TikTok videos cannot be imagined without music. It creates trends, and trends are often accompanied by a certain melody. Sounds and music spread within the platform like wild fire. Creators looking for new followers and popularity simply cannot ignore the importance of music on TikTok. Why do some tunes take off on TikTok? And how can creators find truly trending sounds to use them in content creation?
If you have ever asked yourself these questions, you are in the right place! This article is your backstage pass to understanding:
Get ready to discover, dance, and define your TikTok journey with the power of trending music! 🎶
- What are TikTok trending sounds and music?
- How to find trending sounds and music on TikTok?
- Why is it important to use trending sounds and music on TikTok?
Get ready to discover, dance, and define your TikTok journey with the power of trending music! 🎶
What are TikTok trending sounds and music?
Trends are an integral part of TikTok. It helps novice creators get on the For You page and catch the eye of the first viewers. Successful use of a trend will make your video go viral.
There are different trends on TikTok. This could be special video editing styles, transitions, memes, dances, challenges, comical sketches that captivate the TikTok community now.
From iconic quotes to catchy tunes, sounds and music often become the soundtrack to different TikTok trends. Melodies themselves also can become a trend.
One of the examples of such a song is “Oh No”. A sample from the 1964 girl group The Shangri-Las was reinterpreted by many artists such as Capone or Kreepa and took over TikTok. The song is used to show unexpected failures, awkward moments and unhappy endings. “Oh No” sound was used in more than 18 million videos!
TikTok trending sounds and music are the audio clips, songs, or sound bites that are currently surging in popularity among TikTok users. Think of them as the melodies that set the tone for a myriad of creative expressions on the platform.
What sound or song can be called a trend in TikTok? There is no clear answer to this question. If you are scrolling through your For You page and the same composition is repeated in several videos, it can be trending.
The only problem is that the For You page is limited by the recommendation algorithm. TikTok suggests videos that it considers interesting to you: this may relate to the topic of the video, editing and, of course, music. You may miss out on a trending sound or song just because the algorithm has decided that it is not interesting for you. It’s not a big deal for an ordinary user, but a matter of life and death for a creator. Luckily, there are a variety of tools to help you stay on top of the game.
We have collected the most useful tools, all you have to do is decide which one is most convenient for you!
There are different trends on TikTok. This could be special video editing styles, transitions, memes, dances, challenges, comical sketches that captivate the TikTok community now.
From iconic quotes to catchy tunes, sounds and music often become the soundtrack to different TikTok trends. Melodies themselves also can become a trend.
One of the examples of such a song is “Oh No”. A sample from the 1964 girl group The Shangri-Las was reinterpreted by many artists such as Capone or Kreepa and took over TikTok. The song is used to show unexpected failures, awkward moments and unhappy endings. “Oh No” sound was used in more than 18 million videos!
TikTok trending sounds and music are the audio clips, songs, or sound bites that are currently surging in popularity among TikTok users. Think of them as the melodies that set the tone for a myriad of creative expressions on the platform.
What sound or song can be called a trend in TikTok? There is no clear answer to this question. If you are scrolling through your For You page and the same composition is repeated in several videos, it can be trending.
The only problem is that the For You page is limited by the recommendation algorithm. TikTok suggests videos that it considers interesting to you: this may relate to the topic of the video, editing and, of course, music. You may miss out on a trending sound or song just because the algorithm has decided that it is not interesting for you. It’s not a big deal for an ordinary user, but a matter of life and death for a creator. Luckily, there are a variety of tools to help you stay on top of the game.
We have collected the most useful tools, all you have to do is decide which one is most convenient for you!
How to find trending sounds and music on TikTok?
TikTok itself is interested in creators making more content, so finding trending sounds and music is not difficult. You just need to know where to look and what to pay attention to.
We have outlined 4 ways to find trending sounds and music. You don't even have to leave the app itself to use 3 of them. Another method will force you to open a browser on your phone or desktop, but it's worth it!
These 4 ways of finding trending TikTok sounds and music will save you time on creating your content:
We have outlined 4 ways to find trending sounds and music. You don't even have to leave the app itself to use 3 of them. Another method will force you to open a browser on your phone or desktop, but it's worth it!
These 4 ways of finding trending TikTok sounds and music will save you time on creating your content:
• Scroll through your For You page
We have already mentioned this way above. Your For You page is one of the best ways to find trending content, and the same is true for music and sounds. TikTok's algorithm creates content tailored to your interests, presenting an organic flow of what's currently buzzing.
On the one hand, on your For You page you’ll find out what is becoming popular in your niche or related topics. On the other hand, everyone’s For You page is different so sometimes it can be hard to say whether this specific sound is really popular or you’ve just watched and liked one video with it and the algorithm has decided that you’ve enjoyed this particular song.
Luckily, you can check how popular a certain sound is. This is what you need to do:
If the sound or music doesn’t have many videos made with it, you can check it in a couple of hours. If the number of videos is significantly increasing, this is your new trend!
Another disadvantage of finding sounds and music by scrolling your For You Page is that you’ll find videos that are interesting to you or related to your niche. It will be almost impossible for you to find and recognize common trends that unite different creators.
At the same time, in our article “How to go viral on TikTok?” we said that one of the ways to create viral TikTok videos is to take a trend from another topic and adapt it to yours. Besides, keeping an eye on different trends will help you in those moments when you don't know what else to shoot.
Using the For You page is a useful way to stay on the same page with the TikTok community. Unfortunately, just looking at the videos that the algorithm recommends narrows your options. Therefore, let's turn to another method – looking for sounds and music on TikTok’s Sound Library.
On the one hand, on your For You page you’ll find out what is becoming popular in your niche or related topics. On the other hand, everyone’s For You page is different so sometimes it can be hard to say whether this specific sound is really popular or you’ve just watched and liked one video with it and the algorithm has decided that you’ve enjoyed this particular song.
Luckily, you can check how popular a certain sound is. This is what you need to do:
- Find a video with a sound you want to check on the For You page.
- Tap on the name of a sound or a song at the bottom of the screen – this will bring you to the page dedicated to a certain sound.
- Look closely at the number of videos made with the sound or a song.
If the sound or music doesn’t have many videos made with it, you can check it in a couple of hours. If the number of videos is significantly increasing, this is your new trend!
Another disadvantage of finding sounds and music by scrolling your For You Page is that you’ll find videos that are interesting to you or related to your niche. It will be almost impossible for you to find and recognize common trends that unite different creators.
At the same time, in our article “How to go viral on TikTok?” we said that one of the ways to create viral TikTok videos is to take a trend from another topic and adapt it to yours. Besides, keeping an eye on different trends will help you in those moments when you don't know what else to shoot.
Using the For You page is a useful way to stay on the same page with the TikTok community. Unfortunately, just looking at the videos that the algorithm recommends narrows your options. Therefore, let's turn to another method – looking for sounds and music on TikTok’s Sound Library.
• Check TikTok’s Sound Library
TikTok’s Sound Library appears when you want to upload your video in the app. This is the place where all the sounds and music that have ever been used by TikTok creators are stored.
These are 4 simple steps to find the TikTok’s Sound Library:
Unlike the For You page, in the Sound Library you will find music, no matter what niche it is used in. And playlists will help you choose from what is popular or gaining momentum right now.
TikTok’s Sound Library provides a wide selection of sounds and songs. However, this method of searching for music trends has its own significant drawback.
You cannot know in advance what sound or music to shoot your new video with. Without this, you won’t be able to shoot formats like lip sync or memes. And not all music is ideal for random dance moves.
Most creators want to know in advance what to show in the video: this determines what to do in front of the camera, what outfit to choose, what props to prepare, or what editing will be needed.
But viewing the Sound Library does not oblige you to immediately upload a video with the chosen song. You can always cancel the publication of the video or save it to Drafts and still learn what music is trending now.
Checking TikTok’s Sound Library is a good addition to scrolling your For You page. You can choose the song in a video you’ve just watched and check if it’s in one of the playlists featuring popular or viral music. Then you will make the final decision to use this sound or not.
Scrolling the For You page takes time, as does checking the TikTok’s sounds library. Finding trending sounds and music can be a little easier: just subscribe to popular creators.
These are 4 simple steps to find the TikTok’s Sound Library:
- Open the TikTok app.
- Tap the “+” button on the bottom of your screen.
- Tap on the “Add sound” button at the top of the screen.
- Scroll to “Playlists” and find playlists like “TikTok viral” or “Featured”.
Unlike the For You page, in the Sound Library you will find music, no matter what niche it is used in. And playlists will help you choose from what is popular or gaining momentum right now.
TikTok’s Sound Library provides a wide selection of sounds and songs. However, this method of searching for music trends has its own significant drawback.
You cannot know in advance what sound or music to shoot your new video with. Without this, you won’t be able to shoot formats like lip sync or memes. And not all music is ideal for random dance moves.
Most creators want to know in advance what to show in the video: this determines what to do in front of the camera, what outfit to choose, what props to prepare, or what editing will be needed.
But viewing the Sound Library does not oblige you to immediately upload a video with the chosen song. You can always cancel the publication of the video or save it to Drafts and still learn what music is trending now.
Checking TikTok’s Sound Library is a good addition to scrolling your For You page. You can choose the song in a video you’ve just watched and check if it’s in one of the playlists featuring popular or viral music. Then you will make the final decision to use this sound or not.
Scrolling the For You page takes time, as does checking the TikTok’s sounds library. Finding trending sounds and music can be a little easier: just subscribe to popular creators.
• Follow popular creators
Popular creators on TikTok are often trendsetters: they launch challenges, come up with memes, and make sounds and music go viral.
By following popular creators, you will stay in the loop with the freshest sounds and gain inspiration for your own content. It's like having your own personal music curator, guiding you through TikTok trends.
And it’s not a secret that music labels hire popular creators to help songs to take off. So, keeping an eye on creators also can help you learn about new songs that have a big chance of going viral. The earlier you understand that this particular sound can become a trend, the bigger your chances are to be among the first to follow it.
Another feature is that popularity helps TikTokers promote their own music and sounds. Everyone has the opportunity to upload original sound to TikTok and others will be able to use it.
A funny sound or a cool song will get more coverage and opportunities to become a trend if it is published by a user whose video ends up on millions of For You pages.
This sound created and uploaded by TikTok creator jacky vc has been used in more than 22 thousand videos (the original video has 40.4m views).
You can follow bloggers who create content on your topic. This way, you will learn about current music trends in your niche. This will also help you when you run out of ideas. We talked about this in the article “How to find inspiration for new content?”.
But following bloggers from other niches is also important. Then you can be the first to use a trending sound or song in your topic.
So, following popular creators is one of the best ways to learn about emerging sounds and music that has big chances of becoming popular. But even among the most popular creators, videos sometimes gain very little engagement and reach.
Is there a place where you can see objective data? Yes. If you love statistics and numbers, you definitely need to try TikTok’s Creative Center.
By following popular creators, you will stay in the loop with the freshest sounds and gain inspiration for your own content. It's like having your own personal music curator, guiding you through TikTok trends.
And it’s not a secret that music labels hire popular creators to help songs to take off. So, keeping an eye on creators also can help you learn about new songs that have a big chance of going viral. The earlier you understand that this particular sound can become a trend, the bigger your chances are to be among the first to follow it.
Another feature is that popularity helps TikTokers promote their own music and sounds. Everyone has the opportunity to upload original sound to TikTok and others will be able to use it.
A funny sound or a cool song will get more coverage and opportunities to become a trend if it is published by a user whose video ends up on millions of For You pages.
This sound created and uploaded by TikTok creator jacky vc has been used in more than 22 thousand videos (the original video has 40.4m views).
You can follow bloggers who create content on your topic. This way, you will learn about current music trends in your niche. This will also help you when you run out of ideas. We talked about this in the article “How to find inspiration for new content?”.
But following bloggers from other niches is also important. Then you can be the first to use a trending sound or song in your topic.
So, following popular creators is one of the best ways to learn about emerging sounds and music that has big chances of becoming popular. But even among the most popular creators, videos sometimes gain very little engagement and reach.
Is there a place where you can see objective data? Yes. If you love statistics and numbers, you definitely need to try TikTok’s Creative Center.
• Use TikTok Creative Center
Creative Center is a hub created by TikTok itself to help creators and businesses to discover the latest trends including music. The undoubted advantage is that the statistics from the Creative Center are objective quantitative data collected by TikTok.
There are 2 simple steps to find music trends:
Creative Center will determine your region itself. But if you want to see the trends of any other country, you can also change it by clicking on the red arrow near the name of the country in the header and opening the drop-down list.
You can see a regular music chart, where each song is assigned its place depending on how popular it is. In addition, you have the opportunity to choose simply popular songs or breakout songs that have only recently begun to gain significant popularity.
By clicking on the name of the selected song, you will be taken to a page where you can see full statistics about it.
The first thing you'll see is a graph that clearly shows the song's popularity and the ups and downs of creators' interest in it. Secondly, you will see related videos – popular TikToks filmed using this song. So, you will understand what people film using this song and you will be able to come up with a script for your video.
TikTok also provides insights on the audience: the age of users who most often watch a video with this sound or song, and the top interests of this audience. So, you will understand which users are more likely to stumble upon your video if you use the chosen song.
TikTok only counts users over 18 in age statistics. Therefore, you simply will not find information about how popular a particular song is among younger users. This, of course, does not mean that they are not interested in this musical trend.
Finally, TikTok statistics will tell you in which regions this song is most popular. This can be useful if you want to attract viewers and subscribers from a specific region. Just choose music that is popular in the desired country!
Creative Center can be used together with the ways we described above. If you come across a song in your For You feed, you can use the search button located on the right above the music chart. Put the name of the song or artist and you’ll find all the needed statistics.
Keeping track of statistics and numbers (even when talking about music) can seem difficult and overwhelming for creators who view TikTok as a hobby or entertainment. Pure passion was enough to become popular and find loyal fans earlier, when TikTok was not yet so popular. There is so much content and creators these days that it is very difficult to stand out.
Recognizing and understanding trends can be a magic wand for creators who consider TikTok as a job and a way to make money. Statistics and numbers are your friends in this matter.
You can learn more about making money on TikTok in our article “5 ways to make money on TikTok”.
TikTok Creative Center is the best way to get objective data about the popularity of sounds and music. Unfortunately, it does not take into account original sounds recorded by TikTokers themselves.
So, Creative Center has its undeniable pros and cons. Just like any other way to learn about trending sounds and music.
There are 2 simple steps to find music trends:
- Open TikTok Creative Center.
- Hover over “Trends” and select “Songs”.
Creative Center will determine your region itself. But if you want to see the trends of any other country, you can also change it by clicking on the red arrow near the name of the country in the header and opening the drop-down list.
You can see a regular music chart, where each song is assigned its place depending on how popular it is. In addition, you have the opportunity to choose simply popular songs or breakout songs that have only recently begun to gain significant popularity.
By clicking on the name of the selected song, you will be taken to a page where you can see full statistics about it.
The first thing you'll see is a graph that clearly shows the song's popularity and the ups and downs of creators' interest in it. Secondly, you will see related videos – popular TikToks filmed using this song. So, you will understand what people film using this song and you will be able to come up with a script for your video.
TikTok also provides insights on the audience: the age of users who most often watch a video with this sound or song, and the top interests of this audience. So, you will understand which users are more likely to stumble upon your video if you use the chosen song.
TikTok only counts users over 18 in age statistics. Therefore, you simply will not find information about how popular a particular song is among younger users. This, of course, does not mean that they are not interested in this musical trend.
Finally, TikTok statistics will tell you in which regions this song is most popular. This can be useful if you want to attract viewers and subscribers from a specific region. Just choose music that is popular in the desired country!
Creative Center can be used together with the ways we described above. If you come across a song in your For You feed, you can use the search button located on the right above the music chart. Put the name of the song or artist and you’ll find all the needed statistics.
Keeping track of statistics and numbers (even when talking about music) can seem difficult and overwhelming for creators who view TikTok as a hobby or entertainment. Pure passion was enough to become popular and find loyal fans earlier, when TikTok was not yet so popular. There is so much content and creators these days that it is very difficult to stand out.
Recognizing and understanding trends can be a magic wand for creators who consider TikTok as a job and a way to make money. Statistics and numbers are your friends in this matter.
You can learn more about making money on TikTok in our article “5 ways to make money on TikTok”.
TikTok Creative Center is the best way to get objective data about the popularity of sounds and music. Unfortunately, it does not take into account original sounds recorded by TikTokers themselves.
So, Creative Center has its undeniable pros and cons. Just like any other way to learn about trending sounds and music.
All of the ways mentioned above, from exploring For You feed to the TikTok Creative Center, are great ways to discover and explore trending sounds and music within the platform. They are very simple to use, but at the same time they will help you boost the number of views and engagement rate thanks to the TikTok algorithm.
Each way has its pros and cons. For example, the Sound Library will not let you know what is trending without going to the video publishing, and not all videos of popular creators become the beginning of a music trend.
It's best to use at least two methods in combination: if you come across the same sound multiple times in your feed, check the stats for that song in Creative Center – it might just be a coincidence.
We have talked about how to find trending sounds and music. So why is this so important?
Why is it important to use trending sounds and music on TikTok?
Trending music reflects what TikTok users are living at the moment. Since sounds and songs become an integral part of the content, they are strongly associated with specific challenges, dances, memes and stories.
There are 5 main reasons to follow trending sounds and music:
There are 5 main reasons to follow trending sounds and music:
1. Produce Relevant Content
TikTok trends change rapidly, but using the latest sounds and songs that have taken off keeps your content fresh and relevant. Being on the same page with TikTok users helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level, because you can share experiences and emotions that resonate with users across the platform.
Relevant content lets you stay on the same page with your subscribers, and also catch the eye of new users and attract them to your page.
Relevant content lets you stay on the same page with your subscribers, and also catch the eye of new users and attract them to your page.
2. Boost Engagement and Interactivity
Users on TikTok love to engage with content that is shot with familiar sounds or songs.
They value more than just the use of music. Since music is often the soundtrack to a certain type of storytelling, challenge or meme, they are expecting to see something familiar with a certain sound or song.
The right mix of music and action (what is shown in the video) encourages more likes, shares, and comments, fostering a sense of interactivity and community.
They value more than just the use of music. Since music is often the soundtrack to a certain type of storytelling, challenge or meme, they are expecting to see something familiar with a certain sound or song.
The right mix of music and action (what is shown in the video) encourages more likes, shares, and comments, fostering a sense of interactivity and community.
3. Create Viral Content
The more your content resonates with the users on the platform and the more users interact with it, the more likely your content is to go viral. Using viral sounds and music can put your videos into the spotlight.
TikTok’s algorithm constantly analyzes user preferences. If your content is interesting to a large number of users, it will often end up in their For You feeds. Sounds and music play an important role in this: if the user stops scrolling the feed on a video with a certain sound, they will come across it even more often.
Trends and music makes users interact with your content, and a large number of interactions signals to the algorithm that this content is suitable for even more users... Everything is connected on TikTok, so the importance of music cannot be ignored.
To learn more about TikTok’s algorithm, check this article: How to go viral on TikTok?
TikTok’s algorithm constantly analyzes user preferences. If your content is interesting to a large number of users, it will often end up in their For You feeds. Sounds and music play an important role in this: if the user stops scrolling the feed on a video with a certain sound, they will come across it even more often.
Trends and music makes users interact with your content, and a large number of interactions signals to the algorithm that this content is suitable for even more users... Everything is connected on TikTok, so the importance of music cannot be ignored.
To learn more about TikTok’s algorithm, check this article: How to go viral on TikTok?
4. Enhance Storytelling
Putting aside the desire to go viral on TikTok or the importance of using trends from time to time, music is a powerful storytelling tool.
All creators want to make more original content or share something special from time to time. Music enhances the narrative of your videos, creating a more immersive and memorable experience for your audience.
The methods described above will help you find suitable music for your content, even if you don’t want to create something truly viral. You have two options: choose the music and then decide what to film, or decide what you want to share and then choose the music, using, for example, TikTok Creative Center.
All creators want to make more original content or share something special from time to time. Music enhances the narrative of your videos, creating a more immersive and memorable experience for your audience.
The methods described above will help you find suitable music for your content, even if you don’t want to create something truly viral. You have two options: choose the music and then decide what to film, or decide what you want to share and then choose the music, using, for example, TikTok Creative Center.
5. Inspire Creativity
Now imagine it’s the other way around: you’ve run out of ideas for content and don’t know what to shoot. Trending sounds and music can become your answer!
Study what is interesting to users of the platform right now, what other creators are filming, no matter if they are from your niche or not. It will give you inspiration for new content ideas. You can repeat a trend existing in your niche, but it’s better to take a completely unrelated trend and adapt it first. You can become a trendsetter that others will repeat!
Trending sounds set the stage for creativity. Who knows, maybe you will be able to come up with a genuine idea using the well-known song? Try and experiment!
Study what is interesting to users of the platform right now, what other creators are filming, no matter if they are from your niche or not. It will give you inspiration for new content ideas. You can repeat a trend existing in your niche, but it’s better to take a completely unrelated trend and adapt it first. You can become a trendsetter that others will repeat!
Trending sounds set the stage for creativity. Who knows, maybe you will be able to come up with a genuine idea using the well-known song? Try and experiment!
Using trending sounds and music in your TikTok content isn't just a trend itself. It's a strategic move to elevate your presence, engage your audience, and create viral content. It also can become an answer if you want to share something specific and do not know what sound or music to use or if you run out of ideas.
Music trends on TikTok can be anything from iconic quotes and song samples to sounds and music from popular creators or artists. Sounds and music are the soundtrack to dances, challenges, and storytelling, but they can become a trend on their own.
There are 4 main ways to find trending sounds and music: scrolling through your For You feed, checking TikTok’s Sound Library, following popular creators and using TikTok’s Creative Center. All these ways are free and easy to use. You have to remember that all of them have their advantages and disadvantages, so try to combine at least 2 ways together to avoid mistakes.
Apart from boosting your engagement or increasing your chances of creating viral content, trending sounds and music also can enhance storytelling and inspire your creativity.
Creators can't ignore the importance of music and its popularity if they want to create content that will resonate with TikTok users. Being on the same tune with your followers is a starting point to creating your own fanbase.
And if you already have one and want to get their support, One2fan is what you need. Check this article to learn more: What is One2fan?
There are 4 main ways to find trending sounds and music: scrolling through your For You feed, checking TikTok’s Sound Library, following popular creators and using TikTok’s Creative Center. All these ways are free and easy to use. You have to remember that all of them have their advantages and disadvantages, so try to combine at least 2 ways together to avoid mistakes.
Apart from boosting your engagement or increasing your chances of creating viral content, trending sounds and music also can enhance storytelling and inspire your creativity.
Creators can't ignore the importance of music and its popularity if they want to create content that will resonate with TikTok users. Being on the same tune with your followers is a starting point to creating your own fanbase.
And if you already have one and want to get their support, One2fan is what you need. Check this article to learn more: What is One2fan?
