library
For a song to appear when people search Add sound, it has to be delivered to TikTok’s library. TikTok runs its own distribution platform for artists, SoundOn, and many music distributors deliver to TikTok too. Until a release is there, upload it inside a video and let the original sound spread. A music visualizer video gives it something to look at.
Your own sound on TikTok: questions
How do I make my own sound on TikTok for others to use?
Post a video with your sound in it. TikTok lists it as an original sound, and other people can tap it and use it in their own videos.
How do I do a voiceover on TikTok?
In the editor, tap Voice, then Record and speak as the clip plays. Tap Done and Save when you’re happy.
Why was my sound muted on TikTok?
Usually because TikTok detected copyrighted music in it. Original recordings and music you have rights to are safe; songs you don’t own may be muted.
What size should a TikTok video be?
Vertical 9:16. TikTok asks for at least 720×1280; 1080×1920 is the usual choice and what Vertical exports at 1080p.
How long can a TikTok upload be?
Through TikTok Studio on the web, up to 30 minutes. For a sound to catch on, much shorter is better; a strong 15 to 45 seconds is typical.