How to create your own sound on TikTok

15 April 2021, 17:20

Lizzo and Bretman Rock try "nature's cereal" on TikTok

Jazmin Duribe

By Jazmin Duribe

Here's how to make your own original sound on TikTok.

It's fair to say that a lot of us have been spending an extended amount of time at home lately and we have a few spare hours on our hands. Don't worry, we've been using it wisely – on TikTok.

TikTok is probably the only app you could use to learn how to dance, get fashion tips, discover new music artists, watch cooking tutorials and uncover some historical facts all in one afternoon without even leaving your bedroom. It's increasingly becoming a platform for emerging artists to share their music and it's where one of our faves – Lil Nas X – blew up with his hit 'Old Town Road' in 2019.

But TikTok has changed. Like most apps, it's constantly evolving and one thing that most people struggle with is sharing a custom sound. Whether you want to share your music with the world, go viral, or just get your voice out there, there's a simple way to share your own original sounds on TikTok.

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Here's how to make a sound on TikTok 

How to make a sound on TikTok
How to make a sound on TikTok. Picture: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images, @charlidamelio via Instagram

How to make your own original sound on TikTok

So, you want to upload your own custom sound to TikTok. Well, because TikTok no longer allows users to just upload sounds the first thing you need to do is make your own sound outside of the app. This can be of you simply speaking into your microphone, something copyright-free on YouTube, or one of your own musical creations. Once you've picked the sound, you'll need to ensure you save it to your camera roll as a video.

1) Open TikTok and upload your custom sound. You can do this by clicking the "+" icon, "Upload" and then selecting your video. Once you're done select "Next".

2) Before you post, make your video private. On the posting page there's an option that reads "Who can view this video". Tap and choose "Private" and then "Post". This means the video will only be visible to you.

3) Check your video featuring the custom sound is there and then completely close the app.

4) Open TikTok again and head to your profile. Click the sound icon on the bottom right corner.

5) You should now have the option to use the sound for other videos, add it to your favourites and edit the title of the sound

A TikTok logo seen displayed on a smartphone
A TikTok logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Picture: Filip Radwanski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Some users have reported that if they make their video private then the sound doesn't work. If that happens, don't worry, skip that step and make it a public video. When you start using the sound in other videos you can make it private after.

You should now have a custom sound on TikTok just waiting to go viral. Good luck!