# How to Post Music on TikTok So It Gets Used > The upload settings, sound attribution and posting mechanics that decide whether your song becomes a usable sound or a one-off video. [All guides](/blog) # How to Post Music on TikTok So It Gets Used Published 31 August 2026, 18:00 UTC · updated 31 August 2026, 13:04 UTC · by Loopin Most advice here is about the creative. This is the other half: the settings and mechanics that decide whether your song becomes a sound other people can use. ## Get the song distributed first A song released through a distributor appears in the platform's music library with your artist name attached. A song uploaded as video audio becomes an "original sound" credited to your account, which works but does not link to your catalogue. Release first, then post. Doing it the other way round means the version people use is not the version connected to your streaming profile. ## Use the same clip every time Every distinct upload of the same audio creates a separate sound page and splits the use count. This is how artists end up with five sound pages of 300 uses instead of one with 1,500 — and the count is what gets a sound surfaced. Pick your eight seconds once, export it once, and use that identical file for every post you make about the song. ## Export settings that survive the platform Vertical 1080×1920, 30 fps, and audio at AAC 256 kbps or higher. The platform re-encodes what you send, so a low-bitrate export becomes a double-compressed one and the difference is audible on cymbals and reverb. Do not add the song inside the app if you can help it. Editing the audio into the video at full quality and uploading that gives you one fewer lossy pass. ## The caption and cover do specific jobs The caption is read after the hook worked — one line of context, one line about what is next. The cover frame is what appears on your profile grid, so choose one that reads as a set with your other posts rather than a random frame. Three to five hashtags, one of which is your artist name so your own posts group together. Thirty is treated as reach-seeking. ## Post the sound before you promote the sound The first video defines the format for everyone who uses it afterwards. Make yours trivially repeatable — something a stranger could copy in two minutes with no equipment — before you ask anybody to use it. Then send it to fifteen creators in the right lane, with the format explained. Five small accounts adopting it beats one large account posting once, because adoption is what the platform is looking for. ## Frequently asked questions ### Should I release a song before posting it on TikTok? Yes. A distributed song appears in the music library with your artist name attached; audio uploaded straight to a video becomes an "original sound" that does not link to your catalogue. ### Why does my song have multiple sound pages? Every distinct upload of the same audio creates a separate sound and splits the use count. Export your eight seconds once and use that identical file every time. ### What export settings should I use? Vertical 1080x1920, 30 fps, audio at AAC 256 kbps or higher. The platform re-encodes what you send, so a low-bitrate export becomes double-compressed. ## Related reads - [How to get your song into a trend](/blog/how-to-get-your-song-in-a-tiktok-trend) - [How to make a song snippet for TikTok](/blog/how-to-make-a-song-snippet-for-tiktok) - [LUFS for TikTok](/blog/lufs-for-tiktok) --- Source: https://onloopin.com/blog/how-to-post-music-on-tiktok