How to Get Your Music on TikTok & Instagram
Social media is the new radio. Getting your music into the official audio libraries of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat is the fastest way to trigger viral streams globally.
Read the GuideThe Secret: Social Audio Libraries
You can technically just post a video with your music playing in the background. But if you want fans to be able to "Use this Sound" and tap to see your linked artist profile and streams—you need your song in the platform's official Commercial Audio Library. This requires a digital distributor.
Why it matters:
- Fans can "Duet" or use your sound legally
- Your sound links back to your Spotify/Apple Music
- You earn micro-royalties based on video views
Supported platforms:
- TikTok (ByteDance)
- Instagram Reels & Facebook Stories (Meta)
- Snapchat & YouTube Shorts
Why I Use DistroKid for Social Video
DistroKid makes social delivery automatic. The second you upload a track for Spotify, it simultaneously sends a specific snippet to TikTok and Instagram. They also give you the ability to select the exact "preview clip" time that plays when someone taps your sound.
What They Do Best
- Select the exact start-time for your TikTok snippet
- Collect revenue from creator views
- Send tracks to CapCut for editing templates
- Unlimited uploads with their basic plan
When to look elsewhere
- × You only want to release covers (licensing is tricky)
- × You need advanced label sync-licensing deals
- × You aren't distributing traditional streaming audio at all
Ready to start building your catalog?
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Join DistroKid TodayThe Reality Check: Marketing
Just because it's there, doesn't mean they'll use it.
Having your official audio on TikTok is useless if no one is making videos with it. Your job is to drive the initial velocity. Make 50 videos using your own sound. Start a trend. Teach a dance. Once the algorithm picks it up, the platform's user base will do the rest.
Ask yourself:
- Which 15-second part of my song is the catchiest?
- Am I creating short-form content to promote the audio?
- Have I claimed my official Artist account on TikTok?
My advice? Make templates.
Users love CapCut templates. Since DistroKid sends your music directly to CapCut's library, you can make an editing template featuring your song. If the template goes viral, your song goes viral automatically.
After upload, the real work begins.